My hip replacement diary
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Your journey is the one we all want to follow. Day 46 and you are starting a new life without pain and willing to get stronger. You'll be running very soon. The best is to be able to sleep on your side.
Your physio said the words I'd like to hear. I don't want to hear they can only guarantee we will not have pain and we have to live in a crystal bubble. I want to know how far we can go with an artificial hip.
Have a good night X
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Day 47 I wasn't going to post today - just when I had something to say - but I'm really excited to see my Fitbit is telling me I've completed over 11,000 steps today. Recently I've managed over 9,000 a couple of times but 11,000 is not far short of my long-term average of between 12,000 and 13,000. I'm not trying, just living my life and seeing what happens.
Boosted by my physio's advice yesterday that I would inevitably overdo it occasionally and to progress I needed to I walked further today. I also was a bit more active around the house and garden and I exercised so got more done too. I also bent a little further to fasten my shoes without any apparent damage - no toe nail cutting yet though! I dropped one of my doses of paracetamol and no obvious problems yet. I feel really tired so hoping for a good night's sleep ahead.
Take care all, xx
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@Janlyn snap. I came away from my appointments this week with a resistance band too.
I was also got positive feedback and told there were no restrictions anymore but to be sensible and listen to my body. I am going back to see the physio in a month for another increase in my exercise regime.
Today I'm heading back to work for the first time in person. Therefore, it's a first time doing my full commute, eek! I've been out and about before so shouldn't be too bad.
Take care with your continuing recovery
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@Nurina Haha - 10,000+ today! Disappointed with my Fitbit though. I walked down to my local town. Visited the opticians, shoe repairers, bought some fruit and went for a coffee - lots of steps, got home tired but because I'd been stopping/starting, or pacing as my physio would say, my Fitbit says I haven't exercised today!
I think you've done so well - remember it's three weeks today for you. I think you will find a difference in the next couple of weeks or so. Remember how hungry we both were for the couple of weeks after surgery? Because my steps are now up again I am finding that my Fitbit is telling me my calorie intake is correct - it had been too high since surgery but I just ignored it because I had to get my mobility back slowly as you are doing now. Once you get your confidence up with walking you will do more and build up your muscle strength and stamina - remember you've got your resistance band to help you 🤣
I did cautiously try to run a little yesterday - about six steps and I decided they were six steps too far 😳
Take care, x
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@Janlyn do you really think you will be able to run again? That would be my dream to do 4 or 5k a week as I used to. My surgeon certainly suggested my new hip won't be designed for running.
Thank you again for your daily journal, it gives me so much hope and encouragement for when I finally get my new hip.
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As far as I know, with your new hip you can do everything you used to do before but starting a new activity from scratch could be difficult. If we've never run or done the splits, Is it worth the risk?
The prosthesis will suffer more from repetitive and continuous movements for a long time, like running long distances regularly, but short distances like 5k which are around 30 minutes long, I don't see why not if you used to run this distance before. Consultants always put yourself in the worst of scenarios so they can't be blamed if something goes wrong or maybe they are right when they give someone an advice. I think the "common sense" and "listen to your body" apply here.
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Day 50
@JPT an interesting question and I think one for your surgeon and physio to be sure for you. I had actually decided I wouldn't risk it and run again, but I would get back to some serious walking. My physio thought differently and said that although there are risks with running, there are also benefits, so to weigh them up. I have decided a very gentle run/jog on the flat will probably be my aim. Previously I ran 5k two or three times a week with the occasional 10k and walked on the days I didn't run, but always with plenty of hills.
I agree with @Nurina to listen to your body. I have found consultants are maybe cautious but my experience of physios is that they are the exact opposite. I have been out for my daily walk just now and am building hills, up and down, in and finding them much more difficult than walking on the flat. But then the voice of my physio keeps coming into my head - 'If it's easy, it's probably not doing you any good'.
Reduced to two doses of paracetamol yesterday and aiming for just one dose at bedtime today, maybe none tomorrow if I find I don't need them.
Hoping it's as nice and sunny for everyone as it is here, enjoy your weekends, x
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@Janlyn I find my Fitbit has a mind of it's own sometimes. I've had it not register exercise when I walked to the supermarket and did the shopping, all told about 35 minutes constant motion! I guess I was going too slowly in the shop.
I sometimes dream of running again but it's been nearly 8 years since I stopped, it was the only thing I sacrificed to OA. The consultant said I could jog but not run, to which my response was - no I can't! All or nothing for me. I'll see what my physio says at the end of the month.
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@Denis68 Everything looks impossible now but remember that you haven't recovered yet. Remember how you were 6 weeks ago. Would you imagine you could do what you are doing now? If I were you, I'd try running again, when you feel more recovered maybe from summer. Maybe if you try too soon, you'd feel sore, frustrated and defeated. Jog, run? It's not like you are going to the Olympics 😂 Not much difference if it makes you happy. X
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@Denis68 My Fitbit has a mind of its own too - especially around the house. Outside it is usually better but not always. It was very kind today. I walked to town, did some shopping and walked home stopping a couple of times for a couple of minutes to sit on a bench. It recorded it all and came to 1 hour and 3 minutes, even recording vigorous and peak minutes. On Friday when I did a similar trip but went for a coffee mid walk it didn't give me anything. I must admit today's was a little bit too much, but you don't know until you try and I'm well over it now so worthwhile.
