THR Second new shiny new hip in and working good.

[sandybeach]

BarbaraR how are you doing? Are you working full time now? Have you found anything out about your husbands upcoming surgery?

Today is my 3 week anniversary for my 2nd hip replacement. I start PT next Wednesday. I would have liked to have started this week but there were no openings. I am thinking that it's okay, it gives both my hips a little longer to heal. I can tell in my 2nd hip there's still swelling going on and there's pain by the incision yet. By evening my muscles get fired up and I need something to settle them down so I take some pain pills just before bed. But for the most part I feel pretty good, still get tired and need to take many breaks during the day and I need the assistance of a cane to walk around but I am walking more and more without the cane.

 

[Liveringer]

sandybeach I did not realize we were a day apart on our surgeries. The swelling left me just about 3 days ago before that at times my legs looked like tree stumps. This is my 1st full week of PT going today is my 4th time. Next week I only need to go 2x's. My incision is not painful but it is tender and like I've said before wish those steri strips would start lifting. Those muscles might be begging for some ice too, mine do anyway. Take care have a wonderful weekend.

 

[Kim22]

sandybeach I agree with you when it's cold going out for a walk is no pleasure but its a different matter when its warm and sunny. Our weather has changed again not so nice today It must have something to do with a bank holiday coming up.
We have just done a large grocery shop and I managed a lot better this week. Have a good weekend

 

[BarbaraR]

sandybeach, I'm sitting in the hospital waiting for my husband's surgery to be over as I write this. Thanks for asking about him.

I'm doing well. I am back at work full time as of next week. I still have one muscle in the front of my thigh that hurts when I lift my leg, so I'm still taking Tylenol just about every day. I stopped PT a couple of weeks ago, and took a private yoga class last week and a very easy group class this week. I feel like I'm about 90% back. I'm hoping this pain eventually resolves, but it's not something I can't live with.

It sounds like you're doing great, and I know every day will get better for you. XO

 

[sandybeach]

Liveringer you are one day ahead of me so we are pretty much healing together. My leg never really swelled up, but I can feel that inside my hip it's swelled when I lay on that side. My incision, when I lay on it, it hurts deep inside. But my OS said I can lay on it and for a while it does feel good to lay on that side.

Kim22, After this weekend it's supposed to get better weather for us. We had snow today, nothing stuck to the ground in our area but our son lives south and he posted some on his lawn this morning. The tress are confused, they don't know if they should be budding out or not.

Both of you have a good relaxing weekend.

 

[sandybeach]

BarbaraR How is your husband doing? How long will he be in the hospital? I hope everything went well. You have done so well since your surgery. The pain you're talking about, I bet will just disappear. Can you massage it? I know that's how I got rid of some mine. I just used my knuckles, it hurt at first but little by little the pain did leave. The days for me are going better. I am 3 weeks from my last surgery, I don't even think about my first hip anymore the second one took over that spot. I wonder how my first hip would be if I only had that to think about. I pretty much treat that like it never had to be replaced. It is still tight and the ROM isn't all back yet but it's coming. For me, once the pain is gone the rest has been good. I wish the best for your husband and hope he has a speedy recovery.

 

[Kim22]

Hi sandybeach That's a good point that you make about your first hip ( how it would feel now if you had only had that one to think about) your ROM will improve with time Mine is improving but only slowly. I hope your weather improves very soon spring is well overdue we have had a nice day today The problem with our weather is it is so changeable with one day very different to the last It was sunny but with a persistent cool wind.

BarbaraR I hope your husbands surgery has gone well and he makes a speedy recovery.

 

[BarbaraR]

sandybeach, Kim22, thank you so much for thinking of us. His surgery went well--this is his second laminectomy and fusion, and he thinks this time there's less pain so that's good. As for the muscle pain, as I am certain Josephine will tell me, I have been doing too much. And now it's really all on me. Massaging the sore muscle does help, as does ice and rest. I'm sure I'll be fine. It just takes time.

 

[chisels1]

chisels1 That's the best way to start back to work. ...a day at a time and then cut back if you need to. I went back to work 4 weeks after my first surgery but I knew I was going back for 2 weeks and then having my second surgery. This time going back I will take a little more time and probably go back 1/2 days for a few weeks too. I am not going to do anything to put myself back. I feel better to baby myself than suffer later.
Kim22, it sounds like you live a unique and beautiful place...an island with all those shops close to home. I love our home also, we have a huge yard that we are continuing to improve every year. This year our new improvement was buying a playhouse for our grandchildren to play in. My husband wants to wire it for electric so they will have working lights. Soon the grandkids and me are going to plant flowers around their house, they are so excited about playing it in. I am going to start going for walks with our dog, she will be thrilled. She's a springer spaniel with lots of energy but when we put a leash on her she mellows...This is all gonna happen once our weather gets better. Is the knee pain new? I hope that goes away soon.

Sandybeach, you are right about that. My next surgery is June 17th so I want to give back before then to. Its a family run business and I don't want to milk being out but I can't believe how much of a drain it can be. When the left hip is done I will have to experience a different recovery plan because the right hip is still in recovery and I can't it for granted.

 

[sandybeach]

Yesterday, I drove for the first time and it all went well. Probably good or better than before my surgery. I don't have as much pain now and getting into and out of the car isn't a problem. Today the sun is out and things are looking up, what a difference the sun being out makes. I have been walking a lot around the house without the aid of a cane. Wednesday I start PT so that should help in loosening up my muscles. My ROM is getting better all the time, I am almost able to put socks on again like a normal person.

Kim22 I agree with the ROM mine is coming back but slowly. In a few months we will both be able to bend and stretch like normal again. I can't wait for that. BarbaraR Is your husband home from the hospital yet? How long will his recovery take? I'm so glad that he was able to wait this long after your surgery before he had to have his. You probably still need to keep ice close by for yourself too. I remember several years ago, me and husband went through what you and your husband are going through now, except it was my husbands knee and I had thyroid surgery. All our kids were very young. I don't know how I did it because I came right home and took care of everyone right after surgery with no help. My husband was on crutches and had my neck all bandaged up and that's the way I left the hospital. It was good I could walk okay after that surgery. We somehow cope when life throws us challenges.

 

[Liveringer]

sandybeach are you serious you can almost put your socks on normal? I'm afraid of breaking the 90 degree rule. On my good side I can lift my leg and put my sock on. I think mid week I'm gonna drive up the street to the PO and get my mail. It is so great though to read you are doing so well.

 

[Kim22]

sandybeach Congratulations on driving and being almost able to put your socks on They are both big achievements. I can put one sock on and touch my ankle on the operated side but I still have to get my husband to put the sock on, on that side. Glad your weather has improved at last. Good luck with the PT

 

[Kim22]

BarbaraR I am so glad that your husbands surgery went well and he is in less pain this time It must be tough on both of you having surgery so close together. I hope you can get some rest but that's easier said than than done with so much going on. Thinking about you

 

[Allycat]

I haven't put socks on for years - just wear slip on shoes (lol)

 

[BarbaraR]

sandybeach, Kim22, thanks so much for checking in. My husband will be coming home tomorrow or Tuesday--we're not sure yet. The recovery will be slow and long. He can't bend over or lift anything >5 pounds for about 3 months. This is going to be really hard for him. And if he wants this one to last, he has to stay away from high impact activities. I'm worried about him--not physically, because he heals well and I think he'll be fine--but mentally and emotionally because he will have a hard time not pushing himself. As for me, I'm OK. I actually took a yoga class today and had breakfast with friends. My incision is a little sore, but I'm really doing fine. Thanks again for asking. XO

 

[sandybeach]

Liveringer, I can almost put on socks normally. I don't have the 90 degree rule, so I can bend over. I sit on the side of my bed, I slide the mattress over a little and put my foot on the box springs, I can reach down and put my socks on from there. I can't lift my leg to cross my knee to put them on that way yet. This was the first day I didn't use the sock helper to put socks on. I actually drove all the way into town, about 7 miles from where I live, I went to my mom's house. It went really well, if I thought I was going to have problems I would have turned around but it went better without the hip pain that I had before surgery.
Allycat, I know what you mean, I have a pretty good selection of slip on shoes too
Kim22 my PT starts this coming week. I am doing pretty good without it though. I am kind of curious how well I will do once I start getting my muscles stretched out. I do stretches while I sit in a chair. I do some stretches while standing but nothing too extensive. My legs seem to be getting stronger on their own and if I can get outside and do somethings I think I will see lots of progress.
BarbaraR, Do you feel that after your husband cleared from the doctor he will begin to push himself too much or during his healing process? You do sound like you're doing well, even doing yoga. As long as your incision is sore, you better continue to ice. Once your husband is home you will have to be sure not to get yourself run down.

 

[BarbaraR]

sandybeach, my husband always pushes himself. That quality has served him well in life. Even now, 3 days postop, he's avoiding taking Percocet, and waiting till he's in a lot of pain. No matter how much the nurses and I talk to him about staying ahead of his pain, he's still not taking enough. He has already cut back to 1 Percocet (5mg). The last time he had back surgery he needed much more medication because he had been taking it before to try and manage the pain, and I think he's worried about the side effects etc. As for once he's cleared, he does tend to overdo when he feels good, but I think he's really scared of what the future will be if he has to have more surgery after this. So I don't know what he'll do. I've been talking to him about us going to a therapist to talk about how we handle aging and our decision making around retirement anyway-- to me this is another reason to do that and I hope he will agree.

As for me, you're right-- I went to bed early last night with an ice pack on my hip. I feel good today, but there is the potential to get run down so I have to watch that.

 

[sandybeach]

BarbaraR I sounds like you will be doing some babysitting just to make your husband obey his restrictions. Sometimes men are little boys. How long will he be off work? Me and my husband talk about how fast retirement is approaching us. My husband is a planner, it seems that he has planned for retirement since we were first married but reality is, it's coming quickly. It sounds like you have a lot on your mind that needs to be sorted out, maybe once your husband is home the two of you will have time to talk and make decisions. When your husband does return home, I hope you can do things in a easy way. Like don't fuss too much over dinner or cleaning and if you need to sit down and take a break, then that's what you need to do, you're still in the early stages of healing yourself.

 

[BarbaraR]

sandybeach, my husband retired last year but he still does consulting and teaching. His teaching gig is online so he'll go back to that mid-May. He doesn't have any consulting to do for a few months. He doesn't want me to fuss over him, so I'm doing my best not to.

 

[sandybeach]

BarbaraR, has your husband come home yet? It does sound like he will be alright and he will keep himself busy with his classes. You have a man that doesn't want you go fuss over him? That's quite a find right there.

I have been cooking dinners now for the past few days and you can just tell how relieved my husband is to be able to sit down to a meal the he doesn't have to make. He has pretty much given up all his duties as to my recovery but then he's back to work now and has many other things to do once he's back home in the evenings. I am pretty much doing everything now that I did pre-surgery. I do still need a cane for support though and still get tired after doing things around the house. I start my PT tomorrow, I'm not sure how many sessions I have this time I had 6 before but the therapist requested 4 extra ones. I go back to work the end of the month, that will be here soon too. We are finally having our spring weather, it's already 70 degrees here today. The grass is growing and the bugs are out in their glory.