THR Right hip done, "Fred" is on board.

[Freedom]

For folks in USA, the payment side of all of this can also be a chore.

You really need to be aware, and stay on top of, any and all medical bills you receive. Do not just pay them!!! After my hospital stay for my recent right total hip replacement, I was transported by ambulance to inpatient rehab. All of this was pre approved by my health insurance. The ambulance company submitted their claim to my health insurance; received their payment; and then sent me a "balance bill," which I received in yesterday's mail, for over $2300! I went on to my health insurance website and looked up the claim, shows it was processed and "my share" is zero. I've just been on the phone with my health insurance; the customer service rep advised me that 'balance billing" is illegal. * (I've just been reading up online. Whether this is illegal is going to vary by state. My state has a comprehensive law in place on this point. Not all states do.) She then contacted the ambulance service with me on the line, and at the appropriate time I identified myself, gave my account number and the bill invoice info. The person at the ambulance service was abrupt and close to rude, said they always balance bill. The customer service rep audibly gasped on the line! They went back and forth a few times, and when the ambulance co person left the conversation, my customer service rep from my health ins advised me to just sit tight, she will expedite this to her supervisor with a report of the telecon, and she will also be faxing documentation to the ambulance service company advising them to zero out my account, and notify them (the health ins. co) if they disagree with the amount they were paid. WOW. It can be challenging to advocate for yourself, when you are the patient. More so when you are in hospital rather than, as now, I am 3.5 weeks post op, off many of the meds and more able to do so. Just be aware, and don't immediately pay off those bills. Ensure you actually OWE the money.

 

[Layla]

As if physical recovery isn’t ENOUGH
Sorry you are having this experience, but thanks for sharing the cautionary advice.

 

[Spex10]

Gosh. Sounds very complicated. Obviously, we have NHS here so all free of charge. I did go to a private hospital as I have private medical insurance but it was all very straightforward. No arguments or unexpected charges.
I went private in order to have some control over when and where the op would take place. Otherwise I use NHS.

 

[Freedom]

As of yesterday, I am walking my dogs again. Just a short 1/2 mile around the neighborhood. They have missed their walks. Normally I take them out in the car in the morning to 1 of 4 places, for a good long romp. Then another walk, around the neighborhood, in the evening. But for the past 5 weeks they have had to be content with their own back yard. (The petsitter I hired was not able to walk them, I knew that as walking 5 can be a challenge.)

No cane, and I am making sure I do heel-toe, no limping. I am walking slowly, which agrees with my 16 year old dog. I find I have to concentrate, or I tend to "Frankenstein" my walk.

This is an issue I have noticed for almost 2 weeks. I have more pain and swelling at my KNEE than I do at the hip or incision area. At this point, I have almost no pain or swelling at the hip. I went through similar 4 years back with the first hip; the knee would swell up like a softball, and I'd go to the ER. Did that 4 times. It took close to 2 YEARS for the knee to settle down. I sure hope this time around, the right knee calms down sooner.

I had this surgery on a Thursday, July 29th. By Sunday I had a large area (about the size of the palm of my hand) that was blue / black on the knee. It has not changed in all this time. Since it started while I was at rehab I asked about it there. Was told the soft tissue around the knee has to adjust to the new alignment, and it was normal, particularly as the knee has been replaced, so there is metal there the soft tissue hits, not to worry. When I saw the surgeon for my 2 weeks post op check I pointed it out to him. He said he has no idea what that is, and returned to discussing the hip (he is not the one who did my knees).

Just returned from walking the dogs. Time for a short rest, then I need to work on lunch.

 

[Spex10]

Well done on taking those dogs for a walk. I was just about to go for a boring walk round the boring boring block (sick of it after three lockdowns) when my daughter texted to say she was popping in. Phew! So glad of an excuse. However, I'll have to go out later and walk round the grounds to get my step count up. I aim for 5000 steps a day. That's nothing compared to what you do though.
Don't know what to say about your knees. Mine protest a bit but no bruising or swelling.

 

[Freedom]

Today I am 4 weeks post op! July 29th was the surgery.

And I did not do A THING today, for a change. It was incredibly hot; high of 94 F/ 33 C but due to tropical dew points, the "feels like" hit 103 F / 39 C. Day 3, officially a Heat Wave, the 4th this year so far. Even my dogs didn't want to go out in the back yard for 'business,' I had to herd them all out. We all just hung out in the a/c all day. I did use the snuffle mat and puzzles for their lunch time, just to give them a bit of mental activity.

