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THR Tallguy79 recovery<

I would love a career change but I also like a roof over my head. With no college degree, any office job I could get would pay under $25K/yr. I'm not college material. I took the ACT three times and my best was an 18. All I have ever done and all i'm qualified to do is manual labor. I am fortunate to have gotten into a union labor job last year so i'm making at least $5 hour more than people doing the same job without a union so I don't want to give that up. It's not huge money, still under $50K/yr unless I work crazy overtime. That is a whole lot better than $20-25K in an entry level office job. If I could even get an entry level office job at all pushing 40 with no experience or degree. I think I need to do my best to stay in my current hard labor job and save as much as I can so I can retire before I hit 60(no pension).
 
I've been there, done that and have the t-shirt to prove it. I fully understand the need to work, I've been self employed and with no health insurance many times. I've had surgery on my knee and been back to work in 3 days because I had to open the doors on my business. Just be careful, know your rights and your limitations. Use all the time you can get for recovery.
 
You're still relatively young. Keep your eyes and ears open.
You never know what may be in your future in regard to employment.
Hope you're having a good day of recovery.
@tallguy79
 
Had a visit from the home nurse and OT today. The nurse changed my bandage. She said everything looked good and in five days(June 5th) I could take the bandage off and pull off the clear film covering the incision. Then I can finally take a shower(no bath). The OT went over how to get into and out of the shower next week and discharged me from OT. Otherwise everything is the same. Numbness and 'scapping needles' feeling near bottom of incision from likely nerve damage. Also have assorted muscle soreness. Pain is between 5-7, closer to 7 at night when I still am not getting much sleep. Looking forward to PT tomorrow because they are going to start helping me do the stairs to the basement so I can sleep in my own bed by end of next week.
 
Oh boy, I'll bet that day is circled on your calendar! Being able to take a shower will make you feel a lot better along with sleeping in your own bed. Doesn't sound like your pain is very well controlled though.
 
Trick for the tape, don't pull it roll it. Ask your PT but what helped me build up for stairs was a piece of 2x6 scrap that I did step-ups onto. Once I had it down I screwed another piece to it so it was double thick, and then went to 3 pieces high. I held onto a chair as I stepped. In the shower the one thing is pivoting on the OS leg, not recommended, I had a handle on the wall to hold onto. I still can't believe they had you wait this long for a shower! My hair is down to the middle of my back, no way I could have waited that long.
Interesting how high your pain is. The only over 5 pain I had was right after surgery when I went 2 laps around the hospital floor before I took pain pills. I should have taken the pills before but you live and learn. That was the worst pain I've had.
 
tallguy79 said:
That doesn't make me feel any better. 6 months or more for numbness to go away.
Click to expand...
Only my experience and it lessened over each month.
Numbness didn't stop me from doing anything...onlymade me a little anxious, like you.

tallguy79 said:
Numbness and 'scapping needles' feeling near bottom of incision from likely nerve damage. Also have assorted muscle soreness.
Click to expand...

All normal...and not damage in the sense permanent...just injured and healing.
You have got to quit thinking of worse case scenarios...you did not do the wrong thing having this done and too early to know what your capabilities will be regarding work.
It does heal and leave us better.
Temporary, temporary temporary.
Post op blues are also normal.
Hoping today is a better day for you.:console2:
 
Four more days till shower time! :happydance: :yay: :yes!:
Bet you can't wait....it's the best feeling!

Let us know how the trek up and down the stairs goes with PT today.
Knocking those milestones down one by one :yes:

Now....to get that pain better managed. Pain at a 7 at night isn't good.
Can you talk to your OS or PA about that?
Hope your weekend is good!
@tallguy79
 
The OT had me simulate getting into the shower. Even on day 10 post-op it was difficult getting my leg over the edge of tub. I don't know how some people were showering after just a couple days unless they have walk-ins. It's not much different than getting into bed but it's a little cramped with my long legs.

I was able to get up and down the stairs pretty easily as far as movement but i'm really feeling it now. Not something I want to do more than once a day. I will slowly transition with getting thigs setup down there over the next few days. The cooler weather makes it better to sleep upstairs for the next few days so i'll take my time but i'll be ready to go downstairs full time when the next heat wave hits.

All I can do about the pain is ask for more pain meds. They aren't going to give me anything stronger in fact they will continue to reduce my main pain med. Same thing happened after my last surgery- the pain stayed the same but the pain meds kept getting reduced weeks sooner than they should have been leaving me to suffer needlessly.
 
