Bilateral THR Yogi recovery from BTHR.....

[Yogigirl]

@Cecropia ive ordered some off amazon but I’ll do that as well thank you

@jwadds @ChrissyW I’m
Very happy to chat over Skype or here when I’m
More mobile and help you find a yoga practice. It’s accessible for all...even BTHR with spinal surgery and a drop foot can do vinyasa flow. We just adapt a little lol

 

[Yogigirl]

Is there anything apart from painkillers for the aching nerve pain down the front of thighs? It’s like it was pre op?! And stops me sleeping. Painkillers don’t seem to touch it :(
Only taking codeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen as that’s what I’m prescribed.

 

[Mojo333]

Did you have anterior approach @Yogigirl?
I had stinging and sometimes even burning pains in my quads...and jeez were my quads Sore!
Everything waking up and complaining about the extreme trauma they had experienced.
In my thread, you will see I was doing some serious whining about it!
It got increasingly less and less...and I've heard where some folks got various meds prescribed...but don't know exactly what or how helpful it was.
This is very normal for this stage.
Hang in there friend...very early days.

 

[Yogigirl]

I had some pins go in anterior. I’m trying to think of them as fingers not teeth! That held me in place for the robotic arm bit? The op itself was posterior
I’m getting aching in quads and in right groin. Femoral nerve pain in right thigh is like I had pre op. I was joking yesterday that if it remains post op I will be seriously miffed and cry!!! Nerve pain seems the worst as nothing touches it in terms of pain relief :(
My saddlebags are huge...my underwear doesn’t fit coz I’m so swollen & even moving soft shorts over my thighs when I go to the toilet makes me realise how bruised they are.
Plus my belly feels full of wind!
It’s so painful and I imagine that’s coz we aren’t moving post op so nothing squishes the air bubbles out!!!

 

[Cecropia]

OMG I feel so bad for you! I'm starting day 5, its 2am and I can't get comfortable. I took my hydrocodone 5mg and 500mg tylenol at midnight and my leg is throbbing from the knee down. It's not touching the pain, so I just took 500mg of Tylenol. Was trying to decide between that or another 5mg of hydrocodone. I awoke from a nightmare, could not breathe or talk my husband said. It was all jibber. I think it's from the hydrocodone. Now I'm afraid to take it. Night time is worse for me, everything hurts where in the daytime it seems to settle. I'm in the Eastern time zone. I imagine I'll be awake the rest of the night.I'm afraid of pain killers other than Tylenol, so not sure what to do....your pain makes me think I should quit complaining....I sure hope you figure out some way of relief....

 

[Yogigirl]

Wow nights are hard. There’s no comfortable position and everything’s so swollen :(
I cried last night cuz I just needed sleep :( and had the choice of too much pain or too cold (from ice) but less pain to get to sleep.
I keep thinking this too will pass
It’s only temporary
But I wish it would hurry up

 

[Yogigirl]

I hope your night got easier. We are sleep deprived and exhausted post op with a big trauma to our body so it’s harder to cope with anything
I’ve only been given paracetamol, codeine and ibuprofen for pain since I left hospital :( though yes at least they’re not scary meds

 

[Cecropia]

The Tylenol at 2am worked to calm the leg down, so glad I tried that extra dose first without taking more hydrocodone. 10mg of Hydrocodone already has 325mg of tylenol so I have to be careful not to go over 4000mg a day. I'm only taking 5mg every 6 hours of the hydrocodone.
Paracetamol is the same as Tylenol I guess.
I'm with you, this soon shall pass, but I wish it would hurry up.....hope you got some sleep...

 

[jwadds]

I had pain shooting down my legs and pain in quads, especially left one. The hydromorphine or oxycodone took it away enough to allow me to sleep. Please don’t be afraid of the pain killers, you need them so you can rest and to be able to move. I was only on them for 8 days, no problem after getting off them, boy they sure did help.

 

[Mojo333]

@Yogigirl

I'm so sorry you are having a rough time right now getting warm enough with the ice regimen.
Do you suppose they will let you go home soon?
I was terrified I was leaving too soon, actually cried when they decided to discharge me.
But it was so much easier to get comfortable at home...I could get up and move about for short periods, and you can control the temperature better there as they should keep the hospitals cold for germ control.
I was definitely a night creeper for quite some time...poor hubby was as sleep deprived as I was. I opted to doze off and on in recliner after giving up on a comfortable night flat on my back.
Keep the faith...it does get easier

 

[Mojo333]

Please don’t be afraid of the pain killers, you need them so you can rest and to be able to move. I was only on them for 8 days, no problem after getting off them, boy they sure did help.

