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TeeJay's recovery tale

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I don't want to be a Vice President or anything in your pillow company. I dibs the position of Body Examiner! "The process would start with a careful measurement of your body, followed by the steps of developing the perfect mold that is sculpted by one of our artisans until the mold matches the precise shape and form of your body."
:evil:
 
Actually, Richard has had both hips done! Forgot to mention that. And he loves this forum. I keep asking him to post but ......
 
DAY 15 – 1st surgeon visit

I met with my surgeon this morning and had blood drawn for the IRN (two more weeks on Coumadin). Although I was rather confident that my recovery is on track, the little voice in my head and my wife attempt to make TeeJay’s recovery more interesting for no reason at all.

I bumped into my surgeon on the way to the X-ray. He uttered something like, “Hi, TeeJay, see you in a bit,” and entered the next room to see another patient. Then he came to the X-ray room, manipulated my leg and we had this one-way monologue, “Everything fine?” and he left. After a few minutes he appeared in the exam room, showed us the X-rays and explained what he had done while I was sleeping. In his opinion everything was ‘okay.’ He suggested that I’d still bear in mind the torque issue for the next four weeks. Then he and my ignored me and talked hospital stuff God knows how long, followed by ‘have a nice Thanksgiving,’ and ‘see you in six weeks.’

Come on!!! No attaboys, being in awe, or even the slightest indication of anything being unusual. Either my doctor is used to seeing his patients walking without an aid and limp two weeks out, or he really does not care. Back at home I realized that the issue of driving was not part of the monologue either. My bioleg appears to have gained its strength back, so -- in theory -- I should be good to go. However, I think I’m going to wait a week or two. BTW, I can take a long bath again.

I did my walking yesterday on treadmill, because my wife had a day shift and I was left home alone. I walked thirty minutes at 2.5 m/h speed after warming up for couple minutes at 1 m/h. Because I was unable to put my sneakers on, I hiked wearing only socks. I did not like the experience too much. It was easier to concentrate on my way of walking -- placing the foot properly on the ground: heel, center, toe. Also, the treadmill facilitated a better posture. I so much prefer walking outdoors. Anyone out there regularly working out on treadmill?

The dogs went nuts. They have not seen me on that machine for along time and being shepherds thought that I was in grave danger – is there any other kind? Both of them tried to get on the belt, whining, howling, and barking and did not take no for an answer. The younger schafer particularly was terrified for me and howled like the house was on fire. For second there I was worried they’d hurt themselves. Later I realized how hazardous situation it was for me. Finally, I managed to get through them after exhausting my sit-and-stay command vocabulary of several languages by insulting them with suggestion that they were behaving like silly poodles. Customarily we use German commands, but to direct two or more dogs at the same time we had to start employing other languages and hand signals. They chose to stand and watch instead, in case the apparatus would attempt to swallow me or attack them.

I was so distracted by all the hoopla that it was only after I had climbed the stairs back to the living room level that I realized I’d walked without the support of handrail. I was bewildered. I stayed there for a few minutes trying to convince myself that everything is fine, but I’ve never been very good at convincing anyone of anything ever. I made a quick assessment, palpating my thigh, hip, and buttocks, and the hip area again. I was pretty sure that most of the new bio-head was still attached to the bio-cup.

The Siamese had a wonderful day sleeping on my lap for hours. The wound appears to have mended enough to tolerate a sleeping attack cat.

To sum it up, I’m going to continue my daily exercise (2 x 30 minute PT) and walking routine (30 to 45 minute), and the next objective will be decreasing the pain medication dose. It’s a balancing act.

I’m going to try to commence working a few hours a day starting next week. It helps to have a home office and sympathetic boss, but the nature of my job makes it real comfortable: I’m, in essence, surfing the net. I’m certain it will take several weeks to get back to my normal rhythm of odd, long hours, but I love my work. I’m in no particular hurry.
 
