THR Roofmaster's new hips, part one

[Poppet]

Hi Roofmaster, I didn't go back to check page one, so apologies in advance if you have already received this info - congrats on hip number one

I have provided some links to useful articles from the library for you to read when you are feeling up to it.

First the BoneSmart mantra
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

And then the recovery articles
Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Activity progression for THRs
Home physio (PT)
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

Let the recovery begin!

"Disclaimer: All patients are different and have varying degrees of disability prior to surgery, as well as inherent differences in their overall capabilities. The outcomes described herein speak for the majority of patients with normal hip deterioration and average capabilities for their age group."

 

[Roofmaster]

Hi everyone.Took the opportunity to do nothing at all today and feeling real good.When I was released from the hospital on Thursday I was feeling real good and pretty pain free so I fell victim to my overachiever syndrome and for the next 2 days pushed my poor new hip maybe a little to much.Yesterday I was feeling it.My family and I went to King Richards fair in Carver Ma. for a few hours and like I said I was already hurtin from overdoing it Thursday and Friday so needless to say I was a hurtin unit last night.Tossed and turned and rolled and writhed and could not get comfortable.So I learned my lesson the hard way and today did absolutely nothing and feel great again.I will for the forseeable future force myself to slow down.Its not like this is a competition.Peace.

 

[Goody2Shoes3]

Thanks for caring anniemg and Roofmaster.......it helps

In Ontario the government has tried to address the long wait times for hip surgery by giving the option of going to
an assessment centre where they perform a couple thousand joint replacements per year. Here they also train doctors in joint replacement. Because this is a teaching hospital a doctor who is learning will assist the more experienced surgeon.. Some of the surgeons who have graduated and been hired are are fairly young and I plan to wait for one of the three older ones who have an excellent track record. That is why the wait times vary so much. My general physician misdiagnosed the problem as referred pain from my back and I had an MRI of my spine in 2009 and 2011. Once she did a hip x ray in 2012, she referred me to a rheumatologist. Then of course the specialist wants to wait and observe how bad it is before sending you on. Quite a few hoops to jump through.

Well Roofmaster, you aren't the only one to put their new hip to good use before it is sufficiently healed. A number of people here have done the same thing. Assuming my recovery is going well that is something I am going to have to watch out for too. My mom has bone cancer and I have an 18 year old autistic son with Down Syndrome and Autism. Yesterday I was going into the grocery store with one on each arm and I was thinking about how I am going to ignore these two while healing after my hip replacement. I will get people to fill in of course but I am the one they are comfortable with and it will be very hard for my son to be out of his normal routine. The two of us are so in tune.....I usually say we are joined at the hip..... and for most kids you would say it is good for them to develop some independence. In his case though, he will likely experience a lot of anxiety. Well one step at a time. That's all I can do. Hope tomorrow is another good day for you!

 

[Butterfly]

Roofmaster SOO glad you are feeling so well. I can't wait. Is your other hip bothering and making it harder? I'm doing one his the end of Sept and the other the beginning of November and I wonder what the ime in between will be like.

Glad you are t hinking of staying put for another month. When is your second surgery scheduled??

Peace and love to you, and please take it easy or Josephine will wag her finger at you -- scary proposition!

 

[Roofmaster]

Hi Butterfly how you holding up?Funny you ask about the other hip.Its actually hardly bothering me compared to before surgery.It seems the rigght one was so bad that some of the pain was crossing over to the other side.There is still pain in the left but it has subsided so much as to not impede the progress on the new one.I'll know for sure Thursday when I'll be getting the other one.Thats the day the Doc removes the staples.A couple of days the pain has been so minimal I was having second thoughts about doing it.Then I look at the x rays and realize its just a matter of time and probably a short time before the left one becomes disabling.So I might as well use the momentum and opportunity to nip it in the bud while I have the chance.How are you?You getting ready for your transformation?

 

[Butterfly]

Roofmaster I am still plugging along. I've been alternating between fear of the surgery and eagerness to get it done and over with. It is so great to hear stories like yours -- I know you were in awful pain and I do't know how you held up so well and continued working till the bitter end. I think you are quite right about the second hip. The one I'm having fixed first started out being the OK one, and the other one, the right, was the one that was so bad. Then suddenly the left one got really bad, too, and far worse than the right. That happened pretty much over night. And today it seems to have gotten even worse and more painful. I felt a kind of "clunk" in there and it is super bad now. Hopefully it will be a little better in the morning, tho I am not going to get my hopes up. They may end up carrying me into the hospital in one of those sling things like vets lift horses up with.

I'lll get there, though, and your story gives me great hope. You were in so much pain and now you are so much better, really just a few days after your surgery. It really does give me hope. Part of my trouble is that I live alone and have way too much time to think, since I can't do much of anything else now. But I"m trying to keep my eye on the prize and stories of feeling so much better, like yours.

Peace and love, and don't overdo it!

