THR Riding to the other side<

[Barbaraj]

Happy hump day, @Lmflora. Hope you're having a good day, some exercise, some rest, a good balance. That's so cool that you were able to watch your horse being put through her paces, although I sure it made you a bit jealous to watch. Still, it is wonderful that you are motivated now to get back to riding this spring so you can take over showing her again. I'm not a horse person, but the whole idea of having a solid goal like that does resonate. We all need something to look forward to. Sure, we look forward to full recovery at some point, but it's icing on the cake to have a concrete "thing" that also provides motivation to slowly but steadily chug along this recovery path. Cheers!

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary!
I forgot you and BarbaraJ had surgery the same day.
Hope you're doing well. One month felt like a turning point for me.
Wishing you a lovely weekend!
@Lmflora

 

[Barbaraj]

Yup, @Layla, it's true--@Lmflora and I are hippy twins. She's a second timer, this surgery was my first (although probably not my last--heavy sigh). Still it's interesting that we're progressing along the same lines. She's looking forward to riding next spring, I'm thinking more of a luxurious European vacation as a goal! But, we're both plugging along.

Happy Saturday, @Lmflora--hope some fun in your day is planned. I'm off wine tasting and lunching today!

 

[Lmflora]

Hey @Barbaraj sounds like a great way to spend the day! I think a luxurious European vacation sounds pretty awesome. Every day is better. That is what we want, just a little quicker but all good.

I just did some PT, first Time on elliptical 10 min., I did 5 min on bike first. Am a little sore i stopped at 10. so icing now. Going to take it slow. I’ll take a long walk later on.

Hi @Layla thank you, I’m doing great. I’m taking the whole rehab thing much slower this time, mostly because I have quite a few things I do for the daily’s, and just that seems to wear me out. the recommended activity progression on bonesmart is just not a reality for me around here, mostly by my choice, and controlling nature. My daughter was here the last time and my husband was not healing from shoulder surgery. Less help this time, but I was able to trim my toenails myself this morning, so I think it is working fine. My energy is good until about 2 in the afternoon then I’m done.

Have a great weekend

 

[Barbaraj]

Oooh, toenail trim, @Lmflora--big step for you! Loved getting rid of my neon pink chipping toenail polish and cutting my toe nails about a week ago. Lots of grunting and groaning along the way, but such a sense of accomplishment, isn't it? Who would have thought we'd feel so proud of a fairly mundane task, but I felt a sense of real pride when I was done, and then immediately laughed at myself

 

[Lmflora]

@Alitm it is very fun talking horses with you, I get a fair amount of eye rolling from nonbelievers. So I very much enjoy a kindred spirit.

 

[Alitm]

Ditto @Lmflora! It takes one to know one....we understand what drives us to heal and get back to our lives

 

[Barbaraj]

Assume a busy weekend for you, @Lmflora? I saw lots of postings between you and @Alitm, you horse folks always seem to have a lot to share, baffling as it may be for the non-horse folks like me! But nice to meet folks on line who share your passion even though it seems a bit funny to meet on a forum dedicated to hip replacements! Anyway, happy Monday!

 

[Barbaraj]

How are you doing today, @Lmflora? I hope you are getting around well still, and that life is definitely looking up for you--that you are managing to balance recovery and activity in such a way that forward movement along the way is still going on. Cheers!

 

[Lmflora]

Hello hip sister @Barbaraj I’m getting around very well today, I cleaned my stalls, shoveled and pushed the cart out to dump. I usually pull the cart, but pushing it was more stable and I was able to get the job done, I swept the barn clean, my farrier came and trimmed the two old boys. It was a very “normal” day.

I successfully procrastinated doing computer work. I’ve got to get after that desk work!! I am getting my carb intake under control. I think I’m on the right path now. I have an appt with my chiropractor and massage therapist tomorrow. Looking forward to that. Refrigerator is supposed to be fixed next Monday.

The breeder we’re getting our mini aussie pup from had several litters, so we are waiting for eye color, I want a female with two blue eyes this time around. She is a reputable breeder, she shows and does agility with her dogs. The puppies are raised inside around kids, cats, and other dogs. My daughter got her dog from her 2 years ago. I’ve had rescue dogs before with mixed success. I need a dog that will make a good field dog, I spend a great deal of time in the middle of nowhere, so I like to start them from a puppy where they grow up bonded to me and trained to open country. So looking forward to the new baby!

I’ll pop over to your thread and see how your day was!