I certainly agree.

 

[Yogigirl]

I got allowed home yesterday but only with painkillers codeine and paracetamol (like Tylenol I think) and ibuprofen. Plus anti coagulant tablets. They’d already prescribed only these on day two so it wasnt about how I was coping with pain it’s just that’s what my surgeon prescribes to go home with.
It’s lovely being home but @Mojo333 i am worried my poor husband will get sleep deprived with me. I had him up three times last night to get me more ice and twice to make sure I was ok walking to the toilet as my legs felt so shaky and unstable
I’m going to use more codeine tonight to try and get rest but I think the main issue is lying on my back on my swollen thighs so no position variation is comfortable.
Time and patience is what I need I imagine!!

 

[Mojo333]

i am worried my poor husband will get sleep deprived with me. I had him up three times last night to get me more ice and twice to make sure I was ok walking to the toilet as my legs felt so shaky and unstable

I had my hubby do the same and the one time I "tried" to do it myself, he fussed at me.
He might get a tad less sleep, but they go back to sleep pretty fast, unlike us.
We would do the same for them.
It's only for a short time...I bet you will get more comfortable at home.

These are the tough bits I spoke of...remarkable what a week will do.
Healing hugs my friend

 

[Yogigirl]

@Mojo333
Thank you I am better tonight than yesterday. I think the hard work of being released from hospital, driving home and working out how it was going to be at home (until the recliner arrived today we soon realised a garden chair with extra cushion was in fact my best sitting place)... all made me achier and more swollen yesterday
Plus today I am 20% more healed on day 5
I am ever the optimist that tonight may be hard, but not as hard as last night!

 

[jwadds]

Most times it’s hard to gauge improvement from one day to the next, but if you think how you were 3 days ago you can usually see improvement. Then as the weeks go buy you will marvel at how much better you are than you were the week before. Baby steps but steps nonetheless!

I think about how easy it is to get in and out of bed now and how I used to dread it. Big Milestone for me today, drove for the first time! Was only a few blocks to the drugstore to get prescriptions, but it felt good to feel a bit independent.

Glad you got a recliner. So comfy when you want to nap!

 

[Yogigirl]

@jwadds congratulations on driving again that’s huge. That’s your independence back and you’re only just over four weeks post op aren’t you? That gives me hope
So so much better sleep last night. The recliner yesterday helped me relax I think & I did less. Just toilet trips and a bit of pottering and my whole body felt less like a punchbag when I got to bed which helped
I feel so much more positive after probably six hours total sleep around toilet breaks. I know I’m only six days post op and having a much easier recovery than many. However those night time wees are so many! When do we start having more normal bladder function? Does it return with activity levels or reduced inflammation?

 

[Mojo333]

As soon as you get "fixed", you gotta go pee. oh my stars... do I remember.
But I needed to stay hydrated and that was a good sign that I was drinking plenty...we have our bodies working hard...blood loss that needs to be replenished, and soft tissue to repair .
As annoying as it got (and tiring) I think those short trips kept my circulation going good and laying too long wasnt exactly comfy either
It's just annoying right now
You can whine a bit more so my BTHR thread is not the wimpiest one on record.

In all seriousness, your early recovery frustrations sound oh too familiar.
My sympathies and best wishes are coming your way...
You are doing just fine!

 

[Carriemay60]

I only had one hip done but felt better having someone up with me for almost the 1st week. It's the whole process that is hard work, not just the walk to the toilet. (meds, ice, getting back to bed, getting your covers sorted again, etc.) It won't be long before you are ore comfortable getting up on your own. Even when doing it alone, we left a light on at night which really helped me feel more secure.

 

[Yogigirl]

@Carriemay60 i love this forum as you realise it’s all ok and you’re not the only one who felt that or did this! Thank you
@Mojo333

As annoying as it got (and tiring) I think those short trips kept my circulation going good and laying too long wasnt exactly comfy either

I agree and a couple of times I went as I needed to move so I may as well move in that direction.
And your recovery thread was so helpful.
My mum asked me yesterday if I’d cried and I realised I’ve gone 24hrs with no tears of frustration/ pain/exhaustion/ what have I done!! Now that’s progress a day without tears

 

[Layla]

Yay for a day without tears I'm happy for you. Let's go for two!
I hope you're having another good day so far.
Wishing you comfort as you continue healing, brave one.
@Yogigirl