Hip Infection* Westy's Hip Recovery Thread
- Thread starter WestyII
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clodaghcov
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@ Westy Thinking of you and you sound well ready for recovery, keeping all crossed for youxxx
Aura Gypsy
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Thinking of you tonight, hoping you are doing well and received some good news today.
That puppy is so cute! That will be something really nice to look forward to.
I sure hope that you are resting well tonight and your kind words about the forum are most appreciated..
I felt the same way, having so much knowledge before my surgery helped so much!
@Westy
That puppy is so cute! That will be something really nice to look forward to.
I sure hope that you are resting well tonight and your kind words about the forum are most appreciated..
I felt the same way, having so much knowledge before my surgery helped so much!
@Westyclodaghcov
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That’s all, nothing more for now.
Hipster-2
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@Westy
My goodness man - I am new to this forum and have just read your full thread. I had a rare complication after my right THR that has caused tremendous pain and disability over the past year, during which I have felt very sorry for myself, have not been able to do my job properly, and have been almost completely housebound. But what I have endured is nothing compared to what you have experienced. You are one strong man, and I know you are going to kick this thing’s butt and get back to your real life!
I am a (veterinary) medical professional and not inclined to the woo-woo stuff, but I thought I’d share with you that learning to meditate helped me to endure the seemingly-relentless pain of my condition and maintain an optimistic outlook, which I consider essential to physical recovery and well-being. I also had some full-body massage and acupuncture during that period - the massage in particular was amazingly helpful for relaxing me and switching off the terror that I may never return to normal. I also used a cold laser on my screwed-up soft tissues - I’m not sure how much improvement I can attribute to that, but I have definitely improved over the time I have used it. My job, life, and identity all depend on physical integrity, the outdoors, and activity - so this period was truly terrifying. Those negative emotions, when sustained over a long period of time, really take a toll on our bodies just when we need them to heal as well as possible, so although I did not endure the infection issues that are at the root of your suffering, I thought I’d share what was helpful for me in addressing serious pain and lack of healing. I am so grateful that you have the support of your wonderful wife, children, and friends - I hate to think of what it would be like for a single, more isolated person to go through such a thing. :-(
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all the forum members for the love, kindness, and support I’ve seen poured out on these pages. Speaking for myself, I really throttle down on what I tell spouse, friends, and family about my pain and fear because I think it can be overwhelming for them over a long period of time. It is wonderful that the forum is here to accept all of that and provide unqualified non-stop support, particularly during these uncertain times when so many people have their own struggles to contend with.
Peace and love to all of you, and particularly Westy! Warm hugs to you, and I am looking forward to hearing that your surgery was a success and you are on the path to health and mobility.
My goodness man - I am new to this forum and have just read your full thread. I had a rare complication after my right THR that has caused tremendous pain and disability over the past year, during which I have felt very sorry for myself, have not been able to do my job properly, and have been almost completely housebound. But what I have endured is nothing compared to what you have experienced. You are one strong man, and I know you are going to kick this thing’s butt and get back to your real life!
I am a (veterinary) medical professional and not inclined to the woo-woo stuff, but I thought I’d share with you that learning to meditate helped me to endure the seemingly-relentless pain of my condition and maintain an optimistic outlook, which I consider essential to physical recovery and well-being. I also had some full-body massage and acupuncture during that period - the massage in particular was amazingly helpful for relaxing me and switching off the terror that I may never return to normal. I also used a cold laser on my screwed-up soft tissues - I’m not sure how much improvement I can attribute to that, but I have definitely improved over the time I have used it. My job, life, and identity all depend on physical integrity, the outdoors, and activity - so this period was truly terrifying. Those negative emotions, when sustained over a long period of time, really take a toll on our bodies just when we need them to heal as well as possible, so although I did not endure the infection issues that are at the root of your suffering, I thought I’d share what was helpful for me in addressing serious pain and lack of healing. I am so grateful that you have the support of your wonderful wife, children, and friends - I hate to think of what it would be like for a single, more isolated person to go through such a thing. :-(
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all the forum members for the love, kindness, and support I’ve seen poured out on these pages. Speaking for myself, I really throttle down on what I tell spouse, friends, and family about my pain and fear because I think it can be overwhelming for them over a long period of time. It is wonderful that the forum is here to accept all of that and provide unqualified non-stop support, particularly during these uncertain times when so many people have their own struggles to contend with.
