Update on hip op recovery (op 12th May)

speedalong

Hi Marion, I have been more aware of unusual sensations in my leg since late afternoon yesterday. The sensations are altering around the scar site but also my ankle aches and if I had a someone here and they were the sort of person I could have asked - I would have got them massaging my calf!! I'm going to look on the net to see if there is anything I could buy so I can do it myself. I think my ankle/foot aches because for the first tiem in 15 plus years my hip joint is now fully in my socket and I am using my foot properly for heel to toe walking action and its not used to it. I'm also doing more walking with one/no crutches (though my gait and speed is much better when I use both.)

We are having a proper lazy day today ... S is in no hurry to do anything .... which is great, as long as I wear him out somehow at some point so he sleeps tonight ...

Speedalong

hileena111

Marion
Just a thought about the scooter......I was out of hospital on the Monday and in our Metro Center on my scooter on the Sat. but I drove to a lift and what was the first thing I did....lean over the handlebars to press the button.....the second thing.....in the lift twist round to press the button to go up and the thrid thing ...sitting having coffee and making sure not to bend to reach for my coffee but I dropped my pen while making a lshopping list LOL A little boy close by picked it up for me...all the things you do without thinking....but it is great...enjoy

Love Hileena

marion1952

Hi Speedalong

It could, indeed, be that you are using muscles/doing actions that you haven't done for many years.. Perhaps ease the pressure on it by going back to using your crutches for the next day or so and see if that helps?? I can't think of anything that could be a massager.. I am just about to order one of those long-handled gadgets with a sponge at the end, to wash my lower legs and feet, but I'm not sure if they are 'firm' enough to be used as a massager..

My scar area is a bit 'lumpy' in places. The District Nurse told me to massage a simple moisturiser in the scar area, but I haven't got round to doing so as yet.

Let us know how your ankle goes on.


Hi Hileena

Oh so true those examples of reaching out when you shouldn't! I would add ...reaching forward for the TV control and ...bending to catch my 'get well' cards which keep falling off the window sill!!

Marion x

speedalong

Hi Marion,

are you still having to wear TED stockings? How long for? A member of the Intermediary care team comes out each day to change my TEDS and wash my feet (not soles - i'd scream!!) and my calves etc.
I have just bought a long armed dustpan and my friend is looking out for long handled toilet brushes...

The nurse recommended bio-oil for the scar, haven't got any yet so am using E45 for now.

Speedalong

PS do you know when we can attempt climbing stairs normally (ie not always leading with the same foot?)

hileena111

Hi Speedalong
I know I'm not Marion LOL but we had our THR's fairly close togeter. So can I butt in....says she butting in anyway LOL
My disgtrict nurse told me I could stop wearing those "passion killers" at night afte a couple of weeks but must keep wearing them during the day for the full 6 weeks.
As for the stairs......I was going up normally but coming down .....good foot to heaven and bad one to hell........she said I was to go up and down the way I had been shown un til I could do BOTH comfortably then go ahead normally......but if I could only do it one way safely stick to the way we were taught.....I know all districts are different.

Love
Hileena.

barbara12

Hi Hileena
I have to have my hip repaced,so I find these posting very helpful, I like to read the bad with the good, so keep them coming.
Hope you do the stairs very soon, without the pain that is.
You take care
Barbara x

hileena111

Hi Barbara
Glad you are finding them a help......I'm 3 and a half months post op now and can do stairs OK {this was during the first 6 weeks} I've still got pain in the mornings and my other leg is sorer that it used to be but I think thats because I was balanced before....both were wonky LOL now one has been operated on and the other one hasnt so it feels worse now...I'm unbalanced....Whats new???? LOL
Love
Hileena

barbara12

hileena111 wrote:

Hi Barbara
Glad you are finding them a help......I'm 3 and a half months post op now and can do stairs OK {this was during the first 6 weeks} I've still got pain in the mornings and my other leg is sorer that it used to be but I think thats because I was balanced before....both were wonky LOL now one has been operated on and the other one hasnt so it feels worse now...I'm unbalanced....Whats new???? LOL
Love
Hileena

Hi again Hileena,dose your other hip need replacing, if it dose how long have they told you to wait, sorry if I seem nosey but both my hips need doing,
Barbara x

tillytop

Hi Speedalong - so glad all is going well for you! Love Tilly x

hileena111

Hi Barbara,.....yes the 2nd one needs replacing and its 3 and a half months since the first one.....Go to see him this Friday and I expect him to mention it then.....before I had the first one done he said about 6 months between them.
I'll post on Friday...the results of the appt.

Love
Hileena

speedalong

Thanks Hileena,

haven't tried stairs normally - but feels unnatural doing the good leg to heaven, bad leg to hell way when I'm not tired and zooming up and down. Might try a bit then. Since op going down feels easier than going up.

Re TEDS - now that is interesting - sleeping in them is vile ... the lack of follow up advice etc is astonishing as is the variation between health trusts and authorities.

Be interesting to hear about your Fri app.

Tilly - thank you.

Speedalong

marion1952

Hi Speedalong (also Hileena, also Barbara)

Guess what - I wasn't given the TEDs stockings! I queried it with the nurse and she said not all consultants prescribed them, but I was a bit persistent and said that the lady in the next bed had been given them when she was discharged, so the nurse then checked it with the consultant and the message was that he didn't prescribe them .. Presumably, he believes the 28 days of 'blood thinners' is enough to prevent a DVT... (Another example of how things are done differently by different surgeons..) I was happy enough with that, as I was dreading having the stockings and had been losing sleep beforehand, wondering how I would cope with them anyway !

