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THR Terrycloth's Path To New Freedom

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Miss Muffet said:
that's not good that there was a break in pain relief. I thought that was what the staff were supposed to manage? Any suggestions on how we can circumnavigate that
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It's all a bit of a lottery. Some areas are very good at offering regular meds - others not. You really have to be your own advocate in hospital. If you know you are due meds, get that call bell ringing. Or if your meds are not working for you talk to staff about changes. Your focus while you are in hospital is to get your own pain management cocktail just right so that you can go home and be comfortable.
 
@Jaycey - thanks very much for the heads up. I will make sure my voice is heard. I guess when you're hospitalised there is a tendency to take for granted that your care is totally in their hands.
Should I assume that the epidural will start to wear off after a couple of hours, in which case I should anticipate drugs to cover the gap?
 
Miss Muffet said:
Should I assume that the epidural will start to wear off after a couple of hours, in which case I should anticipate drugs to cover the gap?
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The spinal can take several hours to wear off. But you will be given pain meds in addition to the spinal. Some surgeons are now putting meds into the surgical area as well.
 
@Miss Muffet...unfortunately, my surgeon prefers general with an epidural (or spinal...I can't remember which one).

@TerryCloth...it's always so nice to read your upbeat posts! If I'm alert enough, I'm going to immediately be on those nurses to start up my pain med cocktail! Definitely going to be in my self advocate mode.

EDITED:
@Jaycey...I wrote the above before I saw your post. My surgeon's nurse did say he puts something inside the hip, but I'm not sure exactly what. Since it goes in the hip, I guess it's not an epidural or spinal...DUH!
 
@Cynthia777 - I'll be interested to hear how it all goes - these geezers are the specialists so put yourself in their hands, but as @Jaycey advises and we've all now taken on-board, we'll all be on their tails! And mine also talked about putting something in the hip before they close up, which must be to do with pain control. We're all getting very wised up on this now by degrees. How are you doing today?
 
I do think part of the problem was me as I was casual in my noticing the tingling around the incision area as the spinal was JUST starting to wear off. If I would have known it was going to happen quickly, I think I would've had more urgency! Also, I think I was given a slow release OxyContin in my IV but it wasn't until I really started to feel pain in the hip that I said I need breakthrough meds. It might be a good idea to discuss post op meds w surgeon and in my case, the internist who was overseeing my care & meds while in hospital. I think you could discuss this when they visit you in PreOp!
QUESTION! Has anyone used a pill reminder app that they really like? I'm using one called 'Pill Reminder' - I can't say I love it but it could be in not setting it 100% correctly


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@TerryCloth I never found anything that I could rely on. Went low tech and used an ExCel spreadsheet to log when I should take meds and check off when I did.

Post op your brain is in a bit of a fog. With all the blood thinners and various pain meds I could not keep track. Anything to help you organise is great.
 
SORRY GUYS!! As I hadn't been posting updates my thread became out of sight/out of mind!!
I am doing GREAT!! Today is DAY 20.
I am using the cane exclusively and sometimes I am beginning to leave it behind when I am moving between shorter distances.
PT is going well- recumbent bike as warm up + about 6 movement/exercises (none are painful) except for the bike, I do all of these at home as well.
As of Sun (DAY 17) I have been only using ADVIL/TYLENOL and I couldn't be happier as I felt the toxic side affects were out weighing the the pain management (for me).
I was not medicating prior to surgery BTW.
I have found that it does take me a bit of the morning to get my MOJO going and so mid morning/afternoons seem to be my most productive- in terms of energy & movement.
I do have tightness in my hip flexor witch is most bothersome when getting in/out of bed- I notice this improving slowly but surely.
I do a lot of walking around the house + my exercises throughout the day AND I lay down and rest a lot. I hope to start doing some pleasure walking outside later this week.
The last couple of days I have been drinking tons of water & detoxifying to begin the process of ridding my body of the narcotics.
Believe it or not, last Friday (DAY 15) I had OT then had to rally, with hair/makeup/real clothes and go to a business meeting with my husband -- Which
was a lot (!) - also went out to dinner afterwards- which afterwards felt too much.
Gradually, I have done some grocery shopping/errand running with hubby, also I find myself enjoying preparing my breakfast/lunch when by myself & quite a bit of our dinners. BASICALLY, I am integrating more & more into something that feels closer to 'normal' everyday!
I do try to be very respectful of progress (my husband- my cheerleader is sometimes want to push the activities a bit much) ..
Today we had another meeting (a WALK -THROUGH) .. Then home for a rest then PT, then grocery shopping at Whole Foods & then the wine (!) store- then home to make lunch... Now laying low w rest. Husband suggested we go out to dinner & I said nope--TOO MUCH.
Part of me also feels it may take a day or 2 or more to have the narcotics out of my system & feel clearer headed. With that in mind, I am also reminded of the info /graphics about the energy drain that is part of the healing process- we must respect this and not
overdo!!
That is pretty much it in a nutshell, oh I did have a DAY 12 follow up w OS who is please w progress have another follow up in about 3 weeks.
So my fellow Bonesmarties, be patient, stay positive and let the healing happen!




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@TerryCloth
You go girl! You're going full steam ahead! Isn't it wonderful to be fortunate enough to live during a time when this surgery is possible? I thank my God and my lucky stars each and every day! Just think, it wasn't long ago when you and I (well, at least I was) were hiding all the anxiety we were feeling during the pre-op wait and putting a happy smile on our faces. Now look at us...we're ready to dawn our ice skates and take em out for a spin! :heehee: Great update!
 
