THR Sissie's recovery

[cnydutch]

Sissy, keep up the great work and the great reports! I don't paddle, (but my 73 yr old mother does
with 1 THR) but i play hockey and am active around the home. I am 3 weeks (yesterday) from
bilateral, and really enjoy reading everybody's progress here.
And you mentioned Sanibel Island, OMG I LOVE it there. ! I have been going to the Sarasota area
for work every 2 years for the past 12 years, and for the past few trips I extended for some personal
time, one time staying in Sarasota, (beautiful) and last November we drove down to a place on Sanibel
for 3 nites, and fell in LOVE with it. What a place, never seen a place so quiet, no hustle bustle of
a vacation place (maybe cuz it was November) and just fantastic beaches and scenery. I will be going
back, maybe next fall, when I can walk those beaches for hours and hours!! (unfortunately I haven't been
able to walk much the past few years like that)
Keep up the good work!

 

[sissy46]

Beth and Tammy, thanks for thinking of me. I've been feeling a little sorry for myself today. I have relatives now camping at Ft. De Soto Park, and I wanted to go, but felt the 2 hour drive (after loading the car,) setting up the tent, then bike riding and kayaking and sleeping on the ground---just too much for me right yet. I thought I'd be doing all this by now. Maybe January I'll be ready. And my meetup group is paddling and camping on one of my favorite rivers this week, too.

But my bike is on the car and I'm going riding on trails tomorrow at Wetlands Park---a great place for photography and unfortunately it is closed after tomorrow until February 1. Then Thursday, I'm going canoeing. And Friday, I see my surgeon and get xrays and labs.

I'm still stiff and sore when I start walking, then it gets better. A little achy just above the knee. I haven't had any Percocet in a long time, but I'm thinking one or two might go down at bedtime tonight. A good comfortable night's sleep so I can enjoy tomorrow

 

[sissy46]

Dutch, Sanibel is great any time of year---in the winter, though, you have more people, and in the summer, you have more no-see-ums. I love riding my bike through Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, and along all the nice bike trails on the island. And I used to walk and walk for hours on the beach there, but like you, not for several years. When I go in January, I hope to be able to walk a lot, but I'm also taking my bike and kayak. Paddling amongst the manatees and dolphins is always fun.

I love New York! I was stationed at Plattsburgh AFB back in 1968-1970 when I was an AF nurse---first time out of the south, and I loved the snow and mountains.

You folks who have had bilateral total hips are amazing. I'm not sure I'd have had the courage for that! I counted heavily on my good hip to get me up the stairs, or I would not have been able to come home.

 

[Damn!]

Sissy, I love Ft. DeSoto! It is about a 45-60 minute drive from me. I take 75 to the Sunshine Skyway and there it is. I take my french bulldog over to the dog park there and he has a blast. There truly is something for everyone there.

One of my sons is in the Air Force and he loves it. He is currently stationed at Travis AFB right outside of Sacramento, CA. I spent a few weeks out there with him and fell in love with the area. Another son is in the Army, he is at Ft. Wainwright in Fairbanks, AK. A third son is in the Marines, he is in San Diego. Our fourth son is a civilian working for the DIA and is currently in Iraq and will be home in February. As you may have read, my husband is getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan next week for a year. Can you tell we are used to the revolving door at our house. We also have 3 daughters....bringing the total to 7 (blended family, my 2, his 3 and we adopted 2 more together).

Enjoy the time off and the beautiful weather.

Tammy

 

[sissy46]

Wow, what a great family! Thanks to all of them for their service, especially your husband getting ready to be deployed.
You're lucky to live so close to Ft. D. It's a great birding area, too.

 

[nerdgrrl]

Hi sissy- I am enjoying reading your reports. Was feeling a little frustrated today about still needing two crutches, and still needing to lay down a quite a bit to keep the swelling at bay. But then I see how much you are able to do now and I am ok. My goal is light hiking by spring and real hiking in the mountains by summer. Still seems reasonable. I am only a week out. At least I don't have lovely weather tempting me like your weather down there! Have a great time with your adventures!
-nerdgrrl

 

[Damn!]

Oh nerdgrrl, you silly thing! Why be frustrated with needing two crutches? It has only been 6 days for you. Way too early to worry about this. Funny saying comes to mind: Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things. Applies to both of us. My major frustration comes from not being able to put on my own socks ...but it will come. You will feel much better after your first shower...trust me.

Sissy, your posts are such a delight to read. Please feel free to share some photos of your trips with us. I would love to see them. My family is great! We love having such a large family. Three of our children have made us grandparents so far. We have 5 g-babies to date...4 boys, 1 girl. With 7 children, I am looking forward to LOTS of g-babies. They really are WAY MORE FUN than their parents were. Maybe because we can give them back when we get tired or they get cranky

Have a great evening.

