Bilateral THR Smrt2run's new hips.
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ByGosh
post-grad
Speaking of pain meds.... Talked to my ortho's nurse today who encouraged me to start cutting down on my pain meds. I'm currently taking about 3 day and I'm 15 days post op BTHR. It's not easy out here dealing with some of these caregivers. Makes you feel guilty for having pain.
Yeah, I'm only two days ahead of you. Glad there is someone so close I can compare notes with. I ended up taking two tramadols throughout the night, but I also have Tylenol wit codeine that I may use tonight to help with sleeping as well. I'm excited to start outpatient pt tomorrow, but I understand daytime pain may be more intense. You should worry though of you need the medication, your body is telling you that you need it.
ByGosh
post-grad
Hi smrt2run - I use the tramadol routinely every morning when I wake up and every noon. I don't use it as needed, I just take it. That's what I had to do before the surgery because of the pain, and I rarely needed anything else. The other med I have is one that I use when I feel pain - like after I've been up walking or doing stairs, or before or after PT, etc. So you're way ahead of me on the pain meds. I'm not too concerned about it. I know once I don't have pain, I won't take the meds, because when I don't have pain, I can do things I like to do that make me feel good - like walk around the block, go shopping (eventually), go swimming, etc. We're both still recovering here. My incision sites still hurt, there's a bit of swelling there, my leg muscles were weak even before the operation, now they're really sore. Gee, if we broke bones from an accident we'd still be on pain meds. This is traumatic to our body, too, otherwise it wouldn't hurt.
I think it's a good idea for you to take your pain med tonight to get some rest and maybe for PT tomorrow. It'll be a new outing for you, and you'll be doing things you may not have done before, plus you want to be able to do PT well without being limited too much by pain, I would think. Remember they say it's better to stay ahead of the pain anyway.
Are you driving yourself to PT? I start out-patient PT next week, and they say I can drive, but I'm a bit worried how I'll get in and out on my own, etc. Hope I improve enough to do it!
Good luck with PT. Let us know what it was like and what they made you do. And how it felt.
I think it's a good idea for you to take your pain med tonight to get some rest and maybe for PT tomorrow. It'll be a new outing for you, and you'll be doing things you may not have done before, plus you want to be able to do PT well without being limited too much by pain, I would think. Remember they say it's better to stay ahead of the pain anyway.
Are you driving yourself to PT? I start out-patient PT next week, and they say I can drive, but I'm a bit worried how I'll get in and out on my own, etc. Hope I improve enough to do it!
Good luck with PT. Let us know what it was like and what they made you do. And how it felt.
ByGosh I picked a place near my moms office so she will drop me off. Doctor really gave very few instructions so I'm figuring he'll just remove the restrictions and let me drive. I did take tepee tramadol in rehab (I refused the dilaudid because it was too strong for the pain I felt). Before the surgery I was tasking Vicodin which I never want to touch again. You seem to be doing grea though. I was worried that I let days go by before getting an outpatient appointment, did you let time lapse?
ByGosh
post-grad
smrt2run I haven't called yet. The docs office sent over a referral today. I'm in no hurry because at this moment I don't feel up to it. Can't imagine driving there, getting in the place alone, driving home. I'm waiting to see how I feel later in the week. Still doing my home exercises, though, walking around, doing some things, doing the stairs, and getting my strength back. I was knocked for a loop by the surgery, lost a lot of blood, am still tired out. I see improvement from last week, for sure, so I'm hopeful next week will show more improvement and I'll be up to the challenge.
You on the other hand, will do great! I know it!
You on the other hand, will do great! I know it!
bellaroma
graduate
ByGosh
post-grad
I actually really enjoyed it. Can't deny I feel better afterward but it's not something that I force myself to do on my own. I'm making good progress. They used heating pads to get tepee stiffness out if my left hip which was causing me trouble. It worked wonders so I had my dad pick me up one. Now I'm alternating between hot and cold. How are you doing?!
ByGosh
post-grad
smrt2run I'm feeling better, thanks. The weakness seems to have gone, feeling stronger and more like myself compared to last week when I felt so washed out. And because I've felt better, I've been up and about more, so my legs have been paining me. It was better today because I took it easy more, rested alot in between little activities around the house.
I drove today a little to test it out, as Mon. is 3 weeks and I'm cleared to drive then, and I have to get to PT. So I figured I'd do it while my son was here to go with me. It was okay - felt a little squeezed in the hips, but with the seat reclined as much as I could safely do and pushed back, it was ok. Just up and down the road a bit to get a feel for it.
I still have stiffness in my hips, especially left. What's "teepee" stiffness? I tried a heating pad last night and it felt really good on my groins where it's stiff. They felt better after.
Glad you liked PT. You're on the move now. And glad you're making good progress! Keep up the good work. Do you have exercises to do at home from them?
I drove today a little to test it out, as Mon. is 3 weeks and I'm cleared to drive then, and I have to get to PT. So I figured I'd do it while my son was here to go with me. It was okay - felt a little squeezed in the hips, but with the seat reclined as much as I could safely do and pushed back, it was ok. Just up and down the road a bit to get a feel for it.
I still have stiffness in my hips, especially left. What's "teepee" stiffness? I tried a heating pad last night and it felt really good on my groins where it's stiff. They felt better after.
Glad you liked PT. You're on the move now. And glad you're making good progress! Keep up the good work. Do you have exercises to do at home from them?
ByGosh
post-grad
smrt2run Squats? Wow! I'm impressed. Do you go down far with the knees bent and facing forward? And are the leg lifts while lying on your back? How far do you raise the leg? Just curious, as I'll be doing PT Mon. and I wonder what he'll have me do.
