THR Cats land on their feet

[luvcats]

Surgery was yesterday. No issues at all, despite being much higher weight than they consider optimal. Stayed over night at the hospital and got excellent care. They were able to use an anterior approach so many of the restrictions I was concerned about don't apply. I am so grateful for that. My restrictions are really "don't pivot on the operative leg, and if it hurts, don't do it."

Honestly, I hurt a lot less now than I did when I headed into surgery.

I'm home, ensconced in my recliner, which I thought I wouldn't be able to do, with my bottle full of water, ice pack on my incision, and my feet elevated.

 

[mendogal]

WooHooo!!!!

HIP RECOVERY GUIDELINES

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary.

If you want to use something to assist with healing and scar management, BoneSmart recommends hypochlorous solution. Members in the US can purchase ACTIVE Antimicrobial Hydrogel through BoneSmart at a discount. Similar products should be available in the UK and other countries.

2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
Activity progression for THRs

The recovery articles
Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Welcome & all my best for recovery!
Your cats will help your right along.

 

[Layla]

Wonderful news, luvcauts! Congrats on your new hip. If you're like most that had a TKR, or both knees done before a hip, you'll likely find this recovery easier. Keep us posted, lights never go out here!
@luvcats

 

[benne68]

Welcome to the Healing side, @luvcats! Glad to read you are settling in at home, elevating and icing.

As a veteran of both hip and knee replacements myself, I agree that you will likely find this recovery is a bit easier. One of the best parts is that you don't need PT... just lots of walking once you are past the first couple of weeks of healing.

We are here for you.

 

[luvcats]

Today was pretty good. I think the trauma has maxed out and should improve from here. Most of the day in my recliner with feet elevated. Lots of napping. A little more fever than I like, but not high enough to be really concerned according to discharge instructions.

 

[Kritterkiddo]

@luvcats lots o cat-approved naps are in order!

 

[luvcats]

Ugh. Today does not appear to be going to be a good day.
My incision is starting to itch. A necessary part of healing, and an excellent sign. But also really, really annoying.
More importantly, I'm feeling very down and emotional for no reason, which makes it post-surgical brain jacking as my chemicals try to sort themselves out.
sigh.

Pain levels are good. It will be a nice sunny day here, maybe that will help once the sun is all the way up.
I should post the surgery to my usual social media. Maybe some good social interaction will help.

 

[Jockette]

More importantly, I'm feeling very down and emotional for no reason,

This is very common, and there is a reason:

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Post op blues is feeling depressed, weepy, nervy, shaky, fearful of the future, anxious, overwhelmed by what is happening to you, convinced it's never going to get any better and finally, uttering that most intense of all cries "I wish I never had this done!" It arises out of a variety of...

bonesmart.org

 

[CricketHip]

I had the itching while healing and found that an ice pack over the itchy areas helped.. but you are probably already icing there. Hang in there, it gets better and yes, maybe some social interaction would be helpful..
Just be forewarned that some people, especially on social media can and will say dumb, irrelevant things.

Maybe return here if something like that happens, let us counter and lift you back up!

Yay for sunshine! We are still gloomy here near Philly.

 

[marieltha]

Congratulations on being in recovery!
PS Love your thread titles

 

[luvcats]

Congratulations on being in recovery!
PS Love your thread titles

Glad to see you old friend!

Having a bad night. I feel like I massively over did yesterday...but I didn't. Maybe a little more standing, but nothing dramatic. The time it takes to scramble eggs.

I took a pain pill, and now I'm in my recliner with ice. I'm hoping to get some more sleep.

 

[marieltha]

I am sure your Nurse Cats are doing the therapeutic "laying on of the paws" and you'll feel better soon.

 

[luvcats]

This morning I was whinging to a dear friend about my elevated pain levels, as one does, and she said something so helpful I wanted to share it. I was trying to think of what I might have done to put myself in the ODIC and she said
"stop blaming yourself. Someone sawed off your leg and then glued it back on. It's going to hurt. Some days worse than others. You can't change that."

I hadn't thought of it as blaming myself, but I can see in some ways how it is.
So I am spending the day in my chair with extra meds and going with the flow.

 

[trailrunner]

After my surgery, I didn't whine much, but when I did, my wife told me to complain all I wanted to. For a while way back in the day, I had a triathlon coach. One time I whined about one of the workouts she gave me, then caught myself and apologized. She said I could whine all I wanted to - if I did the workout. Fair enough.

 

[luvcats]

It's been much better.
I did figure out why I pain spiked. My body gets crazy with inflammatory response. Normally I take some supplements to help with that, but you have to go off all that before surgery. Now I'm back on and feeling much more comfortable.

I had a wound vac installed over my incision. I knew about these as my husband had one of the very early ones after his heart surgery. Constant pressure improves healing in areas of reduced blood flow. Like the center of the chest, or a hip with generous adipose tissue which has more trouble healing. Anyway, that shut off yesterday, and now the padding over the incision is about a half inch of poof. It looks pretty silly. It will come off Monday at my follow up.

Yesterday I had enough brain function to do some email, that was exciting. My appetite is normalizing.

All in all, excellent progress.

 

[luvcats]

Today is day 10. At 10 days out with my knees, I was still maxing out pain meds. I still take 1 oxy at night. When I get into bed my thigh throbs. But day time I am weaning down the solid dose of Tramadol I've been on for the last year for hip pain. I'm looking forward to having all my brains back.

Today I actually left the house and walked down my steep drive to the road, then to the next house and back with my walker. It's a gorgeous day here. It felt really nice to be out for a bit, and then it felt really nice to go back to sitting in my recliner.

 

[benne68]

Keep taking those pain meds for as long as you need them, @luvcats! You are still very very early days in this recovery. Keep icing and elevating too -- the best combination for pain relief.

Glad you were able to get out for some fresh air and little stroll. Really lifts the spirits, doesn't it?

 

[luvcats]

I went out for the same walk today. Then I stood in the garage while beloved and I talked about the design of the mantle he is building. That was a little too much, when I headed up the 2 stairs to get into the house, I was shaking. Note to self.
I don't hurt so much as a dull nagging ache unless I've been outside or just gotten into bed, but my brain remains fuzzy. I'm ready for it to clear up a bit more so I can feel like working on my knitting project.

First follow up with the surgeons office tomorrow. I'm not expecting any problems. I'll be very glad to get the tegaderm dressing off.

 

[mendogal]

Yes, with my knees I remember the brain fog... couldn't focus on reading a book a good four weeks.