Hi @tallguy79
I have a walk in shower and even took my walker in the first 2-3 times :heehee:
I'm thankful because I would imagine it's difficult raising your leg over the side of a bath tub early on.
Maybe PT can practice that with you each time he visits so you become more comfortable with it before you need to do it on your own.
Google tub bars and see what you think. Something like this -
https://www.googleadservices.com/pa...ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjhsaTw37LbAhVE8IMKHeNyB

Mind if I ask what you're taking for meds. I guess I'm wondering if you're taking anything in addition to the Oxy?
 
I'm taking Prescription: 5mg Oxycodone, Celebrex, Gabapentin, OTC: 650mg Tylenol, 325mg Asprin. First time they gave me 60 Oxy, then 40, no i'm guessing they only give me 30 or even drop me down to Hydrocodone. 30 will not be a 5 day supply if my pain stays the same. No way. I need at least 4 to get any sleep at all(2 doses of 2).
 
Yikes! I'm sorry. Hopefully the pain starts easing a bit.
I'm sure you're still icing, but if you're not, please do as often as you can.
@tallguy79
 
It was a bit of hassle again( surprise, surprise) but I was able to get a refill for the Oxycodone. I also got a refill for the Gabapentin in hopes it will help some with the nerve pain. Last night was bad again. I think that makes 6 or 7 in a row with 6+ pain level and not much sleep. I think the hospital bed is part of the problem and now that PT has okayed me to do the basement stairs I will now go down to my own bed to sleep. I will carry a small backpack with the things I need for the night such as a urinal so I can stay down there all night. Hopefully I don't have a urgent need to go #2 since it'll take a couple minutes to get upstairs. I think i'll have to leave the computer upstairs. I don't want to add that much weight when i'm going up and down the stairs.
 
Hello :wave:
Sorry you continue to have miserable sleepless nights. Wish you had a better handle on that pain...
Hopefully your own bed in the basement helps you get a better night's sleep.
If you live alone make sure you have your cell phone in a pocket while going up and down those
stairs you described as steep.
Hope today is a good day!
@tallguy79
 
Good going, @tallguy79 - I work with attorneys sometimes on workman's comp cases, and I know how awful companies can be about providing care. With any luck, this refill will get you to the point you can sleep through the night.
 
Hi....it's me again :)
I noticed your convo elsewhere about assistive devices. Please know that trying to transition from a walker to a cane at this point is good progress. Personally, I agree that crutches are uncomfortable as you mentioned, Discomfort in the arm pits. At least they were for me. I tried them once and that was it!

I began transitioning from a walker to a cane on about day 12. However, we're all different. Some continue to need assistive devices longer than others and there is no shame in that. A lot depends upon what shape you were in going into surgery. Some were needing / using assistive devices pre surgery, as I'm sure you've read. You need to use something as long as your limping.

Try not to compare your progress with that of others.
Easier said than done because we all do it, myself included. :wink:
@tallguy79

PS - My 81 yr old mom just had her second THR a few months ago. She arrived home using only a cane. I was shocked! I convinced her to use her walker over the cane and she did for a few days more, then walked on her own. A perfect example of how different all of our recoveries are.
 
It took 12 days but I finally am having the knee pain I have heard most others talk about. I'm also having more muscle pain on the inside of my thigh. Unfortunately this is in addition to the significant pain I was already having. Nerve pain hasn't gotten any better so this is just extra. This is going to be a tough night.
 
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Sorry you're having so much pain. Knee pain is probably muscle pain where it attaches above the knee cap. It doesn't like going uphill or downhill including stairs. i would get a burning sensation right above my kneecap. Ice is all I can say, there is no such thing as too much ice for the pain, just be careful not to get an ice burn from putting it on bare skin.
 
Ice your knee along with your hip, if you're not already.
My knee showed some significant bruising and began to be painful 17 days post op.
I'm sure you've read.....or saw in the video that your knee is used as leverage for dislocation.

Isn't this fun?!! :rotfl: I had to laugh at myself some days to keep from crying.
It will get better, truly!
@tallguy79
 
Unfortunately sleeping in my own bed didn't result in better sleep. It's the nerve pain that is causing the bulk of the problem. I took 10 mg Oxycodone and 1300 mg Tylenol and it barely made a dent in the pain. The in home nurse thinks I have meralgia paresthetica caused by the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve(LFCN) being entraped under inguinal ligament. Or the LFCN could have just been stretched during surgery and is damaged. Either way I will be having nerve pain likely for months. The numbness is no big deal but the pain is a huge deal. If the nerve is entraped then I could need another surgery so hopefully it was just stretched and will gradually heal itself with a reduction in pain along the way.
 
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