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THR Sherrymorss recovery thread

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Today was a pretty good day. Since it's Sunday, there were no physical therapy sessions scheduled. I had the nurses help me get up and take a couple of decent walks in the hall. My pain has been totally controlled for a few days now. My surgical incision is still draining a little bit, and they have me taking antibiotics because the drainage has a bright green tint. The incision looks good other than that. I'm 12 days post op though, so I'm wishing the incision would finally dry up and quit draining. I should be getting my staples out next Tuesday. Every time I got back to my room after meals today I ended up sleeping for long naps. It felt great not having to be rousted out to go do something or have something done. I do finally feel like I'm on the mend. I wonder how long I will need the Walker to get around.
 
Good news that you feel like you are recovering. Long naps and plenty of sleep can be so restorative. Who knows how long you'll need the walker, since the time varies so much from person to person. You need it as long as you need it!
 
I loved my walker in the early post-op days. I found, without thinking, that I began putting less and less weight on the walker until I finally realized I didn't need it anymore. It kind of came naturally. Once I realized I didn't need it anymore, I switched to my cane. Then I started getting things close by without using my cane and realized, after a week or so, that I didn't need the cane anymore. I just let my body tell me the time frames. Hope this helps. :-)
 
Oh I can just see your pugs sitting and waiting for you. My retriever and chihuahua practically knocked me over when I got home from the hospital! My first hip I noticed that I wasn't leaning on the walker as much and tried the cane a bit, alternating the two for a while. This time I am using the walker inside and trying the cane for shorter distances outside so I can water my pots. Definitely still more comfy with the walker!


RTHR 1/15/2016. Posterior approach. Due to AVN. LTHR on May 26, 2016.
 
Thanks everyone for relaying your experiences with the walker. The first time I walked after surgery with the Walker felt so strange and foreign to me. It felt like my operated leg was not part of my body somehow and my brain wasn't making a complete connection with it. Now, once I get past the first pain of getting on my feet, I'm getting around really well with the Walker and can't imagine what it's going to feel like not having to use it. What a process this whole thing is. Tomorrow I'm 2 weeks post op. I go see my surgeon to have him look at my incision and remove the staples. The hospital will take me to my appointment in one of their transport vans. My daughter, the nurse, will go with us of course. I can't tell you what comfort it is to have her close by all day since she works here at the hospital. It's also very nice that she understands everything since this is her job and she goes through it with other patients all the time.

Since it was Monday I was back to my full schedule of therapy. I had 3 hours of therapy split into 3 sessions. We worked on leg exercises, walking, and climbing stairs. I'm exhausted tonight, but feel good about making some progress. I was supposed to be released Wednesday, but my date has been changed to Friday. My medical team feels I would not be totally safe to go home at the level I am. I have several stairs to maneuver once I get home, and with my weight, they think I should have a few more days to build up a bit more strength. My family and I totally agree with them, so it looks like I'm not going home until Friday.
 
Sounds like really good progress, Sherry, and a great improvement over those first few days! Sorry you don't get to go home, but, of course, you need to be safe as the top priority. How super wonderful it is that your daughter is close by at the rehab. All the best as the healing continues.
 
@Krista
Thank you for your warm and considerate support. Yes the top priority at this point is safety. I can't tell you what a comfort my daughter is to me. She has been so wonderful through all of this. Friends and family that have experienced her care as a nurse have told me many, many times what a good nurse she is. Now that I have experienced her care in the profession of her choice, I couldn't be more proud of her.
 
Well I was supposed to go home today but that has been postponed. My medical team feels I'm not quite ready to maneuver all the steps up to my bedroom and the entrance into my house from the garage. I will be discharged on Friday instead of today. I'm ok with that. I feel like another 2 days will just allow me to get stronger. My pain is still under control even though my therapy has increased. I do feel like I'm getting better every day. My surgeon removed my staples yesterday and said everything looked like it is supposed to. So I guess I'm truly on the mend.
 
@sherrymorss60 - congratulations on your progress, and thank you for rescuing those sweet 5 Pugs. I've had several rescued cats and dogs over the years and I know what a special relationship it can be. The love they give us back is amazing.

As for timing with the walker- I think that it's probably an individualized need. I am 4 weeks from surgery this week and my surgeon said I would need the walker that long, and he was right. I've just started transitioning to a cane, and that's exciting. But at times I feel like I trust the walker more. It just takes time.

You keep up the good work and keep sharing your unique journey.
 
That's just two more days, and you'll be two days stronger. You are two weeks out, and those first two weeks are usually the worst, so I hope it will all be downhill from here!
 
I'm so glad you're going home. It seems like such a short time since you were posting about whether or not you would get a date for surgery and now you're doing so well! Fantastic!
 