Tammy

 

[sissy46]

Nerdgirl is 7 days out now, so she's probably ready to jog a mile! Seriously, you picked a good time of year to have your surgery because you'll be all over it by springtime. One of my friends, a nurse I worked with, moved from Florida to Seattle several years ago and she absolutely loves it there.
I'm fixing to go for my bike ride, and I sure won't pet the sweaty things! That's a great saying, and I had never heard it before. Tammy, I bet you are a really, really fun grandma! And with your new hip, you'll be able to keep up with all of those grandkids.

 

[nerdgrrl]

Hah! Sissy you are right, I am mentally ready at least! I just have to wait for the body to catch up. If we have a good snow year, I might be able to sneak in some snowshoeing as well. There is a great beginner spot not too far away that is a nice flat route. I hope you had a great bike ride!

 

[sissy46]

I've always wanted to try snowshoeing, but haven't had the opportunity. But I am thinking about trying Nordic walking, like Poppet does.

Nerdgirl and Bellaroma are both getting awfully antsy. You need to stifle yourselves as far as pushing the limits of activity at this stage. I know!

Now I, on the other hand, am behaving myself. I had an easy two hour bike ride out at Wetlands Park, and I'd like to have stayed longer but I am erring on the side of caution these days, after my major punishment on Saturday for overdoing it on Friday. It was fun, though. I saw an otter, all the usual wading birds, alligators, butterflies galore, hawks, owls were heard but not seen.

Riding doesn't hurt at all, but when I get off the bike it is the same as when I walk after sitting for a while---really stiff and significant ouch which is sometimes groin, sometimes outer thigh, sometimes above the knee. After about 10 steps, much better and then I can walk without a limp and forget it---until the next time I start walking after sitting or riding a while. I sure hope this gets better, but anyway, it's better than before surgery. Way better.

 

[cnydutch]

Dutch, Sanibel is great any time of year---in the winter, though, you have more people, and in the summer, you have more no-see-ums. I love riding my bike through Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, and along all the nice bike trails on the island. And I used to walk and walk for hours on the beach there, but like you, not for several years. When I go in January, I hope to be able to walk a lot, but I'm also taking my bike and kayak. Paddling amongst the manatees and dolphins is always fun.

I love New York! I was stationed at Plattsburgh AFB back in 1968-1970 when I was an AF nurse---first time out of the south, and I loved the snow and mountains.

You folks who have had bilateral total hips are amazing. I'm not sure I'd have had the courage for that! I counted heavily on my good hip to get me up the stairs, or I would not have been able to come home.

you'd be surprised at how well it's coming having both done, and i'm sure you would have been fine also.
the issue is i really wouldn't have had a good leg, so for me to try to walk today 1.1 miles (yup!) with
1 bad hip i would have been really hurting. as it is, i got tired at the end, but there were some hills i was on
today and it was my furthest venture yet.

NY is great if you like cold and snow. as i get older, i like it less and less, and always wonder what it would
be like to live down south. Where i live is rural, and this time of year there isn't really much scenery,
unless you consider just the surrounding hills/woods as scenic (some people do). no manatees or
dolphins around here! how's the weather on Sanibel in January?

 

[bellaroma]

Glad your pacing yourself Sissy, I am too, just pushing the envelope a bit. We do have alot of water fowl and birds hers, and an occasionally a seal has been on our beach. but on Sunday in the Taunton River where I live there where dolphins sited, now for you that is an everyday occurance, but to see dolphins here in Somerset/Fall River Ma in November is an event. I think if I had looked out my window and seen them I would have fainted.

 

[sissy46]

Dutch, the weather in Sanibel in January is usually mild, but a strong cold front can really drop the temperatures. It doesn't usually stay cold very long. I loved being in upstate NY the two years I was there, but I don't think I could be happy permanently with the gray winter skies and the long winters. Need my sunshine!

Beth, that is cool that you've seen seals on your beach. I live by an inland lake, and there are osprey, a pair of bald eagles, wood ducks, herons and egrets, wood storks, barred owls, limpkins. My 9.5 ft kayak stays on a boat rack by the lake. I'm about an hour from the Atlantic---Canaveral National Seashore is where I go to the beach. Do you paddle out to the ocean from your river?

I am pacing myself. Tomorrow instead of paddling as I had planned, I am going for a hike. Walking seems to be the best thing---after I take those first 10 steps which aren't too pleasant.