Teejay, once again love reading your posts.
I am now just over seven weeks and I complained bitterly at first.
Not a bit forward thinking. I don't think I did myself any favours as I didn't take any pain meds apart from paracetamol after I came out of hospital.
I am now driving without any pain, walking without any support and even not so stiff after sitting.
In fact I feel wonderful, I am desperate to return to work but my Surgeons follow up isn't until December 15th.
I did manage to watch my grandson play football at the weekend. Very cold and windy here in the uk.
Not up to running up and down the line yet but standing wasn't a problem either.
 
Hey, nannyshoo

I truly am pleased that you’re doing great. I guess in Britain you’re expected to be more independent and figure out everything by yourself. The proper pain management appears to be an issue on both sides of the Atlantic. You’re lucky to find BoneSmart and Josephine had the chance to guide you in that regard. That is history now and you are ready for work and regular life. Enjoy the time off; I’m certain you’ve enough hard days ahead. You’ve got a great profession, nannyshoo, and so many wonderful babies to deliver. RN's are the best!

I can imagine Britain is not best vacation spot at the moment (beautiful country), but we are closer to spring every morning. Next summer you can play soccer (real football) with you grandson. Good to hear from you. Take care.
 
Teejay....I can just picture your poor puppies thinking Dad was in serious danger! They would probably be very happy to have you home like this forever so they could take care of you and share naps all the time.

Despite having no screams of joy and wonder from your surgeon, it does sound like you are doing very well. Good for you!!
 
DAY 15 – 1st surgeon visit

Come on!!! No attaboys, being in awe, or even the slightest indication of anything being unusual. Either my doctor is used to seeing his patients walking without an aid and limp two weeks out, or he really does not care.

Teejay - I felt like this after my rapid recovery last year but it wasn't until I had my one year check up last week that my OS said how amazed he was with my recovery and that I was his best patient ever!
 
Jamie,

Yup, typical shepherd behavior. Another example of the shepherd instinct is not letting us (the pack) to split up. If I stop to take a picture or marvel a leaf, the older dog stops whatever he is doing and dashes to stop my wife. He starts to jump up and down in front of her whining and barking, and if that does not help, he literally sits down and blocks my wife’s path. We’re not allowed to separate more than sixty feet.

I wanted to give my surgeon feedback the best way I’d imagine; walk in without an aid as if nothing had happened. I think I’m going to write him a letter and send a Christmas gift.

Thank you for everything, Jamie.

jaz

You got me thinking, maybe he knows that I’m not out of the woods yet and does not want an early party. Something to keep in mind.

One year! Good for you, jaz. I need to check the old posts out and learn your story. It must feel good to be back in the regular life, concentrate on the future, and have this hip affair as part of your fabulous history.

Congratulations, jaz. Keep taking care of yourself.
 
DAY 16

Nothing special to report. I’d one of those Africa dreams last night and slept a whopping twelve hours. That’s 12 hours without pain meds!!! I woke up feeling rested and ready to meet day’s challenges, and pain free. To be exact, I felt the stiffness of my thigh, but that’s it. And, I slept most of the night on my operated hip.

We went to the grocery store and I felt fine with all the walking and shopping. No orange-hair ladies around this time. Back at home we unpacked and went for an excursion around the neighborhood.

I don’t feel so unsteady anymore, so I started the stroll walking unaided (not holding my wife’s hand). It felt good. Our pace was brisk on this cold day, and I concentrated on feeling my feet touching the ground properly heel, center, toe. It is amazing (and encouraging) that the phenomenon of the operated leg turning inwards is gone, as is the feeling that the leg is longer. With the proper gait all these unwanted sleep-depriving by-products of the surgery disappeared. One less worry!

Once I proved to myself that I’m able to safely walk unaided, I took my wife’s warm hand and felt even better. We added a little to our standard 15-minute walk, so it took about 25 minutes to return to home. Again, the only part of my body I really feel is the thigh. My lower back is sending smoke signals that I stay too much in the bed.

