sunbunny
graduate
Yeah @Granny Di such good news! Diane I know you are do ready to get your next adventure going. I think my left leg is longer now too. Must be a common occurrence. Write all about your outings! Hugs
THR Two Years Post THR and Life is Great!
- Thread starter Granny Di
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Granny Di
senior
@JanetLynn - Hi! I think you are having surgery tomorrow? Best of luck!
No I have not got my energy back but I am getting better every day. I don't feel I am overdoing it -I still have a cleaner coming in to do housework once a week - best no ,the ONLY good part of this whole business! haha. I am going to giver her up soon as we will move to our cottage for the summer. I still enjoy an afternoon nap -why not? - and I can only walk about two kms or 30 minutes before I start to hurt. I made the mistake of shopping after my walk last week and it was way too much. Walking on soft sand is what I need because everything is out of alignment after favouring the right hip for so long. All I can tell you is that I was in pretty good shape before the operation -I hiked 80 kms with a back pack in Patagonia in November - and that is when my hip pain became unbearable. I couldn't do the last 3 hikes and had to use wheelchairs in the airports on my way home.
Time for my nap!
Cheers!
No I have not got my energy back but I am getting better every day. I don't feel I am overdoing it -I still have a cleaner coming in to do housework once a week - best no ,the ONLY good part of this whole business! haha. I am going to giver her up soon as we will move to our cottage for the summer. I still enjoy an afternoon nap -why not? - and I can only walk about two kms or 30 minutes before I start to hurt. I made the mistake of shopping after my walk last week and it was way too much. Walking on soft sand is what I need because everything is out of alignment after favouring the right hip for so long. All I can tell you is that I was in pretty good shape before the operation -I hiked 80 kms with a back pack in Patagonia in November - and that is when my hip pain became unbearable. I couldn't do the last 3 hikes and had to use wheelchairs in the airports on my way home.
Time for my nap!
Cheers!
OP
OP
Granny Di
senior
@sunbunny and @Great Aunt Janet - Thanks for the cheers -I love a cheering squad -makes me feel young again.
I was a cheerleader and we used to cheer at football games outside when it was pretty cold with bare legs. They say the cold doesn't cause arthritis but I sometimes wonder. And we used to walk quite a ways to school wearing nylons in the winter. In those days we weren't allowed to wear slacks or jeans. In fact I was the first teacher in our school board to break the dress only rule and wear a pantsuit to school. So much more sensible. Once I did everyone else did too. See I'm a rebel.
@JanetLynn - A friend suggested that the tylenol might be making me feel tired and sleepy so I am taking one pill three times a day now to see if that makes a difference -instead of two pills 4 times.
I was a cheerleader and we used to cheer at football games outside when it was pretty cold with bare legs. They say the cold doesn't cause arthritis but I sometimes wonder. And we used to walk quite a ways to school wearing nylons in the winter. In those days we weren't allowed to wear slacks or jeans. In fact I was the first teacher in our school board to break the dress only rule and wear a pantsuit to school. So much more sensible. Once I did everyone else did too. See I'm a rebel.
@JanetLynn - A friend suggested that the tylenol might be making me feel tired and sleepy so I am taking one pill three times a day now to see if that makes a difference -instead of two pills 4 times.
OP
OP
Granny Di
senior
@Poppet
I saw my OS today for my 6 week checkup. I had an X-ray and he looked at it and said it looked good and I could do everything but run. I expected a physical exam but did not get one. I thought he would at least watch me walk.
I should have asked this question before my appointment.
Anyway I am going back in 6 weeks to see if both legs are the same length by then as the operated leg feels a little longer than the other one.
Thanks for your time Poppet!
I saw my OS today for my 6 week checkup. I had an X-ray and he looked at it and said it looked good and I could do everything but run. I expected a physical exam but did not get one. I thought he would at least watch me walk.
I should have asked this question before my appointment.
Anyway I am going back in 6 weeks to see if both legs are the same length by then as the operated leg feels a little longer than the other one.
Thanks for your time Poppet!
Great Aunt Janet
senior
I'll be interested in this too @Granny Di - my OS said I could decide when to go back to see him for my post op check as I will need to fly back to the city to do it ('next time you come to town') - which was very accommodating, and he just suggested I see my GP in the meantime. Sort of makes you wonder - just send them an xray and a video clip of walking by email might be as good???
Great Aunt Janet
senior
Well, @Granny Di, pants girl rebel - sounds like what you are doing is working - ONLY 2kms?? That is a fair old way, and I know lots of nonhippies round here who don't do that much walking in a week, so your achievement is pretty big. Shopping is harder than I thought it would be too - maybe it is all the bending over displays and shelves to get things (I never remember my grabber) but I do find it quite tiring, and need the nap too. 