@TerryCloth so glad to see you're summary above! i too have been very remiss with checking back in for the last few weeks. Your surgery was about 2 weeks or so after mine so I can certainly relate to where you are at!
I became a bit too busy at about your stage.....and reengaged a bit too much and became emotionally exhausted
As I began to feel better physically I jumped back into some of my business work from home. i think the stress of being out of commission the weeks just before surgery and the few weeks immediately after just created a emotional hurricane! While my THR recovery was going better than I could of ever imagined, my level of energy and mental stamina has been lacking! I think the prolonged month of interrupted sleep may have taken a toll, and I guess maybe the stress, and medicate spare and post surgery? Sounds like you are doing a better job that me of setting boundaries of " enough for today!"
So glad to hear your doing so well....my pt is about the same as you too....however tomorrow they have me doing some work in a therapy pool so I can learn some exercises I can do in our jacuzzi at home or gear up to swim in a few weeks I hope! I think this weekend I'll look for my old pedometer and see if I can start seeing if I can chart see progress on the walking!
I think you will find a huge improvement as you get just past the one month mark......I have, but need some reminders to slow down and be careful and heal strong and carefully.......
 
Great update @TerryCloth so glad things are going well for you and you have been busy. Im about 2 weeks in front of you surgery wise and find I have energy to burn in the mornings but it fades in the afternoon. Than when I'm ready for bed I'm wide awake staring at the ceiling. So frustrating.
 
@TerryCloth your strategy through this recovery is just perfect. Pace yourself and allow time for rest. At only 20 days out you are doing amazingly well. Long may it continue!
 
Sounds like you are doing great and really pacing yourself. Hope this week ahead is as good!


RTHR 1/15/2016. Posterior approach. Due to AVN. LTHR in my future.
 
@TerryCloth - Wonderful update! You are doing so great and listening to your body carefully. Nice to hear the OS is pleased with your progress, too, isn't it? Keep up the great work! :yay:
 
@Cynthia777 HELLLOOOOO!!:loveshwr: We seem to be progressing at around the same rate and should be proud of ourselves!
I am doing really good! As seems to be the norm here, at 51/2-6 weeks things are pretty ho hum but stable. It probably isn't fair to use ho hum though considering how much progress I and so many of us feel (know) we have made and how much better off we are since prior to surgery!!
I have continued PT (conservative) twice a week and at home and do a lot of walking around house and close by outside all with a cane but intermittent segments unassisted.. (my app says I'm logging average 4-5 miles but that seems a bit high). Last week I had a day or 2 where I felt really strong when walking w/o cane and may have pushed too much because my thigh muscles have felt rather sore and unassisted walking has been a bit more difficult. As of last Friday, I got the ok from PT to start walking 'step over step' on the stairs as is comfortable- going down has proven to be pretty easy and going up I can do it but I prefer to use cane for a little support as well. Oh, at PT I have done the recumbent bike which does feel a little 'clunky' in the joint and 'bottom of the butt'). I will say, the trajectory of the thigh (hip to knee- operated side) seems to go inward -the knee wants to lean more inward and I really notice it on the bike- I think it has for the last year... I may be trying too hard to keep it straight...
Yesterday I a had follow up with OS. Says things are progressing exactly as they should be. I got the ok to start driving as is comfortable and can ditch the 90 degree precautions. Now the latter sounds amazing but when he showed me how I could bend down (while sitting) to touch ankle/shoes etc UMMM that was UNCOMFORTABLE, as was when he tried to see how flexible i was by TRYING to put my right ankle on my left knee. he said don't worry and gave me a note to bring to PT today for some things to work on. I HAVE AND ALWAYS HAVE HAD TIGHT HIPS
OH, I do have extreme tightness in the IT band and had even well before surgery- it has been suggested by more than one PT to use heating pad and massage/roller stick to work on this but for some reason by the end of the day, I realize another day has passed and I have not attended to it. Now that I can bend down, I'n hoping I can be more attentive to this because it is huge nuisance.
I was scheduled to go back to work next week but extended the 'vacation' until April and I'm glad- I need/want to work on flexibility (obvi) and fluidity of movements, work on less dependence of cane and really important, I want to work on walking on different surfaces (other than my house, neighborhood and Whole Foods). So far I have not been out in public by myself (much or at all- except for sidewalk walking) and I feel like I need to- I blieve confidence in this area of recovery is key.
I think after PT today and going forward, I should start to see a different phase of progress- one that is going to propel me closer to that that "what hip replacement" feeling.
I will keep you and posted on how this next phase goes.:biking::fasthorse: I promise!
 
@TerryCloth
SO good to hear from you! I find it very interesting how each one of us are so different in our flexibility etc. since I'm not able to attend PT until I have my other THR, I'm not sure what problems I may face once I start moving this way and that way. I've been fortunate in that I can easily rest each foot on the opposite knee, put on shoes and I can even sit Indian style (only for a minute or two at a time). I'm still walking about a half mile a day, but this tends to flair up problems in my un-op hip, so I only walk every other day. You're doing fabulous and with the hard work you're doing, you'll be back to new in no time. Great update my friend!!!! Hugs! :friends:
 
TerryCloth said:
So far I have not been out in public by myself (much or at all - except for sidewalk walking) and I feel like I need to- I believe confidence in this area of recovery is key.
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This is so important but many recovering patients forget the impact of suddenly going out into the big wide world. For weeks you have lived a fairly sheltered life. Now you need to feel good while going about daily life. I applaud you for addressing this confidence issue before rushing back to work. It's about confidence in yourself as a new hippie and confidence in that new hip - believing it won't let you down. Well done on taking this time for yourself!
 
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