Leg, knee and wound pain

speedalong

Thing is though Mike, the shopping trip lasted a lot longer than 10 mins though didn't it?? So you walked for 10 mins + queued no doubt + walked to and around Currys + sat on uncomfy seats in McDonalds + probably felt like 10 mins to wife - but was actually a bit longer ... it all adds up!!

Speedy

mjking

You are 100% right Speedy!

But it was good to get out of the house - first time properly for 4 weeks!

Leg is holding up pretty well - wound a lot less painful than yesterday.

I'll take it easy tomorrow but taking pain killers regularily seems to be paying off.

Time for bed now (more trying to sleep on my back!!)

Mike

speedalong

Yes - I remember the relief and excitement of getting out of the house and off what felt like house-arrest!!

Hopefully in 2 weeks you'll get the all clear to sleep on your side again ...

Good night,

Speedy

dreamdaisy

Good morning mike, I hope all is well today. DD

mjking

I am pretty good today, thanks. Managed to sleep from about 11.30 - 5 am with only a couple of wake ups during the night.

That's quite good for me - I think I'm finally getting used to sleeping on my back. Mindyou, when I have my 1st post op check up with the surgeon in 2 weeks time, I'm hoping he says I can sleep on my side!

How about you? Have had a hip replacement yourself?

Mike

dreamdaisy

No, I don't qualify for new joints - I've the wrong sort of arthritis, PA (psoriatic arthritis). I think it's mostly OA people who get the new bones: RA and PA are auto-immune conditions, unlike OA, so our treatments are totally different. DD

dorcas

Hiya Mike..good to see you're feeling better!! good luck with your ortho appointment in fortnight..what date is it? (so's we can follow your progress)

Hey DD...I have PA too but have had a total wrist replacement and will be getting finger joint replacements next year..followed thereafter by a knee replacement.
So..might be worth you asking your rheummy/ orthos again about joint replacements?

Iris xxxx

mjking

Hi Iris

Hope you are well today?

My 6 week follow up is on 10/8/10 - date of my wedding anniversaire so I hope its a lucky date!

Mike

dorcas

Hiya Mike,

I'm feeling fine thanks!

will be watching for you posting your op news on the 10th..well make it the 11th as expect you'll be busy celebrating your anniversary! (you'll need to make it very special to make up for all your moaning.ha ha!)

Iris x

marion1952

Hi Mike

Glad to hear that everything is OK again now.

My 13 weeks appointment is on 10th August too - that will be the first time I have been seen at the hospital since I was discharged from my THR on 12th May!!!

Marion

speedalong

Looking forward to hearing what your consultant says about hip restrictions at your 6 week appointment ... ask lots of questions and tell us all!!

Hi Marion, I think your hospital follow up is very lax - even worse than at mine!! You were discharged on the day I had my op.
Is everything in place for you at work - your special comfy chair etc? Glad your hands are improving. Which finger is it? My little finger (crutch side) is permanently swollen and deformed and has periods of being painful - not sure if due to crutches.

Speedy

marion1952

Hi Speedy

Am expecting my chair and workstation 'assessment' any day now -
It's the middle finger of my left hand that's the most problematic at the moment. It starts off in the morning straight (because I use night-time splints) but as soon as I hold the crutch it's bent again!!

Yes, have felt quite 'adrift' in many ways since I was discharged.. I am going to mention it at my 13 week appt. If I hadn't had this forum to check things out with I would have been phoning the hospital several times a week for advice!!

I did my methotrexate injection last night - I missed last week's because of my toe infection and coudl feel my whole body stiffening up over the weekend... bit happier today!

Thanks again for your support


Marion

speedalong

Hi Marion,

looking forward to hearing all about your assessment and your appointment next month.

Sounds like you had that jab just in time.

How is your crutchless walking going?

I went for a walk with my physio today (my last session) she is very pleased with how I walk in the house (no crutch) and so we started our walk with her carrying the crutch and me walking unaided. I VERY quickly tired and deteriorated gait wise without it, which I find disappointing. She said I had 15 years of unlearning to do and it would take time. My walking along the pavement with the crutch however is good and it looks like I don't need it (until it is taken away!)

Speedy

marion1952

Hi Speedy

My 'crutchless walking' is exactly the same as yours.. I went out to the local newsagents this afternoon and carried my crutch part of the way, but I soon became tired and achy so resumed using the crutch after just a few minutes. I suppose because I've not been walking correctly for the best part of 2 years it will take some time to get back to it..

