THR Wide Awake - Mailman Chases Dogs Away
- Thread starter Mailman
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Newhip_Pol
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Hi @Mailman Your video looks so good especially for just a few weeks out from THR and in comparison to your pre-op condition - well done you and your surgeon.
I can definitely relate to the standing up straight after surgery and to the arm swinging thing - walking poles helped with the co-ordination. My lifestyle has been sedentary for many years - working and in retirement so adjusting to the new normal is taking some time. Sadly my left ankle is now in such a state that I cannot walk any distance pain free but I try to swim at least a couple of times a week.
I can definitely relate to the standing up straight after surgery and to the arm swinging thing - walking poles helped with the co-ordination. My lifestyle has been sedentary for many years - working and in retirement so adjusting to the new normal is taking some time. Sadly my left ankle is now in such a state that I cannot walk any distance pain free but I try to swim at least a couple of times a week.
One simple fact that some people tend to ignore is that the hip joint (or knee or any other joint) does not function independently from the entire body. So one joint replacement through surgery is only going to correct one point in that entire system.
I spent 5 years doing everything possible to avoid a THR. The benefit of that was that when the time came 3 weeks ago to do the THR the other postural and muscular issues had been improved to the point that the pain was clearly only the joint which had deteriorated to the point that it was no longer weight bearing. For the past few months the pain was intense and sharp, unlike the more dull but gnawing twisting cramping spasmy type pain years ago that kept me from being able to sleep. Now I was fine at rest but was approaching life in a wheelchair. The THR removed the final impediment preventing postural readjustment and muscular balance, so the change back to normal use of my lower body has been rapid and seems to be likely to be complete.
This view is supported by the fact that my other leg and also lower back to a lesser degree have participated in the process. These past few weeks both legs have been achy and painful at times as the entire system goes back to equilibrium and harmony.
It's a huge challenge to understand the different kinds and causes of pain in the body. We just want to make it stop. But I think the first step is understanding that it's never just one thing.
I spent 5 years doing everything possible to avoid a THR. The benefit of that was that when the time came 3 weeks ago to do the THR the other postural and muscular issues had been improved to the point that the pain was clearly only the joint which had deteriorated to the point that it was no longer weight bearing. For the past few months the pain was intense and sharp, unlike the more dull but gnawing twisting cramping spasmy type pain years ago that kept me from being able to sleep. Now I was fine at rest but was approaching life in a wheelchair. The THR removed the final impediment preventing postural readjustment and muscular balance, so the change back to normal use of my lower body has been rapid and seems to be likely to be complete.
This view is supported by the fact that my other leg and also lower back to a lesser degree have participated in the process. These past few weeks both legs have been achy and painful at times as the entire system goes back to equilibrium and harmony.
It's a huge challenge to understand the different kinds and causes of pain in the body. We just want to make it stop. But I think the first step is understanding that it's never just one thing.
I owe an important part of my recovery to the existence of this website and members who have offered crucial information, as well as abundant support. Thank you!
Two examples of some very useful things I learned from BoneSmart:
Two examples of some very useful things I learned from BoneSmart:
- the fact that while sewing up the incision in your hip the surgeon packs the wound with enough anesthetic and pain killing medication to give you up to 72 hours of very effective pain relief. So watch out on day 2-3 when that begins to wear off!!
- Lounge Doctor- This stands out as a great aid for elevating, resting and sleeping. I went for it by clicking on the banner ad on this site. It’s well worth the price. I credit it with speeding up my recovery.
Mojo333
Former BoneSmart Staff Member
Glad you are sharing your "recovery take-away stand outs"Getting the scoop from "those who know" is what makes Bonesmart a great resource...
was for me.
We all have different recoveries as individuals but sharing experiences might make the journey less of a struggle.
A great resource indeed. Recently I've amplified its usefulness by digging into individual recovery stories and using the search function more. Score!
@Mojo333 you said:
"We all have different recoveries as individuals but sharing experiences might make the journey less of a struggle."
True enough. Sharing experiences definitely does make the journey less of a struggle by way of shared empathy, sympathy and simple concern for others. However, making the point that we all have different recoveries, though useful in avoiding some kind of competition, belies the fact that some recoveries are far, far more desireable than others, and we, and particularly staff, don't seem to want to talk about that. There are zillions of double-blind eperiments to identify efficacy of pharmaceuticals and their 'side-effects'. Where is the research to determine what is required for the most optimal recovery from a major surgery that continues to become more and more commonplace?
After just recently going through my own very quick recovery, I think alot lately about all of the suffering that could be alleviated if there was more attention paid here to understanding why there is such a huge difference in intensity and duration of pain and discomfort people experience during recovery from a THR or TKR.