Peace and love to all of you, and particularly Westy! Warm hugs to you, and I am looking forward to hearing that your surgery was a success and you are on the path to health and mobility.
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Calgal
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clodaghcov
graduate
@ Westy So hoping this delay in hearing from you means everything is going well which ever route you are taking,whether its hip or spacer it will mean pain to begin with----keeping all crossed,keep stromg and positivexx
WestyII
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Greetings my HIPSTER online friends,
Well, here's the story on the latest go around in my ongoing mini series. LOL
Arrived at the hospital for check in about 1/2 hour late ( on purpose) Check in went smooth. Was prepped and had a pre surgical briefing with the OS and the knock out doc. Was rolled into the OR at exactly 12 noon, just as scheduled.
It took the knock out doc about 15 minutes to get the spinal block just right, and 3 seconds after that it was lights out. I woke up in the recovery room, 7 hours later, after a 6 hour procedure. Apparently, The OS's estimate of 3 hours was a tad on the low side. I was rolled back to my hospital room from the recovery area at 8"15 PM.
Doc took multiple tissue and fluid samples, and both the short and long terms testing (72 hours) came back negative for bacteria aka infection. He did a major clean up inside the area, removing dead tissue and excess fluid. He spent a lot of time irrigating the entire area with very strong antibiotic solution, and the proceeded to install my new hip. He wasn't pleased with the length of the left leg, compared to the right, so they sent out for different sized parts. Those took a while to arrive, but all my vitals were excellent while under, so he decided to wait for the new parts prior to closing me up.
I'd say about 2 hours after I go t back to my regular room I crashed until about 5AM. Pain was bad when i woke up, but they did a great job controlling it with Norco 10/325 and IV Morphine, given 2 to 4MG every 4 hours as needed.
I did all the nonsense PT and was released from the hospital Wed, june 24th at around 4 pm. Since being home my only issue has been a pesky low grade fever that comes and goes. The Tylenol portion of the Norco is great for controlling that.
I did end up with a wound vac this time, which is awesome thus far. That comes off this coming Monday via the home health nurse. I'm taking a product called Juven to help with the wound healing.
This was recommended by the nurse. She used it on her dad, and it really helped the surgical wound from his surgery heal up nicely. Doc did tell me that I have some major issues with my muscles thanks to the infection, so I've got a long road ahead to rebuild, but that's a challenge I'm more than happy to face and tackle head on.
I've been using the Bone Smart protocol of icing and keeping my legs elevated. That's really helped this time. The pain from this very long procedure isn't nearly as bad as the pain I experienced from the previous surgery. I did give up the cigars for a week prior to surgery ( I honestly don't inhale) and per the OS's request, I will remain cigar free for 3 to 4 weeks post surgery. That's so hard for me, but I'm doing it.
Pain since getting home has ranged from 2ish to very sharp 8.5ish for the first few days. Over the last few days, it's calmed down a lot, with the range being 1.5 t0 brief periods with 5ish pain. Norco and Tylenol are doing the job well.
I know this post was all over the map, sorry about that. My mind is still all over the place. To sum it up, if this continues to heal at this pace, and does so without complications, such as an infection, this will have been a grand slam home run performed by my new surgeon.
More in th e coming days, thanks all, for the well wishes, prayers, thoughts and advice. You all ROCK!!!
WESTY
Well, here's the story on the latest go around in my ongoing mini series. LOL
Arrived at the hospital for check in about 1/2 hour late ( on purpose) Check in went smooth. Was prepped and had a pre surgical briefing with the OS and the knock out doc. Was rolled into the OR at exactly 12 noon, just as scheduled.
It took the knock out doc about 15 minutes to get the spinal block just right, and 3 seconds after that it was lights out. I woke up in the recovery room, 7 hours later, after a 6 hour procedure. Apparently, The OS's estimate of 3 hours was a tad on the low side. I was rolled back to my hospital room from the recovery area at 8"15 PM.