 

[bellaroma]

Hi Sissy,

My part of the river is mostly salt and less than a mile up is the full ocean, so as I like fishing, always paddling around in it, just stay more in the protected coves on choppy days. We also have egrets, herons, osprey, in the spring and summer and now we have buffleheads. We always have ducks to include in the winter, American Duck and Shovelnose, We have a family of swans the parents we call Archie and Edith as the male is cranky and the female docile, we make a path to our birdfeeders in the snow in the winter to allow seed for the ducks, the swans don't eat the seed, but do bread. We also have several varieties of hawks and eagles. Here's some pictures of our seal and extended family. Archie and Edith and their offsping have been coming to us for 5 years. We hand feed the swans

 

[sissy46]

What a great place to live, with tame swans and seals in your yard. I like the picture with the swan and the seal. I know you'll be glad when you can walk down to the water again. It won't be long.

 

[Damn!]

bellaroma, What a beautiful scene to look at. Is that a current picture with the snow? I'm always caught by surprise when friends and family tell me they have snow already. Especially since we are still in the mid-80's where I am.

Sissy, how did you spend your day today? I hope it was doing something fun.

Tammy

 

[sissy46]

Tammy, yesterday I went for a hike at Wekiwa Springs State Park under dark gray skies. We haven't had sunshine in several days. I did see a deer,a gopher tortoise, and a Sherman's Fox Squirrel, but otherwise the wildlife was quiet. I had not taken any ibuprofen since Tuesday, and I forgot my trekking pole, so it was a shorter hike than I had planned and I took 400mg of ibuprofen when I got back to the car.

Feeling a little discouraged because I thought I'd be doing without any pain medication by now. I wonder if that was an unrealistic expectation? I don't know...is it better to take a couple of ibuprofen and be able to walk comfortably 3 or 4 miles on trails, or to not take anything and have the pain stop me after a mile? Do I do myself more harm by masking the pain and perhaps doing more than I should?

Overall, I'm happy with my progress, just wish I could be off of NSAID. I've tried taking two ES Tylenol and it does nothing. Likewise with Tramadol. I still have plenty of Percocet left, but I won't drive if I take that during the day, and I don't need anything for pain at night---only hurts when I walk. I quit the Percocet one week post-op except for an occasional bedtime dose when I was still getting the aches, but it has been two or three weeks since I needed that.

This morning I get X-rays, labs and I see my OS, so I'll ask him. I'll be glad to see the films; it will be nice to know everything is where it should be. I tend to be a worrier.

Beth, do you have any pictures of Edith and Archie's offspring? Baby swans are so cute! Did you name them Meathead and Gloria ("little goil.") Our Lake Eola in downtown Orlando is home to quite a few species of swans. Once a year, we round them up with kayaks so they can have their annual vet check-ups. I was supposed to participate in that last Saturday, but had to cancel. I should be able to participate in the Swan Roundup next year.

 

[sissy46]

Hip, hip, hooray! I'm good to go, no restrictions or precautions except Dr. Agudelo doesn't want me doing anything high impact yet, but I wasn't a runner anyway.

My X-rays are perfect, and strength and range of motion good, so he isn't concerned about the discomfort I have when I don't take any ibuprofen for a couple of days. I had wondered if I had somehow dislodged something, but it is just where I am in the healing process and will continue to get better. I feel better about taking the ibuprofen PRN now and just getting on with my life, now that I know my hip is in good condition and the pain isn't indicative of anything wrong or going wrong. What a relief I feel! I was more worried than I knew.

Now I can get back to volunteering at the state park, too, which I've really missed.

 

[Cookie42]

I like your question about whether it's better to mask the pain and carry on or to feel it and limit activities. I've wondered the same thing. So your doc says it really doesn't matter, right? I'm like you and had hoped not to have any pain at this state. I guess that isn't very realistic -- for me at least. I notice people who are much farther out than we are are still on pain meds. Funny how one med works for one person and not for another.

 

[sissy46]

Cookie, he does not want me to do high impact exercises, like running or jumping jacks, which I wouldn't do anyway. His advice was based on the fact that my healing is coming along well with no disturbance to the new hip, and my level of pain (although bothersome) is low and the dosage of ibuprofen that controls it is also low---and he also knows the kind of bike riding and kayaking and volunteer work that I do, and that I have good sense and will not go ripping off to take up sky diving.

In the past when I've had injuries, I've had a tendency to under-medicate because I knew as soon as I got comfortable I'd go do something I shouldn't. I wasn't sure how that worked after major surgery, and it depends on how much healing has taken place.

My plan for now is to take one or two ibuprofen 200mg as needed once or twice a day. I'll go to the gym but not try to increase weights just yet, I'll ride my bike, paddle my kayaks and canoe, and gradually increase the length of the hikes that I do. I will continue to take it slow and easy as long as I'm needed an analgesic.

I go back to my OS in 3 months, but he said if I had any questions or needed to see him before then to call.

You're just two days behind me, and you also had the anterior. When do you see your doctor again? I'd be so interested to know what she or he tells you when you ask that question. My appointment actually should have been next Friday, but the holiday interfered so that's why it was early.