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THR Rough Hospital Stay

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@Elsie Foust, how are you feeling today, Day 17 correct? I was given Percocet for the first week out if the hospital, and was in such incredible pain, I asked the OS for more, and he gave me 4 more days. I felt guilty even asking.

My recovery is not going as I wanted, I am still doing Norco every six hours. As it stands, this surgery was noti a good idea, but I am just in a bummer-tent today because I did too much yesterday. And I have to go back to work next week, part time but I am scared.
 
Checking in. I am coming up on five weeks out, and my butt cheek feels like I am sitting on bone. Of course, I am just hoping I have lost so much weight, I have a bony butt....let me dream. I am still on Norco, every six to eight hours and when I ramp up my personal PT, I need one. I can finally sleep, unaided by pain medication. I even mopped the floors today and am back to easy cooking and laundry.

That being said, as you all know, because of my not so great medical provider, it will be 17 days between when my last home PT appointment was, with when I can have my first outpatient PT. Why bother? I have read here by a moderator that "hips recover on their own." Thoughts, given my situation?

Plus, unfortunately, I head back to my office job on Monday, I am going to be working part time. So, the idea of missing more work for PT, that I have not had for 2.5 weeks, is irritating.
 
@LoyalD so sorry you are still struggling with pain. As you know, everyone's recovery is different, so it's still up to you to make sure you stay on your pain meds (on a schedule) until you can tolerate backing down. Do check in with your GP if you are not getting the pain relief you need to get through this part of your recovery. You are also in control of how much activity you are doing, so you need to make sure you aren't overdoing things. If you decide to start back to work next week (again your choice), do consider a schedule where you can ramp up your time (part days and/or limit number of days per week) initially.

As far as PT is concerned, did you get any exercises (either pre-op or post-op) from your OS? There are some pretty passive, but very effective, exercises that will help things along without pushing too much too soon.

I hope that you can turn this corner very soon, as it is obviously draining your energy, and not allowing you to use that energy for healing. I wish you all the best and sending you healing vibes via the interwebs!

:console2:
 
Back to work today, part-time, hoping to make it to 2 p.m. I spent the day yesterday cooking lunches for the week, since I won't really be able to run out and grab something too easily. I also completely packed up my car last night, so I could just get in and drive!

I am at the 5 week mark, still taking pain meds but sometimes I forget which is good, and my operated foot continues to have pins and needles. I see, however, how "stress" directly ramps up the pain.
 
Is anyone's PT using Graston tools on their quads? My quads are full of knots from being overworked
since the rest of of my hip is shut down right now (although I am doing PT and waking all those muscles up! The Graston tools get all the knots out of the soft tissue and get the blood flowing and really helps. It turns out the knee pain I've been having is from tight quads. As soon as she rubs out my quads either with her hands or the graston tools, my knee is magically better and I can do heel slides with no problem.
 
@LoyalD congrats! This is a milestone. Errr... I hope you are happy to be back at it! :) When you think of all that's transpired, these 5 weeks have passed quickly haven't they? I hope you have a great first day back, tho am sure you will be tired tonight.

No Graston tools here, @aprilc. I'll have to google that. My quads have been sore ever since the first PT in hospital and their straight leg lifts. They are slowly beginning to recover, but it has meant stopping all the exercises that aggravated it, and abductor slides were among those that did. I'd just begin to get it better, then do too many bent knee raises or abductor slides and would be back to square one, so no more for a while. The odd thing is, I'd been doing Body Pump right up to the last minute and that includes interminable squats with weights, so I wouldn't have thought straight leg lifts would be a big thing, but it must use the quad slightly differently so it did a number on me. PT is finished as of last week and I'm really enjoying the break!
 
@Beachmusic Yeah right here: https://www.grastontechnique.com/ I think you can find a practitioner in your area on the website. It's an amazing technique, similar concept as Active Release Therapy but using tools to massage out the muscle. It does hurt (but that good hurt when you know you're getting rid of a knot or whatever) and if your quads are real bad, you may even get a bruise but that's just the blood finally flowing and the knot or scar tissue breaking up. I highly recommend it. My PT explained that your quads take over when everything else shuts down after surgery so they are way overloaded.

You're done with PT? I'm not going to stop going until I'm cleared to go straight into Body Pump or RPM or whatever it is I feel like doing. I'm too scared of muscle compensation problems. I want to make sure everything is working as it's supposed to and is strong. I was doing good looking squats (even fooled my PT) for a long time before surgery - but I was using every muscle except my glutes. Couldn't get my glutes to fire b/c of the hip problems. Now they're firing!
 
Last week, my husband starting massaging the knots in my quads and in the underneath the wound...heavenly.

Day 2 of back to work; I made it to 2:30 p.m. yesterday, and then home to put my leg up.m I rescheduled the PT, of course, the first they can get me in is next week, making it four weeks since my last home PT care. As noted early-on, my medical provider, Health Care Partners, at least in CA, sucks. Oh, and my OS said he is turning me over to my GP now and asked me to see him at the four week mark.....I can't get an appointment until the six week mark.....yes, sucks.
 
@LoyalD so they (insurance/OS office) said you aren't seeing the OS again? That's odd. Usually there's a 6 week, and usually at least a 1 year follow-up. I had both of those and will have a three year followup next year.

Hopefully the PT won't really be an issue as long as you're doing some of the post exercises and walking. Not only is your brain tasked, so is your body just readjusting to your work space and schedule... It's not surprising that you're tired by 2:30, so do take care.
 