I now posses week’s worth of experimenting in the pain medication–exercise-pain balance, and I’m more convinced than ever that our theory works. By taking a (little) bigger dose of pain medication, I was able to exercise more and recuperate faster and pain free. Now I’m entering the phase where I’ll decrease the dose (actually my body decreases the dose by not needing it) and wait to see what happens. Once the balance is found again, it’s time to decrease the dose and eventually start weaning off the narcotics and introduce non-narcotic pain relievers to the process. I just have to figure out what is the best analgesic for me. Any suggestions?

More power to those that go cold turkey and are off the meds a day after the THR. However, I sincerely believe that our approach should be the opposite. Not only do our bodies and minds need enough pain meds to keep the pain in control throughout the recovery – and that could take up to a year – we need enough meds to be able to exercise pain free to enhance our recovery. It’s a balancing act.
 
TeeJay, I agree with you totally when it comes to the medication fiasco. I have kept a modest supply for when I begin the regular PT sessions next week. I just know they are going to push me to the limit! I already had one session with them and I was unable to move the next morning. Eventually, after taking a muscle relaxant, I was up and at 'em.

I re-read your earlier post about your surgeon not say one kind thing to you about your incredible progress. Well, many surgeons are not noted for their bedside manner. Remember, they will assume that much of the success has to do with their expertize and not your determination to stay active and win, win, win. I could be wrong about this - maybe he was preoccupied and just didn't think you needed the pat on the back.

My surgeon, on the other hand, said that he was proud of me! I am still trying to figure out why he said that to me. Maybe he thought I was so against the surgery at first and that when I finally bought into the idea, I went with it 100%.

Anyway, TeeJay, you have done a wonderful thing by sharing your recovery diary with all of us, especially those awaiting the time in surgery. I am sure it will give them a positive outlook on what may be in store for them.

I went for a walk today, down a dirt road with a friend. It was rough walking but I did it. I did just fine. Surely hope I can get out of bed tomorrow.

Have you decided when you might go back to work? Would it be too personal to ask you what you do for a living? Generally speaking......i.e. editor, IT, teacher.....blah, blah, blah......
:wink:
 
Teejay,
Thank you so much for your postings...sharing your recovery details. I am now venturing more into the recovery forums as my surgery date is closing in quick(12-8-09). I have read your recovery saga in several settings...can't sit comfortably for too long. I have also enjoyed the comments by others in response to your postings.
Africa dreams...My parents were taught in Uganda for about 20 years...I came back to the States to go to college in '76. Been dreaming of returning someday for a visit. The sights, sounds. and smells of East Africa are deeply embeded in my mind and memories. Maybe this new hip will encourage me to really pursue that ravel goal Last weekend , my family flew Louisville KY to Providence RI and I was in agony most of the way...walking and sitting and then humilating in a wheelchair. I CAN'T WAIT TIL T
 
Sorry for the double post...I wanted to correct my first post and technology got the best of me!!:pzld:

Teejay,<O:p
Thank you so much for your postings...sharing your recovery details. I am now venturing more into the recovery forums as my surgery date is closing in quick(12-8-09). I have read your recovery saga in several settings...can't stay in one position for too long. I have also enjoyed the comments by others in response to your postings. Such a generosityshown through sharing their personal stories and encouragement.<O:p
<O:p
Dreaming of Africa...My parents were taught in Uganda for about 20 years...I came back to the States to go to college in '76. Been dreaming of returning "home" someday for a visit. The sights, sounds. and smells of East Africa are deeply embeded in my mind and memories. Maybe this new hip will encourage me to really pursue that travel goal. Last weekend , my family and I flew from Louisville KY to Providence RI. I was in agony most of the way...walking and sitting and then humilating in a wheelchair. Reading post opens the door to a bigger world the one we have been experiencing pre-opt. I CAN'T WAIT TIL THE OTHER SIDE!! I keep reading recovery posts...makes me feel like I'm studying up for the the big exam. <O:p
<O:p
Here's to recovery and doing things we only DREAM about from the pre-opt side! <O:p
"Hippy" Thanksgiving!
Betsy "Tweety"
 
tj, your premise about the pain meds is spot on. You are really good at this! Keep it up!
 
sas

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Good for you getting out of the house and walking. I can’t imagine better ingredients than Vermont countryside, autumn and recovery from THR to feel alive again. You had a rough patch there, but you overcame it and now nothing will stop you, not even the 50 feet of snow arriving shortly. Good to have friends that care.