 

[seamoose]

Hi Roofmaster , How are you moving along ? I'm getting along slowly but improving a bit at a time . Did some pt today and switched to a cane but still very slowly coming back .thought I'd check in on you see if you are out sticking roofs on already . Its like taking a slow boat somewhere all we can do is hang on and make the best of the ride . FT

 

[Roofmaster]

Hello everyone.Ive been having an annoying ache in my hip for a few days.I suspect I may have overdone my walking when I first got released because I felt so good.I was released from the hospital last thursday and didnt do much that day.Then on Friday I went for a walk down the waterfront in Plymouth,and Saturdat went to King Richards fair with my family which required a bunch of walking.Starting Saturday night I started getting a dull ache in my hip,doesnt seem like anything serious but I decide to rest up which Ive done since Sunday.Aside from using the bathroom and visiting my son who lives a mile away Ive basically been babying it and spending a lot of time laying down with my legs elevated and taking lots of naps.My sleep patterns have fallen back into broken unrestful nights.Like I said I dont think its that big a deal,Im attributing it to overwork and not having access to good hospital drugs.I see my Doc today to have the staples removed so I'll run it by him.Does anyone know if walking a little to much can cause a problem.I know there will be good days and bad,does this all sound normal.Maybe its normal and Im being a worry wart.Peace.

 

[bottomshollow]

Well, Roofmaster, on Friday and Saturday, you should have been resting, elevating, icing, and taking pain meds----not walking all over the place. Yes, yes, yes----you are guilty of overdoing! Just because you feel good does not mean that your hip is ready for all this activity. Just slow it down--very, very short walks a few times a day---like around the house to get from the bedroom to the living room, to the bathroom, and to the kitchen. You can develop tendonitis from overdoing soon after surgery---and it's very hard to get over.

You get the drift!!! Take care, We care.

 

[Goody2Shoes3]

Roofmaster If that had been how you were feeling since getting out of the hospital you would have been more like everyone else with a THR I think. I don't get the impression that most people feel as good as you did after surgery. However, as this ache is a couple steps in a backward direction I wouldn't know how to interpret it either. What did the doctor say?

I have had a bit of a rough two days walking myself as I had a physio assessment for an hour on Tuesday and the muscle or tendon going down the back of my leg to the left of centre is really sore where it attaches at the hip and the whole way down even just to touch. She had to test my range of motion, teach me exercises and do a fast walking test for 6 minutes so guess that was a little more than my hip could handle well. I expect/hope it should be fine in a few days. Next I have an appt with the surgeon Nov 14th.

 

[seamoose]

That's that ranger stuff they instilled in you getting the best of you .Its hard to stop going till you fall and then getting back and doing it again it starts feeling right .Once the philosophy is lodged in your head and you spend most of your life living this way . Sorry to hear you are down ,hope its just a little rest you need . Maybe just need a recharge . Saturday is the Clint Eastwood marathon on one of the channels .A day of ice .drugs and Clint westerns will bring you back . Or just make your day . I know I would have made a great Doc .missed my calling
I m going nuts myself but trying to pull back on the reins . the wife is talking about chains .
(might be interesting!!!) get well man

 

[Roofmaster]

Morning everybody. So I had the staples removed yesterday and spoke with the Doc about my ache. He seems to know me well already as he said yeah I was probably a little overzealous returning home feeling so well. He didn't show much concern regarding any potential problem and reassured me that it was probably normal and I learned the hard way what not to do. He also said it should resolve itself.

I was given my left hip replacement date, September 23rd, Monday. That's 2 weeks and I can start putting all this behind me. It's an understatement to say this site is invaluable to pre-op anxiety and post-op recovery. Sharing and reading is itself like prescription medication. This place should be standard operational procedure.

You know seamoose this isn't the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last, that my training and 11 Bravo mentality has been detrimental to my health. Feeling better today. That annoying ache is under control. It mainly bothers me now while I'm trying to sleep. Peace.

 

[seamoose]

Good Morning Roofmaster. That's good news, no damage done. I sorta did the same thing when I was recovering from my back op. It was like taking three steps forward - two steps back thru the whole recovery.When you live in such intense pain for so long the operation relieves it and your ecstatic to enjoy each a step. That attitude we talk about had carried me thru the worst times of my life as well as causing some of its own.That green uniform did more for me than anything else in my life so a little side effect is ok.

I'm surprised they set you for the other hip already. They will wait till Sept 29 to see where I'm at before setting mine up and then it will be 2 to 4 weeks later. Because I've had AVN for so long they have some doubts about the bone growing into the implant. I don't know how they will establish that yet. Enjoy your weekend and Rest up Ft

 

[Jaycey]

Roofmaster - you aren't the first and you won't be the last hippie to do a bit too much too soon. Like your doc says - learn from it. Recovery is all about finding the limits, scaling back if you need to and then trying again. Just remember - this is major surgery. Listen to that new hip - it's in charge right now.

 

[Butterfly]

Roofmaster Not surprised you tried to do too much. You are definitely an overachiever (all that work on the roofs with such pain!)! I am glad you are doing better and cannot wait till this is behind me, too. Wow. They set your second hip before I even get my first one done. You have to promise to keep guiding me along.

