My hip replacement diary
Comments
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Day 56
@Nurina I think I got so excited at coming off of blood thinners and the associated stomach protection, then paracetamol, then the iron tablets but they probably make sense and maybe I'd have had an easier life had I realised it decades ago! I did find leading up to surgery and once I started on the iron tablets, that a lot of the uncomfortable jittery feelings in my legs became much more bearable. And I got the urge to do things but hadn't the physical ability. Now I have I've found, just this week, that it's all an effort. I have been walking much further though - testing myself, so maybe I have overdone it. And maybe fighting a bug - I've really not felt completely well for a couple of days and today not at all well - so it's back to the iron - I'm sure that's all it is and easily fixed.
Happy weekend everyone, x
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Day 58
Eight weeks yesterday since my surgery and looking back it's been amazing. Eight weeks ago yesterday, on the way to the hospital, I even wore a mask in case I picked up Covid or got any infection that would stop the surgery going ahead, or delay my recovery.
Six weeks ago I was in the shower and able to wash my hair properly.
Five weeks ago yesterday I was driving and independent again. That wonderful feeling when you don't have to ask someone to pick up your tablets or any shopping you need.
A few days later I was given permission to sleep on my side but I actually took a couple of weeks more to dare to do it.
Four weeks ago I stopped using my sticks, even outside. The main driver was that my right hand was in pain from leaning on my stick too heavily before surgery, but actually I found I stood up straighter and my gait was improved without sticks. I also found my stick was more likely to slip in the rain than me, although I'm still terrified of falling over.
Now I find that I often forget I've had surgery and find so much of normal life is returning, although I do sometimes overdo things. People seem to expect I'm fully recovered too and I walk slower than I used to, but all in all I could never have believed I would get so far so soon.
Take care everyone, x
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@Janlyn I can't believe it's been eight weeks already and then when I think about the progress I can't believe it's only been eight weeks.
My boss said to me yesterday he's finding it odd seeing me just get up and walk. Over the past couple of years he'd gotten used to seeing me take a couple of paces, almost stop then get going I realised that was when I told myself to ignore the pain and just move! Now there's no pain
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Day 59
@Denis68 It's wonderful to not have pain isn't it? I'm trying to use your theory on my wrist which seems to be damaged from leaning on my sticks pre-surgery.
Today I saw a chiropractor I was seeing privately for more than three years before my surgery. I always found his treatment and advice so helpful but expected I wouldn't need him post-surgery. When he suggested an appointment afterwards I was a bit concerned about what he would do or whether he was just keeping me on his books for no good reason but it was actually an excellent appointment. I couldn't hide my slightly inward pointing operated leg when he asked me to walk away from him. He wanted to know about all my exercises, walking, how I felt afterwards, what I could do, what I couldn't do. It was truly a really useful visit, culminating in him telling me that I truly could get back to how I'd been years ago before I started with the pain and compensating for it by limping and having to give up much of my exercise. I should even soon be able to cut my own toenails and wash my foot on my operated side properly!
Apparently I shouldn't walk once I feel sore but rest and then walk again. To continue through the pain it is likely I will limp awkwardly, using habits of old. I thought I needed to strengthen my inner thigh/groin muscles but apparently they are strong enough and I am, and have been, using them to get by any which way for some time. It is my glutes and piriformis (abductors) that need working on meaning more squats, lunges, sideways/backwards stretches and 45 degree side/back @Nurina as you know well!
Pressure and heat on my muscles and stretches, will all help too. He even let me video him showing me the exercises he wanted me to do - just so long as I didn't put him on YouTube!
A very worthwhile visit - I had been happy just being able to get about pain free - I never dreamed I could get back to 'my normal'.
Take care everyone, x
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I'm glad you are happy with your chiropractor visit and he is giving you more challenging exercises. It's unbelievable our body has forgotten how to walk correctly and, even with a new gear, it prefers the old way. Tell us how you feel with the new exercises, please. X
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Day 60 @Nurina Early days yet regarding new exercises and nothing too extreme but it feels good to have a plan. And a little guidance on the walking. I had probably been overdoing it as I was trying to do more and more each day and was a little too happy to rely on my Fitbit's congratulations!
Whilst I had been concentrating on my operated leg he told me my non-operated leg was still working much better and taking on much of the work. To test my exercises I need to try them on both sides, the aim being for my operated side to be as good and comfortable as my non-operated. Apparently, like my physio, he says I will get to be as good as I was if I put in the work now.