I do well in the mornings, and I am not using the cane. I take the Tylenol with my thyroid medication about 6:30 AM and return to bed; then after breakfast I take the Celebrex. Those 2 don't get taken together again until the next morning. So by 2 PM, I do find I feel better using the cane. I'm still icing a few times a day.

I'm going to have to plan a trip to the library; I have finished all the books I had lined up for recovery!

 

[Layla]

What a great four week update. You’re doing very well.
Keep up the good work and have a great weekend

Now I need to go look up snuffle mat and dog puzzles. Hope the dogs had fun!
@Freedom

 

[Freedom]

@Layla here is a video I made a few months ago. Watch it on youtube, and I have listed the links for the snuffle mat, and info for the puzzles, in the description.

 

[djklaugh]

@Freedom Snuffle mats are wonderful! My ex-husband has an elderly rescue dog who is mostly blind and rather deaf too. But his sniffer works just fine! Tank ( the dog) LOVES his snuffle mat and begs his human to put his treats in it. The one he has is made of cloth pieces sewn onto a firm rubberized mat and looks rather like a large flower.

 

[Freedom]

Um, today has been a banner day! I sure hope I don't pay much for this.

After breakfast, I showered and dressed (a bit of a challenge still), then took the dogs for the short 1/2 mile walk around the neighborhood. Half an hour rest, and I mowed the lawn. Lunch, another half hour rest, and I went out in the car. Made 4 stops, the first 3 were minor*, the last was grocery shopping. So I came home, had to unpack all that, made dinner.

*Minor stops: local little free library, returned a book I've now read, took another one. Out of the car less than 1 full minute. Went to get a new battery in my car fob, but the Parts Department is not open on Saturdays due to the pandemic (used to be, it was a valid stop in my mind), again back in the car in less than 1 minute. And had something I purchased May 27th that broke, had my receipt and exchanged it they gave me a new one, no issue, out of the car and on my feet less than 7 minutes. See? All minor in terms of how much walking / on my feet time.

Now sitting here wondering what the heck got into me?!! LOL Actually, a good bit of it is the weather. After days of 90 + heat, and more than a week of tropical dew points, today is awesome! High of 71, dew points at the very comfortable 53, and yes it is a cloudy overcast day, no sun, but wow! what fantastic weather! I will add, every single neighbor was out mowing today. We all were doing it at different times, which means a nap was NOT going to happen thanks to the growl of various lawn mowers - ride on, and walk behind - all day long. ALL day. It just stopped and got quiet, in the last 10 minutes. Since 8 AM.

I still use the leg lifter to get in and out of the tub for the shower, and to get in my bed. Twice I have got in bed without using it. NOT twice in a row. With all I have going on here, I can't afford to irritate that muscle (the one on the inner upper thigh) again, it just makes life too difficult. I think I may need to start doing some squats, to be able to fade out the leg lifter. Maybe 5 squats every meal time, holding the kitchen counter.

Pretty sure I shall sleep well tonight! Ha ha haaaa.

 

[Spex10]

The change in weather must be a great relief. Another of your busy days. A great feeling of satisfaction getting all those jobs done though. Well done.
It's good to have a day of rest after that. Will the hot humid weather return?
I'm surprised that you have to use a leg lifter. For some reason I never did. The PT when I was in hospital showed me how to manage in and out of bed and I've stuck with that technique. I'd say that it's the most effortful thing I have to do though its getting easier every day. Luckily we have a walk in shower so that's fine.

 

[Freedom]

Yes, today is a planned day of rest. Well, walk the dogs perhaps, but that's all.

We rarely get the tropical dew points here; often we go an entire Summer without ever hitting those high dew points. This year has been nutty, we've had over 21 days of tropical dew points! And yes it will return later this week as the remnants of Hurricane Ida pass over, pulling in tons of humidity from down in the Gulf of Mexico. We won't see the high air temperatures again thank goodness. As of 5 AM yesterday I've had the a/c off and the windows wide open, it is grand! Enjoying every minute of it.
I've had weak leg muscles since the first 3 surgeries. Those 3 were all within 17 months and really did a job on my body, which basically shut down for a long time afterwards; it was a long difficult recovery period.