I’m a little perplexed over the current pain medication management approach or the lack there of. As Josephine has stated numerous times, addiction has never been a real issue in THR, so why even bother going down that road and acting as if painkillers ought to be the determining factor in the recovery plan. It’s hard to wrap my brain around that logic.

We should not be forced to hoard pain pills for PT or any other reason; our physicians should take all our needs into account and prescribe enough analgesics so one should not need to worry a second. Good for you preparing yourself for the physical therapy. It’s going to facilitate your recovery, even though it’s initially tough and causes pain. But you’re a tough lady – you can take anything they’ll throw at you. I was about to emphasize that you need to keep on taking your painkillers, but you proved that to yourself with the PT experience. Good for you.

As to this recovery diary … I think you’re right. I recall how much the photo of shugaplum meant to me, and all those stories, positive and negative – especially the positive. It’s of utmost importance that we do not postpone the commencement of our pain free life for a second and posses a positive outlook as we enter the miracle making hospital. If my experience helps a single person to put her/his mind at ease, gives reassurance, or assist in the decision-making, I’m pleased. That is exactly what the BoneSmart is all about: good people helping out good people. The Team is us, everyone sharing their stories, worries, advice, and support.

Sas, I’m sorry; I’m trying real hard not to reveal any more information about myself than necessary, this is the Internet after all. I can’t even divulge the names of my dogs. I did mention earlier that I’m running my own business and described my daily task as “surfing the net.” I’m planning to get back in the saddle starting next week, initially for a few hours. I can hardly wait, because I prepared the company and myself for no less than a three-month vacation. Happy me.


Tweety

You’re one of the lucky ones (as I call us) having experienced the real Africa. I had a friend at the age of 11 who returned from Africa to start the middle school. Her parents were teachers as well, but in Belgian Congo (Zaire) where she had lived all her life. I could listen to her stories for hours, and she made the Congo Belge sound the best place on earth. I’ve never been to Uganda. I have traveled the continent from south to north, but know the north and west best. Watching Out of Africa, The Gorillas in the Mist, and other great movies alleviate the worst yearning for Africa, but I hear you, we need to get back to the sounds, scents and sights.

This site of ours assists and supports us in so many ways, one being the opportunity to have a dialogue with others. It could be our hip that hurts, but our minds require support too. Reading about the experiences of others and voicing our own concerns and opinions are all part of the process. I, personally, enjoy reading everybody’s posts.

Yes, Betsy, you will be one of us very soon. The waiting is the worst part of this affair. Once you enter the admission at the hospital the voyage is on and you don’t have to do anything except enjoy the ride. We all are eagerly waiting for you to join the People of the Other Side and hear your experiences.

Hippy Thanksgiving to you too, Tweety.


Josephine,

Thanks, that means a lot coming from you. I’m so delighted that I “figured it out,” but I must confess, it was the people that became before me that paved the way. I’m not certain if it was Tbone, MudPro or one of the others that discovered the only way for him to get back to life was to get up, exercise and push himself to the limits. It made so much sense to me, that adding all the knowledge found in BoneSmart (mostly provided by you), I began thinking, followed by experimenting. It works – at least with me it does.

I’m rather hesitant to provide detailed doses, medications, and schedule, because I don’t want anyone to get a wrong impression and start imitating my exact procedures without consulting a doctor for his/her individual needs. Suffice it to say that I’ve now decreased both the dose of Oxycontin and Percoset (following the exact instructions of my body), and have been able to add plenty of exercise (PT and walking) AFTER I first increased the doses to meet the requirements of my body – control the pain -- generated by the extra exercise that was needed to get the ball rolling.

It’s a balancing act.
 
DAY 17 – Hippy Thanksgiving!