In other advice I am now trying to bend more to put my socks and shoes/boots on without aids and to wash both feet in the shower - quite a bit of success with both so far, x
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My physio said that people who used to be fit have a lot of advantages but alse they use to overdo and get more sore than others. That's probably what has happened to you. I think you are doing well and you are in a good moment to recover all your strength.
I'd like to talk about your bending to reach shoes. I can't bend over my knee. It's not like I'm not allowed because of the 90º rule. It's just I can't physically bend. It's like there is something hard in my thigh-hip that doesn't let the knee go higher when I bend it. Does it make anysense? Have you felt the same? How difficult is to explain feelings.
Have a nice evening! X
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@Nurina I've probably overdone it today - just getting on with my life and I see I've just gone over 10,000 steps. Been a bit tired and sore which I put down to yesterday's new exercises.
Will you be seeing your physio soon? I think you probably need to ask about bending. I haven't been bending as I thought I shouldn't but have started just trying to stretch a little further, then a little further. My chiropractor said that I needed to stretch and exercise and that some muscles would take a long time to recover but that unless I tried they wouldn't start to recover. I think we find workarounds to do what we want or need to do, or at least I know I have done. I certainly wouldn't have been able to reach my shoes at your stage thought, it is only this last week I've really tried. I've been aiming to get dressed/undressed without any aids. It has been a long time since I used my grabber but my sock aid and shoe horn haven't been far from me.
Hoping you start to do the things you want to do soon but do remember it's a marathon and not a race and that you are doing really well, x
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Day 67
Just a little update, nothing much happening, progress has slowed down as physio said it would when he told me to remember the 3 Ps - Pacing, Patience and Perseverance.
What I have found is that when I push myself to walk further than I'm comfortable is that I start to walk crookedly with a limp and am sore. I quickly recover but have decided to have more but shorter walks. Exercise seems more beneficial still though. A good tip from my chiropractor is to test how well I manage my exercises on my operated side compared to my good side. I am fortunate that my other hip is currently okay and chiropractor said with proper exercises his aim is that they both stay in good shape - I hope so!
I am getting more steps in gradually though. Up to a year ago I had been averaging 12-13k steps a day since 2015 according to my Fitbit. By the time I went for my surgery I was down to feeling lucky if I managed 3k a day. Now I am up to 8k plus. When I pushed it to 11k I suffered though. I've had a couple of weeks of feeling a little achy and tired and think I've been fighting off something but as I'd stopped taking the iron tablets I was put on pre-surgery I thought it might be low iron so have gone back on them and am feeling a little more energetic again.
Finally my wound seems to be completely healed. Apart from the very end stitch, it healed very well, very quickly, but the end stitch was a little sore and swollen and resisted healing until now. Blood thinners didn't help initially but all well now. Surgeon said the end stitches sometimes take longer as he starts and ends with a knot, which certainly explained the lumpy bit which fortunately dissolves.
Take care all, x
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You are doing very well with the three Ps @Janlyn and you are very lucky to have the other leg in good shape. Gave you noticed if your inwards foot is getting better?
I've noticed that every new exercise makes me achy for two or three days. I think it's what "overdo" means 😂. I tried to do a workout with squats and lunges and I was happy to feel like I was ok but I was very sore for several days after that. For me, walking is the most painful of all the exercises but I need it for my mental health. Just going around the park is bliss.
My consultant said they end the internal stitching with a big safety knot. I notice it when I touch the scar, like a little ball. My scar is getting very flat and soft since I stopped the blood thinner and started rolling on it, like my physio recommended. Also I'm doing deep massages on the scar to break adhesions. The scar line is very red though and I think is going to be very visible.
Keep posting your progress, please. Take care! X
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@Nurina yes, my inwards foot is getting better but not there yet and definitely not if I'm tired. I also have to keep telling myself to sit/stand up straight as I am so used to stooping now.
I agree with you about the new exercises and good to see we both got given the lunges and squats at the same time. I now feel more comfortable with them and am sure they help. Also easy to do whilst waiting for the kettle to boil! I don't find walking painful now so long as I stick to 20/30 minutes then rest, then I could do another 20/30 minutes. I do notice if I overdo the walking I limp, stoop and do all the wrong things.
Probably tmi but I can confirm about the little ball of a safety knot at the end of the scar. It was this that took its time to heal and actually eventually it healed with it on the outside. One day the scab came off and out it came! I could easily see how it would have dissolved though. And since then it's all healed over properly albeit with a little indent. My scar line seems redder than before and more visible although it's not where I'll be showing it off and I even have to look in the mirror to see it, I certainly don't find it uncomfortable to sit on as I thought I would though. As it was taking a long time to heal I was taking photos so I've a record of how it healed. The things we talk about😳
Take care all, x
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Yes, my end stitch was the last to go and I remember posting about how the thread had tried to escape!
