My THR recovery diary
Comments
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@JPT I know it seems a long way off but you will get to side-sleeping and more comfortable and these horrible nights will start to be behind you.
It's good to laugh and good it's generally been a better day.
I remember my leg was very swollen at the stage you're at now but once I was walking around more is returned to normal.
Take care, x
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@JPT If you've read my diary, my nights were awful. I wanted to cry just thinking about going to bed. As the pain and stiffness are wearing off, you'll need less medication, you'll be more used in sleeping on your back and you'll get better nights. I promise. Everything is slow motion at your stage, but it'll pass very soon. Just patience.
The story with you cat made me laugh. 😂 X
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Ooooh Cheeky puss! Husband is clearly not as skilled in cat-care as you are😼
Glad you had a laugh.
Take care you are doing great👍️
Toni x
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Day 10 16/3
Difficult night with swollen leg . I do appear to have slept on my back with my leg raised for a few hours so I should celebrate that.
Trip out in the car! Very uncomfortable but nice to be out. Careful on the braking hubby that hurts oh and so many potholes to avoid.
Resting, doing cross stitch whilst watching 🏉 then a gentle walk down the garden - seedlings are up already , yay!
Ok that's enough for today, swollen leg sends me up to bed early evening to watch the rest of the 🏉
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Well done that was a lot for one day JPT
I'm sure husband did his best.
🏉 if it distracts you is 🥰
You knew when to stop that's so important.
Take care
Toni x
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Day 11 17/3
Slept with swollen leg on pillow, at least my heel doesn't hurt!
Longing for a shower now, stand up washing took it out of me today.
Hip is really quite painful like golfballs are in there. I'm moving around a lot more and more often which is probably why I feel discomfort more.
Managed to walk outside to two doors down and back. Hard hard going. Fell asleep in chair immediately I got back indoors! Literally lights out! I did however try to get clever, balanced my crutches precariously, put my coat on, knocked them to the floor. I'm nowhere near my grabber, can't pick them up, can't walk anywhere and don't have my phone. - think before doing anything....
Had a visit from some friends later which was lovely.
Strange that I still find lying flat still hurts in my groin as much as it used to pre op...
I'm trusted to go up and down stairs on my own now, a bit of freedom at last!
My swollen leg is giving me the most trouble at the moment whether sitting, standing or lying down.
I am reducing the amount of codeine I take now but still taking paracetamol regularly as my hip tells me when it's nearly pill time.
Keeping track of steps now - 846 steps today
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You are doing very well!
Sometimes the pain is like the old one but don't worry about that because it's not. The muscles around the hip are the same and you are recovering from a major surgery and a bad posture. The golfball feeling will be with you for a little while, but it will not be painful, just weird.
The issue with the crutches, coat, phone and grabber is so annoying. I have to confess I broke the 90º rule several times using the Golf pose to avoid asking for help.
When are you visiting your physio? You can talk to them about any concern you have.
Take care x
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@Nurina physio is booked for 27th march. You're right, I forget that my posture was bad and although I didn't have a negative Trendelenburg my leg wasn't truly straight. Lots of things to get back into place.
Day 12 18/3
Slept ok but leg swollen and uncomfortable
Went out in the car for an hour. Too long sitting still, and my foot was going to sleep and I could feel my leg swelling.
Later on I walked a few steps further down the road.
I'm under pressure to go to a family wedding this weekend. It's an overnight trip and 2-3 hours drive away. I really don't want to go now as I am not ready. I still need raised seats, bed, loo etc and the thought of a long journey even done in stages, staying in a strange place, standing around etc does not appeal. Each day is positive progress but as everyone says this is not a race. I am taking it steady and I will decide if I am going to go or not.
On another note, did anyone else put on a lot of weight in the first week post op? I put on 10lb 🤔 I guess it's mostly fluid etc or does the new hip weigh a lot?
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About weight 😭
Until 10 years ago, I weigthed 117lbs, size 8. I gained 10lbs in 5 years when the pain increased and then activity decreased. Another 6lb during pandemic. I put on 10lbs from August, when something broke and I stopped walking and another 10lb after the surgery because I moved 0 and I ate a lot. My Physio showed me the prosthesis and I think it weights around 1lb.
If you feel you don't want to go to the wedding, just don't go. In my opinion, it'll be too much but I'd like to hear what others say. X
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Gosh no if you don't feel well enough I definitely wouldn't go! let them know early in case anyone else can take your place of course.
1 hour driving was a bit too much for you the other day 2-3 hours?! That's a long time.
Some people lose weight as they lose their appetite some gain it due to being fed lots by other people. I suppose we are all different.
When you are back on your feet all the treats people bring should stop and you'll be moving more.
Take care!
Toni x
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Yes, I too put on weight, I mean doing little exercise for 6-12 weeks and scoffing, doesn't help does it? Losing it now, with diet and exercise, am aiming for my pre op weight.
Please listen to your body and don't got to the wedding if you don't feel up to it. You have had a major operation, for goodness sake!
I am 4 months down the line and I still don't much like new places. I even slipped over in my garden a couple of days ago. The ground is like an ice rink. No harm done, except to my dignity, but a little warning to me.
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@Nurina @swimmer60 @frogmorton thanks for your comments I think it is too soon to do this trip sadly. If it had been another week on I might have felt more up to it. Being comfortable in your own surroundings is safer at this early stage. Finally my sil has acknowledged it has only been a couple of weeks since having a major op so maybe she'll understand now. She's been pestering me daily since the op to see how I am doing. She's never been interested in my wellbeing before! It's her son's wedding. My op was unfortunate timing but as we all know sometimes we just have to think of ourselves for a change.
