My staples are out! They were so ready to come out that they were all pushing out of my skin. The incision looks fantastic. My surgeon said that the implant is fixing well to the bone. Another 2 weeks of 50% weight bearing, and then a week 75% before going to 100%.
Then he said physio after June 4th for muscle strengthening and gait training, down to using no walking aids. I see him again in 6 weeks.
My mom took me to the country to her and dad's place. I've got a few more stairs to climb but it's a nice break from the city. My Aunt called and said her and Gramma were going to visit me tonight (they were going to drive 2hrs to the city and were super pleased to find out they only had to drive half an hour to mom's place.)
Everyone was actually surprised that I was visibly taller when I stood next to mom. And that my posture looks better because the hyperlordosis caused by my old hips is starting to self-correct and it doesn't look like I have a shelf at the bottom of my lower back.
I also got to cuddle the cats because they both ambushed me before I got in the house.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Wanting to break restrictions
I'm at that stage where I want to break my 50% weight restriction. It's annoying because I know I'm not quite ready to, but I want freedom from the crutches. I have to be careful not to break other restrictions too because my hips feel better than they have in my entire life.
Now, I did something to my right hip today trying to sit down. I went for the couch knee first and felt something twist. The pain has been relatively low, maybe a 2,but it's more than I've had in a few days. I'm keeping an eye on it and will go to the hospital if anything feels off.
I had a full 7 hours of sleep last night! Victory is mine. Mind you I went shopping yesterday for my 3 week right hipiversary and treated myself to a pair of new pants that fit my new hips.
I can't believe that getting my hips replaced changed my body shape and my hyperlordosis is starting to self-correct.
Now, I did something to my right hip today trying to sit down. I went for the couch knee first and felt something twist. The pain has been relatively low, maybe a 2,but it's more than I've had in a few days. I'm keeping an eye on it and will go to the hospital if anything feels off.
I had a full 7 hours of sleep last night! Victory is mine. Mind you I went shopping yesterday for my 3 week right hipiversary and treated myself to a pair of new pants that fit my new hips.
I can't believe that getting my hips replaced changed my body shape and my hyperlordosis is starting to self-correct.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Pain & Fatigue
Last couple of nights have been miserable as I've been repeatedly woken up by pain. And I'm having swelling issues again. It's all bunching up in my upper thigh and along the incision site. Temperature wise, it feels no different from the rest of my skin so I'm not terribly worried about it. I've just been icing, acetaminophen(1200mg) during the day and percocet(10mg/650mg) at night.
Some of it I think has to do with the weather, and some of the pain has to be from a different activity level. There are more stairs at my parents place, the house is longer and walking on uneven ground instead of city sidewalks.
I'm still resting a lot. Fatigue hits me hard maybe half an hour after an activity and I have to lay down and rest, if not fully sleep for a half hour or so. My dad's chair is mine for now, as he built a raiser platform under it because of his knees. I wish my sleep wasn't so broken at night.
Some of it I think has to do with the weather, and some of the pain has to be from a different activity level. There are more stairs at my parents place, the house is longer and walking on uneven ground instead of city sidewalks.
I'm still resting a lot. Fatigue hits me hard maybe half an hour after an activity and I have to lay down and rest, if not fully sleep for a half hour or so. My dad's chair is mine for now, as he built a raiser platform under it because of his knees. I wish my sleep wasn't so broken at night.
Friday, May 24, 2019
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Monday, May 20, 2019
i hate sitting!
I hate sitting right now. My hips immediately let me know when I'm too close to 90°. My tailbone and pelvis are miserable. My back dislikes the "lounging" position that makes my hips feel good. I have about 5 pillows out and about in the various chairs I sit in and on the end of the couch.
Any time I sit for half an hour, I then have to lay out for an hour to get rid of the pain.
My sleep is still a mess because I'm dealing with night pain and crashing from fatigue during the day. I'm hoping to sleep better tomorrow night because I picked up a new to me mattress that is only 4 years old and hasn't been slept on in 3 years compared to my idk how old it is mattress from the last time I moved and had to leave my bed behind and this was provided free of charge.
The swelling has finally gone down!
That has lowered my average daily pain down a lot. I
wish I would have measured my leg at the various points of swelling. I ended up taking one 250mg ibuprofen tab, 2 days in a row on top of endless ice, and elevation. I also didn't eat any salt heavy foods. I think it was a combination of all of the above that helped.