@Zelda yes I know. Once things started to fall into place everything just progressed and went one thing after the other.

I go home tomorrow about 10:00 am. The rehab hospital has offered a physical therapy outpatient schedule of 3 days a week for one hour. At first I accepted it, but I'm having second thoughts. It's going to be a big hassle since I can't drive. It means my daughter has to take time off work to bring me into the hospital and then just an hour later leave work again to take me home and get me in the house. My therapists have given me exercises to do at home and I can always do the walking. I think the 14 days I spent in the rehab hospital have been more than worth it, but I just don't think I'm going to do the out patient rehab program. Anyone have thoughts on that. Did you do out patient rehab or elect not to do it?
 
I didn't do PT and I'm doing really well. Just take it slow and steady, increasing a little at a time. I walk around my pool and I increase one lap around (127 feet) every few days (resting every other day at first). Some members have a "path" they walk inside their homes. You're doing so well, but it can be a bit nerve wracking going home if you're alone. It takes a little time to build up confidence. :-)
 
@Cynthia777 Thanks for your reply. I've been in the rehab hospital for 14 days and have done 3 hours of OT and PT a day. I think that has been so good for me to set me on the right path for recovery. My therapists have given me exercises I can do at home and I can walk a path through my house. I just think the 1 hour of therapy really isn't worth the hassle it's going to rake to get me there. If I can do those things at home, I'm thinking that's the way to go. I won't actually be alone all the time. My daughter, the one who is a nurse, lives with me. She has an 8 to 5 job so she will be home in the evening and on weekends.
 
I'm so happy your daughter lives with you! My daughter was of great help during my recovery while hubz was at work. Since you have your exercises down pat and if you can be disciplined with your walking (I'm not very disciplined), I can't see any reason to go to PT (at least for now). I do have a referral for PT, but I'm going to wait another week before I go and get at least an assessment. I notice my stride is shorter than it used to be and I still have a mild limp (if I don't concentrate on my gait), so I'll be interested in what they have to say.
 
Well I'm home. I came home yesterday. Getting in and out of my jeep wasn't nearly as traumatic as I had expected. Getting into the house from the garage was another story. We have 2 steps going into the house and there is no hand rail. There really isn't any way to put one on those steps. I can reach the door jam when standing at the bottom of the steps, but it doesn't feel like a safe grip and I got anxious and scared. Between me and my daughter we talked me through it and she helped by lifting my bad leg. I guess it's just going to take practice. I did some walking today and the exercises that were sent home with me. I'm about done for the day I think. Cutting back to just one pain pill every four hours instead of two, so that's some progress. Not having much pain just aching a little in my knee. I still have a lot of swelling in both legs and hips. I hope everyone else is doing ok.
 
I bet you're happy to be in the comfort of your home. I'll bet that was scary getting up those steps without the security of a handrail! Hopefully you have plenty of those ice packs to use on the areas of swelling. They help so much. :-)
 
@sherrymorss60 - glad you are home! Kiss those Pug babies! Congratulations!

Is there any option to have PT come to you at home? Maybe that could be an option? I didn't have a way to get to PT, so PT was prescribed to come to me at my house. Just a thought. If not an option, then since your daughter lives there and has some medical knowledge/training, maybe she could work with you in some mini sessions in the evenings and on weekends.

I don't have a rail for the stairs at home either, so that first time in the house right out of the hospital was indeed scary. But it gets better with practice and as your strength returns. I'm still very careful, but I'm not standing there frozen and tentative as I was before.

Keep up the good work!
 
@sherrymorss60, not having a handrail is dangerous, and I am glad you made it! I always use one crutch when going up and down stairs, and that gives me good support on the opposite side of the surgical leg. When there is a handrail, I grab that with the other hand. When there is no rail, I grab whatever I can, perhaps just leaning with my hand against a wall.

Your THR was only 2 ½ weeks ago, and you are already cutting your pain meds by one-half. That's a big drop. If you have more pain, you might consider adding some of it back. Hope you will be able to get good rest and continue with your healing!
 
I'm doing my exercises twice a day and practicing going up some steps at 3 sets of 2 steps each. I still can't go up to my bedroom on the second floor. It's 8 steps up and I'm afraid of the top step as you kind of have to step out there on your own. Hard to explain. My surgical leg is still so swollen and heavy I'm just not up to trying it yet. My doctor prescribed some lassicks to help with the fluid retention. I hope that helps soon. I am elevating and icing too. My leg feels like it weighs 50 pounds more than the other one. Boy am I ever having post op depression. The crying spells for no reason are the worst. It makes me feel bad and everyone around me feel bad too. My pain level has been remarkably low though, so at least there is that good news. I hope everyone else is doing ok.
 
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