Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Pain is reducing
I'm making a trip to the library tomorrow It is a bit of a walk, about 4 blocks, but I plan on staying for an hour before I leave the library so it's not too much all at once like a couple of my other walks.
Pain ways I'm doing great on my operated side. It's down to a 1-2 compared to the 6-8 it ran to on a daily basis, I occasionally get an uncomfortable twinge into the 4 region along my femur, but those are decreasing from several times a day for hours at end to a few seconds at bedtime, and then a small pain in my butt.
Also, another pain win, I didn't get pre-menstrual hip pain in my left hip, it just let my body do its thing instead of torturing me into a full on I'm nauseated from pain and am visibly crying 9.
I'm missing my meloxicam for the rest of my arthritic joints. I'm getting stiffer and sorer day by day.
Friday, March 22, 2019
Trying to find the right activity level
I'm moving better, but right now I'm trying to find the right activity level to where I'm not in bed the rest of the day and the next. I'm starting to get a little stir crazy in the house, and am going outside on the porch because nothing in my neighbourhood is close enough to walk to.
I booked my first outpatient physio session for April 2. I'm a little annoyed because none of the clinics in my end of the city are OHIP covered, and I'm running into issues where service referrals are made but I don't qualify for aid because I'm not a senior.
I booked my first outpatient physio session for April 2. I'm a little annoyed because none of the clinics in my end of the city are OHIP covered, and I'm running into issues where service referrals are made but I don't qualify for aid because I'm not a senior.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Recovery is subjective
Recovery is subjective. 13 days ago, I nearly passed out trying to walk 50 metres in the hospital. I had to page a nurse to walk with me 10 metres across the hospital room to go to the washroom. I kept failing the basic physio requirements in order to go home, 3 days in a row.
1 week ago, I had to be shown for the 5th time how to climb steps with crutches so I could enter and exit my house (brain fog is a bitch).
Monday night I got my first full night of sleep because I didn't have staples in my hip and ass anymore.
Today, it took me 30 minutes to walk from home to the variety store and back. It's 500 metres away. At first I was disappointed because normally that's like a 5 minute walk for me, but then I had to recalibrate my brain and remind myself that I had major surgery just 15 days ago, and 14 days ago, I was eating bland food and needing assistance to walk 3 steps.
I have achievements, I can do the dishes if I sit on a bar stool, I put away my laundry away, I can help with basic dinner prep if I'm seated. I'm down to only 10mg of oxycodone a day from the 50mg/day I was on a week ago.
1 week ago, I had to be shown for the 5th time how to climb steps with crutches so I could enter and exit my house (brain fog is a bitch).
Monday night I got my first full night of sleep because I didn't have staples in my hip and ass anymore.
Today, it took me 30 minutes to walk from home to the variety store and back. It's 500 metres away. At first I was disappointed because normally that's like a 5 minute walk for me, but then I had to recalibrate my brain and remind myself that I had major surgery just 15 days ago, and 14 days ago, I was eating bland food and needing assistance to walk 3 steps.
I have achievements, I can do the dishes if I sit on a bar stool, I put away my laundry away, I can help with basic dinner prep if I'm seated. I'm down to only 10mg of oxycodone a day from the 50mg/day I was on a week ago.
Monday, March 18, 2019
No more staples!
The staples are gone! It is 90x more comfortable to sit and lay down now. I'm not getting this pinching and tugging in my butt anymore. The staple removal went quick and hurt less than stitch removal. My surgeon has everyone cover their incision with paper tape changed daily in order to continue to hold the skin together to form a tinier scar.
I managed to take the city bus home from the clinic and crutch walk the 800m from the bus stop to home.
I took it slow, something like 25 minutes and sat down on the benches every 100m.
I managed to take the city bus home from the clinic and crutch walk the 800m from the bus stop to home.
I took it slow, something like 25 minutes and sat down on the benches every 100m.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Day 11
I get my Staples out on Monday,and can stop wearing my compression stockings 24/7 on Tuesday. I actually really liked the compression stockings the first week and a half because they helped with joint pain.
I got permission to switch from my walker to crutches and it has greatly improved my ability to walk and has shockingly reduced the stress on my shoulders.
At this point I feel like a giant ball of muscle pain and the rest of my arthritic joints are stiff, tight and swollen. Some of it comes from the lack of sleep and other comes from my body not feeling as balanced as it should.
I got permission to switch from my walker to crutches and it has greatly improved my ability to walk and has shockingly reduced the stress on my shoulders.
At this point I feel like a giant ball of muscle pain and the rest of my arthritic joints are stiff, tight and swollen. Some of it comes from the lack of sleep and other comes from my body not feeling as balanced as it should.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
9 Days post-op
I'm now 9 days post op on my left THR. It was initially scheduled for Feb 5, but some equipment issues caused my surgery to be bumped by a month.
The hip itself feels amazing and despite a month of 50% weight bearing because I have slender femurs and my surgeon doesn't want it damaged. I also have a significant leg length difference caused by the fact the replacement repaired my coxa vara, bringing the femoral head from 90 degrees to I believe the surgeon told me 120 degrees.
I ended up staying in the hospital for 7 days after the replacement due to having difficulty meeting the physio requirements. I don't even remember the day of my surgery due to a haze of nausea and vomiting and pain meds. I was so sick they ended up pushing Zofran.
I was still weak on day 2, but I was able to push myself into a sitting position and help the nurses get me ready to try and walk. The lengthened leg really threw me off. Further weakness the next day (I nearly passed out doing basic physio) prevented me from leaving the hospital on schedule.
I was almost cleared by physio to be released on Friday but it was 4pm so she couldn't check on me one more time so I ended up hospitalized until I got clearance and was able to leave at noon on Monday.
The hip itself feels amazing and despite a month of 50% weight bearing because I have slender femurs and my surgeon doesn't want it damaged. I also have a significant leg length difference caused by the fact the replacement repaired my coxa vara, bringing the femoral head from 90 degrees to I believe the surgeon told me 120 degrees.
I ended up staying in the hospital for 7 days after the replacement due to having difficulty meeting the physio requirements. I don't even remember the day of my surgery due to a haze of nausea and vomiting and pain meds. I was so sick they ended up pushing Zofran.
I was still weak on day 2, but I was able to push myself into a sitting position and help the nurses get me ready to try and walk. The lengthened leg really threw me off. Further weakness the next day (I nearly passed out doing basic physio) prevented me from leaving the hospital on schedule.
I was almost cleared by physio to be released on Friday but it was 4pm so she couldn't check on me one more time so I ended up hospitalized until I got clearance and was able to leave at noon on Monday.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Day 6 of 7
I've been in the hospital for longer than expected. My surgery was Tuesday the 5th and it's now Sunday March 10th.
My expected release date was supposed to be on the evening of Thursday the 7th,but while the surgery turned out fine, I had a nasty reaction to the anesthetic and spent the entire day of the surgery with the curtain pulled around my bed and puking in a bucket.
I don't really remember the day at all, and really all I can say is that I'm thankful for the catheter so I didn't have to think of taking care of myself that day.
The next day I was still tender and starting to feel pain. I was exhausted from the nurses in and out all night checking my vitals
My expected release date was supposed to be on the evening of Thursday the 7th,but while the surgery turned out fine, I had a nasty reaction to the anesthetic and spent the entire day of the surgery with the curtain pulled around my bed and puking in a bucket.
I don't really remember the day at all, and really all I can say is that I'm thankful for the catheter so I didn't have to think of taking care of myself that day.
The next day I was still tender and starting to feel pain. I was exhausted from the nurses in and out all night checking my vitals
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
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