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Bilateral THR Serenity Strikes Doubles

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@fulafoto @LadyJune @djklaugh I appreciate your replies and concerns. The left hip joint is much better today.

@Josephine I worked 2 hours on the laptop sitting. I am working from home. I don't think this had anything to do with my left hip popping or my slightly pulled left hamstring or does it? I still have no clue why my left hip popped while I was sleeping? I do plan to ask my OS about it this Friday and will report any findings.
 
@Serenity41 So glad to hear you have OS visit Friday and can find out what the popping episode
was caused by.....
Please be careful til then....
:friends:
 
Day 10-12 post op - Not much to report. I have been following the Bonesmart mantras for several days in hopes it would relieve the pain in my left hip and it worked!!! My left hip feels fantastic. I just hope it continues to behave!! My left hamstring is still a bit off. I can feel it tightening when I walk. If it sit to long it flares up. I will continue to baby it with ice and elevation. My mood and energy levels have been all over the place these past few days. One minute I am laughing, the next I am crying, the following I am sleeping. You get the picture. The energy drain has taken me by surprise too. I have been napping several times a day and it is so not like me!! I didn't even have the energy to get online and post an update these past few days. I have only had enough energy to take care of me.

Day 13 post op - PT came out at 9:00 am and I am still doing really well with the exercises. He upped my walking to 15 minutes non stop. I was able to accomplish this easily. I am getting really bored with the in home exercises. I am hoping to get discharged to outpatient PT next week. I see my OS this Friday for staple removal and I can't wait. The the area where the staples go in is irritated and red. The nurse looked at both incisions today at 10:00 am and said it was normal, it was my body way of saying get these foreign objects out. I am relieved as I wasn't sure if infection was starting to set in - my worst nightmare. I seem to be paranoid about everything and anything lately when it comes to my hips...one day this will be a distance memory. DH is back to work full time and I am hoping when he gets home we can take a walk at the park where it is nice and open. I need to get out of the house as I feel so isolated. I haven't really left the house since I was discharged the day after my surgery. I feel it is time. Overall, I am doing great with the exception of the mood swings and energy drain. I am know this will get better and I have to continue to be patient.
 
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Serenity41 said:
I don't think this had anything to do with my left hip popping or my slightly pulled left hamstring or does it?
Click to expand...
Neither do I.

Can I also remind you that hips actually don't need much exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.
 
@Serenity41 so pleased your progressing well in your physical recovery and remember in regard to your emotional side that you had your body very heavily traumatised two weeks ago and that will affect you with all parts of your mind and body. The down days are a part of this long and sometimes arduous journey called recovery but do know there are lots of us here thinking of you and rooting for you and caring about you while you go through these tough times....
 
Serenity 41, you are definitely an inspiration to me as I mentally prepare for a bilateral THR also (July 3rd, 2014). I can't believe you went home the day after surgery. Did you have the anterior approach? I had wondered on what underwear and shorts I could wear. I guess, I might have to borrow my husbands as well. Are your upper thighs still swollen?
Thanks so much for posting updates.
 
@Elsie Foust Congrats on your surgery date of July 3rd. Yes it was amazing, I went home the day after surgery. I was able to walk 100 feet 3 hours after the surgery (I could have done more but wasn't allowed). I was also getting up and using the bathroom (my surgeon doesn't like catheters). I also cleared the stairs early the next morning. There was no reason to keep me there. Talk about tears of joy! I had the anterio-lateral approach. I am still very swollen and it is not only my upper thighs but my hips and feet as well. It has been a struggle finding things to wear. I do suggest sizing up on your clothing or borrowing your husbands boxers. Nice soft cotton is what I have been living in mostly. If you should have any more questions, please ask away.
 
Today is day 17 post op. I saw my surgeon at 9:15 this morning. I got all 43 staples removed and whoever says it doesn't hurt was lying. OMG! They placed steri-strips over the incisions. I was told to wait 24 hours before bathing and they would fall off on their own. The incisions still look great and it is a relief to have the staples no longer tugging and digging at my skin. Bruising still has been minimal. I got my hips x-rayed and they are perfect. I could not have asked for a better outcome. I was told I was their poster child for bilateral hip replacements and they were pleased at how well I am doing. They discontinued the Coumiden (yes) and I am now on 325 mg of EC coated aspirin 2 times a day for the next 4 weeks. I am still using the walker and the OS wants me to continue to use it for another 4 weeks. He thinks I will be dragging it around in a couple of weeks. Oh, I can't wait! I still rely on the walker heavily and don't feel comfortable without it. I know once I am more confident this will change. I have 1 more PT session on Monday and than I am being discharged on my own. The OS doesn't feel like I need PT. He says I should do fine on my own. I have ordered my fitbit (thanks to @MajorHeidi) and I plan on using it to increase my walking daily. It should arrive any day now. I have the 90 degree restrictions for 9.5 more weeks. I can live with that. 3.5 more weeks of back sleeping and the TEDS. The back sleeping is the worst. I am still struggling with it. It seems I can only get 2 hours of sleep on my back at a time before I have to get up and walk around. Sleep has been all over the place. I began working 4 hours a day again from home this week. It is mostly computer work, so no biggie. I don't think I will be released to drive for another 3.5 weeks. Yikes!! My goal is to get back to work full-time in 3.5 more weeks, but if I am not ready I will give it more time. I never found out the reason for the pop last week in my hip. I am OK with that as long as it doesn't happen again. I hope all my fellow hippies are doing well.
 