 

[Layla]

Good Morning @Lmflora
Sounds like you had a busy day yesterday, Hopefully you're feeling good today after all of yesterday's activity. I hope you have a satisfying visit with your chiropractor and enjoy the massage.
Have a great day!

 

[Barbaraj]

Good grief, @Lmflora, the start to your day is in such stark contrast to mine. You've been out working probably by the time I roll downstairs in my bathrobe and slippers to make a morning latte! Just reading about all that hard, physical labor makes me feel tired. But, if you can handle it without exhaustion, I am assuming your energy drain doesn't slow you down? I made bread this afternoon but that's my sole activity for today after this morning's gym visit. I don't think I could do the work you do, today (or ever!) but it always comes through that you love what you do, and that's fabulous. I'm sure you're looking forward to your new "baby", didn't you say around the beginning of next year? Have a great day!

 

[Lmflora]

Well @Barbaraj i am completely toast by 2-3 in the afternoon. I definitely feel the energy drain. If I have a stuff to do outside I blow off the exercises, elliptical etc. only so much gas in the tank.

I think we can get the new baby around Christmas. I’m getting pretty excited. I have moments of blathering tears as I grieve for my pretty boy, but I am looking at the puppy Picts and know it’s best for us to get another one soon. We are not traveling, skiing, or otherwise vacationing until we are both healed up and feeling good, so this is a perfect time to get a pup.

 

[Barbaraj]

Well, @Lmflora, I think getting your new baby around Christmas will be a lovely holiday present! I confess, as with your devotion to horses (you and @Alitm crack me up with all that horse jibber-jabber!), I am not keen on pets either. I was raised with dogs, my family always had a dachshund as my mother loved them, but as an adult (having seen that my mother was responsible for all the work associated with pet ownership) I was never keen to get a dog myself. I am lucky that friends and family have pets so that I can visit and get my "fix" then but have no responsibilities for care and feeding! I still think you're pretty remarkable for all the work you're able to accomplish, even if you are exhausted by the afternoon. I might have more energy than you around 3:00, but I've not done anything as physical as you all day! You are doing so great and since this is your second hip surgery, once recovery is done you'll be on your way. I admit, I am a wee bit jealous of that! But you deserve absolutely to get back to your normally active and happy life. Happy Thursday!

 

[Lmflora]

@Lmflora Let me tell you that this 'scar tissue' more properly known as adhesions, is very uncommon in hips. It's not that common in knees though to listen to PTs you'd think every single TKR patient has it! So please don't listen to this PT because s/he is wrong, wrong, wrong.

I'd really like to offer you some structured advice but in order to do that, I also need to ask you some questions. Are you willing for me to do that?

@Josephine I moved this over to my thread, yes I would be willing to answer some questions.

 

[Barbaraj]

Good morning, @Lmflora, my hippy twin! Not sure what it's like in your neighborhood, but I will hope for sunshine and a lovely fall day as contrasted to the rain and heavily overcast skies outside my study window this morning. I am sure you've been up for hours now (groan...) with all your chores, but I hope after that you were able to collapse in a comfortable chair for awhile to catch your breath. It's the weekend, but I am sure for folks with property and animals to care for, it's a 7 days a week job for you! still, make time to rest and recharge--you are still, like me, recovering. Have a great day!

 

[Alitm]

@Lmflora,

Hoping you are having a pleasant weekend!

How is your hip flexor doing? I had my first solo day in the barn today. It felt great, but have been icing and will take a hot shower before bed....as long as this other miserable front that is going tonight through doesn’t knock out our power yet again . We are rural too, living in the agricultural land reserve.

How was/were your visit/visits to your girl
this week?

Has your puppy with the eye colour you wanted been born yet? If so, when will you get him/her?

My laptop has a virus or something going on...we’ve had a major internet go slow and had our provider check it out remotely today to discover it was coming from my laptop. Going to try and see about it tomorrow...such a pain. I don’t do well on my phone and the internet!

I’ve been trying to catch up with my daughter yesterday before she headed out on a course last night that she is on for the weekend, coming back again tomorrow night!

Had my first completely solo (except for turning out) barn chore day today. Try to do everything I possibly can in the mornings, as I am quite tired in the late afternoon! Feels good being t I had an nice icing session earlier and am now heading for a hot showe as long as the power stays on! Hubby already went to bed, so don’t want to wake him to start generator and I’m too tired to attempt!

Planning to make one last visit to my boy on Frida, before surgery the following week.