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@swimmer60 Escaping threads 😳 the nurse who took my dressing off at two weeks said I mustn't touch or pull the glue/stitches as there was a chance they would escape to the outside world. I did wonder whether I should have had another dressing as I seemed to find they were sticking to my tights/leggings, but all worked out in the end. ☺️
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Day 83 - or almost 12 weeks! Thought it was time for an update so here goes.
Progress has definitely slowed but I've no complaints. It is a marathon not a race after all. As physio said previously, when it has taken so long to get into a poor walking condition and muscles haven't been used properly then it takes a long time to get them back working properly.
Managed to cut my toe nails today - not very well, admittedly, but was surprised I actually managed.
My physio visits finished at six weeks so have started to see my chiropractor, who I had been seeing for more than three years, pre-surgery. I trust his advice and he is very much into maximising potential, preventing further damage of other joints and exercising properly. I have been feeling a little sore around my groin and towards my hip wound but, as others have been told, he said it is due to my muscles and everything else starting to come to life again. Apparently I've a long way to go to get them at full potential but I believe I can do it.
Short walks, several in a day, are good. One long walk isn't. I find when I am tired my foot on my operated side turns in and I've to watch for it and stop at that stage. To continue will continue bad practices and slow down recovery. Exercises - marching, squats, lunges and stretching my leg out backwards diagonally will all help and again to stop if I'm turning my foot in or am twisted in any way, to build up little and often is apparently the way.
Normal life has almost resumed and I am finding my step-count is up to an average of just short of 10,000 daily. I am walking much slower though, but assuming that will sort itself out too.
Take care all, x
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I feel progress has slowed too and I find it frustrating. A friend set me back by asking me, if my op was successful why is my gait "rolling?" I hadn't noticed and was upset, to say the least! We were walking on uneven ground and I'm very cautious so possibly that was the reason, also operated leg may still be a bit shorter, though my surgeon said he'd tried to fix it. With friends like that, eh? Nobody else has commented BTW. Also, on the same walk a dog leapt at me, which was also disconcerting. as I'm still worried about falling over. Friends are "doggy" people and thought I was making a fuss about nothing! "It's only a puppy."
Really don't want to have to keep reminding people about my op.😢
Hoping you are feeling more positive than me this morning. 😘
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@Janlyn Happy to read you are doing well. Relieved to see I'm not the only one who thinks I'm slowing down but the good thing is we are still going forward. Little improvements day by day. Physiotherapists say it's 6 months and I'm afraid they are right. I don't do long walks anymore because I end limping and sore. For the first time in 13 years living in this city, I caught the bus to go to town. It's 2 miles from my home and usually it's a short walk but not in my situation. I think now I prefer to enjoy a normal life even I have to use a transport.
@swimmer60 It's sad to see the lack of empathy in some people. I would be upset too. I'm not telling others what I think about them, why some people think they have the right to judge? Just forget it and forgive her words.
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I don't think your friend was being very helpful at all. If you can't say something positive then keep quiet. It's normal to be concerned about falling over. I would be the same. Maybe you could find another friend to go walking with in future!
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@Nurina and @shacklock25
Thank you so much for your kind, supportive words. I'm still upset, it was said in such a blunt, accusatory tone!
Tomorrow is another day, as they say.😘😘
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@swimmer60 I understand how you felt - I was proudly walking home and a neighbour asked how I was and before I could answer said he could see I was still limping but at least I was out and about. It did make me think though and I noticed from my Ring doorbell footage that I wasn't standing up straight, I think habit as much as anything and also from watching the ground for anything uneven to stop me falling
On a positive when I saw my chiropractor yesterday he told me to practice standing up straight and not to worry too much about falling, but if the ground is uneven or wet it still makes sense doesn't it? He also told me not to walk any further if I felt sore as I would go back to the limping and put pressure on my other hip/knees. Seemed to be sound advice. Not easy when everyone expects us to be back to normal though, I find I am walking much slower than most people so I'm tending to go walking on my own. Picking and choosing company more carefully to avoid getting annoyed!
@shacklock25 - too true, sound advice 😊
@Nurina I agree taking transport makes sense - make life as easy as you can for yourself, concentrate on getting properly fit again in your own time, and certainly before you have to go through it all again. Definitely agree limping and sore is the result of long walks. It's far more important to get our muscles working properly again. Little walks often is better than a longer walk. I think we must forget what we did before and concentrate on recovery - then everything else will fall into place.
