New Hip Day

stickywicket

@Lilymary I love your exercise in commodifying Mr LM and I'm sure he'll forgive you as we all get so much practice in marriage, don't we😉 Thanks for the laughs.

frogmorton

Thank you both for your laughs just what i needed this morning my garden is being 'done' raised beds fitted, drive re-tarmaced etc so in need of a ☺

Lilymary

Sit back and let them get on with it @frogmorton , just keep topping up their fuel (I find with builders tea or Tango work just as well, although newer models have been known to run better on responsibly sourced elderflower cordial 😂). Hope it looks lovely when they’ve finished.

frogmorton

Thank you @Lilymary

I never thought of tango or elderflower cordial🤔

Keep up the good work yourself you are doing so well. I hope the 'good' hip will be happier when the 'new' hip starts to take full responsibility for itself!

Lilymary

Ah, the joys of overdoing it, my leg hurts from hip to toe. Sciatic pain probably. I gather this can be a nasty side effect of surgery, but I’m hoping this will be a passing thing from too much bending? 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞😢

Cazbaz

@Lilymary Its so difficult not to overdo things when you are feeling better, I don’t realise I have overdone it until the hip and leg start to grumble, I’ve decided to do more one day then rest a bit the next, I think it’s all trial and error at the minute.

Lilymary

Glad it’s not just me @Cazbaz , i’m rubbish at stopping. The garden that was my salvation last year will now be my undoing if I’m not careful. It’s raining today so that helps. I couldn’t help stopping off at the garden centre again on the way home from a short client visit yesterday though.... 🌸🌷🌹🥀🌻🌼🌸🌷🌼🥀🌻🙄🙁

Crookrise

It's reassuring to read that other people overdo things. I was feeling smug at 6 weeks post THR. Hardly any pain, mostly stick free and up to 6500 steps a day (according to the app my son downloaded for me). The first session of our singing for health group was on Tuesday - outside. First time we'd met since February 2020 so I was full or adrenaline, endorphins etc. and stood for an hour "conducting". So I now have really nasty pain in my upper inner thigh. Back to the painkillers, ice packs (worlds best passion-killer held between the thighs) and rest. Has anyone else had this problem just from standing? I didn't walk any further than usual. Any idea how long before it settles. I'm new to this game - only one replacement joint so far.

stickywicket

I am what you might call 'multi-crocked' and have always found standing harder than moving. Mind you, my son is a singer, and occasionally conducts, and it doesn't seem to involve pure standing though that might depend on how the choir is 'laid out'. (His is usually in church with choir stalls left and right. Hence a fair bit of moving around for the conductor.) But I guess arms in the air for a fair bit of time might be a contributory factor too.Could you, next time, manage to sit a bit between pieces? I know choirs are desperate to sing again.

Lilymary

@Crookrise , or perhaps a high perching stool? Might be worth standing up in the vigorous passages to avoid a capsize.

I have self referred to my physio, I’ll let you know what she says. I suspect I’m going to get a lecture.

Lilymary

My physio has banned me from gardening! 😭😭😭 I’m distraught, and trying to come up with devious ways of kidding my body, and my physio, that I’m not actually gardening, just getting my hands dirty...... 🙄🤔😼🌼🌸🌹😊

the annoying thing is, you think you’re bending correctly (operated leg sticking out behind when bending forward), but it’s easy to forget and if it doesn’t hurt at the time you don’t notice you’re doing it wrong, or too much. My new resolve lead to some interesting ballet when putting the food out for the hedgehogs this evening. 🦔💃👏🤦🏻‍♀️

Cazbaz

@Lilymary I can understand you being distraught about not being able to do any gardening, I’m the same but I have cut down this year, I stick my leg out behind me 90% of the time but as I’ve been doing more cooking this last couple of weeks I forget when I bend down to the oven, have been told off several times. Think I overdid it yesterday (while hubby was out) doing some housework etc and I’m suffering today, not getting much sympathy just being told ‘I told you so’. 😂Best thing we can do is too be more cautious when doing things and listen to our bodies, the garden etc. will still be here next year 🙂

Lilymary

@Cazbaz , my husband declared himself “shocked and amazed” that I was stiff and in pain. Sounds like our husbands are suffering sympathy fatigue 😅. I’m mostly distraught that the car boot-full of plants I’ve bought over the last week are still waiting to go in the ground, and Mr LM’s gardening skills are limited, and he doesn’t work well under instruction. We may need relationship counselling next week. My hip had better improve after this sacrifice!

Crookrise

I'm relieved to say I'm much better this morning. My husband was kind enough to say "You won't know what's too much until you've done it". But the sympathy might wane if I repeat the experience so no more standing for an hour waving my arms in the air. I'm using my step counter as a brake not a target. I know I need about 1000 steps for cooking tea/supper/evening meal plus the rest of the evening so try to make sure I leave that in reserve. Hoping to increase the target by 500 steps a week - we'll see.

