Up and Running (Well Almost)

moogiemouse1

Hi All

Five weeks ago I asked all of you to wish me luck with my third hip replacement (total left) and I had some lovely supportive replies! Well I thought I would update you all – The operation went really well, the horrible painful old left hip (my last real one) is gone, my legs are now the same length (I am now an inch and a half taller) and I healed really well! I started back at work a couple of days ago and have been in the gym and pool to start stretching my achy muscles! My only setback was passing a 5mm kidney stone two weeks after the operation but I suppose it was good that it happened when I was off work and housebound anyway!! Better out than in!! I would like to mention how good the staff at the RUH in Bath were and how brilliant my surgeon has been in mending me and giving me my mobility back….I can’t say enough good things about them.

Thank you again for all your support when I was at the terrified stage just before having it done, having the operation was so worth it, although I have some muscle pain at the moment, the pain of the arthritis has gone and now I am officially bionic

dreamdaisy

I am green with envy. Congratulations to you and what a rapid recovery! I trust you are doing all your exercises, resting etc etc etc. It's lovely to hear some good news on this forum. DD

marion1952

Wow - 5 weeks and you are back in work already - you are truly bionic!!!

So pleased to hear that it went well for you and the hospital was good.

I am 10 weeks post op (nearly 11) and am hoping to go back to work at 13 weeks - if Occy Health will allow it.

It is wonderful not to have that 'knife-like pain' in your hip isn't it?

Do keep posting and let us know how you progress.. there are a few of us post-op at the moment, but also a few with hip ops coming up over the next few months, so its great to hear of another good outcome..

Take care


Marion

elnafinn

Hi there!

So pleased that you posted how well you have got on, post op. That is what we love to read. It also helps and inspires others who are thinking about an op or just had one.

I wish you well, enjoy yourself!

Luv
Elna x

frogmorton

Well Moogie!!!!!!!!!!!!

you are amazing!!!!

back at work too :shock:

Wll done you - I am so very pleased to hear how tall you are now (!) serioulsy how your legs match and the pain has gone.

You are an inspiration to everyone who is going to have one

Keep it up

Love

Toni xx

dorcas

hi moogie,

your progress is amazing :shock: :!:

hope you you are being well supported and go from strength to strength. Inspirational definitely..

I was gobsmacked to read that you are also back at work after having that op. WoW!!! bionic indeed!

well done you!

Iris xx

speedalong

Hi Moogie,
so glad your op went well and you are rid of the deep bone pain. I can't believe you are back at work already? I hope you are getting enough rest and elevating the leg enough to keep the swelling at bay. I hope your job isn't too physical?! Are you driving to work?

Speedy

moogiemouse1

Hi Speedalong

I don’t drive so I am being chauffeured to and from work by my husband! Luckily I am an Accountant so it is a sit down job, work have been really good adapting all the toilets for me and they did offer me a ‘part time’ return to ease me in gently but I coped quite well last year and seem to be doing ok now! My leg was swollen for about a week after the op but that soon eased off and my leg returned to normal…I am still using one crutch for balance but don’t overdo the walking as I want the joint to last a good long while!

speedalong

Hi Moogie - Can't believe your swelling went down and stayed down that quick!! Wow! Good that you are getting a lift to and from work by hubby. I don't think my brain would have been ready for all that maths so soon after my op. Fab that work have sorted out the toilets etc - do you have a nice comfy chair to sit on whilst you work?

I went into school today for Leaver's assembly and I did a speech, spent some time mingling with pupil's, staff and visitors and when I left I was shattered!! There is no where comfortable to sit and rest in our school ... No way could I go back to school just yet - too physical - sitting on little chairs, playing on the floor, lifting/chasing etc

Keep us posted with your progress.

Oh yes how did you get in the pool?

Speedy

moogiemouse1

Hiya

I have just read your thread about getting into the pool for the first time! It's great isn't it - that lovely weightless feeling, my gym has a 25m salt water pool but it isn't sunk into the ground like normal pools it has raised sides all the way around, this enables me to sit on the side, gently swing my legs over and drop into the pool, like you I did my stretching excersises then popped a float (one of those long tubular ones)under around my back, led back and kicked up and down the pool! it was great and I could really feel my muscles loosening up! I am glad you are healing after your op too, I can see why your return to work won't be as fast as mine! it sounds much more energetic! I am most looking forward to being able to stand up straight, my old left hip was 'holding' my pelvis forward at an angle but now, once I have stretched out my poor old muscles, I should be able to get my posture back and stand tall!

speedalong

my old left hip was 'holding' my pelvis forward at an angle but now, once I have stretched out my poor old muscles, I should be able to get my posture back and stand tall!

It's a case of re-educating the body isn't it? Do you have any physio input/advice? My right hip was semi dislocated for 17+ years (only got OA in it more recently) and my torso feels more comfy if I lean to the left - I have to think to sit with it upright and at first it felt as if I was leaning to the right, when in fact I was sitting up straight. It no longer feels odd sitting upright, but I tire and then lean back to the left.

The brine pool sounds heavenly. I asked about how you got in because in haven't tackled the bigger pool with ladder steps yet ...

Speedy

marion1952

hi Mouglemouse

Your description of that 25 m saltwater pool had me drooling!!

Hi Speedy

What about taking your perching stool into the classroom when you go back? It might be more useful there than at home in a few months time..