Don't get disheartened .. I think this final phase of recovery may take some time, but it will come ... I think it's a case of' little and often' without the crutch for me and gradually building up strength..

Marion

frogmorton

Hey you two....

I think you are doing brilliantly

I really do - if I was you i'd still be trying to get in a wheelchair I am such a coward.

You are right build it up a bit at a time....


You acnt undo years of wonky walking in a few weeks

love

Toni xx

PS if you are looking in Mike

Hoping all is still going ok now for you??

marion1952

Thanks Toni..

Hey Mike - sorry for hijacking your thread! -but perhaps Speedy and my ups and downs will be useful for you to read In September when you are 10 weeks post op! .

Hope you are continuing to iomprove and your shopping excursion the other day didn't wear you out too much.. it's sooo easy to do too much when you first start getting out and about again..

Marion

mjking

That sounds pretty bad Marion?

How come they have waited so long to see you?

Have you seen other medical people in the meantime?

Mike

mjking

Hi Speedy

I found a quite useful checklist on an American site's (www.hipsandknees.com) FAQs.

Its a simple grid with the weeks across the top and a series of questions down the side - e.g:


When can I sleep on you operated side?
When can I remove the pillow when sleeping?
When can I give up the raised toilet seat?
When can I start driving again?

And so on.

So if you can remove the pillow 8 weeks from the op you tick that box.

I've probably not explained this very well but its simple enough!

Mike

mjking

Hi Toni

Hope you are well his evening?

I had my best sleep since coming home last night and even managed about 40 mins snoozing this afternoon!

Feel much better for it and wound and pain leg are both a fair bit less.

Mike

speedalong

Hi Marion - I seem to remember reading other peeps posts saying that the rate of improvement slows (but doesn't stop) so I guess we are doing ok - I just want to be able to walk normally for whatever distance I choose ... (not wishing for much then!)

Thanks Toni for your words of encouragement. (I don't think you would just sit in your wheelchair ... you'd probably be as "bad" as us!)

Hi Mike,

I'm interested in all your answers because every consultant is different and gives different timescales and answers. Also my hospital treat THR and resurface-replacement patients the same, whereas research says we needn't follow the same restrictions or for as long. You are the first other resurface-replacement person I have "met."

Well done on the sleeping. I'm not doing so well with it at the mo. I fall asleep easily (now I'm lying on my side) but I toss and turn and seem to wake each time I change position. In the beginning when I could sleep on my side I would fall asleep quickly on my side and wake up on my back - now I seem to go from side to side ....

Glad the pain is better and I will check out that link ... see if it is a new one.

Speedy

dreamdaisy

Hello mike, I hope all is well today. DD

mjking

How about you DD?

Walked outside for about 20 mins non stop yesterday, which is probably the most I've done. Both legs sore todasy but the kind you get when you use muscles that haven't been used for a while.

Nothing like the leg, knee and wound pain I was getting last week, so I'm taking it as a good sign!

Mike

dreamdaisy

Thank you for asking! Truth be told it's rough at the mo, but ho-hum, I know it's not ever going to get better. I have PA which is somewhat subdued by the drugs but with 31 joints now affected sometimes life's unreasonably uncomfortable. Are you sleeping any better yet? DD

mjking

Sorry to hear that DD

'xcuse my ignorence but what's PA? :?:

31 joints affected now - sounds like its a progressive thing and could/will get worse?

Sleeping is OK but I wake up about every 2 hours meaning I'm getting about 6 hrs per night but its interupted and makes me dozy during the day!

I think boredom isn't helping either!

Are you working at all?

Mike

dreamdaisy

PA is psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory condition like rheumatoid but with the added benefit of psoriasis. My joints are beautiful - they just massivley over-produce synovial fluid which causes them to swell and become hot. It started in my left knee in 1997 and is now all over the place. Apparently PA doesn't usually affect the hips ands the spine, so that's a good thing. The odd thing is I don't have much in the way of psoriasis yet, either. I have had two episodes of it, affecting the palms and soles. I have two small patches which never go away tho! I have an uncle in America who has developed this very late in life - he's 88 and smothered in P and battling with the A. These things do run in families, something to do with an over-active immune system, so thank whoever/whatever that I am childless. The misery ends here. DD