I'm a keen gardener too but have a willing slave. We're letting the centre of our lawn go wild and just mowing round the edges. Slave will scythe it in the late summer. It's looking lovely so far. Fortunately the rest of the garden is so full of plants there isn't room for anything else unless something dies. Physio suggested a kneeler with handles when I can get back on my knees - ?3 months post-op. Any comments?

Lilymary

@Crookrise , I’m glad you’re feeling better, my physio said my exercises are more important than walking increasing distances atm. I feel she’s right as it’s these exercises that enable me to walk upright. I haven’t been using my step counter but my walks round the village are about a mile and that feels enough. The fatigue and the pain in my shoulder from using the stick or crutch are the main things limiting me. But it’s a good idea to use your step counter “as a brake”. There’s such pressure to get back to normal as quickly as possible that it’s very easy to risk wrecking the surgeon’s good work.

I did think about a kneeler with handles, even ordered one on line that came with a tool bag that hung off the handle , but (a) it was a scam (only the tool bag arrived, no kneeler - tool bag useless without it, supplier ignoring all complaints - that’s the first and last time I ever order from an ad appearing on Facebook) and (b) my gardens are on a moderately steep slope so the kneeler would have been too unstable anyway. But on a level garden it will help you get up off the ground. You could also use a garden chair for that, plus you can use it to put tools, plants etc on, or just sit and have a rest, so probably more useful. My mother has one with arms and a mesh seat so dirt doesn’t accumulate on it and she can pull herself up off the ground with it. (An equally determined gardener at 92!)

The nerve pain is more or less constant, worst in my calf, ankle and front of my hip. It’s bearable, but worrying, and I’d rather it went. Nearly 9 weeks in and I still haven’t had that pain free epiphany that other ‘hippies’ report. 😢 At least the grinding pain in my hip has gone, but the collateral damage to soft tissues has been another matter altogether. Even the last tiny bit of the deep wound where the surgeon”s hand slipped hasn’t quite gone and needs dressing. 🙄 On the positive side, my wobble has almost gone and I sometimes find myself walking round the house without thinking about it now, which I’m happy to take as a good sign.

Brynmor

Top Tip sent into our Helplines on Wednesday, especially for recent hip surgery patients:

Caller this morning wanted to tell me and make others aware of a roller her daughter bought her, which is long and has pads on it for doing behind radiators. She uses it to apply her capsaicin cream to her feet because she has had hip surgery and can no longer reach her feet.

Lilymary

Well, between us Mr LM and I managed to get most of the new plants into the ground over the weekend, with me doing the easy bits. My short period of abstinence made no difference to my sciatic pain from hip to toe, but in fairness to my physio, yesterday probably made it a bit worse. 🙄 At least it’s done now. I’ll see if it settles over the next few days before confessing to her.

I’ve also decided to enlist a podiatrist to sort out 9 weeks of neglect to my feet, which are now, literally, distant old friends that I have been unable to get in touch with. It’s not a horror story down there, but Mr LM’s nail topiary skills are a little basic and I’m at the stage of yearning for a bit of preening and pampering, but a cosmetic pedi just won’t fit the bill. Thank you @Brynmor for the roller suggestion, perhaps I should attach sandpaper to mine!

But I am also still yearning for that post op “pain free” epiphany moment, which has so far eluded me. I must content myself with a slowly reducing wobble and slightly increased range of walking for now. 🙁

ArtiOSTEfy

Thank you Lilymary.

Good to see your doing more now. The more you can do to use your leg to get that hip working the better. It will heal more quickly as it is a weight bearing operation. So get up and go girl 😜😜.

Not had x-ray yet as a bit concerned about this new covid strain. Our hospital is full up at the moment with covid patients. A bit scarry 😕.

Lilymary

I decided to ignore my fatigue and sciatica and go for an evening walk anyway last night. I set myself a small achievable target, but it was such a beautiful evening the walk got longer, and longer... not sure of total distance but certainly well over a mile. While the gardening may have been pushing my luck in some respects, I do feel it has improved my balance as it has challenged my body so much. So I decided to do shortish stretches not using my stick, trying to walk sufficiently straight that I could convince an innocent bystander that this odd woman with the very focussed expression on her face doesn’t have a wonky leg. I don’t think it would pass muster, but if I concentrate on using my core muscles to hold my torso correctly and work my (still rather sleepy) outer thigh muscles, it wasn’t half bad if I do say so myself. But it was hard work, and I could feel the muscles complaining after a while so I was glad I still had the stick with me. Not ready for the full off-road experience yet, but getting there....

ps, I should add that all said muscles are complaining like mad now, (reaches foe paracetamol...) so maybe repeat this in shorter doses!

Lilymary

@ArtiOSTEfy , the hospital should have the covid cases segregated onto separate wards. They will be doing everything possible to keep other patients safe, so don't let this put you off seeking the next stage in your treatment. They will be policing the mask wearing, there will be hand sanitising stations all over the place, the staff will all be masked up and sanitised, when I’ve been going in they even go round sanitising seats after you get up. Just go for it!