@Mojo333 you said:
"We all have different recoveries as individuals but sharing experiences might make the journey less of a struggle."
True enough. Sharing experiences definitely does make the journey less of a struggle by way of shared empathy, sympathy and simple concern for others. However, making the point that we all have different recoveries, though useful in avoiding some kind of competition, belies the fact that some recoveries are far, far more desireable than others, and we, and particularly staff, don't seem to want to talk about that. There are zillions of double-blind eperiments to identify efficacy of pharmaceuticals and their 'side-effects'. Where is the research to determine what is required for the most optimal recovery from a major surgery that continues to become more and more commonplace?
After just recently going through my own very quick recovery, I think alot lately about all of the suffering that could be alleviated if there was more attention paid here to understanding why there is such a huge difference in intensity and duration of pain and discomfort people experience during recovery from a THR or TKR.
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Hi Mailman, I hope you're having a good week!
I will address the portion of your post I quoted above.
While we do understand some of the reasons why there is a difference in intensity and duration of pain, it's difficult to address because it's individual due to many variables. I don't feel that we're able to alleviate anyone's physical suffering through sharing reasons why there is a difference in intensity and duration of pain, or length of time in healing. This is where encouragement, empathy and support factors in.
We need to take into consideration any single persons age, over all health, pre-existing medical conditions, and fitness level pre-op. Also, the condition of their other joints. Many go into surgery with both bad hips and knees. This will affect their recovery. As will bilateral joint replacement likely make a difference in the level / amount of pain someone struggles with.
Then there is the reaction to anesthesia, or pain management medication, the latter often needs adjusting. On occasion there are post op restrictions resulting from an accidental occurrence during surgery, a fractured femur comes to mind as a common one, which results in weight bearing restrictions post op. In addition, there is nutrition, many have no appetite early on, some have a nutrient dense diet high in protein which supports in wound healing as well as repairing and building healthy tissue. Others have a poor diet which provides no benefit to the healing process.
Sleep factors in. Many find sleep elusive in the early weeks which is unfortunate because that's when our body heals and repairs most efficiently. A support system helps in recovery also. Many sadly recover alone without the physical and emotional support of a loving caregiver in family, friends or neighbors which may also prolong the process especially if they are missing or postponing appointments and not getting proper post operative care.
I do hope your recovery continues to go well and you are enjoying getting back to life without the pain of a deteriorating joint. All the best, Mailman!
Hi Layla,
Sorry. Looks like I could have communicated better. Let me try again.
Clearly there are different patient scenarios. I'm interested in talking about those things that can improve recovery for just about anyone, as told by anyone.
How do we even define recovery?
Josephine, Nurse Director Emeritus, has valuable things to say about this in her post here on this site from 2017:
How Long Does it Take to Recover from Joint Replacement Surgery?
She separates recovery into short term and long term, and says at one point
"There are a number of contributing factors that influence recovery time. A positive attitude can be everything."
So there's an example.
Layla, when I did a search on 'attitude' I find the results are filled with many of your posts. So I know you understand the power of attitude and intention and more. It's likely that many don't believe such things can make an actual difference. But if there was more in-depth discussion of first hand experience, then that could improve recovery outcomes.
So that's where I was going with this.
Sorry. Looks like I could have communicated better. Let me try again.
Clearly there are different patient scenarios. I'm interested in talking about those things that can improve recovery for just about anyone, as told by anyone.
How do we even define recovery?
Josephine, Nurse Director Emeritus, has valuable things to say about this in her post here on this site from 2017:
How Long Does it Take to Recover from Joint Replacement Surgery?
She separates recovery into short term and long term, and says at one point
"There are a number of contributing factors that influence recovery time. A positive attitude can be everything."
So there's an example.
Layla, when I did a search on 'attitude' I find the results are filled with many of your posts. So I know you understand the power of attitude and intention and more. It's likely that many don't believe such things can make an actual difference. But if there was more in-depth discussion of first hand experience, then that could improve recovery outcomes.
So that's where I was going with this.
This is exactly why BoneSmart exists and is set up to allow members to describe their surgery and recovery journey. It can be very helpful for people to read this information and see that recoveries can be very different based on many factors of the human body and a surgeon's expertise. There are tons of research papers out there where someone does do analysis of particular groups of patients and comes to a conclusion about some component of the process. We don't have the staff to do that type of research and have actually found that our members' personal stories are very helpful to show people what they are getting into with joint replacement surgery.
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A positive attitude is very important. Those who maintain a positive outlook likely focus on the end result and brighter future awaiting them, rather than their temporary pain and hampered mobility. They remain focused on a favorable outcome and work diligently to that end. Negativity is not conducive to a healthy immune response. So I guess there's something to be said about that now old song "Don't Worry Be Happy"
Sorry I misunderstood. Thanks for the response! I hope you're having a great start to the weekend. It's rather gray and bleak in my neck of the woods today.
