Hip replacement, living alone and with responsibility for pet.

Jane18

@cocoa, you're doing well. Just walk as far as you feel able, take occasional rests and remember you have to come back as well! I find some days are better than others, so take it one day at a time. Still using one crutch for longer walks but can now walk around the garden and short distances without. And over the weekend I found I was able to get out and prune a couple of shrubs, including the bay tree which was getting out of control. So feeling stronger and more mobile each day. It is a very gradual process and I'm now at 10 weeks since the op. So you will get there. In the meantime, enjoy the sea air and views and short strolls along the beach. Sounds blissful. I'm off to Forest of Dean for a few days soon, so a longer drive than I've done for ages, but can stop along the way. And hoping for slow walks by the river, so 🤞for the weather.

Zimmer

@cocoa The promenade is fine hon, no matter what you aid you get, it's getting down to the beach that's the problem. What about a wheelchair then, as there's a few mobility places out there, or maybe ebay for a second hand, don't care if it gets ruined, special. Okay it will still be useless on the sand but at least you won't have to worry about whether you can walk that far etc and it makes for a good trolley😆. I have an attendant/transit propelled wheelchair. These wheelchairs are designed to be pushed by another person and have lighter frames and a smaller, but wider back wheel, so theoretically you might be able to be tipped back onto the back wheels and pulled over the sand. But again, whoever does this for you, won't be able to get you very far cos they're gonna be knackered, but something to mull over innit. Or get a blow up lilo or sand mat to drag you over the sand with 🤔, omg, that might work! and you'll have somewhere soft to sit. Yeah I'm not going to miss wondering how I'm going to achieve everything, it's a headache, a frustration and a constant "what if" moment. I seriously hope you find something, but the beach hut sounds awesome. I always saw them as a kid and thought they were the perfect match with the beach; somewhere to change, chill out, make a hot drink and in the case of the good old British weather, somewhere to run and hide from a rain cloud.

My partner is finding it hard too, being as he's already caring for his mam and now having to do things that I'm not allowed to do just yet. Care giving is mentally and physically draining and I take my hat off to them.

frogmorton

Hi everyone you are all doing so well! Holidays booked and planned too👍️

@cocoa I totally agree with you about nutrition why is there so little emphasis and education in this area. It's ability to help us recover and heal is underestimated. Love the idea of the microgreens you can at least grow those indoors😊

Keep up the good work!

Toni x

Zimmer

@Jane18 ooh, I love the forest of Dean, so picturesque. I don't know what it is but I could listen to a babbling river all day. All your plans are spurring me to get stronger so that I can get out and about. You are doing so remarkably well hon, hope you have a lovely break, you deserve it xx

cocoa

@jane18 @zimmer

Never got up till 10 this morn after exercises ! Did 30 mins dead heading in the garden picked the one tomato that’s ready and last mini cucumber made very healthy fresh salad fir lunch . Daughter took me to local garden centre fir tea and cake home at 4 pm then promptly slept fir 2 hours ! Renewed an insurance policy at cheaper price then discovered they had auto renewed at more expensive price so but brain works to sirt ! Weather looks rubbish fir forthcoming hol but hey will be change scenery so will not be worrying about sunbathing !sure grandchildren will keep me occupied. Daughter recently back from Greece and had run in with quad bike they hired so she’s feeling bit bruised as well good thing she jumped off as it left the track!! Think we will all be having rest next week ! Dint know who is gonna hold her hound dog !! At least a hot tub at accommodation but I won't be climbing in on this occasion

Nights are drawing in excuse to go to bed earlier !!
Cocoa

Zimmer

Nothing wrong with 10am hon, that's my norm too. What time do you usually get up then?

So glad that you're finding your joy again, by returning to some of the things you used to enjoy 👏🫂.

I'll see if I can book some sunshine in for you, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it nonetheless and hope you didn't think I was being glib with my beach "suggestions" the other day.

Oh I hate the long dark nights, so depressing, meh, lol

Jane18

@cocoa, love reading about your garden produce. I'm afraid my gardening efforts are rather spasmodic, although I did find a few jostaberries that had ripened on a bush I had forgotten about and nabbed them before the birds got to them. Everything is looking very dry still, despite a little rain this morning. It seems we are in for an early autumn - the horse chestnut down the lane is turning brown already. And I'd only just finished digging up all the baby trees the squirrels had kindly left me from last year (they bury the conkers all over my garden and then forget where they've left them).

Off to the opticians today and as they often give me drops in my eyes, no driving. So I'm going to brave two buses, assuming they turn up. It seems that they've changed all the timetables again and have reduced services in my area, so more careful planning required. At least I get my walking in between buses!