Peace and love to you., and TAKE IT EASY!

 

[Roofmaster]

Top of the mornin mates. Weekly update is good. As we all know I was initially a little overzealous and paid a small but temporary price. I thought about my mistake and knew what to do. As a bodybuilder, I know how muscles grow and get stronger, nutrition, resistance to induce trauma and rest. I would never recommend to someone I was training or myself to go into the gym and beat the hell out of, say for example, quads, calfs and hamstrings, then go home do it again later. Then why don't we do it again tomorrow. Uhh uhh that's not how it works. You beat the hell out of your quads, calfs and hamstrings, eat some protein rich foods, drink a meal replacement, go home take a nap, eat some more, rest some more and do it again in 2 or 3 days, erring on more rest.

Ok so why would I beat the hell out of a surgically reconstructed hip on a daily basis? I'm not. When I was released from the hospital I wasn't given a script for PT so I was left to my own devices which we all know can be a dangerous thing. So I devised a strategy that ops for more rest rather than more work and it seems to be paying off. Yesterday I dropped my last crutch and went to my trusty pre-op after work cane. I envision being cane free the morning I walk in for hip 2.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still working hard, just not on a daily basis or double daily basis. And as the hip and leg get stronger, I turn up the intensity. I also started a recovery journal, as I would for any work out routine for any body part, to measure progress. I figure I'm in purgatory between hip replacements and I'll experiment with this one, erring on the side of caution, and I have my journal to refer to for the next hip. So if I feel I can turn it up a notch I will. If my left hip feels as good at 19 days out from surgery as this one does I see getting back to work by December feasible. If not oh well. Peace on earth.

 

[Roofmaster]

On another bizarre note. I had a prescription refilled at CVS Pharmacy two days ago. I went in to pick it up and also grabbed a bottle of Tylenol. The pharmacist put my script in the bag with the bottle of Tylenol I paid and left. Got in my truck and opened the Tylenol and took two and threw the bag with my script on the floor and didn't hear a rattle of pills so I picked it up and they gave me an empty prescription. I bring it back into the store and confront the pharmacist and she looks at me as if I have 2 heads and says she can't just give me a new scrip. Yeah no flipping dingbat. One of you people stole 30 pills from me, what are you gonna do about it? She says all their pills are triple counted and they have cameras watching all their pharmacists and she called over her 9 dollar an hour "head of security" to review the tapes. Can anyone say inside job. what...so not only do I not have my script for breakthrough pain but you charged me for it. I sat there for 45 minutes and could feel my blood boiling watching them all back there looking at me as if I did something wrong. Before I lost my head and said or did something stupid I left. I don't know what to do about it. Any suggestions???

 

[Josephine]

Oh my goodness, Roof! That's appalling. What are they going to do about it? I've no idea how this gets dealt with in the US but there must be an official line. Perhaps report it to the police?

As for your previous post - way to go, man! You totally rock!

 

[Bionic woman2]

First let me say I'm proud of you for not going as I call it, "Wu Tang" on them! No need to add going to jail to your recovery. lol Whaddaya gonna do? WORLDWIDE WEB! Do you have a Facebook page? Post a pic of the empty bottle, receipt and name/location of the CVS. Call corporate! and your local news station! lol

You got the time to make your point! Even if you don't get your pills, send the message.
Uhn uhn... WE DO NOT MESS WITH THE DRUGS OF PATIENTS RECOVERING FROM SURGERY!

Wu Tang, by the way is a rap group and they have a song, "The Wu Tang Klan ain't nothin to F with!" We're starting a Wu Tang club (WTC) for us Knee replacement folks as we go through P/T, we aren't to be taken lightly either! I may be able to get you into the ODIC as well. It stand for the Over Do It Club

Hope you get your meds. I can't imagine that! I always count my pills when I get home, a lesson learned from my mom. Once I was shorted a pill. When I called the store the pharmacist still had it on the pill counter, so it was an honest mistake. Now I'm gonna add rattling the bottle in the store to the list. Riiiidiculous!

 

[Butterfly]

Roofmaster So did you call the cops? And talk to the manager, and make a formal complaint, and call the Board of Pharmacy or whatever you call it in the state where you are, and call the CVS corporate HQ? I do't know how much good it will do, but I would find everything I could do to make that store's pharmacy's life miserable. What happened to you is a very big deal and could (should) cost someone their license. And stealing your drugs is probably a felony, too. I would be screaming my head off to the powers that be. AND I would call the DEA (yes, really)-- they are cracking down on this sort of stuff and take it very seriously. I would call everybody I could think of. I do know for certain the DEA is really cracking down hard on pain meds, and most of it just hurts us guys who need pain meds. But in this case I hope they come down with both feet on that CVS store.

I would also call my doctor and see if he would give you another prescription. I don't know if he will, but it is worth a shot.

I've learned a lesson from this -- look at my pills before i leave the pharmacy area, or even before I pay. It is shocking that these people are preying on folks who need pain medication for PAIN!

Peace and love to you.