THR Sheila-Seattle's Recovery Story

[FCBayern]

Slow and easy is definitely the key with any new activities, Do just a short session and give your new hip a chance to tell you if it's ok with the new activity. If it is ramp up very slowly, better to take longer than move too fast and have a set back.

 

[djklaugh]

@Sheila-Seattle You read that correctly I did have both hips joints replaced at the same time. There are actually quite a few of us BTHRs around here. Yes it was a bit challenging for the first 6 weeks or so but doing both was the recommendation of my surgeon and I'm very glad I did it that way. Both hips were bone-on-bone and one hip had actually fused (femur head grew into pelvis so hip did not move at all). Doing both at once meant only one surgery and one recuperation when both hips were seriously bad!

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary!
I hope your week is a good one as you continue healing. You’re on your way.
Be safe, stay well!
@Sheila-Seattle

 

[Sheila-Seattle]

Thanks Layla. I'm actually at 5 weeks tomorrow and this has been a big week for me. I'm walking without the cane while at home and I walked outside with the cane and my husband for a short distance too. I just got signed on to the One Step Recovery app and I'm excited to try it out today.

 

[Jaycey]

got signed on to the One Step Recovery app and I'm excited to try it out today.

Thanks for helping us trial this. Please feel free to post any feedback here.

 

[Sheila-Seattle]

I did my first 1 minute walk and the data was interesting. I couldn't get back to the video about how to interpret it so I tried a chat but it's been 3 hours with no reply. I'm wondering if all their folks are in Israel and therefore on a different schedule. I tried to book a PT appointment and the hours are in the middle of the night for me on the US West Coast. So far that's been my experience. I hope it improves. I'm excited to use it.

As a web dev I also have website feedback but I think you probably don't want that.

 

[Sheila-Seattle]

@Jaycey I managed to get an 8:30 AM appointment next Tuesday with a PT in Israel. I'm a little leery about using the app before I've met with them. I did the initial 1 minute gait assessment. I'm just not sure, without guidance, if I should do anything more with it. Maybe you know...maybe not. Once I know what they want me to do I'll be totally ON it. Any input appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Jaycey]

@Sheila-Seattle Sorry you are having problems with the app. I reported your issue with trying to contact someone as well as the appointment times not fitting with a worldwide audience.

I would not do anything until you meet with them and get guidance.

@Jamie is leading on this project so I've tagged her for you.

 

[Jamie]

Sheila, thanks for the feedback and I've passed it on to our One Step rep. I'm glad you were able to get an appointment with the therapist finally. Initially you should have been offered multiple times that were reasonable in the US, even though they are located in Israel. So it's good for us to know that didn't work properly at first.

If you're comfortable doing additional walks, go ahead with those. That additional information will help when you talk with your therapist. They can be as often as you like and anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes (probably a bit too soon for a 30-minute walk ).

 

[Sheila-Seattle]

Thanks Jamie. I've sent them a ton of notes. I'm a web developer and have done a lot of beta testing. I'm not your stereotypical septuagenarian! But I can tell them ideas for how to make it more user friendly for such folks.

I'm emailing with Hila. My time options were literally in the middle of the night. I kept trying dates and found an 8:30 AM appointment and snagged it.

One of my questions, and you'll likely know this, is that I'm starting to walk without the cane. Later in the day when there's been more use and therefore more pain, I limp more. Is that OK or is it better to grab the cane at that point? I'm weaning off my Tylenol. And it's low grade pain, but enough to cause limp.

 

[FCBayern]

I would definitely grab the cane when you start to limp. If you can walk without a limp in the morning and not use the cane that's great, but it's recommended to use an assistive device if you still limp. I would guess however that if you are fine in the morning, but limping towards the end of the day, that you're probably being more active than your brand new hips appreciates @Sheila-Seattle.

 

[Sheila-Seattle]

So my in-home PT was here this morning. He says I look great walking unaided. He basically agreed, saying to practice walking and reinforcing the heel-toe as part of my exercises but then to use the cane the rest of the day. He also told me I won't be able to walk up the hills in my urban neighborhood until I can walk for an hour on the flat. That will be awhile. Another reminder for one day at a time and my body has its own schedule. PATIENCE.

The big news, since I'm a cyclist, is that he let me get on our upright spinning bike with no resistance today for 5 minutes. It felt great. He only wants me to use as a warm up and nothing more than what I did today. But still it feels like regaining some normalcy. YAY!