I’ve trimmed my painkillers down to 2x 10mg Oxycontin and 3 Percocets level from the 2x 20mg Oxycontin and 7 Percocets zenith. I’m walking 45 to 60 minutes daily, on top of my PT and yoga exercises that take an additional 1.5 hours of my day.

I’m getting decent 10 hours of sleep (normal being 6). The maximum of pain I feel is still at 1. I sense less tightness in the thigh and around the wound, but there is still numbness in the vicinity of the wound. The vitals are normal. I think I’m doing okay with this TeeJay approach (knocking on timber).

I was able to put my sneakers on today all by myself. I’m still a one-sock man without my wife, though.

We just returned from a thirty-minute walk, and I feel I’d have walked more but the weather is really trying its best to discourage recent hippies from outdoor activities. It’s time to dig up the arctic overalls from the storage. I feel the workout in the knee; other than that the body does not complain. The brisk walk did not fatigue me at all. Also, the lightheadedness is almost gone. I was able to walk without any help, but after a while my hand found my wife’s hand and did not want to let go. Walking felt more normal than yesterday, no limp, both feet pointing forward. Life is good.

I’m seriously worried that I’ll do something stupid and my bio-hip implodes, because I tend to forget my new life is only 17 days old. I’m thinking posting signs all over the house that read: “Warning” or “New hip, tread carefully.” I can’t wait to reach the six weeks and hope the bone by that time has grown around the device so my senior moments don’t endanger my future. Three+ weeks to go.
 
DAY 18

This recovery is turning into a boring routine. I take my meds, I do my exercises and wait ... wait for what? I’m happy that my mending advances better than expected, but I’m sick and tired already. I can’t read more books, watch more TV, or just rest - enough of this. I’m definitely going to start working arrive Monday.

We did the INR routine and picked more meds from the pharmacy. When the pharmacist starts calling you by your first name and gets your meds when she sees you entering the store, you can be assured you’ve been sick long enough. Thankfully the Coumadin dose decreases. I hate that medicine. My doc told me that I probably would not even need to take it due to being so ambulatory, but keeps me on just in case. Sucks!

Despite the rather unpleasant atmospheric conditions, my wife and I went for a walk. The neighborhood starts to feel a tad small, so we decided that starting tomorrow TeeJay returns to regular schedule taking the dogs out to the woods. We probably have to start with driving the 10-minute walk to the forest, just in case I need the drive back or something untoward happens. The dogs will not believe their luck; they could sit in the car for months. The downside of I joining the pack is a shorter walk – poor dogs. And, we’ve to avoid certain paths full of tree roots, fallen trees and all kinds of hazards for a Person of Other Side. I’ve walked today close to an hour, and the only negative consequence is slight knee pain. The PT appears to help ease that somewhat.

I perform my Physical Therapy exercises by applying the principles of yoga, mainly the breathing – movement – relaxation aspects of the ancient art. When a movement is done with a coordinated breathing, there is more relaxation, stretching, concentration and safety in the exercise.

I was taught a special way to coordinate breath with a movement. By imposing a restriction (kind of a valve) on the throat that produces a sound, I was able to feel the smoothness and uniformity of the breathing. This is my way to control the breath and measure the quality in my exercise. More important, the breath is the first line of defense against overexertion. Way before I’m approaching the point of overdoing it, the breath is gently ringing the bell. In fact, by following the breath during the inhalation and exhalation, I’m very aware what is going on in my body and mind throughout the practice sessions.

When I started practicing yoga, the sound of my breath was quite rough and loud, but eventually I learned to execute the movements in a manner that allowed the sound of my breath improve to an even hiss and finally it refined to a delicate feeling in the throat as the air flows in and out of the lungs. The first signal that I’m beginning to exceed my limits is the change in the smoothness of the sound, followed by shortening of the breath, and finally, if nothing else gets my attention, literally being unable to inhale. It’s time to take a break well before the breath shortens. Yes, I count the length of my breath … one, two, three, etc. Eventually a disciple is able to merely concentrate on the feeling of the breath flowing in and out. (A teacher can gauge the quality of student’s exercise quite precisely by listening the sound of breathing.)