You are doing amazing!
I cannot believe you are working..... are you still taking any pain meds?
I still haven't gone back to work; today is my 10 week mark.
I am staying out another 2 weeks. With bronchitis, it would be hard for me to work, as most of my work
involves conference calls I lead.
Glad you are getting the Fitbit. I love that thing. Keep us posted on how you like it....
 
@MajorHeidi Yes, I am still taking pain meds. I usually take 1 narco in the morning and than I take Tylenol if needed during the day. In the evening, I usually take another nacro. I went from 8 narco's a day the first week, 4 narco's a day the second week and going in the third week I am down to 2 nacros a day. I hope it stays this way as I have been on them since February of this year. I seem to be doing ok on the decreased dosage..fingers crossed.
 
That is such a wonderful report @Serenity41 and I don't doubt you would be their poster girl for BTHR's. I cannot believe how well you are doing in such a short time and please keep it going without overdoing it! Congratulations again!!!!!
 
Serenity - awesome awesome progress report. I couldn't be happier for you. Things are shaping up nicely so keep up the good work and don't wear that fitbit out haha :)

Tee


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart®
 
Great to hear how well you are doing!! Your comment about dragging the walker at some point made me smile! I got to the point that I was carrying it and when I realized it I just left it where it was. You definitely sound like the poster child for bilateral thr :)
 
:yes!: :yay: :friends: Way to rock it, @Serenity41 !! Yup you're the poster gal for BTHR :cheers: Did you happen to ask your OS about changing from walker to crutches? I found that using crutches after about week 2-3 worked better for me as I could stand up straighter and walk with a more normal gait. Plus it was easier to get around my home.

Yup the back sleeping is the pits! I think it was about 2 months out before I tried sleeping on my side but it was uncomfortable at first - guess there was still some swelling under the incisions cuz it felt like trying to sleep on a brick. But that went away eventually and I was soon back to comfortable sleeping position.

Restrictions for another 9.5 weeks? Well, each OS is different. My restrictions were lifted after I saw the OS at about week 8. And I was cleared for driving at week 6 when I saw the PA for check on incisions.
 
Thanks for the details and you keep marching forward, you are inspiring to say the least. I will join your ranks on Monday...
 
@fulafoto @frieds @LadyJune @PuppyLove :thankyou:

@djklaugh I am calling my OS tomorrow to see about getting rid of this walker. I do think crutches would be much easier for me to get around my house. When did you get rid of the crutches? It is good to know you were released to drive at 6 weeks. I am hoping for the same. I am going a bit stir crazy relying on my DH to pick up things or take me places. My OS is very conservative with the 90 degree rule. He likes his patients to adhere to the 90 degree precautions for 12 weeks. I find it a bit too long, but will comply.

@waterman1 I hope you are doing well with your second hip. I need to coast over to your thread for a catch up.
 
@MajorHeidi Thanks for asking. I have posted an update below.

Today is 22 days post op. I have been working at home full time this week. We have a quarterly owner's conference in early July and I am responsible for all the logistics to include booking the flights and rooms for 40+ owners. I work 45 minutes and than I get up and walk/stand for 15 minutes doing this continuously throughout the day. This seems to be working for me. I am now cooking dinner for me and the DH. I can also do some light housekeeping (dishes, kitchen, dusting, folding laundry). My DH is still washing the laundry and vacumming. I plan to attempt to tackles these next week. I am only taking pain meds as needed. Yesterday, I only took 1 narco in the morning and so far today it is trending the same. I don't have much pain in my hips. :yes!:I do have swelling that I am still battling. I am still using the walker and a bit frustrated that I am not walking unassisted. :umm:I hope to be doing this by week 4, but I am not sure I will reach this goal? My legs are still a little heavy and I don't feel 100% confident walking without an assistive device. I hope to move onto crutches this week. I am still doing my home PT exercises twice a day. I got my Fitbit yesterday :happydance:and wanted to test it out today, but it poured all morning making it impossible to test out on open road. I guess I could have used it in the house to see how many steps I clocked during work. :yes: It will be strapped on tomorrow. I saw part of the bill for the replacements...drum roll please....$179,589.66 and this was for just 1 day stay in the hospital. :yikes: This also does not include the Home Health visits and my follow up appointment and a few other things. Thank God for insurance! My deductible was quite large at $3250.00 but everything else this year is free. I am quite happy with the results so far and I wouldn't have changed a thing. :)
 
@Serenity41 - I went from crutches to cane at about week 5 I think it was. When I went for follow up visit with my OS (rather than his PA) which was about 8 weeks post-op I walked down the hall with his nurse on the way to exam room with cane over my shoulder like a rifle ..... lol she did ask if I was showing off and I admitted that I was :heehee:. As for driving, the PA said that since I was not taking narcotic pain meds during the day (was only taking one at night by that time) I was OK to drive. (but I'd actually "cheated" by driving 2 miles round trip to the grocery store about one week before that visit with the PA ..... heehee) Plus I was able to move legs/hips well enough to manage the pedals on a car with automatic transmission. I continued to use back up to seat, sit down and lean back using hand hold to maintain 90 degree rule, swivel into position, then sit up and scootch back into driving position for about another month. If you are not sure about being able to use pedals try just sitting in the driver's seat and try out all the maneuvers you need before trying to drive.
 
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