THR Rough Hospital Stay

[beachgal]

@LoyalD, you really have to be your own advocate. Insist on your preferred PT person and make them work with you until you are satisfied that you're getting what you need.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.


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[LoyalD]

Sometimes I look inside my closet at all of my four inch heels and wonder if I will ever be able to wear them again? Will I........??????? I have literally never worn flats to work, and rewarded myself with some adorable flats that, while cute, have no arch support.

 

[beachgal]

OMG!!! Are you kidding?? I would get rid of those monsters in a flash!!

While I'd love to look cute in killer shoes , there is no way I'd chance a fall or stumble. What about some cute booties for fall with a nice chunky cowboy heel or an ankle boot with a sturdier heel and buckles maybe in suede??


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[alexthecat]

Your old shoes have wear patterns that were influenced by your pre-THR gait, so they may not work for you now that you have a new hip. However, you will certainly be able to wear that style again, if you wish. You may need to buy new shoes though.

 

[LoyalD]

Now that is something I can get behind.......need to buy new shoes!

 

[beachgal]

I've already been shopping online at Nordstroms and Neimans. The fall shoes are so cute!!!

I've had to wear athletic shoes for months prior to surgery so the idea of wearing anything that doesn't lace up and require socks thrills my soul. I need to lose these compression socks first, though. Haha


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[LoyalD]

@beachgal, you still on TEDs?

Well, we are visiting my parents again in Vegas, so my husband can work on our apartments and my mom can take care of me. I am just starting a Week 8, and had two glorious 10 hour sleep sessions! Finally, it has come, long sleep. My unreasonable expectations in the beginning, I thought I would be able to sleep lots.....wrong, so wrong. I feel fantastic.

I went in the pool and was able to do lots of hip work! Sore but so worth it.

 

[beachgal]

I was supposed to be wearing one TED on my op leg until this Friday but I ditched it over the weekend. Not a problem and I'm so much happier without it. Enjoy your Vegas stay!!


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[LoyalD]

Checking in a 8.5 weeks. I am laid-up icing everything below my knees. What has been debilitating shin splints on both legs evenly, ended up being incredibly tight calves, as proved by the PT on Thursday. When my appt started, I told the assistant there was no way I could automatically get on the bike, and so I waited 15 minutes to see the PT directly. Low and behold, she quickly figured out he fundamental problem. She proceeded to massage the two large muscles in each calf, literally separating the two muscles on each leg with her elbow. Hurt to tears, but so so with it.

It feels fantastic to put the ice on top of my shins for relif. Can't seem to figure out, though, if I should apply ice or heat to my actual calves?

 

[dede62]

Oh, so sorry that the pool work made your shins hurt!!! My water aerobics instructor always reminded us to keep our heels down, otherwise we'd have the shin/calf pain. Ice what feels best (or do both if you can). If you're "off" your regular antiinflamatory meds, try the ibuprofen/acetaminofen cocktail (as long as you can tolerate it).

Feel better....

 

[LoyalD]

Week 9, and checking in. End of the day here at work, and as usual, my legs feel like I ran a half-marathon in terms of fatigue. I still am sufferring from debilitating shin pain in both legs, which the PT attributes to my calves and what she calls Defensive Walking. So, I am trying to focus on walking normally. By the end of the day, I have debilitating left ankle top on the top of my ankle.

I am having a love affair with two ice bags and they know it.....lol. Still on Norco 5, as needed, but nothing for sleep is needed. At the end of the day, pain is really tough, and I could use something stronger, but not going to ask for it; I can handle it. I had to walk our 70-pound Labrador three times this weekend, as he requires a one hour walk every day. When my husband is home, he does it, and he has really borne the brunt of it. My fill-in dog walker was unavailable Fri, Sat and Sun; so I did the walking, and wow, ouch. But, I went straight home and enjoyed every evening with my two ice bags, and some bad/good B movies.

Trying to decide if PT is worth it? I read from Moderators that walking is the best medicine sometimes and taking off work for yet another reason is difficult. I tried a Naproxen 500, what a mistake, I had forgotten how they wreak havoc on my stomach.

In sum, below the knees is miserable. Anyone in the same boat and finding a solution?