Positive attitude, positive attitude, lol.@Jamie I took your suggestion to dig deeper on this site for the kind of discussion I've been looking for and did find
I'm currently in week 4. My own short term recovery as defined on this site was complete after week 3, instead of the normal 6-12 weeks. I admit I still don't fully understand why I had such a fast short term recovery.
I did have a talented and empathetic surgeon. I did participate wide awake in the surgery without fear or foreboding. Mostly I have enormous gratitude for the gift he and his staff have given me. I have done my best to do my part, taking each step along the way as an opportunity to pay close attention to everything going on and fully experience it free of any expectation.
During the entire experience, from start to finish, I have felt that this hip thing is something I have done, not something that was done to me. I fully own it. Being wide awake during the procedure made that possible.
My only challenge now is to literally walk into a newly unrestricted and unconfined life.
My only regret is that my experience has not been of more benefit to other people on this site.
10spro's Recovery Thread
about how one might and might not generate a faster recovery. In large part it's a criticism of a protocol that tries to force a quicker recovery.I'm currently in week 4. My own short term recovery as defined on this site was complete after week 3, instead of the normal 6-12 weeks. I admit I still don't fully understand why I had such a fast short term recovery.
I did have a talented and empathetic surgeon. I did participate wide awake in the surgery without fear or foreboding. Mostly I have enormous gratitude for the gift he and his staff have given me. I have done my best to do my part, taking each step along the way as an opportunity to pay close attention to everything going on and fully experience it free of any expectation.
During the entire experience, from start to finish, I have felt that this hip thing is something I have done, not something that was done to me. I fully own it. Being wide awake during the procedure made that possible.
My only challenge now is to literally walk into a newly unrestricted and unconfined life.
My only regret is that my experience has not been of more benefit to other people on this site.
mature mama
senior
I find your posts to be very thoughtful and always make me think, whether I agree or disagree with your posts. Without intending to, I feel that you sometimes come off as "if more people would do it my way, they would have less pain and recover more quickly ". I truly think you are trying to share to help others and document for your record. Everyone who is on the recovering side of surgery has already made their choices and need to proceed at the best pace for them. I truly think your story will be of help for those contemplating thr, as they decide how to approach their surgery.
Although I wasn't awake for my surgery and spinal block along with twilight, I completely feel like i owned the process though different than yours. My surgeon is skilled and very down to earth. The Mako Robotic equipment made my surgery so much more precise and less painful imo. My new hip is part of me and am grateful for the medical and technological advances that allow me future freedom as my grandmother was not so lucky.
I also experienced incredibly quick and mostly pain free knee replacements in the past, although from all I heard it was going to be torturous. It was not, although range of motion took time but my recovery was remarkable in its lack of pain and speed of recovery. I can't explain that.
One thing I would remind you of is that many people come into surgery at much less physical confidence than you developed prior to surgery. Some have chronic and underlying issues that have created hips that are done at early ages. Some come into surgery due to accidents with no opportunity to research or prepare. And many have limited access to great surgeons for many reasons.
I look forward to reading your posts and am encouraged by your recovery as you are just a few days ahead of me. Please continue to post as it is inspiring and informative for all.
@mature mama
It's great to hear that you have had remarkable recoveries from TKR replacements in the past and I hope this current THR is just as remarkable. Let's compare notes.
Actually I do believe it possible that at least someone might benefit from some of the things I've spoken about by having less pain and recovering more quickly, and by extension if more people considered those things then more would benefit. That's the only reason I talk about these things at all.
To underscore this, from the other end before my procedure I searched bonesmart for anyone who had done a THR or TKR while awake. I only found two. They didn't elaborate much but what I read moved me in that direction and as a result I benefitted greatly, not just in quicker recovery but in other ways as well.
.
It's great to hear that you have had remarkable recoveries from TKR replacements in the past and I hope this current THR is just as remarkable. Let's compare notes.
@mature mama thank you for very much for your reflection on what I wrote!
Actually I do believe it possible that at least someone might benefit from some of the things I've spoken about by having less pain and recovering more quickly, and by extension if more people considered those things then more would benefit. That's the only reason I talk about these things at all.
To underscore this, from the other end before my procedure I searched bonesmart for anyone who had done a THR or TKR while awake. I only found two. They didn't elaborate much but what I read moved me in that direction and as a result I benefitted greatly, not just in quicker recovery but in other ways as well.
.