Lilymary

Well knock me down with a feather, I did that same walk again last night, this time with Mr LM and his Fitbit, and it turns out it was over 2.5 miles! I wasn’t allowed the luxury of regular stops to gaze at the views and wildlife and natter to horses etc this time, so I was knackered and a bit sore in places when we got back. Would love to do an off road walk, but too much rough ground and steep stiles round here, so that will have to wait.

i also managed another session with Leon and his mum. I’m choosing them at random, but find them sufficiently challenging and just step down some of the exercises if my hip complains. Pre op I was unable to do them at all the pain was so bad.

Cazbaz

@Lilymary, well done on your walking, 2.5 miles is brilliant, puts me to shame, I have decided to do some different exercises now, I do the official hospital exercise class alternate days and random exercises the other days, also now doing specific exercises for my stupid foot, marbles rolling under every chair😂Tried some ‘gentle’ gardening but my back didn’t agree with my definition of gentle and is now retaliating so decided to rest this afternoon with a good book 😂keep up the good work👏

Lilymary

@Cazbaz , you’re much more disciplined than me about exercising. My physio said the exercises are more important than walking long distances, so keep it up! I’m not trying to increase distances for it’s own sake, I just wanted to see what was round the next bend, so to speak. Tbh it was probably a bit too far as my hip was a bit painful by the end, but once out there I had to get back. I've done my physio-prescribed exercises this morning, and a session with Leon (somewhat put off by an audience of two bemused and judgemental cats 😹). I’ve eased back on the gardening and the sciatica isn’t as bad now, but my body’s latest grumble is pain in the top of the front thigh muscle. Bloomin’ attention seeking if you ask me, but I suppose I will have to pander to it for a while 🙄. I hope your back settles down soon, it’s probably a while since you used those muscles so it probably came as a bit of a shock to them!

Lilymary

Hello all, sorry I feel the need for a moan today. I'm now 11 weeks post THR. In order of worst to least causes of fed-up-ness

1. Fatigue. I'm almost constantly wiped out. (For those for whom sleep is impossible, my apologies for the next comment...) I sleep solidly most nights, but for 9 or 10 hours(!) and it takes me about another hour to be sufficiently alert to get out of bed and start the day. Setting the alarm for an earlier start will see me asleep in the afternoon. Even when I'm awake my head is full of cotton wool and I could happily go back to bed at any time. I push myself to do a little walk most days, on the basis that "it's good for me" (which it is) but it's a real struggle.
2. Pain. I thought this was going to be a thing of the past, but I'm still not pain free. It just goes to different bits of my leg. Easing off the gardening has helped the sciatic pain, which now just grumbles at me occasionally to remind me it's still there, but today I have constant pain at the top of the front of my thigh, which I suspect is where my pesky hip abductor muscles connect to something important. Pretty much everything sets it off.
3. Anxiety. People are now expecting me to get back to work. I suspect sympathy fatigue is setting in. Given 1 and 2 above, this feels well beyond my reach. The joys of being self employed.
4. More anxiety. I'd like to think I'm going to get other bits of my life back soon, like being able to do more than a shuffle round the village. And using a stick, even one with a special grip, is wrecking my shoulder and wrist, so quite often I just end up carrying it and limping a lot to give them a rest.
5. Even more anxiety. I have a horrible feeling my other hip is building up for the big performance, so I've got all this to go through again. Deep joy. By the time they've both recovered from surgery I'll be too old or permanently unfit to get back out in the hills. Mind you, by then the next ice age will have been and gone and ground them down a bit lower so it will be easier to get to the top. 🙄
6. My legs are still different colours. I'm not making this up. My operated leg is a darker shade of pinky-blue than the other, which is British Celtic blue-white. It's most noticeable in my feet, but spreading all the way up my leg. No one seems to know why, but there's clearly something afoot (pun intended). It's very odd.

On the plus side, I find I can now dispense with the raised toilet seat. I should be grateful for small mercies.

And if anyone else tells me about their uncle/neighbour/friend who had this done and is now back to normal, you forgot to mention this bit.

Cazbaz

@Lilymary I’m sorry you are going through the hoop at the minute, you are not alone regarding fatigue, I’m sleeping for England, one day I’m full of energy the next day I’m washed out. I try not to think that other people I know who have had THR got back to normality a lot quicker than me but most of them are younger than I am. Are you still limping ? I am when I walk without a stick and putting full weight on my hip (I know I need to lose a few pounds, perhaps that will help😂) I’m sure things will improve for you and try to stay positive, I’m sure you will get back out in the hills in no time, at least you have ditched the raised seat, mine is going next week as it’s beginning to make me feel old, I think gripping my walking stick has caused arthritis to kick in in my wrist, you can’t win. Take care and stay positive and if you feel like having a moan go for it.