 

[beachgal]

Earlier in my PT, I was aware that my calves and shins felt SO tight. When my inhouse PT gal first came, she had me do some calf raises/stretches using our low fireplace hearth, holding into the mantle. It felt so good. I kept it up four/fives times a day, even when I couldn't do many of the other exercises. Maybe it would help for you to start your day with some stretches like that for lower legs only. Start easy. Maybe it will help your shins tolerate being active longer into the day. I'm still an advocate of ice and elevating. Probably always will be.

Be sure you're drinking plenty of water and getting some potassium. Not sure if it will help shins but will help with calf cramps and pain.

Wish this would go away. Tomorrow.


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[Chessie]

@LoyalD, what in the world is "defensive walking"? I'm sorry you are having such pain. I don't have any suggestions other than icing. The only time I have ever had shin pain (shin splints) in my life was when I started running many years ago, and icing (and better shoes!) was the answer then.

 

[Jamie]

As I'm sure you know, the best suggestion for you would be to slow down and allow yourself to fully heal. Going back to work has put stress on your body.

Since you are doing so much, it would be wise to knock off the PT and any other exercising you're doing. Working is more than enough activity. And an hour walk with the dog??? Could it be split into 2 half hour walks??? An hour is a lot of walking for someone just barely over 2 months out.

 

[LoyalD]

Holiday weekend ruined by emergency room visit! One would think by a Week 10, this would be better. I feel like I have gone back three weeks and am considering pulling out the walker.

We had a glorious weekend planned, including traveling to Vegas. I was continuing to have the brutal calf spasms in both calves but diligently doing my PT written exercises for stretching them. I have very large calves from being a runner.

Well, the front ankle of the operated leg took a turn for the worse, and for Thurs and Fri solid, I tired to get in to the doctor, or at least refill my pain meds so we could go away. As of Friday night at 5 pm, no call, no meds, nothing.

We cancelled our weekend, because my husband I were so concerned hat the ever increasing calf pain and now purple on top ankle, was a blood clot in my vein. I took myself to ER directly on Saturday morning knowing urgent care would need to send me there anyways for the ultrasound.

No blood clots, no answers except stop with the PT calf exercises until I see my GP.

I have been diligently reading about how much people are walking and I realized, maybe my calf pain is caused by not walking distance enough. I do walking around at work and house, but not really straightaway. Just got back from a walk, and I am hovering over the toilet with dry heaves from pain on top of ankle. I had to sit down on someone's planter when the zingers hit. What is this????

 

[Beachmusic]

@LoyalD , I'm one of the people doing a lot of walking, but I wouldn't be doing any at all with pain as severe as yours! I am very sorry you are having such issues, even sorrier that you can't seem to get any response from your OS!

You need an evaluation pronto..if not OS, then PCP. Perhaps if nothing else, he can light a fire under the OS! Something is very wrong if you have enough pain to make you sick. As you probably know blood from an injury drains down with gravity, so a torn calf can give you a black and blue foot. (It did in my case). It's possible that PT has done more harm than good, but we can only guess. An orthopedist is surely the way to go...except yours has been non-responsive. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. Squeak loudly and often!!

 

[beachgal]

@ LoyalD, just saw your post about ER visit and your ankle / calves. OMG ! I cannot offer any help but just think you should stay off your feet and keep them elevated. This sounds like something your OS should know. Prayers for you tonight with hopes that it's better tomorrow but take some pics just in case so you can show your OS.


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[Jamie]

I'll second that vote NOT to try a lot of walking. As long as you are having this problem, you should stay off that leg as much as possible. I'm assuming you're icing it as much as you can.

I don't care for the approach the ER took....just to blow you off when no clot was detected. Usually they have specialists on call to come in and review cases like yours. If it continues to get worse, I'd try a different hospital ER and insist that someone from Orthopedics be contacted. You do need to get to the bottom of whatever is going on.

I'm going to tag @Josephine so she can comment as well.

 

[LoyalD]

Thanks for all the support! I literally feel like I broke the top of my ankle. I am icing absolutely everywhere around ankle. The best way to describe the pain on top of my ankle is there is a painful zing, like I broke or sprained some bone on top, but the ER doctor checked and it was all movable.

It s a vicious circle, if I do the PT directed calf stretches, then it seems the ankle gets worse. Looking back on my recovery thread, I have had this problem for two weeks. My calves were enormous before the surgery due to running, my operated leg calf has visibly atrophied, it appears that my calf is now hanging/pulling down, if that makes sense.

 

[Poppet]

So sorry to read this - Jo will be along soon..