It is alarming though to get asked if I need a hand out to the car with my shopping by the kind girls in our supermarket... makes me feel ancient!
Outside in Canada with bare legs sounds very cold to me, sheesh, can't be good for anyone!
It is alarming though to get asked if I need a hand out to the car with my shopping by the kind girls in our supermarket... makes me feel ancient!
Outside in Canada with bare legs sounds very cold to me, sheesh, can't be good for anyone!
OP
OP
Granny Di
senior
@Great Aunt Janet "an xray and a video clip of walking by email might be as good"
It would sure be a lot cheaper.
It would sure be a lot cheaper.
beachgal
post-grad
That's all my OS did at my 6-wk exam. I think it's more of an opportunity for you to ask questions or voice concerns/problems. At six weeks, my OS said he was really looking to be sure that my prosthesis was positioned as he thought. Mine was perfect! M next appt was at 12 weeks.
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Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
@Granny Di LOL that's about all my OS did at my 6 week post op visit - though he did have me do some range of motion maneuvers to illustrate how much better I was doing after having both hips replaced ..... which of course I already knew 
Then he discharged me from his care .... saying I could come back any time if there was a problem but he did not need to see me again if there were no problems. Oh and for me he sent off a referral to physical therapy and told me to stay with that as long as they'd have me (ie until the PT benefits ran out) - but that was because I'd limped for so long before surgery and been such a couch potato the muscles did need help getting back to normal functioning - sounds like your surgeon thinks you are doing just splendidly 
Then he discharged me from his care .... saying I could come back any time if there was a problem but he did not need to see me again if there were no problems. Oh and for me he sent off a referral to physical therapy and told me to stay with that as long as they'd have me (ie until the PT benefits ran out) - but that was because I'd limped for so long before surgery and been such a couch potato the muscles did need help getting back to normal functioning - sounds like your surgeon thinks you are doing just splendidly 
MissMoo
member
I haven't clapped eyes on my OS since my surgery. Not quite as remote as @Great Aunt Janet but I guess he still believes that trip from Canberra to Sydney is too much of a run for me. I did my 6 week check via a 5 minute phone call and my 12 week check, I sent him x-rays and he called me to tell me everything looked great. I had a few questions about range of motion and residual niggles and that was it.
I guess it really depends on how you're going at 6 weeks, as I said my OS didn't even ask for x-rays.They know their job and probably are listening out for any typical alarm bells; if everything seems to be ticking along then if you're happy, they're happy
I guess it really depends on how you're going at 6 weeks, as I said my OS didn't even ask for x-rays.They know their job and probably are listening out for any typical alarm bells; if everything seems to be ticking along then if you're happy, they're happy
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alexthecat
Former BoneSmart staff member
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At my 6-week check up, they took xrays and that was about it. The OS asked if I had any questions. I didn't, so that was it.
My 12-week check up (which actually happened at 11 weeks) was even less detailed. They didn't take any new xrays. The OS asked if I had questions. I did, but he didn't seem able to answer them. (He's not much of a people person.) It was actually kind of annoying. I felt like it was a waste of time.
My OS never saw me walk until my follow up a year after my surgery. He seemed impressed that I could walk as well and as quickly as I did.
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My 12-week check up (which actually happened at 11 weeks) was even less detailed. They didn't take any new xrays. The OS asked if I had questions. I did, but he didn't seem able to answer them. (He's not much of a people person.) It was actually kind of annoying. I felt like it was a waste of time.
My OS never saw me walk until my follow up a year after my surgery. He seemed impressed that I could walk as well and as quickly as I did.
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zauberflöte
alpha
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I had a 2 week and an eight week visit. Two week was xrays to check position and bone ingrowth, check incision, tell me I could drive when I could handle a panic stop and was off narcotics, relieve me of my stockings hallelujah, and answer questions. The next one I think was to relieve me of a restriction I'd been given, and tell me I could resume activities as I felt able, and see you at seven months! All my appts were with the PA who had assisted at surgery. I love him, so not a problem. I am pretty sure I had xrays only at two weeks and at 12 months.
My phone sent this using BoneSmart Forum, clever phone!
My phone sent this using BoneSmart Forum, clever phone!
beachgal
post-grad
Ok, continuing with my last post....at twelve weeks, I saw my OS, more X-rays, he was so happy with my progress, and asked me to schedule another appointment for a year from that day. So I don't see him again until November, 2015.
Your recovery will not end just because the doctor releases you. It simply means that the guidelines and habits you've formed since your THR will lessen and you'll allow yourself to relax a bit. So here's a thumbnail sketch of how I transitioned.
I drove back to our coastal home after almost 13 weeks of surgery/rehab and went to work the same afternoon. FYI, hubby and I are self-employed and I was able to have surgery during our "off season" with his covering the office.
