roller coaster

Status
Not open for further replies.

electron

new member
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
17
Location
United States
Hi gang. thankful for this forum.

Short and sweet,....LTHR 7-01-08,..45yo male AVN diagnosed 5yrs. ago,had hopes for resurface but too far along (femur showed small fracture) no MAJOR complications,..mainly just a lot of fear of unknowns and feelings of isolation.
Again, because of this forum and wonderful people surrounding it I have learned many things already ,and would like to share experiences.

Here's the bad items

1)sent home with NO T.E.D. Hosing. (leg stockings) not even mentioned in any discharge paperwork.(I noticed swelling, called OS and got some on day 5).

2)They sent me home with Rx for pain med but not bloodthinner( thank god my new Pt was observant of this at day 4, and now taking and monitoring).

3)There was never a leg stabilizing pillow utilized in my 2 1/2 day hospital stay nor Rx for home use. ( I was told to sleep on my back and use pillows between legs if I shifted to my non-surgery side.)

I had a bad nite 2-3 days after surgery and did not feel like the new joint was lined up straight for the next 5-6 days. Then I had a terrible nite at 13 days out and followed it with 36 hrs of consistant 5-6 pain no pills helped.I talked to OS assistant and staff and was reassured that dislocation did NOT occur. I decided to lay low and not take a ride for 85 miles unless not better in 24 hrs.

time passed and now I feel like I'm "lined up again?!?" with a 1-pain and mobility/Pt back to first week level.

Did something Very Bad happen in my new joint or am I imagining all of this?

19 days out stiff with a crutch.

Jon
 
Hey Jon,
I am now 6 weeks post op right hip. When I was at your point under 3 weeks I was taking 2 percocet every 4 hours with the exception of sleep time. But when I woke up I was pretty miserable and took the 2 percs and waited for it to kick in before becomming human.
This forum has been awesome and has saved my os from many phone calls from me.

It is really so early for you. I have heard from Josephine as well as reading that a dislocation will not be confused with anything. Excrutiating pain, not able to put any weight on the leg . Basically call 911 material.

At my 2 week apt I told my doc that I could not believe how much muscles hurt. It still amazes me.
Welcome
Judy in So Cal
 
thanks for the input Judy,...I know I'm impatient and worry too much,.. at least now I don't have to feel like I'm the only one going thru something.

keep the faith

jon
 
Jon,
I too an a worrier. I have gone through that many times. We have to remember everyone heals at their own pace . In my case I say it is at my body's pace!!!
I have thought everyone else drives at this point, people have weaned themselves off pain meds. What is wrong with me!!! But I know I must just accept it and keep moving forward.
Let me remind you too that there are always backward steps too. Two weeks ago when I first walked unaided, I did not have much if any pain. Then I went to the pool, started walking twice a day and boy did my body complain!! It is still complaining more than it did 2 weeks ago!!!

We will get there and for you the first weeks are the toughest!!
Judy
 
Hey Jon,

So sorry you had to find out what you needed after the fact. I bet that was really unnerving. I had a scare when I got home on the 5th day and felt some pain after getting off of the hard raised toilet seat. I was panicked, even though I walked to the phone to call the doctor for reassurance. He was very nice to me and I was grateful ti be able to call. They kept telling me to call with any questions. (this is in Boulder, CO.) I am 19 days out and am down to one or two pain pills a day after doing my PT exercises and some icing. I'm done with the TED sock since I'm moving around so much now. There's a little wobble I feel in my hip joint and my doc says it has to do with my hip muscles not being tight enough at this point and that I should keep up with the butt crunches.
Hang in There!-Jaci
 
It is VERY natural and common to worry about dislocation - after all, they do make a lot of it in the early days post-op, don't they! But by the end of the first week or two, the percentages of risk are plummeting. The six week safety period for restrictions is mostly a precaution so I assure anybody who is reading this to realise that, if you can stand on your leg, much less walk on it, then 99-1 your hip is NOT dislocated!

There are odd exceptions where people have been able to stand or even walk in a dislocated hip, such as people with an exceptionally high pain threshold, people who have had previous dislocations or multiple hip surgeries, and the very elderly or mentally disabled (Alzheimers, dementia, etc.), but their gate would be extremely awkward and such that it would be fairly
obvious to even the untrained eye that something was amiss.
 
I am on the way to a check-up. and my hope is to be able to get in a pool and upgrade my PT, ( that is one discomfort that I'm reaaly looking forward to.)

thanks to everyone's input I can curb my selfishness,.. now I realize there are many people that have experienced far more than my horse blinders show me. my rollercoaster ride is more enjoyable with some positives.

jon in socal
 
Jon,
I don't consider it selfishness at all, just concern!!
I am in so cal also. I live in Sierra Madre ( next to Pasadena)
You will see that I just posted a 6 week post op as once again I think I am not normal!!!
Judy
 
Hey jon, when you get in the pool it will help a lot I think, it did for me. I am like 10 weeks out and I had no pain really but I am quite positive that is because I was in so much pain 16 I would say on a 1-10 befor surgery. I need surgery on the other hip now so I only hope it goes as well as the first.
Sounds like you were left behind for a bit...how annoying is that. I didn't know we could use a crutch is that ok? I guess it is like a cane when you think about it.
Yes, everyone is different here as you are reading. So pick the worst ones to read last then you will feel better about yours...But everyone is wonderful here and very helpful.
 
Update,

I can't go in any water until my scar is a little further along. just a little close to the surface activity/ redness so TIME once again. ( the healing of these openings we have seems to be a fairly large deal, then there are dental issues etc so please anyone look into where you are at recovery time and what else are you up against.)

to confirm josephine and everyone else's "dislocation possibility",.. everything in my new joint appears to be right where it needs to be,.. nothing has "drifted" and that would have been an extreme low %...OS cannot explain severe pain 1-1/2 weeks out ,..but points to nerve or muscle disturbance.
I think my body decided it did'nt like the alignment it had been given,...and reset the area when nobody was watching. (I know it's a crazy story butit is a distraction).

I'm supposed to do more PT and walk more,... I'm okay with this,..just stiff and stiff and gonna have to work on things to not be so stiff.

my error on 1st post not a crutch,.. using a cane

hoping everyone can continue forward progress with their programs.

jon
 
Hey Jon,
I started swimming at about 4 weeks. My surgeon said 3, but I did not want to use an aid to the edge of the pool so I waited until I could walk to it. I was actually worried about slipping as when I used one crutch it flew out from under me when it hit water.

I know you said you are in the san fernando valley. Where did you have your surgery as I also saw you posted an 85mile trip (I assume round trip)

I walked a lot tonite I will see how tomorrow am goes!!
Judy
 
hey judy

the 85 mile trip was to Santa Barbara. I was reccommended to a very good OS by a contact at work. This doctor gave me a good chance of having a
" resurfacing" but once he had me opened up he was forced to play it safe and do a "total" hip due to a fracture at the femur neck.

I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND to any new pre- hippies to find a surgeon that uses the new "COMPUTER ASSISTED SURGERY" this helped convince me with my doctor.

Last but not least,. I figured it would be better to have a handful of calm ,therapeutic drives up the 101 with the ocean view and breeze than to suffer a frustrating start and stop drive on one of LA's dirty dozen freeways.

lets all get better!

jon
 
Hi Jon,
I love the ride up to Santa Barbara, my father-in-law lives there.

About this recovery, I don't think I ever mentioned that I don't like roller coasters!!!!!
Judy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,180
Messages
1,597,060
BoneSmarties
39,364
Latest member
All2Gd88
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom