THR Trailrunner's recovery

[trailrunner]

I had my surgery yesterday. Short version: Everything went well.

Longer version:

I had a lot of anxiety about this surgery. A lot. In addition to the usual anxiety that we have before surgery, I had a few personal factors that added to my anxiety. Truthfully, I was an emotional wreck the morning of the surgery. But my wife was supportive, and the staff at the surgery clinic was fantastic and compassionate. One slightly funny thing - the surgeon came by to visit me before the surgery. He asked how I was doing. I said "I'm ok, but I'm really nervous about this." He said "Well, the good news is that I'm not nervous at all." Sounds kind of cheesy, but at the moment it lifted my spirits.

I was particularly concerned about the spinal, but that was pain free. The anesthesiologist explained that the needle was very small. He sensed my nervousness, and I remember him telling the nurse to go ahead and give me the cocktail about the time he was giving me the spinal. After that, I have a few vague, foggy memories of trying real hard to move my legs, getting slid and shoved on to the operating table, and then getting strapped down. I also remember raising my head and looking around, but had enough awareness to realize that at that point, the less I saw the better.

I started to wake up when they moved me to the recovery room. My wife joined me. I vaguely remember that as I was waking up, I was asking lots of questions. Today (the day after) my wife reminded me of some witty things I said that I didn't really remember. Fortunately I didn't say anything too embarrassing. I was in a lot of pain when I woke up. My BP was low so they didn't want to give me anything in my IV until it got better. As the spinal wore off, the pain moved around - first my groin (felt like somebody kicked me hard in my private parts), then my thigh, then my butt. It was probably just the spinal retreating from each region. The worst pain level was about a 7. After a while, my BP got better and the nurse gave me some fentanyl in my IV. Again, the nursing staff continued their excellent service. I can't say enough good things about them. I also vaguely remember the surgeon visiting me and telling me that everything went fine.

They eventually got me up to walk and do the graduation ceremony on the steps. As I was stepping down, I got dizzy, and the nurses immediately helped me into a wheelchair and had me sit for a while. I was very thirsty, so they brought me a cold Ginger Ale, and it was undoubtedly the best drink I have ever tasted in my life. Eventually I felt better, got up, passed the potty test, and was declared good to be released.

I got home about 330pm. My pain level was low and stayed low for the rest of the night. I was lucid, and I actually felt like I had a lot of energy. My poor wife crashed about 9pm. She has been a saint and got some well-earned rest. I normally sleep on my back, so my first night of sleep wasn't too bad. I woke up about 3am and could not go back to sleep for a few hours. I tried to go to the bathroom by myself but had another dizzy spell and decided to wake my wife just to be safe. After I finally fell back asleep, I woke up at 8am. My wife likes to sleep late, so I just stayed in bed beside her until she woke up about 930am.

So now I'm at D+1, and now I know what log leg is. Otherwise I'm doing OK. I'm still getting a little dizzy. The doctor called today to check on me, and said that dizziness is not unusual. Pain continues to be low (maybe level 2). I took an oxy today but I don't think I really needed it so I may go off it tomorrow unless I really need it. I am borrowing an ice machine, but it wasn't working last night, so now I'm using bags of frozen peas and vegetables. My wife is ensuring that I walk every hour, which feels good because it loosens my hip each time. It's a nice day here, and she made a point of opening the front door for me so I could stand and look outside and get some fresh air. I feel like I could manage to go outside and do a lap around my court, but I don't want to be an early entrant to the ODIC so I'm just going to stay in the house for now. My biggest current challenge right now is getting up and down, and getting in and out of our small bathroom with my walker. None of these are big deals and I'm learning to adapt. I had anticipated that I'd be sleeping a lot, but I feel energetic. I think for me this has been a bit of a very emotional ordeal over the past year, and now that the surgery is behind me my energy-draining anxiety has stopped. I know there will be some ups and downs in the coming weeks and months, but for now, that's where I'm at and this is the moment I am living in.

 

[Eman85]

Leave the frozen peas for supper and either get the ice machine working or buy multiple ice packs. Don't start the I don't need pain meds thoughts just yet, give it a little time. Concentrate on rest and nutrition.

 

[benne68]

Welcome to the healing side, @trailrunner! From here on out, it's all about recovery, knowing the pain you are dealing with is temporary.

I will share our Recovery Guidelines with you. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Just keep in mind we are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

HIP RECOVERY GUIDELINES

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary.

If you want to use something to assist with healing and scar management, BoneSmart recommends hypochlorous solution. Members in the US can purchase ACTIVE Antimicrobial Hydrogel through BoneSmart at a discount. Similar products should be available in the UK and other countries.

2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
Activity progression for THRs

The recovery articles
Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

Good nutrition is very important during recovery:
Dietary Tips for Recovery
Nutrition Basics

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

Please note: While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[mendogal]

100% agree with @Eman85 on both the cold packs and the pain meds. The post op swelling hasn't reach maximum yet!
Why not take the pain meds as written for at least the first 48 hours, THEN decide if you want to taper.