I'm at the weird stage of trying to balance activities with fatigue.
I have started washing dishes again. My mom sorts them all out and opens the cupboard under the sink, and pulls up the backed barstools. I sit on the stool, put my legs in the cupboard and pull up to the sink. Then I wash all of the light dishes and set them on the counter for someone else to dry and put away.
Any time I sit for half an hour, I then have to lay out for an hour to get rid of the pain.
My sleep is still a mess because I'm dealing with night pain and crashing from fatigue during the day. I'm hoping to sleep better tomorrow night because I picked up a new to me mattress that is only 4 years old and hasn't been slept on in 3 years compared to my idk how old it is mattress from the last time I moved and had to leave my bed behind and this was provided free of charge.
The swelling has finally gone down!
That has lowered my average daily pain down a lot. Iwish I would have measured my leg at the various points of swelling. I ended up taking one 250mg ibuprofen tab, 2 days in a row on top of endless ice, and elevation. I also didn't eat any salt heavy foods. I think it was a combination of all of the above that helped.
I'm at the weird stage of trying to balance activities with fatigue.
I have started washing dishes again. My mom sorts them all out and opens the cupboard under the sink, and pulls up the backed barstools. I sit on the stool, put my legs in the cupboard and pull up to the sink. Then I wash all of the light dishes and set them on the counter for someone else to dry and put away.
Friday, May 17, 2019
feeling better and incision update
Had to change my dressing today because I was getting contact dermatitis from the tegaderm. My old dressing looked great. No drainage, beyond maybe an 8th of a teaspoon of dried blood, and my staples look amazing. I'm glad they're coming out on Wednesday, because my skin is healing really well. I have 22 staples, which is one more than I had on my left.
I'm having a hard time trying not to break my hip restrictions. I keep wanting to cross my ankles this time. I'm having to tie a cushion to my leg even when I sit at the table.
I've started tapering the percocet since I've pretty much been on it for 2 months and want to be able to be off of it when this prescription runs out. And I know that my OS expects me off of it except bedtime by the time my staples are removed.
I honestly can't wait to be off of my xarelto so I can get back on my meloxicam. My knees, ankles and elbows are all flaring.
I'm avoiding anti-inflammatories because one of the doctors told me that they inhibit bone growth and based on my personal experience with a joint fusion where I took nsaids as pain relief and the fact that it took 12 weeks to make fibrous but not boney connection when it should have been bone in 6...
Otherwise Mom and I had a lovely day. We went uptown in my neighbourhood and window shopped a but, and I took her out for lunch as a minimal thank you, for basically moving into my house in the city while leaving my dad and the cats for 2 months to help me out.
(We picked up an old push wheelchair at a thrift store in between hip replacements because we both got really stir crazy last time. Its been a life saver allowing us to go out, since neither of us drive and walking further than the street corner is too much at this point.}
I'm having a hard time trying not to break my hip restrictions. I keep wanting to cross my ankles this time. I'm having to tie a cushion to my leg even when I sit at the table.
I've started tapering the percocet since I've pretty much been on it for 2 months and want to be able to be off of it when this prescription runs out. And I know that my OS expects me off of it except bedtime by the time my staples are removed.
I honestly can't wait to be off of my xarelto so I can get back on my meloxicam. My knees, ankles and elbows are all flaring.
I'm avoiding anti-inflammatories because one of the doctors told me that they inhibit bone growth and based on my personal experience with a joint fusion where I took nsaids as pain relief and the fact that it took 12 weeks to make fibrous but not boney connection when it should have been bone in 6...
Otherwise Mom and I had a lovely day. We went uptown in my neighbourhood and window shopped a but, and I took her out for lunch as a minimal thank you, for basically moving into my house in the city while leaving my dad and the cats for 2 months to help me out.
(We picked up an old push wheelchair at a thrift store in between hip replacements because we both got really stir crazy last time. Its been a life saver allowing us to go out, since neither of us drive and walking further than the street corner is too much at this point.}
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Feel Weeks Ahead
I finally figured out why I feel like I'm weeks ahead in recovery with my right hip compared to my left hip. My surgeon corrected the leg length differential caused by the first surgery with the new hip. Since it got rid of the coxa vara femoral head that remained and corrected the angle.. He told me ahead of the surgery that he'd correct it within 2.5mm length of the other hip replacement
I think it also helps that I have a strong hip to recover with instead of a wimpy arthritis filled hip that wouldn't have lasted another year.
