OP
OP
Weezy
graduate
Dribs and drabs and catching up again....wow....can't seem to stay focused long enough to really participate in any discussions! Everything's pretty much hit and miss right now.
Staples came out last Thursday and it went fine. Felt some little pinches, but nothing bad and not bad enough to really make me whine TOO much (although it was nice that hubby offered to hold my hand). Mostly it was just the idea of someone doing something to the scars that bothered me.
Both scars look great--I'm amazed at how little swelling there is right around the scars themselves. There is, of course, swelling in moderate amounts from my knees to my hips, but it doesn't seem to be too bad. Sometimes the swelling seems to restrict my movement a bit, but I still feel like I have more ROM than I did before surgery. I can certainly stand up straighter and more easily now than I could before surgery.
Pain levels are definitely going down. Yippeeee! I have to be careful about over doing, because that definitely sends them back up, but if I'm careful, I'm discovering that the pain is quite a ways down now. The PA suggested that when I'm ready to cut down on meds, I first stop taking one of the 12-hour oxy doses (continue with the 4 hour doses as needed), and then cut out the second 12-hour oxy dose. Yesterday I didn't take my a.m. 12-hour dose and didn't even notice it, so I guess that's a good thing. Also to the point where I'm forgetting to take the 4-hour doses. But then again, I'm also not really doing anything yet so I realize I made need to up the pain meds a bit when I start doing more.
Mechanically I can do the stairs just fine, but they're such an energy drain right now that I'm not doing them very often. My thigh muscles on the right side have also been more swollen and sore the past couple days so I figure there's not point in irritating them more. I guess it'll come naturally when I'm ready to do more stair climbing.
Differences in the legs: This is what has continued to amaze me! Doc said that both hips were pretty bad, but before surgery I mainly had pain in my right hip but more severely restricted ROM on the left. After surgery, the right side has continued to be more painful, more bruised, and more swollen with a lot more obvious impact on the muscles in the thigh. Not complaining about it because even the more sore right side is doing well, just an observation. I expected some differences, but just not as much as there really are.
As soon as I can hobble out to my office and the scanner, I'll scan the picture of my x-rays from the last doc appointment and load them....it's amazing how level my pelvis is! No wonder it's easier to stand and walk! The x-ray before surgery showed a definitely tilted pelvis and now it is completely level. Wow. Too cool! It feels like such luxury to stand equally on both legs because they're the same length.
Funny: I guess I am doing lots better....last night when I got up to go the bathroom, I was back in bed before I realized that I'd left my crutch in there! Happened again this morning--I was in the kitchen before I realized that I wasn't using a crutch or anything. Still wouldn't want to step outside with two crutches, but since our house is arranged so that I don't have to go more than a step or two without something to grab onto, I guess it's OK to forget to use a crutch. Still need something stable to lean on when I get out of bed (i.e., walker), but once I'm standing, I seem to be fine which is probably why I'm forgetting to grab anything. I feel very balanced and stable and upright. Amazing.
Hardest thing right now is just being patient and continuing to rest and nap. Because I'm not hurting a huge amount (like with the knee replacements), my head wants me to go do things and be up and about...but my body still tells me NO. Still sleeping a lot, although naps are down some in length now. Can sit up for longer, although my concentration still seems to wane very quickly.
Overall, I think I'm recovering very well. I'm amazed at how well I feel just two weeks out, even though I know I still have several months of real recovery to come. Of course, the fabulous food that hubby is cooking and feeding me doesn't hurt...I'm so lucky! We had a "meatza" (pizza without the crust) last night that was to die for...and we just finished up the best rainy weather chicken soup before that....not to mention the homemade frozen custard topped with pecans sauteed in butter..... who wouldn't heal well with all that????
Weezy
Weezy
Staples came out last Thursday and it went fine. Felt some little pinches, but nothing bad and not bad enough to really make me whine TOO much (although it was nice that hubby offered to hold my hand). Mostly it was just the idea of someone doing something to the scars that bothered me.