I've just been going through the discharge information again Speedalong and I have to stay on the crutches for at least 6 weeks and if I feel OK I can then reduce to one crutch until I have my out-patient appt (at 12 weeks).. The other information is very much 'little and often'' - eg have a walk every hour (but it doesn't say if that means walking around the house or walking down the road!) No information about when to come down stairs normally - presumably I will also have to ask that at my 12 week appointment..

I have had the discomfort in my groin quite a lot today, but am not worried about it ... I am on methotrexate and that causes a delay in the healing process anyway (apparently)..

Whew - what would we do without this forum to share things with people in similar situations!!

Marion x

hileena111

Hi Speedalong
Yes my passionkillers LOL seemed very tight and the district nurse said they were and that my leg was swollen out above it and she rang the hospital to ask if they would send me a larger pair. They said she was to measure my leg.....she did and got back to them and they said no way would they send a larger pair...that was when she said wear them all day but take them off a night if you want to

love

Hileena

hileena111

Hi Marion...we must have posted together LOL
How on earth did you get away with that Good for you. I did try that .......surely the blood thinners are enough... but they wouldnt have that at all....Can I come to your Health Authority for my second one

Love
Hileena

speedalong

Hi Marion - NO TEDS!!! Blimey ... and looks like I'm set to be wearing the darn passion killers for months!!

discharge information

How novel!! I can't believe I didn't ask more questions before I left - I think I was more worried I might miss my ambulance than anything else ...!!

I was given no advice on reducing crutches etc In hospital the physios visited me to get me out of bed - day after op - walk with a zimmer the next day, crutches the next and then we did stairs the day after and that was it. They would periodically tell me I was doing well as I walked around the ward and asked was I doing my exercises and that was it.

I have had the discomfort in my groin quite a lot today, but am not worried about it ... I am on methotrexate and that causes a delay in the healing process anyway (apparently)..

Glad you aren't worrying, I have tenderness both hips in the groin area at mo.

Whew - what would we do without this forum to share things with people in similar situations!!

Indeed!! I think I'd go stir crazy.

Speedalong

tkachev

Hi Speedalong

I am pretty sure its at least 12 weeks before you can lead with the good leg downstairs. You get into the habit anyway and I have only just changed. In fact I walked up the stairs one step left one step right perfectly pain free the other day- just like pre arthur days and like 'normal people'!!!!
Elizabeth x

denpen

Hi Speedalong
You sound like your doing really well and what a great friend you have she is a real treasure.
Take care
Denise

caravancollie

Hi speedalong and all my fellow THR friends. Glad to see you are all making good progress. I don't normally get much chance to post when I'm working but as I'm on holiday I have more opportunity. I wanted to share with everyone that my new hip is behaving fantastically well,pity the same cannot be said for the other one. Am managing to do all the theme parks in Florida- Mickey Mouse says hi. Am trying to be sensible re the rides. Have had great fun in the water parks with my grandaughters. I couldn't have done all this before the op.so keep up with the exercises and positive thoughts. Best wishes from sunny Florida. Elaine

speedalong

Hi Elizabeth and Denise - thanks for messages.

I rang the ward physios yesterday, they said since I'm not on any weight bearing restrictions I only have the crutches for balance and support when necessary and to help with the pain when walking and standing. They also teach the good leg to heaven, bad leg to hell method for doing stairs as it is less painful and until the operated leg gets strong. They gave me the go ahead to walk with 2, 1 or no sticks and do stairs normally if pain ok - well I'm in very little pain really - though do tire as day progresses. So now have their blessing - I use both crutches in the garden and out of the house, mainly one crutch in the house) except when I forget and set off with out it!! I don't tend to use any in the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom ... I do the stairs with one stick and the rail - normal stepping when not tired and the heaven/hell way if tired. My main challenge is obeying the restrictions - my leg IS SO MUCH BETTER than for months before op - that I keep doing things I couldn't do pre-op.

Speedalong

speedalong

caravancollie wrote:

Hi speedalong and all my fellow THR friends. Glad to see you are all making good progress. I don't normally get much chance to post when I'm working but as I'm on holiday I have more opportunity. I wanted to share with everyone that my new hip is behaving fantastically well,pity the same cannot be said for the other one. Am managing to do all the theme parks in Florida- Mickey Mouse says hi. Am trying to be sensible re the rides. Have had great fun in the water parks with my grandaughters. I couldn't have done all this before the op.so keep up with the exercises and positive thoughts. Best wishes from sunny Florida. Elaine

Thank you Elaine, for your advice and best wishes. Sounds like you are doing fabulously, Enjoy.

Speedalong

tkachev

You are doing so well speedalong. Its easy to forget you need to balance walking and resting though so get plenty of rest too.
Today my left hip (unoperated hip) is hurting and i am hobbling. You never know what it will feel like rom day-to-day. prob overdone it cos children on holiday from school.
Has S got next week off too? My younger son has 2 weeks off but i have 2 days respite set up as a break. The other 2 are at school.

Elizabeth

dorcas

Hi speedy

just popping by to say how inspiring it is to read how you and all the other 'hippies' are doing and how well you are all coping with the challenges :!:

love and ((hugs)))

Iris x

dreamdaisy

I am DELIGHTED that it's all going so well. It's a huge thing to have done and the way you have handled it all only sparks admiration. It must be lovely to feel your full mobility returning, and without anywhere near the pain you had before. I am so pleased for you speedalong, keep up the good work. DD

hileena111

Hi Speedalong
Glad you got the instructions sorted out....seems much the same as mine....as long as you need things use them

Love
Hileena

marion1952

Hi caravancollie

Great to hear you are having such a fab time in Florida. Thanks for your encouraging post .

Marion (4 weeks post THR)