 

[cold_brew]

You don’t get money back for turning in unused pain meds! Give it a few days for the meds and adrenaline to level off before getting ambitious. And sleep!

 

[trailrunner]

@Eman85 @mendogal @cold_brew

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated. To clarify a few things - I will definitely take pain medicine if I need it. I'm no hero, and I know it's important to stay ahead of the pain. I also have tramadol, so once I get off oxy I will have tramadol, plus celebrex and acetaminophen.

For ice, in addition to frozen peas, I also have two ice packs specifically made for hips. I bought two so I could keep one in the freezer while I was using the other ones. I used these for about four hours today, and they seem to work well. Tomorrow I'm going to fiddle with the pump and see if I can get that working. I'm pretty handy, but I'm a bit limited in my current condition.

 

[mendogal]

Sounds reasonable!!!

 

[myglasshalffull]

Welcome & you sound like everything is under control. As long as you have Ice & meds and an amazing wife you are all set!

 

[trailrunner]

I am at D+3 now.

Yesterday (D+2) I was pretty stiff and sore. Getting up and down from a chair to standing for my hourly walks involved some grunting and whining. I did my exercises, but they hurt pretty bad. It was mostly a good kind of pain, as if I was stretching things out and re-activating my hip, but by the end of the day I felt like I had run 6 marathons on my left side. I did not take an oxy yesterday, but continued to take tramadol, celebrex, and acetaminophen (as well as baby aspirin). It was also my birthday yesterday, and there's nothing like hobbling around in a walker to remind me that I'm not young any more.

I slept ok last night, but not great. I think the drugs are messing me up, and lying in one position all night hurts my back. I'd sleep for a few hours, wake up for a bit, then fall back asleep again. I never got continuous sleep for more than an hour or two.

When I woke up this morning, I didn't feel great. Nothing major - just a little stuffy. After the surgery, I had forgotten to resume my allergy medicine, and the pollen around here is pretty high. I need to resume that medicine tonight.

But soon I started feeling better. A friend of mine visited. I have run with him for a long time, but after I developed my hip problem, we have been walking on Friday mornings. He brought me a donut from the bakery we go to after our walks, which was a nice touch.

The rest of the day, my hip has been feeling much better. I'm able to get up from a chair or bed to my walker without too much trouble. I did my exercises today with not much pain. I'm still using the walker around the house and am not ready to transition to a cane yet. I know I have a long way to go, and I'm very aware that I can't get carried away and overdo it. I also stopped taking tramadol today, so now I'm off the opioids.

 

[Eman85]

Just a heads up on exercises early on. You sound athletic, if you dislocated your shoulder would you be exercising it a couple of days after dislocation? Same deal as your hip was dislocated and the muscles took a beating.

 

[trailrunner]

I'm at D+5 now. Last two days weren't great. I felt a little stuffy, achy, and had a headache. I haven't been sleeping well, so that might have caused me to feel less than great. Pollen in my area is high right now, or it could have been all the excitement from the surgery and the drugs echoing around my body.

My daughter visited yesterday and brought her infant and toddler. It was great to see them, but it wore me out. By the time I went to bed last night, I wasn't feeling too great. I've been doing my exercises, but not as many times as they recommend. My intuition is that moderation is the right thing for me right now.

I got a fair night of sleep last night. Not great, but not terrible. This morning the slightly cruddy feeling was gone, but my hip was pretty sore. Two steps forward, one step back I guess. This morning was the first morning I could get up on my own without waking my wife, so I went into our living room and let her sleep a while longer.

Once she woke up, I got a cup of coffee, took my pills, and got on the ice machine for about 90 minutes. That made me feel better, so I went for a short walk outside with my wife by my side. First walk outside! I walked 0.12 miles around our court, but it was wonderful. I used my walker but tried to take somewhat full strides. It's a nice spring day here, and just being outside lifted my spirits.

My wound has been looking great. No discharge, no bleeding - just tape and a bandage. My leg is a little swollen, but the bruising isn't too bad - just a yellow bruise from the incision into my groin. I know that bruising can still develop, but that's where I'm at now. I am only taking acetaminophen, celebrex, and baby aspirin.

Tomorrow is Monday, and my wife is going to resume her active life. I'll be on my own more and more but I don't think that will be a problem. I know I have some ups and downs ahead of me, but I'm tentatively cautiously optimistic that the worst is behind me.

 

[myglasshalffull]

I was on my own within first few days of being home. My partner cares for his Mom 2 days a week & his grandson one day.
I was totally fine.
I was able to get up out of bed & walk around the house, I was able to even cook. Not a 5 star meal, but pot of chicken soup using rotisserie chicken from grocery store.
Rest of time I was on my computer or watching Netflix or some other streaming service and napping.
Just take it one day at a time, you will get there & be sure to keep cell phone with you at all times "just in case." I don't even go out & empty trash or fill bird feeders w/o my cell phone in my pocket.