It's possible that the skill of your surgeon was a great contributor to your faster recovery. Knee and hip replacements are pretty brutal surgeries. A lot of soft tissue manipulation takes place and studies seem to show that the less movement and stretching of tissues, the less swelling that may occur post op. But, this is more of a theory than scientific fact at this point. Telling your story here will help others....no worries about that.
SurreyGirl
supremo
Interesting comment Jamie.
I had the same surgeon and hip ops five years apart. This time much less swelling, less problems with sore knotted muscles in buttocks etc and recovery time has been faster but certainly not speedy! I “only” had to wait two years this time rather than three and did some pre-op exercise which I think helped - and I knew what to expect re the spinal injection etc and, to be honest, couldn’t wait to get it all over with and come out the other side.
We are definitely all different..
I had the same surgeon and hip ops five years apart. This time much less swelling, less problems with sore knotted muscles in buttocks etc and recovery time has been faster but certainly not speedy! I “only” had to wait two years this time rather than three and did some pre-op exercise which I think helped - and I knew what to expect re the spinal injection etc and, to be honest, couldn’t wait to get it all over with and come out the other side.
We are definitely all different..
@Jamie I'm coming around to thinking surgeon skill and CARING may be a large part of why I have had such a fast recovery. The fact that I had the THR at a public university teaching hospital may also be a factor. Reading his transcribed narration of the procedure, in describing it step by step to his students, he uses the word 'carefully' over and over and over again.
Comparing my experience with private practice surgeons and hospitals here in the USA the difference is like night and day. Both are state of the art but the efficiencies at for profit facilities are clearly for the financial benefit of the hospital and physicians while at the university hospital it's the patient experience that is top priority.
My surgeon is a most wonderfully empathetic individual as well.
Comparing my experience with private practice surgeons and hospitals here in the USA the difference is like night and day. Both are state of the art but the efficiencies at for profit facilities are clearly for the financial benefit of the hospital and physicians while at the university hospital it's the patient experience that is top priority.
My surgeon is a most wonderfully empathetic individual as well.
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Have you shared his name and the name of the hospital? I am sorry, I didn't read back through your thread to check, Mailman.
If you haven't shared it on your thread and you're uncomfortable doing so here, please share through PM with Admin, so they can add his name to a list.
Thanks! Enjoy the day.
Day 28: (This will likely be my last recovery update)
Feeling normal enough now that I momentarily forgot which leg was the operative one a few days ago!
No longer icing, no longer resting or sleeping only on back with Lounge Doctor elevating legs, but plan to still take advantage of all of that if there is any relapse.
Lately I've been surprised by a noticeable increase in physical energy, that is, I don't head straight to the couch for a nap upon returning from long walks. In this past week I walked over 15 miles total, at a normal pace. This is 3X more than the previous week. I believe walking, rest and pain containment have been key to my recovery from the very beginning.
I continue to practice how to walk correctly. Not having been able to walk correctly for many years, it's great to have the opportunity afforded by a functional hip joint to do that. I believe this is as important as just getting out and walking in the first place. I've been schooling myself with you tube videos. There are many different takes on what correct gait is, or maybe different proponents stress different aspects, but I will continue to improve through trial and error because better gait makes a huge difference in recreating a strong, balanced and functional lower body, and probably lower back and core as well.
I'm also surprised by a noticeable improvement in mental/emotional clarity which comes along with the increased physical stamina. Now that half my attention is no longer pre-occupied with the surgery, pain, and concerns about recovery, its easier to think clearly and focus instead on my new lease in life.
Feeling normal enough now that I momentarily forgot which leg was the operative one a few days ago!
No longer icing, no longer resting or sleeping only on back with Lounge Doctor elevating legs, but plan to still take advantage of all of that if there is any relapse.
Lately I've been surprised by a noticeable increase in physical energy, that is, I don't head straight to the couch for a nap upon returning from long walks. In this past week I walked over 15 miles total, at a normal pace. This is 3X more than the previous week. I believe walking, rest and pain containment have been key to my recovery from the very beginning.
I continue to practice how to walk correctly. Not having been able to walk correctly for many years, it's great to have the opportunity afforded by a functional hip joint to do that. I believe this is as important as just getting out and walking in the first place. I've been schooling myself with you tube videos. There are many different takes on what correct gait is, or maybe different proponents stress different aspects, but I will continue to improve through trial and error because better gait makes a huge difference in recreating a strong, balanced and functional lower body, and probably lower back and core as well.
I'm also surprised by a noticeable improvement in mental/emotional clarity which comes along with the increased physical stamina. Now that half my attention is no longer pre-occupied with the surgery, pain, and concerns about recovery, its easier to think clearly and focus instead on my new lease in life.
myglasshalffull
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Enjoy your "new normal!"