@LoyalD, sending you lots of positive energy. It seems like you've had a rough go of it! Every surgeon has his/her own protocols, but my doctor, affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC, ranked as the #1 orthopedic hospital in the country, does not recommend physical therapy. I went home with the basic exercises, and he just told me to walk. With my first hip replacement, I worried about not having physical therapy, but my doctor was absolutely right, and he has a lots of research and experience behind his opinions. So if you are worried about not having a lot of physical therapy, I'd share with you it's okay. Now that you're back at work part-time, you are probably walking back and forth just for regular life type things. Great idea to go home after work, elevate the leg, ice, and follow a pain med regime that works for you. I've had hip #1 for about 15 months, and while it took me a good six months to get to the point where I felt I fully benefitted from the surgery now, it's perfect now. I'm day 9 on hip #2, and I almost feel like I didn't have major surgery. Very different experience. Please take care of yourself, and I hope every week puts you on an upward trajectory.
 
Thanks again for all the replies, I am out of my bummer-tent. Fortunately, I work a 9/80, so we are off tomorrow. Leg up all weekend! By 2:00 p.m. everyday, I can literally see my leg has begun to swell. I use several means to keep it sort-of elevated at work. Work has been fantastic to me.

Ladies, it is really not helping that, because I just saw the 50 Shades of Grey trailer, I got the books.....you get my point. So, yes, I am three years behind everyone else reading those books. Ironic that I am doing so during a hip surgery recovery.
 
@LoyalD LOL! I have not read the first Shades book, much less the the last one. My son read it and told me how poorly (he thought) it was written (we both read a lot) so I decided not to bother. :)
 
@Chessie, yes, I agree it is poorly written. I had downloaded lots of books to my IPad thinking I would read them during my recovery, but quite frankly, I could barely watch a 30-minute television episode. Week 5, I am now able to concentrate on a book.

So, I firmly believe my recovery story should be thrown into Pre-Op under "Patients Who Don't Handle Stress Well," because I again believe that my recovery is slowed by my inability to just be calm, relax and be patient.
 
@Josephine, if you are swinging through, I could use some advice on the excruciating pain I am having in the arch of my operated let's foot. I did a search, and am similar to many who have it, except fortunately I can move my foot and toes. I am not able to put a shoe on, because the arch won't tolerate ANY friction, not even really a sock.

Also, I was reading a post response you made a few days ago this week that "tightness means pain," and am hoping you can elaborate that. "Tightness" is how I have felt for weeks; I am at week 5.
 
Checking in everyone. I just left my beloved GP, beloved because he takes such good care of me. Of note, he indicated that, throughout his career, he has found that OS don't believe people should be on pain medicine much after two weeks and are not thrilled with renewing medications. Wow, what a breath of fresh air. Apparently, the OS believe they did so great at the surgery, you are supposed to come out pain-free (my words paraphrasing his).

The GP is going on a two vacation and gave me refills so I will not be bereft. I asked for a lower dose of Norco moving forward, Norco 5 instead of Norco 7.5. I told him that I was really feeling pain after five hours, and he said I should take meds every four hours, that the Norco does not last six hours.

I told him that at Week 3, the OS Nurse told me that the OS did not refill pain meds except every two weeks, and as a result, I went three days, at Week 3 with no pain medication. He said he wasn't surprised, and was aghast.

Still on the cane, and asking my fantastic staff to go to the large printer, etc., plus they are checking on me to go get lunch. I am so much more positive with the weight of meeting with my GP today, who told me he runs into patients who thought they were abnormal for being in pain. He told me I should expect to be recovering for six months.

Every morning, I wait as long as I can to take a pain pill. This morning I got up at 6 am, took shower, etc., to get ready for work, and made it to 7:15 a.m.! No pain medications through the night. I am drinking a LOT of water.

I am trying knee-high nylons today to see if it helps with swelling of my foot.
 
LoyalD said:
@Josephine, if you are swinging through, I could use some advice on the excruciating pain I am having in the arch of my operated let's foot. I did a search, and am similar to many who have it, except fortunately I can move my foot and toes. I am not able to put a shoe on, because the arch won't tolerate ANY friction, not even really a sock.

Also, I was reading a post response you made a few days ago this week that "tightness means pain," and am hoping you can elaborate that. "Tightness" is how I have felt for weeks; I am at week 5.
Click to expand...

I believe I specifically didn't "tag" Josephone in this posting a few days ago, I meant not to, given her direction. So, it appears I did, and I apologize.
 
@LoyalD well glad to hear I'm not the only one that the pain meds don't last close to 6hrs. 4hrs for me is the line I can tell they are working quite a bit less anything after 5hrs it's like I haven't taken anything.

I have managed to get my med intake down to about 5hrs between pills now without any big issues. Sure beats my body waking me up every 2-3hrs hurting.

I go see my OP today so guess I will see how she feels about giving refills of pain meds.
 
@rans0m00, thanks for checking in on me; I was getting concerned that I had dropped off the Bonesmart forum, having posted a few questions earlier in the week. How did the Doctor visit go today?
 
@LoyalD Hehe no I don't think you have dropped off anywhere. I know my responses are a little hit and miss depending on how tired I am... Sometimes I will be meaning to respond and then I fall asleep. Did that to someone last night... Was reading their stuff and was typing a reply and fell asleep.

My Dr's visit went pretty good today. She released me from all my hip precautions and just left it to my comfort level... Well except one... Do not squat while letting your knee cross center... Still can't do that one and probably never will be able to. In a bit I'm going to go to an empty parking lot with my partner to see if I'm good to drive or not. Hopefully all goes well. Being stuck at home has never been for me so if I can get out I will but if it's not safe then I will let others drive me around when they feel like it.
 
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