Both scars look great--I'm amazed at how little swelling there is right around the scars themselves. There is, of course, swelling in moderate amounts from my knees to my hips, but it doesn't seem to be too bad. Sometimes the swelling seems to restrict my movement a bit, but I still feel like I have more ROM than I did before surgery. I can certainly stand up straighter and more easily now than I could before surgery.
Pain levels are definitely going down. Yippeeee! I have to be careful about over doing, because that definitely sends them back up, but if I'm careful, I'm discovering that the pain is quite a ways down now. The PA suggested that when I'm ready to cut down on meds, I first stop taking one of the 12-hour oxy doses (continue with the 4 hour doses as needed), and then cut out the second 12-hour oxy dose. Yesterday I didn't take my a.m. 12-hour dose and didn't even notice it, so I guess that's a good thing. Also to the point where I'm forgetting to take the 4-hour doses. But then again, I'm also not really doing anything yet so I realize I made need to up the pain meds a bit when I start doing more.
Mechanically I can do the stairs just fine, but they're such an energy drain right now that I'm not doing them very often. My thigh muscles on the right side have also been more swollen and sore the past couple days so I figure there's not point in irritating them more. I guess it'll come naturally when I'm ready to do more stair climbing.
Differences in the legs: This is what has continued to amaze me! Doc said that both hips were pretty bad, but before surgery I mainly had pain in my right hip but more severely restricted ROM on the left. After surgery, the right side has continued to be more painful, more bruised, and more swollen with a lot more obvious impact on the muscles in the thigh. Not complaining about it because even the more sore right side is doing well, just an observation. I expected some differences, but just not as much as there really are.
As soon as I can hobble out to my office and the scanner, I'll scan the picture of my x-rays from the last doc appointment and load them....it's amazing how level my pelvis is! No wonder it's easier to stand and walk! The x-ray before surgery showed a definitely tilted pelvis and now it is completely level. Wow. Too cool! It feels like such luxury to stand equally on both legs because they're the same length.
Funny: I guess I am doing lots better....last night when I got up to go the bathroom, I was back in bed before I realized that I'd left my crutch in there! Happened again this morning--I was in the kitchen before I realized that I wasn't using a crutch or anything. Still wouldn't want to step outside with two crutches, but since our house is arranged so that I don't have to go more than a step or two without something to grab onto, I guess it's OK to forget to use a crutch. Still need something stable to lean on when I get out of bed (i.e., walker), but once I'm standing, I seem to be fine which is probably why I'm forgetting to grab anything. I feel very balanced and stable and upright. Amazing.
Hardest thing right now is just being patient and continuing to rest and nap. Because I'm not hurting a huge amount (like with the knee replacements), my head wants me to go do things and be up and about...but my body still tells me NO. Still sleeping a lot, although naps are down some in length now. Can sit up for longer, although my concentration still seems to wane very quickly.
Overall, I think I'm recovering very well. I'm amazed at how well I feel just two weeks out, even though I know I still have several months of real recovery to come. Of course, the fabulous food that hubby is cooking and feeding me doesn't hurt...I'm so lucky! We had a "meatza" (pizza without the crust) last night that was to die for...and we just finished up the best rainy weather chicken soup before that....not to mention the homemade frozen custard topped with pecans sauteed in butter..... who wouldn't heal well with all that????
Weezy
Weezy
United States
You've got 2 purramedics and a dogtor to help you recuperate ;) I too had one leg that seemed to take longer to fully rehab than the other one - only within the past month or so have I been able to get the right foot up on left knee to put sock on ..... but slow and steady is the way to go - and do be cautious about giving up the pain meds too soon. As you get more active the muscles will start to "speak" to you and let you know that not all post-op pain is from healing incisions.
I handed out candy and admired lots of cute little ones in imaginative costumes - my "costume" was black slacks, black turtle neck, and a purple T shirt decorated with spiders and witches hats with a caption that read "If the hat fits ....."