I used the leg lifter for over a year with the first hip replacement, eventually just used my hands to lift the leg up over the tub for a shower. I'd only been able to lift the left leg up over the side of the tub for maybe 6 months, prior to this surgery. That is years of having to help that leg up! Over the tub, into the car, up onto the bed, etc. I'm not sure why I have this issue. This right leg was my 'good' leg, my left is not nearly as strong, so that presents issues with stairs at this time.

I was never able to progress to doing stairs like an adult, I did them right leg up, bring left to that step, right leg up again, as a toddler. So I am really using the handrails on my cellar stairs just now, to get up when I do laundry once a week or so. Thank goodness I have handrails on BOTH sides, I really do use them to get myself up. And I've not been able to get up off a toilet on my own; I have had to keep the safety rail in place so I use my hands to push myself up. If I need to use a toilet when I am out, I have to be sure I use a handicap stall so there is a support rail or I'd never be able to get up. And for example at the doctor's office, I need to be sure I sit in a chair with arms, or else I have to ask the MD or nurse to help pull me up. I did PT in 8 week intervals 3 times a year for 2 years until 2 different therapists said it has been so long it is unlikely I will be able to 'wake up' that leg muscle again. VERY frustrating.

Here are 2 photos of the toilet safety rail I have, that I mentioned above. It is free-standing, doesn't attach.

 

[Spex10]

Given that this leg problem is of long standing and maybe won't ever resolve, why not just get the bath replaced with a walk in shower? We didn't do that until I had such trouble trying to climb in to use the over bath shower after my first TKR. It was a massive relief for me just knowing I could walk right in to the shower. I have a safety rail there but in the first few days after the op I took my sticks in with me -they're waterproof!

 

[Freedom]

Not likely to do that. A house is worth more with a tub / shower than with a walk in shower alone. This is the original tub, put in when my parents built the house in 1956. It is a cast iron tub. Removal would be a massive project. And no one is allowed to do a part job, they would have to bring the entire bathroom up to current standards. That means a major renovation. This house only has the one bathroom, so I'd have to move out for about 2 weeks while the work happened.

 

[Spex10]

Could a small shower not be fitted somewhere else in the house? We didn't bother about any potential effect on the value we might one day get if we ever sold up. We needed to be prepared for the ongoing effects of old age and making life as comfortable and safe as possible.

 

[Spex10]

PS our original bathtub was a huge cast iron one. Somehow the whole job was done including tiling the whole room in four days. We stayed in the flat throughout too. The men did a great job.

 

[Freedom]

Not going to happen, sorry.

 

[Spex10]

Shrug. It's your life.

 

[Freedom]

Sunday and Monday were days of rest. I walked the dogs, and that's about all. Today I've been busy. Walked the dogs, then out in the car, made 5 small stops, things that had piled up and needed to be addressed. Not till I got back home did I realize: went out without my cane! And did fine! No issues! The fact that I just WENT, without thinking about my hip, is amazing!

Yesterday was my final day of Celebrex and baby aspirin twice a day. Glad to be done with that! I'm still taking the Tylenol, but only twice a day not 3 times. And I think I could go without in the morning. By the end of the day I am getting grumpy still, which is one sign I am achy.

One stop was to return the walker to my senior center; I had put it in the back of my car on Sunday. They have a free loan program, and I have made use of it over the years. Now 6 weeks ago when I checked out the walker, I went in, no mask, they were running programs, had lunch in preparation, seemed about back to normal. Today? I had to call for an appointment time, wear a mask, not allowed inside someone came out to me, no lunch and all programs cancelled. Sad to say it seems we are heading into another dark time. So very glad I managed to squeeze in my hip replacement surgery during a good period!!

 

[Layla]

Good Morning, Freedom. Happy Wednesday!
Just catching up on your thread. Lots of exciting news for you. You’re doing so well!
Transitioning away from the cane, stopping more meds, slowly getting back to normal life and living.

The dog puzzles and the mat are awesome! I haven’t had a small dog for quite some time and I wasn’t familiar with either. Your dogs are really cute too. I’ll bet they are a joy and bring many hours of entertainment. It is funny how they each have their own unique personality. Thanks for sharing here and supporting others. I hope you have a lovely day!
@Freedom