The four week update!
Saw my surgeon's nurse yesterday ... for my four-week postup.
Overall I'm doing well. I'm off all medication at this point ... taking pain meds as needed. After a ban on NSAIDs for the first four weeks, the nurse says I can now take Alleve or ibuprofen if i want to.
I'm still using a cane, though I can walk without the cane--though I typically have a limp. The nurse encouraged me to try to walk freely without a limp. I'm a bit more patient ... in that my leg seems to be getting stronger everyday ... and walking without a limp for a long stretch creates some discomfort. I can tell my operated side isn't quite ready ...
But I'm feeling close to walking unassisted. Maybe in about a week.
Quick recap. Operation on left hip on September 12th. Minimal pain and discomfort at home. I had purchased a fancy Ossur icing machine ... washed every stitch of clothing I owned ... and really prepared myself for some low moods and all of that ... and the truth is ... I used the ince machine for the first week and after that, just didn't ice very much ... once or twice a week. Because I didn't need it.
I'm cleared for going to the gym to do upper body exercises or a slow exercise on the treadmill or elliptical. I'm going to head to the gym any day now. Just don't want to force anything. And that's been my method ... think about trying something ... and then doing it when I feel like it.
I credit my surgeon for my seemingly non-pain-in-the-rear recovery (literally since my surgeon operates laterally on the side) ... I also think I had the surgery earlier in my arthritis deterioration than a lot of people. At surgery, I could walk around the block or several blocks fine ... I could go up and down stairs fine ... I simply could not exercise--whether elliptical or biking or walking a good mile without serious pain. And most disappointing, I could not engage in my great love, swing dancing (Lindy Hop) --without serious pain--during and afterwards.
Exercise is a huge part of my life ... it goes back, I think, to suffering a horrible depression in college and figuring out that exercise was great for my mood. Exercise also helps me sleep better, eat better (I want to take advantage of my work). I swear exercise suppresses my appetite ... it also adds structure and down time to my day. So after a lot of back and forth, I decided to have the surgery even though I was not hobbling through the day.
My surgeon is very athletic himself, and he appreciated my desire to move without pain. Funny: when I told him I was single and that swing dancing was really my fun "thing," he got a real kick out of that. I encourage people to share your real dreams with your surgeon and find someone who is skilled and is confident they can help you reach those dreams.
Lingering challenges. I get really stiff after sitting ... I sometimes stand and just let my joints loosen up before moving. I can tell my knee feels like it's doing a lot of extra work on the operated side. It sometimes complains with stiffness.
Want to thank the BS community for its support. It's amazing how much this "community" comes up when I'm meeting with friends and discussing expectations and what I've learned about joint replacement.
My advice to newcomers and those considering the surgery. Forget all the approach stuff ... and choose an excellent surgeon ... There are simply too many variables involved in successful surgery to focus on one or two glittery variables that catch the attention of non-specialists.
Oh ... and thanks to BS, I avoided the Overdidit Club (ODIC). I enrolled myself in the Chill And Let Things Heal Club, aka the CALTH Club. I'm proud that only once or so have I overdone it ... and that only led to immediate pain ... and no pain a day later.
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