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Hip Infection Surviving THR Revision

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Week 12 ~ For all of you hippies in the throes of post op pain and worries~ :bricks:
My return to work has been amazing and filled with blessings! :praying:
I have taken Bonesmart advice and plan on gradually returning.
Monday, my principal and I filled out and faxed paperwork to the leave office~ I brought her a huge bouquet of flowers! At 12 weeks, FMLA is up and she could have replaced me but she kept me on the roster for 24 weeks so I could return to my same position! Blessing!
After that, our custodian was waiting for me in my classroom and moved all of the furniture to the proper places! I baked him my famous Brownies! Blessing!
I started unpacking to set up my room and the sub did a wonderful job keeping my room organized! Blessing!
I stayed for two hours and then went home to rest. Oh I haven't mentioned my hip! Hahaha! Blessing!
Today I worked 4 hours and a retired teacher showed up to help me! Blessing!
~ then home to rest and to the dermo ~ she told me to use Mederma on the scars and not vitamin E because it can sometimes cause skin rashes with too much use. (FYI)
Tonight I am sore~ Hip is stiff and muscles are sore around the posterior scar, anterior scar, thigh and groin! Yep~everywhere! I don't have that deep fatigue though and find that Tylenol and short rests work. It feels like a loooong workout! Work and doctor visit was a bit too much!
I will go to work tomorrow after I sleep in~when ever I wake up and plan to work 4 hours again. Blessing!
Thursday I am not going to work and will spend a day at the pool w my daughter. Blessing!
I will work 4 hours on Friday knowing I have the weekend to rest. Next week I will work 6 hour days and the rest of the weeks full time and w my new students. Blessing!
One thing I didn't mention is that my leg continues to swell as it did pre op so I am wearing a compression stocking up to right above the knee~ THAT is a challenge to put on and take off :bolt:but it is worth it as the swelling makes me tired if I don't use the stocking.
I am still using the cane when I get tired and start limping. While in my classroom though~it hung off my desk and I buzzed around without it~ the busyness is good for me! I am 7 months from the first surgery and I feel healthy, hopeful, and thankful! Blessing! :angel:It will be your story too dear hippies!
 
Wahoooo, I'm doing a wee jig for you. Such a brilliant post and you have outlined the possibly perfect way to return to work. Ie wee short periods at first, get help if needed and as you have done it right you have truly enjoyed the whole experience. Oh geting flowers for da boss, good move.

Legin THR Sep 14
 
God is good ALL the time! I've been thinking of you and waiting to hear. Great to hear things are going so well, that school personnel are also accommodating your return. I'm still waiting for my rainy day...
 
@Sullivand thanks for the wonderful update on going back to the classroom . It sounds like you could not have planned a more perfect return. So good that everyone helped and the boss is not putting pressure on you. ♡ blessing indeed. Xo
 
I am glad to hear that all went well for you because I will be back in my classroom 5 weeks today.Am a little apprehensive about it at the moment.
 
@Legin @Suzette @donor
Thank you for cheering me on! I am home after 4 1/2 hours at school today. I am tired! Have eaten, showered, and taken Tylenol. Now my feet are up for now! I do feel sharp pulls and pain when I carry or move stuff and I imagine it's the stretching of the muscles that have been healing quietly ~ it is manageable but startles me when it happens and then I just stop what I'm doing and rethink my body position! I'm so happy to be doing normal life. You will be too before you know it.
@forestje
I worried about returning too~ here is what I've learned~ each week I worried about something I couldn't do yet but the next week I would accomplish it and realized it would not be an issue upon returning to work after all~for example~ bending, using a normal height toilet, sitting in desk chair etc. It all comes back! Yay! :loveshwr:
What do you teach?
 
We call it Year3 (7-8year olds). I love this age because they are straight out of the Infants in September into the Juniors and such fun to teach. I have been at my present school for 35 years and am finding myself teaching children whose parents I used to teach!
What age do you teach?
 
@forestje
How sweet it must be to be the little ones! I teach 4th grade which are 9 and 10 year olds. I have been at the same school for 16 years. Things are going well~ I wish you the best upon your return!
 