Hoping all is well with you and yours!

 

[Josephine]

Here y'go then!

It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are

1. what approach did you have for your surgery? Anterior, posterior, lateral? You can look here to see the various types THR approaches or incisions

2. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).

3. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

4. are you icing your painful area at all? If so, how often and for how long?

5. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

 

[Lmflora]

Hello @Josephine

The groin pain is from my THR in 2014. I had the left THR done almost 6 weeks ago. I'll answer for both THRs as best I can. Label as 2014 RTHR and 2018 LTHR

1.
2014 RTHR anterior
2018 LTHR anterior

2. 2014 RTHR, pain level when I am not engaging the muscle is 1, pain level when I lift straight leg from lying down is 5-6, lift knee straight up 4-5, getting into car 4-5, and stairs 3-4.

2018 LTHR, I have very little pain in my left.

3. I am currently only taking 2x 500 mg of Tylenol before I go to bed.

4. 2014 RTHR, I am not icing this hip, I do use a heating pad a couple times of week.
2018 LTHR, I ice after activity and when it is sore. Depending on how sore it is I may ice 2-3 times in a day, for as long as it takes the ice pack to get warm. Other times I do not ice when it is not bothering me.

5. 2014 RTHR no
2018 LTHR no, not for about 3 weeks now

6. I am very active, I live out of town, my husband is recovering from rotator cuff surgery. I go up and down stairs, I walk to the barn, clean stalls as needed, I do the cooking. I drive to town and do the shopping. Working in the garden (with some help)

7. 2014 RTHR
I had more help around the house in 2014. So i did a lot more exercises.
sitting slides with rubber band in door jam (15) 1x day
knee squeezes with ball (15) 1x day
sitting clam shells with rubber band (15) 1x day
stationary bike 15 min, high seat low resistance 1x day
quad and buttock squeezes (15 each) 1x day
I walked a lot, approximately a mile or more several times a week.

2018 LTHR
I did not have as much help this time, so I did/do fewer exercises, I walk more, and I try to stretch more.
at the end of two weeks post op I was doing the following:
knee squeezes with ball (15) 1x day
sitting clam shells with rubber band (15) 1x day
stationary bike 10 min, high seat low resistance 1x day
quad and buttock squeezes (15 each) 1x day

At almost 6 weeks If I do the exercises I do the following:
knee squeezes with ball (15) 1x day
sitting clam shells with rubber band (15) 1x day
gentle squats holding something (15) 1x day
Elliptical 20-30 min 1x day

PT:
2014 RTHR
I did a lot more at PT in 2014, I cannot remember everything I did. But I went more often and did a variety of things.
Currently I go once a week, I hop on the elliptical for 20-30 min, and then we work on the hip flexor, deep tissue massage, cupping, and dry needling

2018 LTHR
I am not doing formal exercises for the LTHR at PT at this time. My ROM, strength, and pain level is very good. I am not going to over do this one, because I do have to do a lot of daily activities. Only so much energy in a day. by 2-3 in the afternoon, I am pretty much toast and I go sit down and rest, ice if needed.

Thank you for your time

 

[Lmflora]

@Alitm
I hope you're having a good weekend. What a drag about your computer. I just reinstalled software instead of migrating because of a long frustrating period of "bugs" maybe even viruses, I don't know, but since I do have a little down time I decided to try and fix it once and for all. It takes forever, our internet is not particularly fast.

It is so satisfying to go down to the barn and do my thing all by myself!! You go girl!!

The breeder has a bunch of puppies, I am going to get a female this time, I think we are going to go down to her place next week and look at them.

My trainer just went to Oklahoma City for the AQHA World championship show, he qualified a junior cutting horse and a roping horse. His brother is a champion professional roper, rodeo and otherwise. He won't be back for a few days, so I have been going over and seeing her. I am not particularly pleased with the way the hired barn girl rides my girl.. She hops on and then lets her walk off. Next time I see that I'm going to have to say something. that horse has to stand stock still while i get on her period....Once he gets back, i can go over there and lurk and learn. I can fix most anything on her when she gets back. but i have to get on her. Frankly I am nervous about the getting on part. I don't know how strong this leg is. We will just have to start slow with the mounting block. I suspect the mounting block is piece of cake and normal everyday thing for english style. but she was so spooked at that thing for so long... the sound of my step on the plastic flipped her out. I finally got her to stand quiet. so I am hoping she will remember.

Have a great evening