By following the flow of breath (and coordinating the breath and movement) I in practice am intensely focusing my mind, and that is an initial step of meditation. This “meditation” is very relaxing, and it facilitates a better slow stretching.

The breathing is conscious and done through the nostrils. The restriction (or valve) facilitates a longer breath than an automatic breathing. The exhalation is naturally longer than the inhalation; the longer the exhalation, the more relaxing the exercise. Each exercise has it’s own length, and the length of the exercise (length of movement) is always determined by the length of the smooth breath. If I’m able to inhale 3 seconds, the movement is completed under three seconds.

The various schools of yoga employ their own techniques and that can be rather frustrating for anyone wanting to start yoga. For our purposes, you can start the inhalation from the abdomen or chest. The exhalation is the reverse. (I learned to start inhalation from the belly, followed by the expansion of the chest.) I follow the basic principle of inhaling when executing a movement that encourages the expansion of the lungs and exhaling when the movement encourages the deflation of the lungs. For example, I inhale when raising my hands or return from a forward bend. I exhale when I lower the arms or bend forward. For example:

1. The Ankle Pumps: Exhale through your nostrils (creating the sound in your throat) and slowly point the toes up – pause – with an inhalation push the toes toward the surface – pause. Repeat

2. Quad Sets: Exhale and slowly tighten thigh muscles of legs, pushing knee down into the surface – hold for ten count, inhale and exhale – with an inhalation relax the muscles and allow the knee to move up – pause. Repeat.

3. Heel Slides: Bend knee and with exhalation pull heel toward buttocks – pause – with inhalation return heel – pause. Repeat.

4. Abduction and Adduction: With inhalation slide leg out to the side – pause – with exhalation return leg back – pause. Repeat.

5. Standing Squat: Holding onto chair, exhale and bend knees – pause – inhale and straighten legs – pause. Repeat.

The 10-exercise routine takes about 30 minutes for me to complete. Your speed could be much faster. Follow the length of your breath and take a break between exercises or between repetitions when needed. Do not force either your breath or the movement.
 
DAY 19 – 91 YAD

Knee pain, a terrible excruciating knee pain woke me up at 5 am. I’m starting to be seriously concerned about my knee pain. That was my chief complaint going to the primary care doctor two years ago. Now, after undergoing this THR, the knee pain is still there. Maybe I’m too impatient; perchance I’m exceeding the limits of my body’s workout endurance, or some dark force has other plans for TeeJay.

In brief: Some three years ago I developed severe pain in my right knee. It felt more like a nerve pain than an ache. It zapped like an electric shock suddenly, especially when any torque was applied to the knee. Later I began feeling pain from knee down to ankle, and that was the dull aching type of pain.

Six months later I went to see a doctor, but he totally ignored my complaint and point blank refused to take an x-ray. His attitude was unbelievably obnoxious. He asked me in a snide tone,” What, exactly, would your like me to take the X-ray of.” It was quite obvious to me that this piece of medical waste has made his mind that I was polluting his office for narcotics. That was pretty demeaning. This medical doctor was very pleased with himself when instructing me to ‘buy better shoes.’ It was the first and last time I saw him, but I have been a patient of that clinic for years.

My experiences with that particular clinic have been rather unpleasant, so, against my wife’s wishes, I decided not to seek further help. … Fast forward two years. …

I began limping. Initially I did not recognize it, but my wife noticed it immediately. Finally the pain and limping developed into one painful experience, and I could not walk 10 minutes without stopping and resting. When we reached the point that my darling wife was extremely worried that I’d bone cancer, I agreed to set an appointment with another physician at a different clinic.

I’m quite certain that the new doctor had read my file, and had made the decision to go through the motions. My chief complaint was the knee pain. I described the best I could the pain in the leg and ankle, and was very clear that I do not feel pain in any other part of my body. He ordered an x-ray that turned out to be clean. No bone cancer. No nothing. After some convincing from my wife’s part, he prescribed mild painkillers for me barely hiding his despise. It felt heavenly to be pain free for a few moments after three years almost continuous agony.

