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THR Rough Hospital Stay

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My OS insisted and my wife persisted that I keep the TED's on for a minimum of 2 weeks post surgery. That is what I had done before and I intend to do the same this time around.
 
HATE TEDs! My husband hates them even more as he's the one who has to get them on (now down to only one after the 3 week mark). @LoyalD were you somehow able to get yours on yourself??? I can't bend over that far. My husband also has to shave that leg. :( Not everyone is told to wear them @waterman1, I guess it depends on your surgeon's preferences, and mine is extremely conservative. Same with Coumadin. I don't know how long I'll be taking that, but my initial 5 mg prescription was for 35 days, and now instead of taking 5 mg. the dose has been changed to 2.5...for how long I don't know! The risk for blood clots is evidently very low, but there, and I understand it's a bit higher the older you are, so that might work against me too.

Nothing like a little retail therapy to lift the spirits, LoyalD. I got mine today in Costco....not quite the same as Nordstrom, but hey, I was out of the house! Cabin fever is setting in!! Heavens knows when I'll be able to drive with my right leg somewhat out of commission!
 
@Beachmusic, I can't get one thing on myself, so my husband does the TEDs. I take that back, sometimes if I swing them right, I can get my undies on...lol.

I also noticed too that my operated leg is smaller in the thigh area which I attribute to atrophy. It is So So tight, I am going nutso!
 
@LoyalD I wore Teds for 5 weeks on both legs. DH had to take them off the whole time. No way
could I have done that.... He hated it , too. :groan: Ha.
Also took aspirin for 4 weeks in conjunction.
They say that you are susceptible to blood clots for 6 months, which is why if you fly ... you need to move your legs
around, and get up as often as possible. (during that first 6 months)
 
Loyal D, the Ted hose are one of those areas that orthopedic surgeons love to disagree about. Mine said to wear them all day for two weeks; take them off for sleep. Some say wear them them for a full month. Some say 24/7. Some never bother with them at all.

They won't harm you. So if you still have swelling, and they help ease it, then certainly keep using them. But they are most important during the early days when you aren't moving around much. Once you are up and around a lot more, it isn't as crucial.

Here's some more information about compression:
Swelling: controlling swelling with compression

Sharon
 
Sharon is right. There are a lot of dissenting opinions right now among surgeons about the benefits (or not) of wearing TED hose. One thing is for sure. The more you are up and moving about throughout the day, the less chance you have of developing blood clots.

So really the choice to wear them at this point in your recovery is up to you. If they feel good, wearing them will not hurt your recovery. If they are bothersome, you will most likely be just fine to not wear them and instead rely on icing and elevating along with pain management to control any pain and swelling.

Oh....and please NEVER feel like you are going to get into "trouble" by tagging one or more of the BoneSmart staff when you have a question. That's what we're here for!!!
 
My OS wanted me to wear TEDs for 6 weeks but when I saw my GP at 10 day out to have my staple removed she said wear them another week and then ditch them. If you are moving around now on a regular basis you should be fine.
 
LoyalD said:
Thanks all. Just got call from outpatient PT that my first appointment will be July 29; my home PT need Saturday, July 12, seems like a long time, 17 days between PT?
Click to expand...

You mean it has been 17 days since your last PT appointment? Why?
 
I hadn't really been bothered by the hose. I took them off 2 days after surgery, and then my mom wagged her finger at me and told me I needed to keep them on. So I put them back on...and I asked the PT lady yesterday and she said to wear them until my post-op appt. And honestly I have not found them to be that noticeable now. Guess I am just used to them.:chinstroke:
 
So I did exactly that, kept them on all day, slept without the TED, DH put it back on this morning...I am going to wear it then, with all the great advice.

Yes, there will be over two weeks between PT appointments, because of my lousy medical provider which, as noted early on, has failed me from the beginning. My last in home PT was last Saturday, seven days ago, and outpatient PT is not until July 29. For gosh sakes, I am back to work part time on July 29.

I am starting to think part of the reason I basically hurt so much is because I am so active, which is good right? I have been walking without assistance for a few days now, focusing on going super slow so I don't limp along and mess other parts of my body up, I focus on individuals steps. I can cook easy meals and even walked the Mall yesterday without aid.

I have to wonder if really what I need is a muscle relaxer. I feel as though I just need a Super Release of some type to get rid of this extreme stiffness!
 
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Beachmusic said:
HATE TEDs! My husband hates them even more as he's the one who has to get them on (now down to only one after the 3 week mark). @LoyalD were you somehow able to get yours on yourself??? I can't bend over that far. My husband also has to shave that leg. :( Not everyone is told to wear them @waterman1, I guess it depends on your surgeon's preferences, and mine is extremely conservative. Same with Coumadin. I don't know how long I'll be taking that, but my initial 5 mg prescription was for 35 days, and now instead of taking 5 mg. the dose has been changed to 2.5...for how long I don't know! The risk for blood clots is evidently very low, but there, and I understand it's a bit higher the older you are, so that might work against me too.