Take care all, x
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@Janlyn can't believe it's 12 weeks, sometimes it feels so much more and sometimes so much less! I find myself needing to remember it to stop some frustrations creeping in.
Yesterday I did a 4 hour drive to my step son's and needed to stop a lot more than I normally would because my thighs were getting stiff - I suspect it's because I haven't driven much since I start back to driving after a six week break. Walking a few minutes sorted out the stiffness and I was ok to go again and no lingering effect at the end so not too bad.
I haven't been as vocal on here recently because fully into work again and having no big changes. The physio has given me some more challenging exercises to get me back cycling the distances I was a few years ago.
@swimmer60 I can't remember if I put a note on here the other week but I took a fall on a wet pavement on to my operated side - got checked out and no harm done apart from a bit of an ache. It's actually given me more confidence now because I know the joint is pretty robust.
Wishing all well in your continuing recovery
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@Denis68 definitely remind yourself it's only 12 weeks from major surgery to stop the frustrations creeping in. I haven't been on a long drive but went on an 8 hour, 3 train journey. Fortunately fairly quiet so I could get up and do a few stretches every hour - and entertain the other passengers! An interesting observation is that people do soon imagine all is well if you are out and about. Just before surgery I had ever so many people offering lifts, shopping and anything I needed. Once I was allowed to drive I seem to be assumed to be 100%. When I was on a train with my sticks I found everyone so kind and patient. I was given so much help, always found a seat, my luggage lifted on and off. Last week I was almost pushed out of the way whilst someone tried to jump over my case as I tried to manoeuvre it off the train!
I think I read to take a break every hour when driving for quite some time and it does make sense. No point in getting stiff and sore, especially if you've a return journey to contemplate.
Good to hear you've specific exercises to get back into your previous cycling regime. Good luck!
@swimmer60 I understand you feeling so vulnerable, although you do seem to be doing really well. I wonder if we'll ever get over that feeling of what might happen from falling?
Take care all, x
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Week 15 starts tomorrow! Where did the time go?
Nothing earth-shattering to report, just slow, steady progress. The world seems to assume all is well now I am out and about and I realise I still have a way to go.
Positives are I can't remember when I had to ask anyone to do anything for me. Normal has gone from exciting back to normal. So much so that I keep forgetting to be careful and slipped down a couple of stairs. No harm done, just jolted my knees a little. I've stopped looking at the weather to decide whether it's 'safe' to go out for my walk, I just go regardless. I've stopped looking at the ground to make sure I don't trip and I take any route, not carefully planned, hazard free routes. I'm not stooping as much when I walk and making an effort to sit/stand up much straighter. I can cut my own toe nails, get dressed without a shoe horn, grabber and sock helper. I'm off the painkillers. My house, garage and garden are slowly returning to normal too after a year's neglect. Well, not quite normal, I seem to have dropped ironing from my life!
I do realise I've still a long way to go though. I can't walk as fast as most people. I can't walk for much more than 20-30 minutes without getting a little sore. Several short walks a day are fine though, or even a stop for coffee in between a longer walk, and I'm now averaging 9000+ steps a day without trying. I've planned a couple of holidays this summer - carefully, but with quite a bit of travelling too.
I decided when my physio said that he didn't need to see me again but that because of the state of my muscles I wouldn't truly be back to 'my normal' or my full potential for 12-18 months to continue seeing a chiropractor I had been seeing for several years pre-surgery. I trust him, he knows me and pushes me to achieve my potential. His view is that he wants my new hip to last me a life-time and he doesn't want me to have to have the other one replaced, or a knee, if he can help it. So although I thought I was walking straighter he's giving me extra, different exercises. The phrase I'm getting familiar with - if I like an exercise because it's become much easier it won't be doing me much good so it's changed to one I struggle to do and find challenging. Apparently I have the Trendelenburg gait @Nurina - I had felt a little left-out but now I've 'joined the club'😂. I've a new exercise for it, and need to keep doing squats, lunges and wall-marching. But he did say I'd made significant progress since he saw me last month - it was good to hear as I wasn't sure.
I do still occasionally feel extremely tired, but I am sleeping more normally at night, although I have got quite a lot of pain in my hand from leaning on my crutch so heavily. I'm hoping it heals and I've not done permanent damage. It wasn't as noticeable whilst I was on painkillers. I've got so used to being home alone and unable to go out over the past few months that I'm going to struggle to get back to my old sociable life. Or maybe I won't bother and live a quieter life?
So, with a little planning, my life is so much better than I could have hoped for and I am led to believe will slowly improve until I'm back to my previous normal - I am so grateful.
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