 

[Sheila-Seattle]

It's been about 10 days since I've done an update. I've stopped ALL meds for the last week when my official 6 weeks allowed me to stop the baby aspirin. I've been walking without the cane indoors even in the middle of the night. Now that the snow and ice are gone I've been increasing my outdoor walking range, with cane and even added a gentle hill this week. I'm working hard at not working hard! My tendency is to overdo. Today was my first 30 minutes walk. I'm icing now. I did have my highest FitBit step count since the surgery, 4300. It's so hard to find the balance.

I've just started with the OneStep app which is impressive. According to it my step rate, asymmetry and stride length are mostly always in the green or very close. I've been sleeping pretty well but I can't seem to sleep on my operated side even though I can lie on it. Last night I couldn't get comfortable on my non-op side with the body pillow I've been using all along. Suddenly everything felt off. I took a natural sleep aid and some Tylenol (first time in more than a week) and got to sleep. I stopped icing weeks ago. The only swelling I have is around the incision, roughly like a fading bar of Dove soap there.

I wonder if I should go back to icing that using my IceMan machine or just be patient with it? Actually since today was my longest walk to date I decided to ice. But I also have an icing question. I've read on BS to ice for 45 minutes but what I got from my HMO, Kaiser Permanente, told me not to ice more than 15-20 minutes! See the attached screen capture.

My other question is about my incision. It's healing very well. When I do a deep long "reach for the stars" kind of stretch to lengthen my sides, there's one place in the incision that pulls. Is this normal and it'll go away over time? Is this kind of stretching OK to pursue? I miss yoga and am seeking ideas for what stretches in general are OK. I've done a lot of searching but it requires weeding through a lot of irrelevant material.

I see my surgeon for final check in Tuesday. My second Covid shot was postponed due to snow for a week. My last in-home PT in in two weeks. My next OneStep PT Zoom is in a week. Feeling optimistic but impatient. I miss my 10K step hour+ walks with my husband everyday, where we saw different views and talked a lot. Sitting at home is hard even with a good book, a puzzle, and Netflix.

PS - I can put my tights on without sitting down! That feels like progress. I think it's from practicing balancing on the one leg. Can do that now for a minute. I need goals. What can I say?!

 

[Pumpkin]

I wonder if I should go back to icing that using my IceMan machine or just be patient with it?

After THR it is OK to ice for longer periods of time, it is a major surgery, and lots of inflammation.
Suggest you go back to icing to help control any pain or discomfort you may have, including tightness, which is a symptom of pain.
Here is a link to information in the library that explains the difference.
Ice to control pain and swelling

there's one place in the incision that pulls.

The pulling will go away as you heal.

Congrats on putting your tights on while standing!

 

[Schaargi]

Hi @Sheila-Seattle !
I am checking in to see how you are doing with yoga poses. Any progress? I'm glad you can balance on one leg now; tree pose is next!

 

[Sheila-Seattle]

@Pumpkln thanks for the info on icing and my scar pulling. That's actually a relief to know.

@Schaargi not trying any yoga yet except the stretching. But you're right, tree pose here I come. I suspect it's premature to stand on my non-surgical leg and bend my operated leg into full tree, but maybe.... I've been focused more on getting steps and going slow enough to not regress.

 

[Eman85]

Icing has no time limits, if it feels good do it. I used my icing machine up to 3 mos or so as I felt I needed it. With the machine it was continuous for the first weeks, I would have to reload it with frozen bottles about every 4 or 5 hours. I slept with it for the first week.
Strange feelings when moving and especially when stretching was common for me. I started light stretches and balancing on one foot was something I did every day, still do. When I felt comfortable I was able to ease into Yoga poses. I did pay very close attention to the pressure put on the joint and not rotating it. There was a member that related how she dislocated doing yoga, not what you want to do.

 

[FCBayern]

I iced after I had increased my activity level for at least six months @Sheila-Seattle. At the end of the day if I felt I had been more active than usual I would ice and almost never had an issue the next day. I figured a little preventative icing was better than paying a price the next day.

 

[Sheila-Seattle]

Saw my surgeon today. Supposed to be my 6 week check up but I'm 7 weeks tomorrow. At 2 weeks I set a goal of walking to his office this time and I achieved that goal. It's 3 blocks up hill and another 1.5 blocks flat. It took under 10 minutes. No cane. YAY!

He said everything looks great and no restrictions. Just don't over do and listen to my body. DUH. I asked him about my incision as there's still a bit of a lump in the middle of it. He said it's not infected and might just be some fluid that'll be reabsorbed, maybe a hematoma. He didn't seem concerned. It has been slowly getting smaller. He said it's probably why I still have some low-grade pain there too. Suggested a stretch to do. Wants to see me once more in 6 weeks IF that hasn't resolved.

 

[Pumpkin]

Great report, your small lump should be reabsorbed, saving you another trip to the OS.