Running is a difficult one. It will be interesting to see what your physio says as they are usually more inclined to push you to do all you want to do and more. My own thoughts had been that running is more likely than walking to wear my hip out and I don't want to regret it in years to come so I have decided I probably will have some gentle short runs but not the hills and pushing myself that I used to do. But we'll see - it's early days isn't it?
Day 51 - Just in case it helps anyone else I thought I would say that I have realised my blood thinners affected my eyes for some time. I struggled to see my computer screen properly when I came home from hospital and found my eyes were initially watery, then bloodshot. After a week off blood thinners I'm back to normal.
Definitely overdid the walking today but made a good recovery. A few stretches and sitting down and back to normal so maybe I didn't overdo it at all?
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Smartwatches aren't very reliable. Sometimes they are counting steps when you are doing the washing up. Anyway, they are a good way to see your improvement.
Since I started blood thinners, I have brain fog and I can't concentrate on anything. I can only be focused on catching Pokemon 😂. My eyes and my skin feel very dry. Just 10 says more and it's over.
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Day 52
@Nurina I'm used to my Fitbit occasionally giving me credit for what I haven't done, but I've never noticed it so noticeably being so mean to my efforts! Well, until I lost my mobility but I was so despondent then anyway, but now I'm putting the effort in I would like it to try a little harder! It was nice to be 'second' on my list of friends for weekly steps last week and I'm quite excited to see where I'll be this week - I hope they've had lazy weeks!
I understand you counting down the days to stopping your blood thinners. I know we need them to avoid dvt but they do cause us problems. One end of my wound is still struggling to heal properly. It's so good to be able to see properly again, and fortunately I didn't seem to have the dry skin you and other people mention.
I'm off all tablets now other than occasional paracetamol and they are for my wrist which has been painful since I started to lean too heavily on my stick before surgery. I'm really hoping it will heal - I've found some exercises and am trying ibuprofen gel but last night I had to get up and take some paracetamol.
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Can you get to a gym and try out running on the very controlled conditions of a treadmill? I'm going regularly now and trying to increase the speed of my walking and the incline of the hill. Just 20 minutes at the mo., and 15-20 on the cross trainer. Aim to increase it to 60 minutes and also increase speed/gradient.
Wanted to ask you, a friend of mine had her hip op. just over 6 weeks ago and was in "diabolical" pain at the weekend. I can honestly say I was in no pain after the first 10 days and I can't believe this is right. But perhaps people do experience different levels of pain for some time after the op. What do you think? .
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@swimmer60 I'm close to my 4th week and I haven't had painkillers for two weeks. I have a discomfort in my bum because I'm doing new strength exercises but it's like an intense muscular ache totally bearable, not an acute pain. How is your friend now? Has the pain dissappeared? If so, maybe it's just something that sometimes happens during the recovery or maybe she thought it was ok to do something that she shouldn't do. I don't know but after 6 weeks, I would be worried.
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@swimmer60 We've talked before about the dangerous moment when we think we are ok, but we aren't. I hope she feels better soon. X
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Day 53
@swimmer60 - thanks for the ideas - I think I may leave it a little longer before pushing the running, although maybe I'll just keep trying a few steps on the flat of the canal bank, my old running track! I'm not a member of a gym and I don't think we have one locally that I could get value from, but I will check just in case ... I have a cross-trainer in my garage but it's covered in boxes and things from my son's recent house move. I'm clearing it out a little each day so I reckon It'll be free to use in a week or so. My bike is behind it so if I dare I'll get that out and have a go too. I never dreamed I'd be using either again a few weeks ago so it's all good. Well done with your achievements and aims.
So sorry to hear of your friend's pain. Was it just this weekend or has she been in paid throughout the last six weeks? I really think she should get it checked out. Is it definitely her hip that is painful or her muscles? I haven't had what you can call pain at all. I'm now off all painkillers but don't really think I needed then from a couple of weeks. I do feel sore and stiff after walking though, but it soon eases. I did rest a lot in the early weeks and still do if I feel tired. My ankles and knees were swollen initially but are almost back to normal now. I suppose we are all different but it's good you are going to visit to check her out and encourage her to get checked if necessary.
Take care all, x
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Good morning, had a good talk with my friend and I think she has been overdoing things eg she said she'd been out without her crutch and had really suffered the next day. But she's determined to get her old self as back as quickly as possible and is doing much more than I was at that stage and she's very cross it's, for her, going so slowly! Her choice and probably I was too cautious? Who knows?
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Hi @swimmer60 I understand her frustration. I think we all want to start having a normal life as soon as possible and, even with a strong mindset, it's very frustrating to see our body is shouting. I hope she feels better soon.
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Day 55
@swimmer60 It does sound as though your friend is getting impatient and overdoing it, but as you say, who knows? Maybe she'll suffer a little now but then make a speedier recovery? I haven't used my sticks from four weeks post op though and found I gained such a lot of strength and normality from managing without - I suppose we are all different and my main reason initially was to stop the soreness in my hand from leaning too heavily pre-surgery on my stick.
I admit I sometimes overdo it but I try to balance it by having an easier day the next day and that works for me. I also try to pace myself so instead of one long walk I'll try to stop for a coffee or go out two or three times for shorter walks. But the temptation to get back to normal is always there.
I'm now finding I'm really tired - not sure why although I have stopped taking my iron tablets to see if I still need them, and maybe I do. My surgery was delayed due to low haemoglobin and I have always been borderline anaemic so maybe I do need to keep on them, I certainly felt better once I started to take them.
Take care all, x
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