The next step was the MRI. Also that was clean. Now the doc was a huge question mark, and he hesitated when I requested stronger pain medication. He referred me to a surgeon. It took the surgeon less than a minute to diagnose me: You need a new hip. I was both very surprised because the felt pain was in the knee (I had never felt anything, not even the slightest discomfort in the hip or back pain or anything) and relieved, at least I was not crazy imagining all these weird pains for obtaining opioids.

My primary doctor displayed a remarkable human trait of being so exceptionally embarrassed that I almost hugged him. I was stopped by the recollection of being treated like a drug addict on quest for narcotics. He literally hit his forehead and mumbled something along the lines, “How did I miss referred pain, I’m so sorry.” Without asking, he prescribed plentiful of all kinds of pain meds and shook our hands several times. A doctor with a conscious ... stop the presses!!!

I’ve felt the pain in the knee since the surgery. It has definitely been much better than prior to the operation, no doubt about it, but it’s still there. I’m not sure how much the walking aggravates the pain, but it has a negative effect I’ve kind of ignored. Maybe the referred knee pain disappears as the time goes by, but now, at this moment, I’m beginning to worry. The brain says give the body a chance to recover fully, but I’m not thinking with my brain.

I did not get my beauty sleep and am a bit cantankerous. The dogs are avoiding me, and my wife is trying to convince me that the day is going to be warm and full of pleasant experiences. For their sake, I have to try my best to be a kind human being despite the anxiety.

I’m going for my walk in the woods with the rest of the pack. The temperature is reaching a whopping 34 degrees and the forecast is a sunny 45-degree Saturday. One more thing, my clinic called late last night and informed I’ll be off of Coumadin on Monday. Yeehaaaa!

Enjoy your Saturday.
 
Wow Teejay that is great you are sleeping so well , whats the secret..............pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee lol I cant magane more then 3 right now........
 
Glad you'll be off coumadin. I did not have that experience. I had the 5 days after i got home of lovenox injections. I'm glad.
So sorry about the knee pain. i do have a problem knee from an old injury. I was playing pine cone soccer with my dog, about 1980ish and ended up falling right on a rock. I still had many miles to hike down, well hopping down. I never took care of it properly although i did seek and get medical treatment at the time.

I hope your knee pain clears up if it is supposed to all be referred pain. lets hope that is all it is.
judy
 
Texas

Three hours of sleep does not sound good, Kim. Is it the knee that’s bothering you so much, or are you generally unable to sleep or don’t need more sleep? I’d go nuts without a six-hour sleep. I don’t require more than thee six hours, but I need to have that. I know I’m still far away from being okay when I sleep this much. One day . . .

You had your revision done a few days prior to my THR. How are you faring? I don’t know a great deal about knees, but I’ve got the idea that it’s usually much more painful and longer recovery than with a hip. Hopefully yours is mending well.

You take care, Kim, and try to get some sleep. If all else fails, a hammer might …

Judy

Yes, that Coumadin issue was good news. That is one scary medication. Still can’t use forks in fear of punching a hole in my mouth and bleeding to death.

I think the morning’s knee pain was due to exceeding the workout limit or sleeping in a harmful pose, because we did a 40-minute tour in the forest with my wife, and that did not aggravate the knee at all. Actually, the pain lessened remarkably. It does bother me, though, that I had this referred pain in the knee, and that it still keeps on reminding me occasionally. The pain, or discomfort rather, has been a minuscule compared to the excruciating pain prior to the surgery.

It felt so good to hike in the woods again after three weeks. I love the feeling of earth under my sneakers, and the scents, sound and sights. This was the first time on a real uneven ground and my knee did not scream at every step. Prior to the surgery I had hard time walking, because any little twist in the knee send a lightning worth of pain through my body, so every tree root, tree branch, stone, or acorn was a hazard. I’m glad that’s over. I’m able to walk again; I’m free at last.
 
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