When did you turn the corner and start feeling better

[czak57]

Oh my gosh, YES! You are only 5 days out! Give it some time. I know it is hard to be patient but you will get there! I am 5 weeks out and feel really good, but my doctor says I have 2 more months for all of the soft tissue to heal and settle down. Hang in there

 

[VF]

If bone on bone pain is gone then it's all good. Right? That's how I felt. I'm almost four weeks past and from the second I woke up I knew I would heal. In contrast to before surgery where everyday was worse.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®

Right anterior approach on April 15, 2014

 

[FionaW]

I'm day 6 TTBone - same as you I think. I felt like Wonderwoman the first couple of days, walking, climbing stairs and going home from hospital after just 2 days! Then I had a really bad night, and I crashed and felt really exhausted, sore and miserable. I slept 12-13 hours last night and I feel a lot better this morning. I think it's going to be up-and-down for a while, and our main focus at the mo is to sleep, rest, and recover a bit from the trauma of surgery. We need to be kind to ourselves!

 

[tashia]

Recovering has so many I am getting better. I find that at times I feel a rotten then something happens like I sleep for longer than a hour. Then a couple of weeks lated I find that before I take my medication I don't hurt so bad. Oh another I am getting better. This is a long recover for most people and it I found that taking time and lots and around the clock. . helps the trip. Take care. Tashia

 

[waterman1]

What worked for me was elevating the surgical leg every day. Get in the bed, place pillows under the leg, watch TV, read, relax, let the swelling go away...

 

[hipster_chic]

Hey @TTBONE - I'm 12 days post op & for me, I'm worlds better at 12 days than I was at 5 days post op, so if your recovery is anything like mine, yes - you may be expecting too much! Hope this helps & hang in there!!

 

[sharonslp]

TTbone, it's hard to answer your question! We need more info to know what specifically you were expecting to feel or do at day 5, and how your reality is different. Did you expect to be walking unassisted, and instead you're still using a walker? (Normal) Did you expect to be completely pain-free and instead you are having quite normal post op pain? (Normal....but if so, it may be that your pain med regimen needs some tweaking.) Did you expect to be feeling like you could go shopping/run errands/go out for lunch with friends/return to work/do some laundry/take care of grandkids/ whatever, and instead you are tired tired tired, and just the act of going to the bathroom and getting back to the couch is exhausting? (Completely normal.)

So what are you specifically concerned about? The short and likeliest answer to your question was summed up by @JoeL Whatever you are experiencing right now is normal for you. Comparisons to anyone else are mostly useless. Surgeons tend to paint a rosier picture of recovery than is often the case. You had MAJOR big time surgery, and recovery takes time and patience. Plus, there are the variables of what you were like before surgery and what your surgery entailed.

But know too, that however you feel today, in a week it will be noticeably different, and in three weeks even more so, and by July or so you will be pretty much back into many if not most of your usual activities.

Sharon

 

[Jamie]

@TTBONE ... You may notice that I have merged your recovery threads. We like to keep our members' recovery posts all in a single thread. That way it's easy for us to go back and read your history before responding to a question or concern. In addition, the thread becomes a journal of your recovery for those who come along later and want to read about you. So, please post in this thread from now on when you want to give an update or ask a question. If you decide you'd like a different thread title at any point, you can change the title using the Thread Tools button or just post what you want here and we'll get it changed for you.

I'm wondering if you read the links Jo left for you. If you do, you'll know that you're very, very early in this process and patience is going to be your new best friend! Please do take a look at the articles!

 

[TTBONE]

Sorry I didn't understand it all. But I have stopped the narcotics and now have some blood in me so l can understand this forum better.

 

[Jamie]

Those drugs can definitely mess with a person's mind! Please let us know if you have any questions about the forum. We're always happy to help someone who's new to this format for discussion.

 

[TTBONE]

Last night was real bad. Going to the bathroom and shower is a nightmare. Thought hubby might have to take me to the ER. Toilet seat came off and almost fell. Couldn't go to the bathroom with out screaming. But today is better. Really thought I would be getting around better since I'm such a strong person, thought maybe I was just being a baby and to suck it up more. I'm 6 days post-op and I can tell you it sucks having your husband take care of you. It's so embarrassing, you wonder if he will ever see you as nothing more then someone he has to take care of.

 

[Jamie]

It sounds as though you may have some unrealistic expectations of what recovery is like. Did you read the articles Jo provided? That should help put things in perspective. This is MAJOR surgery and recovery is not measured in days.

Is your husband complaining about helping you? I hope not and that it's just your feelings that need a bit of adjustment. Read this article and it will help you see that there are benefits to allowing those we love to help during challenging times.

I'm also sensing that you are trying to reduce your pain medication too soon. Please tell me what you're taking and on what schedule. In spite of the fact that pain meds can make a person drowsy (a good thing when you're trying to heal), you need them if you have pain. You should not be hurting just going to the bathroom!

Has your insurance provided a Home Health nurse or occupational therapist to come to your house? It would be helpful to have someone go through your home and be sure everything is as safe as possible for you. If you were to slip and fall, it could really present some problems for you. Please do this to ensure your own safety!

 

[MajorHeidi]

You should look into the frame toilet seat with handles... Much needed!
I lost all modesty to helping husband, it was embarrassing at times but so what?
Be careful to have husband assist with early shower entrance and exit...


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®

 

[TTBONE]

No OT no nurse and only 3 PT. we bought another toilet. Still having trouble but better with constipation. That almost sent me to ER last night. I read the about caregivers and letting them just help. Guess I'm a little shy which doesn't help. This forum is really helping you are not alone. Very interesting to see photos of THR badges of scares. I was glued together and still have bandage on, no drain.

 

[Sue629]

@TTBONE...I agree with the slow and steady part....I will be 2 weeks out out and although my recover has been great... trust me when i tell you your body will et you know when u have done too much. You will start to feel better every day and be like wow that was easier than yesterday. Getting out of bed in the hospital was and issue it was uncomfortable, but i get out on my operated side (right) side at home. At first i needed someone to hold my bad leg as i dropping to floor...now I hooch myself up with arms in bed and just slide to side and slowly put my feet on floor. The hardest time is when i first wake up cuz you are stiff. Trust me when i say everyday you will realize you did better with something than the previous day. Give yourself time to heal. All my best Sue

 

[MsFit1]

Hi @TTBONE I've found that magnesium supplements help with constipation issues. I take 3 tablets (250 MG each) of Nature Made Magnesium before bed each night and that seems to do the trick! You can find them at Walmart.

 

[moms4tne]

Hey Post-op Hipsters. I'm on post-op day 5, thought I would be doing better then I really am. Am I expecting to much from my self?

@TTBONE. I'm feeling much the same - I think because we're not "sick" and, possibly, even because of the lack of ongoing pain, we think we should be doing more. I am in no pain at all when immobile, but getting up and moving around hurts. So as I lay here I am bored and anxious to get on with it - when I try to get up, it's such a struggle that I just want to say "forget peeing, I'll just sleep some more". I gather this is the norm, and that those first early days in hospital on strong meds were not an accurate indicator of what recovery will be like over at least the first couple weeks after getting home. I just wish they'd sent me home with meds that were even close to comparable to what I'd been taking in hospital.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[hipster_chic]

@TTBONE hang in there, it will get better! I'll also share that I'm still taking my pain meds (I'll be two weeks post op this Weds) and although I find myself now sleeping through the night without the need for pain meds, I continue to take them every 4hrs during the day. I know that everyone is different, but for me, it really helps me manage, especially before and after PT. The other thing I'm doing is using my recliner (sitting, icing and elevating) throughout the day. Some days, I'm so tempted to "stay up" and do things - I just want to feel "normal", you know? But whenever I do this, I pay the price later on and find myself sore and achy So remember, "never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!"....it really does help with the healing

 

[nanal]

Good afternoon ladies- as I read your posts I soooo remember those days and they will get better a little every day. I am almost 16 months post op and I have walked your paths. The first few weeks was just existing and recovering. I kept thinking that just showering took every ounce of energy I had. I had to rest for couple of hours but felt soooo good to have a shower. Pain meds are the key to stay ahead because catching up is not fun nor is the bowel issue they can cause. Prune juice warmed slightly in micro works great and doesn't taste too bad either Be patient, listen to your body. When I had my 1 yr ck up, I thanked the doctor and he said don't thank me- you had the hard part. Do your exercises and you will be surprised where you will be in a few short weeks.

 

[TTBONE]

Day 8th I turned the corner. Today day 9th made it to the car were hubby drove me to the store. Then drove one of carts around. This is such a big goal for me.