Zimmer

I had to look what a jostaberry was then, can't say that I've ever tried one, let alone see one. I used to enjoy gooseberry pie, as I love a little sharpness rather than a tump of sugar, like rhubarb. Funny how you can taste things that you visualose and now I'm bleedin Marvin 😆.

And @Jane18 I couldn't help but laugh at your squirrel saga, I love the little buggers but I can see how tiring it would become to constantly weed behind them. I prefer the red ones but they're rather rare these days.

I hope that your eye situation isn't anything too serious, but yeah kudos for bussing it when you're feeling a bit blurry hon. Take care xx

Jane18

Hi @Zimmer, I'd never heard of a jostaberry till I started looking for small fruit bushes to grow during Covid lockdowns and it seemed to be a more robust variety. I've had a few berries off it and they have a slightly tart flavour which is nice when mixed with other fruits.

I love watching the squirrels, especially when they are doing mad somersaults over the garden (and fascinating my cat, who enjoys watching the show from his catio). But I do get fed up with digging up small trees all over the place because they never remember where they've put the seeds.

Just my annual routine eye test, and no drops required because they've got new machines that can take more accurate photos of the back of the eye. But I got plenty of exercise walking from one bus stop to another, as they've got roadworks all over town so buses stop in the middle of nowhere. And getting on and off buses now so much easier, although I still take one crutch for security.

Zimmer

@Jane18 oh good, I'm glad everything is okay.

Trees rely on the fact that squirrels won't always remember where they've hidden their stash, and as they've done all the hard work for them all they have to do is grow. But I am sooooo with you about them growing in your garden. I've just had to watch as three trees, of varying ages, all decided to take root at the bottom of my garden where I am unable to reach. Think I'm gonna have to pay someone to get rid of em, along with prolific ivy. I can't bear to look outside it's such a mess

cocoa

jane18 @zimmer

I too never heard of a jostsberry! Soo that’s what the squirrels are looking for! Get quite few pigeons around us but something bigger definitely been digging under the fence in my garden ! Going to next doors !
saw the biggest green caterpillar crawling up the fence. Bright green and as thick as a cigar ! Looked up think moth getting ready to bury self hope that shinned over fence as well !! You do notice more wildlife when stare out windiw bit more slow pace diwn.garden start to look overgrown now but hey it’s all the rage and plants confused with weather ! We’ve also had swarm bees settle on our fence this year and strip bit off had rest then moved on within 24 hours was sight to behold . I would have missed all this if hadn’t had my op !!not ready to board our town bus yet as still gets very tired after trip out not sure if get back in one piece yet ! Noticed my eyes seem to have deteriorated a bit wonder if side effect surgery. No more ripe tomatoes yet but still 2 flowers in my mini cucumber plant can’t believe how many I’ve had off one small plant . Runner beans total failure ! Lettuce have been good . All in large pots garden mostly shrubs in pots and gravel . Did have miniature beach area fir grandchild but seems to have git bit overgrown now !!
Love your beach ‘suggestions’ zimmer and already looks as tho the weather gonna improve fir next week !! Reckon my daughters dog ( big hound) coukd pull me along on beach mat ! It’s certainly pulled my daughter over a few times if spots a cat

Cocoa

Jane18

@Zimmer, as @cocoa says, wild gardens are fashionable now. Mine has certainly got to that state over the past year, but at least the birds and other creatures seem to enjoy it and I like watching them, so it's mutually beneficial and I've got used to the natural look. I just do what little I can and am now finding I can get out for slightly longer and do some gentle pruning and weeding. Just enough to keep it going. Gardeners are hard to find these days, but I get a tree surgeon in every few years to keep my trees and larger bushes in shape and they also help out with removing some of the ivy.

I had a swarm of bees settling in one of my cedars a few years ago. They only stayed for a day or so and moved on, but it was an amazing (and slightly alarming) sight seeing the air thick with bees for a while. Although I live in an urban setting, we seem to get plenty of wildlife around here.

Off to another tai chi class to set me up for the weekend. Hope yours is good.

Jane

cocoa

Jane 18

Enjoy tai chi class ! Lovely day tiday have had trip out to dog walking field with daughters hound and cafe where wild birds and butterflies are plentiful inc pond life inc farm shop fir fresh veg etc. home now in time fir aft nap ! Still can’t go full day on feet. New physio exercises really telling in my muscles now no wonder he saud one day on one day off ! Think it’s the band exercises maybe shoukd try the northern soul dance!! Looking to find nutritious food to increase bone density niw as hard to keep muscle strength up at 75 plus !