Nothing like a little retail therapy to lift the spirits, LoyalD. I got mine today in Costco....not quite the same as Nordstrom, but hey, I was out of the house! Cabin fever is setting in!! Heavens knows when I'll be able to drive with my right leg somewhat out of commission!
Click to expand...

@Beachmusic, so I am rationalizing that because I did not get a PUSH gift with my kids, I need one for this surgery, I don't own wear one pair of flats for work, so am rewarding myself with a pair of Tory Burch flats....so deserved!
 
Oh yes!! Or Rose Taryn. I totally agree! :heehee:

I appreciate all the input on the TEDs issue! I'm taking it all in too, and I'm sure others have benefitted as well. As seems to be the norm with so much about hip replacement, opinions vary even from doc to doc. One thing seems to be 100% unanimous tho...they are a major pain in the "booty"!
 
Wow! It really is amazing how different our doctors orders can be. I was discharged within 24 hours. Had those darn "blow up things" only on my feet for one day and my incision was glued not stapled or stitched. I Never received instructions for TEDS. I was given these exercises to prevent clots. Pumping my feet as if I were pressing a gas peddle, tightening my glutes and tighting my quads and standing on my toes 10-30 times when upright. And elevating and icing while I was lying down.I had some swelling the first 3 weeks. That's gone now.

Also I only had instructions to take ASA 325mg 2X/day. These instructions here are all so different but really Docs usually write their orders based on how well their previous patients have done. I think the foot presses and toe stands are the most important if you figure the calf muscles are really what moves your blood up from your lower body.

It's amazing how docs differ but they really do base their advice on the outcomes of their previous patients.
 
LoyalD.....yes, activity is good. But in this case, more is not better. It is very easy to overdo things in the early weeks of recovery and cause yourself pain and swelling. This can actually delay your recovery. That stiffness you are feeling is a form of pain and it means you are pushing your body before it's ready.

So please stop pushing yourself. If you hurt, it means you need to slow down, rest, ice, elevate and take something for the pain. Don't try to ditch the walking aids too soon. Usually it's better to have a good strong gait WITH an aid before moving to a "lesser" one or no aid at all. There is nothing wrong with using a walker even until you are strong enough to walk properly without it.
 
@Jamie , thanks for the response. So I am still in a lot of pain, always 3-4, three weeks out. I could not even consider going off pain meds regularly. So this sounds like it is because I am too active, but WHAT is the stiffness exactly? Is it the muscles that were pulled apart during surgery, the bones that were impacted?
 
Yes, trying to walk without support BEFORE you can do so without pain and limping can really put you back. You almost "train" your muscles improperly if you do this which is exactly what you don't want to be doing. I think, as everyone says, really listen to your body. Lots of folks here say that by my time out I they are no longer taking naps but I find I need an hour in the afternoon, I'm not going to deny myself this is my body is asking for it. Listen to your body. Use your adaptive aids, walker and cane as you need. try to stand up as straight as possible and maintain good body posture while upright (and anytime really). But slouching and limping should be avoided entirely.
 
It's soft tissue that's still tender and irritated, possibly with some swelling. Many times you cannot pinpoint the exact cause of pain or stiffness. Just know that it is actually pain and should be dealt with. And, yes...I am suggesting that you are a bit too active for this point in your recovery.
 
So sorry about your hospital stay, my nurses were very helpful with pain meds. I also had two blood transfusions very unexpected. I'm four months post THR on the 25th of July and finally feel like myself. Doctor took me out of physical therapy due to PT working me to hard, he had me start my own pool rehab 3 X a week. It has been a miracle. I still have oxicodone with Tylenol to take as needed and more and more I am pain free. Still some minor weakness in my surgery leg. One day at a time, rest, go slow, steady forward movement. Four months seems forever but it is only a short time for all the tissue healing.
 
Hi loyal id, I am 16 days post op and I had the exact same thing happen to me! (I just posted a new thread about the surgery/ hospital experience. I too, came out of surgery with low blood pressure and low hemoglobin. I ended up getting 4 units of blood and could not get morphine until day two post op. It was awful, to say the least!! I felt like I was begging for different pain meds. I understand that some (most?) pain meds lower your blood pressure so they had to withhold them but having had bilateral made it worse.
I can definitely empathize. It did take awhile for me to get the meds in my system and working, I am at home now and taking Percocet every 4-5 hours with longer gaps at night. Good luck, I know our recovery can still be positive and the road a little easier to travel. And, I lived with ice on my thighs (had anterior) approach. That certainly helped. Elsie
 
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