You didn't answer where the "teepee" stiffness is and where you put the heating pad. I have stiffness at the junction of the upper thigh where it meets the abdomen (the inguinal areas, or the groins.) Is that where yours is? (Comparing notes here....)
Otherwise, boy, my legs, especially the right, pain me when I walk a bit. The knee, the lower leg, the thigh. I sure hope it resolves, as it's worse than the pre-op pain.
You didn't answer where the "teepee" stiffness is and where you put the heating pad. I have stiffness at the junction of the upper thigh where it meets the abdomen (the inguinal areas, or the groins.) Is that where yours is? (Comparing notes here....)
Otherwise, boy, my legs, especially the right, pain me when I walk a bit. The knee, the lower leg, the thigh. I sure hope it resolves, as it's worse than the pre-op pain.
ByGosh Haha the iPad changed the the word "the" to teepee for some reason. Yeah I have to focus to keep my knee from going inward during the squats, it's the way they naturally want to go. I'm stiff in the same area on my left kip as well. Its funny that one side is stiff and I'm using heat while the right is more swollen so I'm using ice at the same time. I'm still having a mighty hard time with the leg lift. It's the only thing that frustrating me at the moment. I can do about five on the left and like two on the right before I'm in too much pain. I'm using having some knee pain on the right side but I could be overdoing it. Hope you get a lot out of pt. It's actually nice to get out for a bit and socialize. I'm home alone with the tv all day...
I also walked around the mall for a bit sans cane (kept it in the car in case) and saw a movie. Oh and bought some shoes, the guy had to help put them on because I told him I had just had surgery. He earned his commission. I did take a tramadol before just in case. It felt so good to feel like an almost Normal 24 year old. The rest of the day will be spent on the couch with my heat pad though.
ByGosh
post-grad
Wow! The mall? You're doing really well, I'd say. No cane either? Good for you. Things look like they're really on the upswing with you. Was the movie any good? It's great that you're able to get out and do things now.
I still have a lot of pain. I can walk fine without a cane, but I'm sure that's contributing to the leg hurting. My big accomplishment is being able to clean the house a little, and going in the car to take the dogs for a drive. I feel that physically I can do quite a bit, as far as being nimble, but I pay with pain. So I'm trying to alternate activity with resting and ice. And of course, the pain meds still.
I find that the heating pad feels quite good on the stiff hip, and the ice numbs the pain everywhere else. I'm getting tired of laying here freezing with ice on, though! You know how cold it still is in New England. That's another reason I like the heating pad. I don't have swelling, except right at the incision lines where it feels hard and numb. I try to massage there, hoping to loosen it up.
Keep up the good work. How often do you have PT?
I still have a lot of pain. I can walk fine without a cane, but I'm sure that's contributing to the leg hurting. My big accomplishment is being able to clean the house a little, and going in the car to take the dogs for a drive. I feel that physically I can do quite a bit, as far as being nimble, but I pay with pain. So I'm trying to alternate activity with resting and ice. And of course, the pain meds still.
I find that the heating pad feels quite good on the stiff hip, and the ice numbs the pain everywhere else. I'm getting tired of laying here freezing with ice on, though! You know how cold it still is in New England. That's another reason I like the heating pad. I don't have swelling, except right at the incision lines where it feels hard and numb. I try to massage there, hoping to loosen it up.
Keep up the good work. How often do you have PT?
BarbaraR
graduate
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smrt2run, first you have my undying admiration for being able to walk the mall and sit in a movie 2 weeks after surgery. I don't think I could sit that long, and I'm 3 weeks ahead of you. Second, did you have anterior approach? If so, check with your doctor about straight leg lifts. The home PT had me doing them, and like you, it hurt so much on my operated leg that I really couldn't. When my outpatient PT got the prescription, it said NO straight leg lifts. (It's still somewhat difficult for me to lift the leg, even with the knee bent. I think the stretching of those muscles takes a while to heal.). You're clearly young and healthy and so energetic! I hope your recovery continues to go smoothly.
ByGosh I also treated myself to a new pair of shoes (that the salesperson helped put on haha). I'm going to pt twice a week only. It's hard to get there because the doctor hasn't cleared me to drive (really, I haven't asked).
BarbaraR I had the posterior approach, so I'm dealing with all of the restrictions. I brought my cushion that I got from rehab to sit on during the movie. Sorry to the little girl behind me haha! I did take a tramadol before the movie though, is that cheating? I plan on returning to work after 6 weeks I think. It's only another three works but I don't plan on doing more than 2 or 3 days. My "career" in retail affords that.
BarbaraR I had the posterior approach, so I'm dealing with all of the restrictions. I brought my cushion that I got from rehab to sit on during the movie. Sorry to the little girl behind me haha! I did take a tramadol before the movie though, is that cheating? I plan on returning to work after 6 weeks I think. It's only another three works but I don't plan on doing more than 2 or 3 days. My "career" in retail affords that.
BarbaraR
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smrt2run, no I don't think taking tramodol is cheating. It's only 3 weeks! Be careful with tramodol-- I stopped it abruptly because I was having stomach issues, and I ended up going though withdrawal. When you're ready to stop it, cut back gradually. I think it's great that you can take 6 weeks off and then go back part time-- you're on your feet all day, right?
Yeah,the way I think about it, I did it with terrible bone on bone pain and survived. I feel a thousand times better already so it will have to be easier. The managers know my situation so if I need to sit for a few minutes, they don't mind.
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