 

[Bassetmom]

I’m only a few days ahead of you (I’m on day 12 of recovery) and was feeling pretty good, but definitely felt a sizeable set back today once I was no longer taking my prescribed Celebrex, the anti-inflammatory benefit I was getting from it was under appreciate. I’ve started taking some Advil in addition to post op Tylenol and it’s helping a bit. Don’t know if you will experience the same once you stop the Celebrex but wanted to point that out. Hopefully your recovery will be smooth!

 

[trailrunner]

D+7 update:

One of the consistent messages I have heard is that there will be ups and downs. Even when my doctor called me the day after surgery, he also warned me about this. I'm finding out that this has certainly been true.

When I posted my last (D+5) update, I was pretty upbeat and feeling pretty well. I posted that just after noon, but by the evening that day, I was feeling lousy. Tired, in pain, and just not feeling that great. I felt so bad on D+5 that I took a tramadol that day before going to bed. That was a little discouraging.

This has become a pattern for me - feel good during the day, but crash in the evening. When I think I've turned the corner, I have a small setback. Overall, however, I am making progress, so the proper way of looking at this is - two steps forward, one step back.

Perhaps my biggest problem is that I can't sleep through the night. I normally sleep on my back, so I'm in my normal position. No matter how I arrange the pillows or everything else, I get uncomfortable and my sleep gets broken.

I have been taking short walks outside. It is nice to get out there. I'm using my walker, and I can feel like I will be soon taking some more normal steps with less reliance on an aid. Keeping in mind what I wrote above, I won't rush it: it will come eventually. I have been doing my exercises when they are not too painful. My hip flexor is nonexistent, but so far my exercises haven't targeted that yet. Maybe that will come later in my recovery.

The first ice machine I tried to use didn't work, so I rushed and bought another one. Sitting for an hour with the pad on my hip twice a day seems to be a big help. Other than my tramadol a few nights ago, I'm only taking acetaminophen, celebrex, and baby aspirin. My bandage is still intact and my wound is looking good with zero drainage. I'm supposed to remove the bandage at the end of this week, and I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to that or not. I have a nasty yellow bruise from the incision down to my crotch, but otherwise not much bruising.

I'm pleased with where I'm at now. For sure, this hasn't been easy, but each day will get better.

 

[JoeyRamone]

The nights are rough for me too. Day 5 here and once I get past the nausea in the morning, things go ok through the evening. Then I’m just uncomfortable, STARVING, and get frustrated every time I knock stuff off the table the the floor and can’t easily get it. I am definitely not cooking or walking outside at all but the hip flexor and i are working on an agreement about walking around the house without as much complaint. The ice has been a huge help for me, too. The pain has not been worse than after a very hard race but the nausea just destroys me. No tramadol since Sunday (d3) but still on the same meds you mentioned too. Bandage off Friday? That will feel like a milestone, right??

 

[trailrunner]

The nights are rough for me too. Day 5 here and once I get past the nausea in the morning, things go ok through the evening. Then I’m just uncomfortable, STARVING, and get frustrated every time I knock stuff off the table the the floor and can’t easily get it. I am definitely not cooking or walking outside at all but the hip flexor and i are working on an agreement about walking around the house without as much complaint. The ice has been a huge help for me, too. The pain has not been worse than after a very hard race but the nausea just destroys me. No tramadol since Sunday (d3) but still on the same meds you mentioned too. Bandage off Friday? That will feel like a milestone, right??

Yeah, I'm uncomfortable too, but I haven't been too hungry. Probably because I'm just sitting around.

I stopped tramadol on D+3 but took another dose on D+5.

It will feel a little odd not to have that bandage on, for sure. They shaved that area, but the bandage extends up to my belly where I have some hair. That's not going to feel good to remove that, but compared to what I've been through that's the least of my worries.

Good luck to you in your recover.

 

[Eman85]

Use the ice machine more, it will help with bruising. Wear it out if you're lucky you'll never get to use it again.

 

[myglasshalffull]

It seemed like I dropped everything on the floor after my surgery, it became a joke after awhile.
I used good old fashioned kitchen tongs to aid in picking stuff up.

 

[raylo]

Yes, this is crazy... I am dropping stuff all the time. I am not sure if that is a new behavior or just that I notice it more now. Luckily I could bend down and pick it up on the non-op side from day one. Difficult, but doable. Now I am getting to where I can even pick stuff up on the op side. But damn, do I really need to be dropping so much stuff? ;-). I need to be more mindful and deliberate, I guess.

It seemed like I dropped everything on the floor after my surgery, it became a joke after awhile.
I used good old fashioned kitchen tongs to aid in picking stuff up.

 

[Layla]

It seemed like I dropped everything on the floor after my surgery, it became a joke after awhile.

Yep...I agree and could only laugh at how pathetic I felt trying to hook the grabber I dropped...with the cane.