Jane18

@cocoa, sounds as if you are making good progress. I am finding the resistance band exercises quite challenging, but they seem to be helping. Today I did the whole tai chi class without taking a rest, so on my feet for an hour! Although I'm still limping a little when walking around, it's getting less and I'm hoping that seeing my osteopath will help, along with all the physio and other exercises.

We will have to take stock in a year's time and see where we've all got to, as I feel as if my mobility and flexibility improve steadily day by day, although recovery is now slower than during the first few weeks.

cocoa

jane18 wow good progress you whole hours class in one go! I’m aiming to re start my exercise class on sept 11 sfter visit to consultant on the 4 th but as the average age there is a good 70 I’m not too worried ! It’s an extend class basic fitness much like the exercises we’re doing pre op even couple 93 yr olds in class mostly women as usual . Slept fir over 2 hours this aft mainly ciz had disturbed night last night deep pain in butt muscles must be coming to life ended up having couple pain killers and reading fir an hour so now all out of routine again . Still using one crutch outsude visited small town shops but frustrated brain wanted to do more body didn’t ! Onwards and upwards !

@Zimmer , posted in your diary last night but seems to have disappeared ? Maybe being vetted . Never walked outsude fir furst 2 weeks only out front door round back garden in thru back door . Live in busy main road so bit lairy to walk there unless road closed . Better visiting garden centre fir me something to look at or by water always fascinates me. Or walk in park . Still use one crutch soon tire in fact get exhausted really quickly . Looking fir nutritious miracle diet !!

cocoa

cocoa

nearly 7 weeks still using one crutch waking in night with bad pains in butt still can’t sleep in operated side. Is this normal or am I overdoing it ? Not sure if I’m expecting more ! Swelling almost gone in feet and leg so that’s progress just can’t walk as far as thought without stopping limping pain in buttock . Nerve pain ? Anyone else struggling at this stage

Thanks Cocoa

Jane18

Hi @cocoa, I think I got some pain in my hip and butt if I overdid things at that stage. And still feeling some numbness in my right foot and occasional twitching in my feet (although all that seems to have eased up now, 11 weeks in). It took me a while to sleep on my operated side and I can still only lie on that side for a short while.

Strangely enough, although I had such difficulty adjusting to sleeping on my back after the operation, I now find myself naturally turning onto my back during the night sometimes!

I think at this stage it's still important to pace oneself, although each day seems to get a little better.

Take care,

Jane

Zimmer

@cocoa As I don't know how strong your muscles were pre-op, it's difficult to say, as you could just be experiencing pain from exercise; but then you'd have that in both glutes if that were the case innit hmm. Yeah it does sound as though you've overdone it hon but only your physio can advise you on that I suppose.

But it could be that you're using just one crutch now, so are attempting to walk, but you are lop sided and putting more strain on the operated side. I found the same when I was hobbling around on one walking stick, so I switched to using nordic walking poles. As soon as I switched, I wasn't getting the pain in my hips and back and it took a lot of strain off my other joints too, with the added bonus of "walking" upright instead of slouching too. I dunno, if that's what's happening to you hon but thought I'd mention it, if you hadn't seen my post to fran in this regard in my diary xx Hope the pain goes away for you soon babe, try ice and heat maybe too

Zimmer

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/737286#Comment_737286

I laughed when I saw your comment on sleeping on your back as this was, strangely enough, one of the first things I thought of and dreaded. I don't sleep on my back, but when I go to bed now, I'm out for the count lol

Olivia675

Happy to hear you’re recovering well and feeling stronger each day. I work at a bakery, and if you’d like, you can leave your pet with us while you’re out—we’ll take good care of it, including food and everything.

Regards : Delicia Bakery [link removed by moderator]

Zimmer

Hmm I was going to say how nice of them but thought, you don't know where Jane lives so this must just be a shamless plug for her business, not so nice, sigh people tut tut

Jane18

Hi @zimmer, I felt the same, at first it sounded a nice gesture (if inappropriate for an ex-feral cat!), then I realised they could be anywhere in the country. And I see the link was removed by the moderators. Also, I would never use a pet sitter who hadn't been personally recommended and/or DBS checked.

How are you doing now? Just driven for 2+ hours and feeling fine so far. Hoping for some dry spells amidst the rain so I can get a walk in tomorrow.

Zimmer

Rofl, I didn't know he was ex feral, yeah that would've been a fly on the wall moment, I tried taking a cat in from the cold, he was huge and a little intimidating but thought I could help him but I couldn't take the spraying. It was allllll over the kitchen, as I had a catflap, so eventually I couldn't take cleaning every time I came home from work. But a bakery!!!! It was just all a little weird