Doc took multiple tissue and fluid samples, and both the short and long terms testing (72 hours) came back negative for bacteria aka infection. He did a major clean up inside the area, removing dead tissue and excess fluid. He spent a lot of time irrigating the entire area with very strong antibiotic solution, and the proceeded to install my new hip. He wasn't pleased with the length of the left leg, compared to the right, so they sent out for different sized parts. Those took a while to arrive, but all my vitals were excellent while under, so he decided to wait for the new parts prior to closing me up.
I'd say about 2 hours after I go t back to my regular room I crashed until about 5AM. Pain was bad when i woke up, but they did a great job controlling it with Norco 10/325 and IV Morphine, given 2 to 4MG every 4 hours as needed.
I did all the nonsense PT and was released from the hospital Wed, june 24th at around 4 pm. Since being home my only issue has been a pesky low grade fever that comes and goes. The Tylenol portion of the Norco is great for controlling that.
I did end up with a wound vac this time, which is awesome thus far. That comes off this coming Monday via the home health nurse. I'm taking a product called Juven to help with the wound healing.
This was recommended by the nurse. She used it on her dad, and it really helped the surgical wound from his surgery heal up nicely. Doc did tell me that I have some major issues with my muscles thanks to the infection, so I've got a long road ahead to rebuild, but that's a challenge I'm more than happy to face and tackle head on.
I've been using the Bone Smart protocol of icing and keeping my legs elevated. That's really helped this time. The pain from this very long procedure isn't nearly as bad as the pain I experienced from the previous surgery. I did give up the cigars for a week prior to surgery ( I honestly don't inhale) and per the OS's request, I will remain cigar free for 3 to 4 weeks post surgery. That's so hard for me, but I'm doing it.
Pain since getting home has ranged from 2ish to very sharp 8.5ish for the first few days. Over the last few days, it's calmed down a lot, with the range being 1.5 t0 brief periods with 5ish pain. Norco and Tylenol are doing the job well.
I know this post was all over the map, sorry about that. My mind is still all over the place. To sum it up, if this continues to heal at this pace, and does so without complications, such as an infection, this will have been a grand slam home run performed by my new surgeon.
More in th e coming days, thanks all, for the well wishes, prayers, thoughts and advice. You all ROCK!!!
WESTY
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Westy, Whew! It’s wonderful to hear from you, it’s like we were collectively holding our breath wondering how all was playing out for you. It’s fantastic news to hear your prosthetic is in place and you’re on the road to recovery. It may be a long road, but we‘ll be with you for as long as you’ll have us.
Wishing you comfort and perfect healing as you continue the journey!
@Westy
Wishing you comfort and perfect healing as you continue the journey!
@Westy
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Westy,
Thanks for the great report after your hip revision, sounds like you are doing well. Positive thoughts your way for your recovery.
Low grade fever after surgery is common, most likely that is where your low grade fever is coming from.
Thanks for the great report after your hip revision, sounds like you are doing well. Positive thoughts your way for your recovery.
Low grade fever after surgery is common, most likely that is where your low grade fever is coming from.
Elf1
Staff member since October 2019
Will keep you in my thoughts and continue sending good mojo your way. Thanks for keeping us posted!DEL2020Jul-11
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@Westy, I am thrilled to get your update!!
A food idea:
After my surgery, my appetite was pretty low, and I wanted to get nutrients to my healing site. Maybe I just liked the idea, but I thought the ready made bone broth soups were nutritious and pretty palatable, as long as I selected a flavor I liked (the grocery has several brands of soups that use bone broth as the base, there are different flavors, I like chicken with wild rice ). I have a friend who makes bone broth soup from scratch, which is probably better for you, but obviously more work and you need a cook...
Prayers continuing throughout your recovery
A food idea:
After my surgery, my appetite was pretty low, and I wanted to get nutrients to my healing site. Maybe I just liked the idea, but I thought the ready made bone broth soups were nutritious and pretty palatable, as long as I selected a flavor I liked (the grocery has several brands of soups that use bone broth as the base, there are different flavors, I like chicken with wild rice ). I have a friend who makes bone broth soup from scratch, which is probably better for you, but obviously more work and you need a cook...
Prayers continuing throughout your recovery
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This is all such great news. I am so happy for you. You really needed a positive step in the right direction, if you’ll pardon the pun. Sending healing blessings to you. Looking forward to your next update. 
Pat.
Pat.