And all of the knee/ankle pain that was killing me disappeared with a change in the weather. So I think some of it was just a minor arthritis flare timed with surgery
I think it also helps that I have a strong hip to recover with instead of a wimpy arthritis filled hip that wouldn't have lasted another year.
And all of the knee/ankle pain that was killing me disappeared with a change in the weather. So I think some of it was just a minor arthritis flare timed with surgery
Monday, May 13, 2019
Different Recovery
Each recovery really is different. I am thankful not to have all of the bruising this time that I had last time, but I'm not a fan of the swelling I have this time.
I had to get a pair of knee high TEDs, because I'm so swollen that I can't wear the thigh high ones. They dig in and cut the circulation off.
Pain ways, it's weird. Surgical site and new hip feel about 1 to 2. My knee is about a 5,goes down to a 2 with pain meds, but goes up to a ten with shooting moments and my ankle gets involved too.
There's also the swelling in which my thigh doubles or triples in size.
I'm taking it easy resting, icing, elevating. If it keeps up I'm going to call my surgeon's office tomorrow.
I'm not doing too bad at the moment, just resting with my leg elevated. I've turned my phone off because I don't have the energy to deal with people.
I grabbed a new pair of Velcro sandles before the hip and I have to keep them on indoors, otherwise I get knee pain and stem pain if I try and walk (even with my 50% weight bearing}
I wish it were warmer so I could sit on the porch.
I had to get a pair of knee high TEDs, because I'm so swollen that I can't wear the thigh high ones. They dig in and cut the circulation off.
Pain ways, it's weird. Surgical site and new hip feel about 1 to 2. My knee is about a 5,goes down to a 2 with pain meds, but goes up to a ten with shooting moments and my ankle gets involved too.
There's also the swelling in which my thigh doubles or triples in size.
I'm taking it easy resting, icing, elevating. If it keeps up I'm going to call my surgeon's office tomorrow.
I'm not doing too bad at the moment, just resting with my leg elevated. I've turned my phone off because I don't have the energy to deal with people.
I grabbed a new pair of Velcro sandles before the hip and I have to keep them on indoors, otherwise I get knee pain and stem pain if I try and walk (even with my 50% weight bearing}
I wish it were warmer so I could sit on the porch.
HUUUURRRRRRRTSSSSSS
Did anyone else get referred stem pain all the way down to their ankle? It seems to be femur pain into the knee. Straight down into my ankle. Or is it just the fact that it's my bad knee, and it's referred knee pain.
I knew to expect the knee pain from hip one, but the jaw clenching ankle pain was unaccounted for.
I knew to expect the knee pain from hip one, but the jaw clenching ankle pain was unaccounted for.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
First Night Home
I didn't sleep too bad. A few sessions of 2 hours a piece is pretty fair for the first week. I forgot how terrible opioid dreams were and how weird and vivid they get.
OTOH, I love my health care team. I had my mom drop my post-op scripts off for me at the pharmacy (she's staying with me while I recover). My pharmacist went to fill them for me and ran into a hitch with my disability/ontario drug benefit coverage. Tylenol-covered, 60 percocet-covered, iron-covered, blood thinner- rejected.
So she called me up and chatted with me and she's like"The government is refusing to cover the blood thinners. So I'm going to call the government up to get them covered." before she asked, I said they were for my right hip which I had just had replaced on May 7, and the previous prescription had been for my left hip.
I'd hoped she'd call me back, but before I could call her the pharmacy delivery showed up with all the prescriptions. I was going to tell her that if she couldn't get it done, then I'd call my surgeon and have him rip a strip off them because he's good at doing that.
OTOH, I love my health care team. I had my mom drop my post-op scripts off for me at the pharmacy (she's staying with me while I recover). My pharmacist went to fill them for me and ran into a hitch with my disability/ontario drug benefit coverage. Tylenol-covered, 60 percocet-covered, iron-covered, blood thinner- rejected.