I'm worried about how 'energetic' your job will be for you when you go back.... You should be Ok for the 'chasing' but those low/children's chairs won't be ideal ... I can pick my dogs up now, with one leg behind me still, and I can also now vacuum my very steep stairs (!)... but your children will be quite heavy to pick up, I guess...

Will you have any help in the classroom?

(Sorry for hijacking your threat Mooglemouse)


Marion

speedalong

Hi Marion - the thing is I used to work with the older kids and was going to be moving between classes on my return (too much carrying and lifting) so now am being moved to back into class - great! - but to work with the little'uns!!! Durr!!

To gain their attention you have to get up close and on their level ie eye to eye level. There is lots of picking things up off the floor and you never sit still for more than two mins, (even if you are reading a story you move round the circle taking the book up close to each child and showing them objects to help them understand the story). The children who need lifting will need lifting either because they have a physical disability or to get them out of a situation quickly ... so in both cases challenging lifting. My support staff will do a lot of the lifting, but sometimes they might both be busy or not to hand.

I think I need some kind of hydraulic chair on wheels - so I can scoot round the circle and get down to their level and then raise the chair to a decent height to get up again ... mmm - dream on ... but might be worth asking the disability officer for advice.

Perching stool would have been great if in mainstream. I went back to mainstream after my last hip op and that was littlies and later that year got a job in special and coped ... so it is possible - just not sure how yet!!

Speedy

moogiemouse1

Wow speedy, semi dislocated for 17+ years! that must have been very painful! You are right about re-educating your body, when I had my right hip repaired last year the bone graphs they had to do made that leg 2ins longer than my left, so I had a 'lean' to the left, now they are the same length I feel like the left one is too long and I was only like that for 10 months so 17 years is going to take some getting use to! Mind you I think stretching my muscles so that I can stand up straight is going to take some time as my pelvis was tilted for years giving me a slight curvature of the spine to correct!

I am very lucky to have access to the pool, I had a chat with the physio at the hospital before I left and she gave me some tips on what excersises would be the most beneficial for me but apart from that I have been left to my own devices really..

Don't worry about the 'hijack' marion, we're all hippies together!!

barbara12

Oh Moggie
I love you for your update, I am waiting to have my first THR, and I read all the threads.
I am so glad it has gone well for you, you keep up the good work, but make sure you look after yourself, dont overdo things (sorry I am sounding like mother)
Please keep updating us it really helps.
Barbara xx

speedalong

Hi Moogie,

it wasn't painful till the OA set in - but it did affect my posture as did the leg length discrepency after my first THR on the other side. My leg length discrepancy is now a bit worse since my other hip was done (should have evened up ...) My new leg is longer but only a few cms - but after the op it felt a LOT longer than that - evidently this is a common feeling that passes as the joint settles down.

Can you consciously stand up straight when you focus on doing so?

The lack of follow up from this op can be astonishing ... I happened to get care from the Intermediate team as I didn't have any one at home to help me ... and got physio from this team which has been a godsend in terms of advice and follow up particulary in relation to posture and gait.

Speedy

moogiemouse1

Hi Speedy

I can't really get myself to stand up straight because the muscles at the front of my legs, having spent years in an almost 'leaning forward' position, don't want to let me but I can tell that it is just the muscle holding me like that now and not the hip...I can feel that I am going to be able to stand up straight once the muscles have 'stretcthed' back to normal! I could have applied to have physiotherapy through my GP or paid to attend a post hip op excercise class at the hospital but decided that I was probably ok getiing on with it on my own armed with the advice I had received - this was fine for me as I am a bit of an old hand at these hip replacements now and I have access to a Gym but I would have been concerned for anyone older or a first timer!

I go back for my six week check next week, I haven't seen the x-rays yet as I chickened out when I had just had it done, I just didn't want to see all the metalwork? but now I am a bit curious to see them, my husband is taking me, he is an engineer and can't wait to see them, he thinks it's fascinating!!

speedalong

Hi Moogie -

I'm neither old or a first-timer - but I didn't have follow up physio last time - and hence was stuck with a poor gait.

This time round I had routine hip exercises etc given to me in hospital as before - but the community physio I have had this time round has been great - because it has been tailored to my own needs and challenges. Whereas the hospital physio's goal was could I get to the loo and manage the stairs - we have worked on my expections/targets.

Good luck with achieving you upright posture and with your 6 week check.

Speedy

moogiemouse1

Well I had my six week check up today and it went really well! Everything has healed and the xrays looked good - well when I say good, wowee there was alot of metalwork in there! I took a photo of the xray on my phone to show everybody, sometimes I don't think they appreciate what I have had done, this can be the downside to being upbeat about things, people find it hard to understand what I have been through (I am sure you all know what I mean). Anyway I can now go back to work (oops done that!), go back to the gym (oops done that!) sleep on my side (thank god, I haven't slept properly for weeks) and give up my crutches - hooray! Interestingly the acetabular cup in my new left hip isn't screwed in to the pelvis like my right one is - they now force the metal cup into the bone of the pelvis, it has a rough outer surface which the bone then grows into, the ceramic inner layer is then clipped into place ready to hold the ceramic ball joint! Ok I am becoming a hip replacement geek now!!

marion1952

I'm so impressed Mooglemoose - honestly, what you've achieved is nothing short of brilliant!!

You will certainly impress the airport staff when you go through one of those new machines which show everything about the body!!!

Best wishes and keep posting..

Marion

speedalong

That's fab news that everything has healed well. Keep up the good work.

Have a lovely sleep on your side tonight.

Speedy