I am 14 weeks post op and officially started back to school on Aug 4. I must say it has been an emotional return~ so many lovely friends and co workers popping in to check on me and asking me how I am doing. I have a new cushiony desk chair on wheels and I have rolled it to meetings around the school building~ quite the attention getter but I decided I don't care about that anymore! :heehee:
Thursday was our open house where the students come to school and look at the posted assignments for teachers and then come to the classroom to meet us. A very exciting day. I was on my feet for 3 hours! I was tired but not fatigued or exhausted~ that seems to be behind me! Yay! It was wonderful seeing former students who were so happy to see me. My new students were looking a bit apprehensive at my cane and I promised them I would not be hitting with it and told them I was Bionic Teacher with a new hip!:wowspring:They giggled and we moved on to other topics!
So I have spent the last two weeks concentrating on work and not on my hip.
There are three areas of concern that are nagging at me that I plan to follow up w the surgeon on Sept. 4.
~ the swelling is still present but compression stocking keeps it in control - I use a knee high and it swells at the knee-I use a thigh high and it annoys my scars -but either stocking prevents the exhaustion. This was a preop issue for years so I am used to what the vascular dr called venous insufficiency. I still want to keep it in front of the doctor tho.
~ my walking still gives me pain at the lateral scar and butt cheek and walking with the cane keeps the pain at bay. I wonder if at 14 weeks I need to work through the pain or not?
~ without the cane limping is still present and it may be that I need gait training.
I will address these at my next appointment after the flurry of back to school stuff settles down!
All in all I am glad to have my life back and want more~ no pain and a healthy "caneless" walk! :yahoo:
 
Hi Sullivand Great to see your update. You scarey teacher with a cane! First week back at work sounds so successful. It is amazing when you think of any of us at our worst, it is hard to imagine such a bright future. Well done! Look forward to more updates. x

[Bonesmart.org] Surviving THR Revision SullivanD in charge!
 
@Sullivand I just finished reading your posts through this journey we are on and you are so inspiring! What caught my eye was that you have started back to teaching. I, too, am a teacher. I am 4 1/2 weeks post op for anterior left hip. I'm attempting to go back next week! I'm doing pretty good (walking without cane most of the time). But I do get tired so very easily. Next week, starting Tuesday is all teacher work days so I thought I would see how I do with that. School starts the following week. I teach art to 2nd through 5th grade. This will be my 28th year. I just hate not being there at the beginning of the year! But if it doesn't go well next week I'll just have to surrender and take a few more weeks off. my main concern is I have no where to lay down if I need to. Wish I could put a bed in my office! Even a 15 minute horizontal break makes a big difference! So wonderful to hear how far you have come! Looking forward to reading your continuing progress posts and how it works out with school.
 
Hiya Sullivand wow and sheeeeeesh woman wow. Well done you lass. Most of your concerns are normal BTW. Swelling will keep coming whilst you are standing a lot it will get better but you are right to get Dr to check it. So is quad quandary, these muscles are almost last ones to get back to norm. I had same and was told do the arch exercise and clam exercise both worked. It is good tho being back in normal life doesn't it, whatever normal is.......

Legin THR Sep 14
 
What a wonderful report you've given! So happy to hear almost all is well! I know what you mean about the kids viewing the cane, they soon forget it and even love going on a cane hunt to help out. I'm assuming Monday is your first teaching day, so I hope that goes just as well for you! Congratulations on all your hard work and patience paying off to allow you to return to your passion. God is good!
 
I cannot imagine going back to teaching youngsters at your stage of this journey @Sullivand ! You are truly amazing. I retired at age 55 after 30 years and yes @copsham I do think that teaching little ones is a health hazard. I was not the type to sit at my desk and was always walking around, bending down to help and hear the thirty 7 year olds I had most years which may have caused my back problems. Also the floor was hard concrete with tiles on top. Not the best surface by far.
I also think that it is a very stressful profession but so rewarding too. Does anyone else think that stress has a lot to do with arthritis?
Anyway I admire you immensely @Sullivand ! Your students are very lucky to have you in their formative years -cane or not.
Diane
 
@Sullivand congratulations on your return to work! I know for myself, there were times when I could not even picture what that would look like....and I had a pretty run of the mill situation, not like you with so many challenges and setbacks. You and your sweet outlook and words of wisdom were always there to boost me up even at my worse and most crabby moments. I am glad the kids welcomed you back and that life for you is marching ahead in such a better direction. Sending love. :thumb:
 
@Sullivand i am so proud of you. Congratulations on your return to teaching. I always felt like it was Christmas the first weeks back. So many exciting new faces to meet. Sending you all my good thoughts and prayers as you start this week. Kids love to help so try to delegate some things. Sounds like you are surrounded with supportive colleagues. Be careful with your rolling chair. Make sure you have it firmly under you. Yup, I had one slip out from under me and saw a few stars. Smell a few crayons for me! Lol. Hugs
 
I'm so happy you are back in life after all the scary ups and downs! It must be exhausting but oh so rewarding at the same time. Sending love, peace, calm, and more healing your way


RTHR, posterior, 15JUN2015
 
@Sullivand
I found your thread and just finished reading the entire thing. God Bless you!
So happy that things are on an upswing and best wishes for a wonderful year in the classroom.
Your positive posts are so amazing.
I think, when I have my surgery and am having a down day, I will look up your thread and read it.
I am writing this on a Friday night, a lovely summer night and I bet you are happily exhausted..
 
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