So she called me up and chatted with me and she's like"The government is refusing to cover the blood thinners. So I'm going to call the government up to get them covered." before she asked, I said they were for my right hip which I had just had replaced on May 7, and the previous prescription had been for my left hip.
I'd hoped she'd call me back, but before I could call her the pharmacy delivery showed up with all the prescriptions. I was going to tell her that if she couldn't get it done, then I'd call my surgeon and have him rip a strip off them because he's good at doing that.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Up and Walking... But pain issues
So I'm up and making short walks on crutches. The physio at the hospital completely agreed with me that I have a much better and balanced walk with crutches than I do with a walker.
Right now I'm alternating an hour in the chair and an hour in bed. The hour in bed is when I hit my hip up with ice. I'm still having issues with pain, I guess I built up a bit of a tolerance to the pain meds because I was occasionally taking them for arthritis while I was off my NSAIDS.
The hospital physio thinks I might be able to leave tomorrow evening or on Saturday. My surgeon visited me at like 10:30 last night. Said I was making good progress after a quick chat.
I'm not massively bruised this time.
Well, the pain management issue came down to the ortho floor being short staffed and a misread chart. There have only been 2 nurses for the day and afternoon shift. One of the nurses read that I had a dose at 2 but didn't check the mg I was given and wasn't due until 6,but they've been giving me a half dose every 2 hours since that seems to manage the pain better.
I was given the extra dose of oxy that was missed as well as some toradol and just wrapped up in bed and let the meds do their thing for the last couple of hours. Apparently the look of pain on my face, convinced the afternoon nurse to double check my chart despite having 12 patients.
My log leg is finally starting to loosen up with more activity. I think what really helped is when I had the physio manipulate my knee that had frozen up, and she gave me some light exercises to get my knee moving.
This stay has been overall more pleasant, as my roommates guests only come once a day or every other day for a couple hours max, there has been no snoring in stereo and I got the bed with the window.
Right now I'm alternating an hour in the chair and an hour in bed. The hour in bed is when I hit my hip up with ice. I'm still having issues with pain, I guess I built up a bit of a tolerance to the pain meds because I was occasionally taking them for arthritis while I was off my NSAIDS.
The hospital physio thinks I might be able to leave tomorrow evening or on Saturday. My surgeon visited me at like 10:30 last night. Said I was making good progress after a quick chat.
I'm not massively bruised this time.
Well, the pain management issue came down to the ortho floor being short staffed and a misread chart. There have only been 2 nurses for the day and afternoon shift. One of the nurses read that I had a dose at 2 but didn't check the mg I was given and wasn't due until 6,but they've been giving me a half dose every 2 hours since that seems to manage the pain better.
I was given the extra dose of oxy that was missed as well as some toradol and just wrapped up in bed and let the meds do their thing for the last couple of hours. Apparently the look of pain on my face, convinced the afternoon nurse to double check my chart despite having 12 patients.
My log leg is finally starting to loosen up with more activity. I think what really helped is when I had the physio manipulate my knee that had frozen up, and she gave me some light exercises to get my knee moving.
This stay has been overall more pleasant, as my roommates guests only come once a day or every other day for a couple hours max, there has been no snoring in stereo and I got the bed with the window.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Update
I have been icing, and I was finally able to get out of bed this afternoon, even if it was just to go pee and sit in the chair. The log leg is strong in this one. The physio helped me movebmyknee about because it was so still.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Right Hip, Replaced!
Hi everyone! I made it through so far I have no nausea,my mom says I have more colour.
Surgeon told mom that my hip was absolutely riddled with arthritis but the bone was still good. I lost 250ml of blood.
Had a spinal and a nerve block. I woke up once in the middle of surgery and again before I moved into recovery. I've got my ankle pumps going. Only got poked once for my IV. the anesthesiologist wrapped my hands in hot towels to wake up my veins.
I'm still on oxygen and I'm cathed overnight because of the spinal.
Surgeon told mom that my hip was absolutely riddled with arthritis but the bone was still good. I lost 250ml of blood.
Had a spinal and a nerve block. I woke up once in the middle of surgery and again before I moved into recovery. I've got my ankle pumps going. Only got poked once for my IV. the anesthesiologist wrapped my hands in hot towels to wake up my veins.
I'm still on oxygen and I'm cathed overnight because of the spinal.
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