Eight weeks later, we drove 11 hrs to the mountains for a long weekend. I had zero problems in the car, we stopped every two hours to stretch. I actually drove most of the way up and back. Victory.
At the end of January, we flew to Paris for eight days and walked almost everywhere we went. Used metro and cabs some. Has some swelling in both ankles during flight but I kept moving about every hour and it was minimal. Victory.
Completed four months of tax season which was very busy with long hours, meetings daily with clients, and still managed to keep us fed and laundry done. Victory.
And we just returned from the KY Derby where I spent two 14-hr days traveling to and from Churchill Downs and cheered every race. Victory.
Go slowly during your first 12 weeks. I know that's when I had most of my healing and the gradual introduction of more activity after that was easy.
You can do this!
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
Your recovery will not end just because the doctor releases you. It simply means that the guidelines and habits you've formed since your THR will lessen and you'll allow yourself to relax a bit. So here's a thumbnail sketch of how I transitioned.
I drove back to our coastal home after almost 13 weeks of surgery/rehab and went to work the same afternoon. FYI, hubby and I are self-employed and I was able to have surgery during our "off season" with his covering the office.
Eight weeks later, we drove 11 hrs to the mountains for a long weekend. I had zero problems in the car, we stopped every two hours to stretch. I actually drove most of the way up and back. Victory.
At the end of January, we flew to Paris for eight days and walked almost everywhere we went. Used metro and cabs some. Has some swelling in both ankles during flight but I kept moving about every hour and it was minimal. Victory.
Completed four months of tax season which was very busy with long hours, meetings daily with clients, and still managed to keep us fed and laundry done. Victory.
And we just returned from the KY Derby where I spent two 14-hr days traveling to and from Churchill Downs and cheered every race. Victory.
Go slowly during your first 12 weeks. I know that's when I had most of my healing and the gradual introduction of more activity after that was easy.
You can do this!
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
OP
OP
Granny Di
senior
Thank you @beachgal! It is reassuring to read a positive recovery. I saw my physiotherapist this morning and I have improved a lot since I first saw her three weeks ago. I tried going without acetaminophen yesterday and ached all over after my 2 km walk but today I feel better and know what areas of my body I have to work on.
I am not in a rush - my goal is to be cross country skiing in December 2015.
Thanks for the uplifting recovery report!
Di
I am not in a rush - my goal is to be cross country skiing in December 2015.
Thanks for the uplifting recovery report!
Di
Hi Granny Di, Poppet is away from the forum for a bit.
Regarding the leg length - almost every new hippie feels like one leg is longer than the other. Give it time - in most cases this feeling just fades away. Here's an article about it from our Library: Leg length differential - LLD
Believe me, your OS did watch you walk. Did you take any walking aid with you (cane, crutch)? If not, that says a lot. If so, at 6 weeks it's still early days.
Regarding the leg length - almost every new hippie feels like one leg is longer than the other. Give it time - in most cases this feeling just fades away. Here's an article about it from our Library: Leg length differential - LLD
OP
OP
Granny Di
senior
Keeping my recovery diary up to date mainly so I can remember what happened. Recent articles I have read state that chronic pain diminishes grey matter in the brain. Good news is that it can recover when pain goes. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Today I visited my wonderful physiotherapist and I have improved in all areas since I first saw her three weeks ago.
She measures ROM and can tell exactly how many degrees you have improved. She emails pictures and descriptions of the exercises which is so handy to have. I save them on my iPad and can check to make sure I am doing them correctly. She took away two and added two new ones.
She believes the numbness in my leg is the saphenous nerve and gave me an exercise to fix it. The saphenous nerve is the largest and longest branch of the femoral nerve; it supplies the skin on the inside of the leg.
She was very positive and encouraging -the best physio I have ever had.
So soldier on and keep improving.
Today I visited my wonderful physiotherapist and I have improved in all areas since I first saw her three weeks ago.
She measures ROM and can tell exactly how many degrees you have improved. She emails pictures and descriptions of the exercises which is so handy to have. I save them on my iPad and can check to make sure I am doing them correctly. She took away two and added two new ones.
She believes the numbness in my leg is the saphenous nerve and gave me an exercise to fix it. The saphenous nerve is the largest and longest branch of the femoral nerve; it supplies the skin on the inside of the leg.
She was very positive and encouraging -the best physio I have ever had.
So soldier on and keep improving.
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OP
OP
Granny Di
senior
Thanks Jaycey. I did read the article a while ago and I agree that it will probably go away. Honestly I don't think he watched me walk but I did not have any aids so maybe that was what he went by. Anyhow I like him.
sunbunny
graduate
@Granny Di yeah, you are doing do well!