There's still a couple of days to go but I am fairly certain I will be staying at home catching up on TV and doing my exercises in peace and quiet!
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Day 13 19/3
A quiet day inside as it rained all day. Not risking going out for a walk in the wet.
Did some gentle exercises, pottered around the house, rested my leg up when the swelling started again
It was actually nice to not do a lot.
Dressing comes off tomorrow, hoping to have a shower soon. Blister site is a mess though as blood thinners are not letting it heal. Compression socks have bruised my calves so will be glad to see the back of them in a couple of weeks.
Did anyone take them off before the six weeks were up?
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I went to the park this morning. There was a very thin rain and the ground was a little bit slippery. It really scared me, honestly. I saw a friend that didn't know about my surgery. I haven't told anybody because I don't want to be constantly speaking about it.
The compression socks are consultant preferences as well as many other things. My consultant doesn't like compression socks so I only used them with the feet pumps the first night after the surgery.
I hope you enjoy your first shower! X
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@JPT it definitely sounds as though you are not ready for the wedding and you are right - another week could have made a difference. I found a massive difference between two and three weeks. I am still avoiding places I don't have to go and don't want to go because I know I'm still a bit short-tempered with people who don't understand. Sometimes it seems everyone knows someone who was back to normal almost immediately. I'm told a relative went motorbiking in the Himalayas after ten weeks.
I wasn't given compression socks either and as I live alone it had been one of my biggest fears as to how I would get them on and off.
I think once you start to move more naturally your weight will stabilise - it's more important to look after yourself now and keep yourself pain-free. Well done for reducing the codeine, but I recognise you knowing when your paracetamol are due - I could set the clock by it!
I feel for you and your blister site - how much longer are you on blood thinners? I was on them for six weeks, but no compression socks, and so a bit of my wound took a long time to heal, but once off the blood thinners it healed quickly.
Enjoy your first shower - and expect to have to have a lie down from the effort!
Take care, x
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It seems it is all about consultant preference, as Nurina and Janlyn said. I had compression socks straight after the op but was discharged after one night and didn't have to wear them again. I live alone too, but had my daughter looking after me for the first week, so that wasn't the issue.
Enjoy your quiet time.
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@JPT I am so glad you are putting yourself first as far as the wedding is concerned. Will your husband go without you? If he does you may well enjoy some time alone in peace😉 2-3 hours drive just the thought of that is too much I know I'd be in tears in your shoes. Honestly imagine it it really is selfish of anyone to think you'd be able to go.
It's all about mobility the blood thinners and the ted stockings. As soon as you are more or less as mobile as before then they are usually happy to stop them. It is indeed consultant's preference though.
@Janlyn yup everyone knows someone who was skiing after a fortnight🙄 who cares as we've said many times this is a marathon not a sprint.
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@Janlyn another 20 days of blood thinners to go. And yes people have said that they know people who've been on motorbikes two weeks after the op! I've not met anyone (other than my neighbour who sea swims every day) say how quickly they recovered.
I'll ask the nurse later about the socks. They've caused bruising on my op leg where they dig in. I'm not sure I can do another four weeks with them!
@frogmorton hubby will go as it's his nephew. I think I will be glad of the peace and quiet and having the remote control! It is wonderful having a partner to help and be at your side constantly but I will be glad to have some me time just to get on with things at my pace with no one watching my every move. I'm sure he can do with the break too, he's never had to work this hard at domestic stuff!
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@JPT Ask your nurse about the socks. I understand the feeling of being constanty watched.
Maybe those riding motorbikes and skiing after ten days are very healthy people that suffered a recent accident or an injury so they have a very fast recovery. I think it's not the case of many of us here. Many of us have had a long and slow degenerative process probably for years. Our own bones tried to fix the damaged places making a mess of bone spurs. We have to recover from misalignments of bones, muscle loss, stiffness, joints locked, abnormal gait, tilted pelvis, weak tissues and thickened ligaments. We can add the trauma and mental damage too. That's not fixed in a fortnight.
Let us know how was your hospital visit. X
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@JPT - definitely ask your nurse about the socks - I read that if they're uncomfortable they are the wrong size and if your leg is swollen then it makes perfect sense - it's miserable to be so uncomfortable.
@Nurina - all too true!
@frogmorton - it was slightly amusing as my surgery was in December and so I suddenly realised I hadn't told friends and relations that I hadn't been in contact with since the previous December about my surgery. With one of the relatives I half expected a phone call and sympathy, but in the next post came the circular from her saying how her husband had a hip replacement (as though it was a minor inconvenience) but he was up the Himalayas on a motor bike within 10 weeks so I realised there wouldn't be any sympathy coming my way 😳😂
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@Janlyn I'm sorry but I don't believe anybody riding a motorbike for hours and jumping hills in 10 weeks after the surgery. I've had many long trips on motorbike and it's very uncomfortable so I can't imagine the pain with a stiff operated hip. I'm in my 10th week and I can't be sat on my sofa for more than 30 minutes.
Also, long haul flights should be avoided for three months because of the risk of venous thromboembolism. He wouldn't have insurance coverage without his doctor permission.
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@Nurina I agree entirely with all you say, apart from I’m sure he will have done it, however ill-advised. As a family they are all extremely sporty and push all boundaries. I’d rather go for slow and steady as I’m sure all of us here would. I won’t even go on my pushbike on the level at 13plus weeks, x
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@Nurina I wondered whether I had got this right and so I checked back and found the letter. Apparently he was injured from two long biking trips in Spring. Another few months and he was still injured, had a hip replacement operation, and 'within 10 weeks was on a motorbike in India in a group of ten, touring the Himalayas!' No wonder I didn't get any sympathy!
@JPT apologies for taking over your thread.
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