My THR recovery diary
Comments
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Day 34 9/4
Two separate walks today 0.8km in the morning and 1k in the afternoon.
I had a lie down when I got home and slept for 90 minutes!!!
Not getting round the house so easily gone back to using a crutch to take the weight off my leg.
Second physio session tomorrow and the last of the blood thinners yay!
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Oooh! You are definitely moving plenty to not need the blood thinners @JPT things will finally be able to heal better.😊
Good luck at physio you are going to get plenty of reassurance and praise today👍️
Toni x
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Day 35 10/4 - 5 Weeks since surgery
My scar looks tidy now all the scabs have gone and not quite so lumpy. Thigh feels quite solid with tight muscles etc
Just taken the final blood thinner tablet 🥳 so glad to be off them as just cutting my finger becomes a major issue!
Second physio session today. My physio was so happy to see me walk in with one stick. She said my whole demeanor had changed to a positive looking person compared to before.
She was amazed at how I had done with the exercises. I have more to do now to concentrate on my glutes.
I can do without any crutches indoors, can walk normally down stairs too. Just a stick or walking pole required for outdoors as I will need the support when I get tired. I need to increase the distance now.
I even had lunch out at a pub today and managed to sit on a normal chair reasonably comfortably.
It is really so very important to do all the exercises three times a day or whatever the physio says.
Next week is week six when I can start testing the 90 degree + bending a bit too.
I still need the raised seats/loo as I am tall just until my glutes are stronger that I can sit and stand without support.
Happy days
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Have had a couple of lovely days in Bath, seeing friends, a play, dragon exhibition and nice meals. Great to be "normalish" again.
Also survived a longer holiday, by coach, to Cornwall to see, amongst other things, the Eden project, which was fabulous. So much sitting around waiting and wasting time though, don't think I'm temperamentally suited to coach holidays and found that bit exhausting! Was also shocked at how disabled so many people were, like me, or worse, before my op. Don't know whether that was due to arthritis, obviously couldn't ask!. Might have been largely age related, I suppose.
6 months ago this Friday I had op. Its been a long old 6 months TBH but hey, Spring is bursting out all over and my garden is leaping into life quite suddenly, tulips especially are looking grand. Primroses and celandines everywhere and, in Cornwall, early bluebells. Lots of bird activity, love this time of year. x
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PS how could I forget the Spa? Relaxing in the fab open air pool with the rain beating down, was something else 😀
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That sounds fantastic, @swimmer60 It looks like you are enjoying your "normal" life. It's true that we don't realise how many people are disabled. Since I am too, it seems like everybody around me are limping and in crutches. We even say "hello" to each other 😂 like we belong to the secret Club of the Trendelenburgers. X
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Its lovely to go out with just one crutch now after five weeks. Tomorrow I take delivery of walking poles to try instead
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Day 35 11/4
Went out in a friend's car for a coffee. First time out in a different car which was ok. Had to choose carefully where to sit in the café, people just need to be patient with me!
Managed to do some weeding with my new long handled fork so I don't have to bend so far. What would I do without Amazon!
I've moved back to the low sofa 🥳 ok so far… keeping the higher chair nearby until tomorrow to see how I get on this evening. My new exercises are helping.
A 1.4km walk today with just one crutch and only using it on the way back when I was tiring. Looking forward to trying walking pole tomorrow.
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That's nuts, I've also been looking at walking poles, think I'll stick to the normal ones until both of my hips have been done, then maybe I can get the off-road version 😆.
Let us know how you get on with them, really curious how much weight they'll take off your legs.
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Day 36 12/4
A busy day today, probably done too much! Dusting, vacuuming, laundry, gardening oh and of course exercises, these are hard now so feeling quite sore afterwards.
@Zimmer the walking poles are very sturdy. I've only been out for a short walk around the block with them and they do feel different to crutches but they've given my hands a rest which were getting painful with the weight on them. I'll see how I get on tomorrow when I do a longer walk. You absolutely have to make sure they're locked solid before going out with them.
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@swimmer60 - how wonderful - six months and a little bit, or a lot, of normal. Do you find you have changed? I have found that socially I am quite different - wanting to go where I want and not as happy to just fit in with the crowd. I don't know whether that is from being on my own so much, or valuing my new mobility and wanting to make the very most of it? Amazing I'm only two months behind you at almost four months for me now. I used to be very much in awe of how far ahead you were but another perspective of time?
So much easier to get outside - how precious was a single snowdrop, or a dry and light hour or two a few weeks ago, and now flowers and blossom everywhere, more dry days and certainly more light to practice our new-found painfree walking!
@JPT - hoping it's progress for you too bloodthinner free!
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Day 37 13/4
More firsts today, Wearing jeans for the first time and can dress myself fully other than one sock which I need the sock aid or help with.
I still have a broken night's sleep though, too much waking, turning, sitting up etc Still sitting in the chair at dawn as I get so uncomfortable.
Major plus today as I actually managed to get on the back of the boat for a while. I may just get back to sailing after all.
A good day finished off with a glass of wine glass of wine - first one in six weeks.
Very tired and sore now so resting on the bed.
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Loose fitting jeans and just sitting on the boat, but feeling more normal, yes x
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Well done! Wow!!! Jeans drinking wine and at least sitting on the boat. Such great achievements!
May I ask (all of you too if you don't mind) which blood thinners they put you on? and what dose? Apologies if it's intrusive, but I may have them for a different reason more long-term and you all struggling with them does make me a bit anxious.
Thanks
Toni xx
Who also has walking poles which in my case do sometimes hurt my hands/wrists as they are in a slightly unatural position, but they are much more conventional looking and keep you nicely upright.
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@frogmorton thanks, it felt great yesterday!
I was on Xarelto, once a day.
I used my walking pole for the first time properly yesterday and there was much less pressure on my hands compared to crutches. They do feel strange but as they're lighter too I think they'll be easier longer term. You don't get the same attention with them as people think you are normal!
Julie x
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Exactly lots of people without health conditions use them. I use mine for my walks.
Thanks for the medication I am investigating something….
Toni xx
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I was taking 10mg a day x
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I never thought I'd miss housework lols and as it's lighter now I can certainly see the dust etc, but being on the boat is another thing; it's helped my mental and physical health, you can't beat nature for that and was actually doing things that I couldn't do at home like shopping or my weekly Good Boost sessions in the pool. But boy am I looking forward to fully dressing myself.
It's entries like yours, that make you stop and think about all the little things you miss and now have to look forward to 🥰.
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That sounds fantastic @JPT I've never had a boat but I live not far from a marine and it's so lovely. I have a friend who lived in one of the boats there. I can imagine the peaceful sound.
Agree with you that people doesn't respect you with poles as much as they do when they see you using crutches. They think it's just an aid for long distances but you are fine so why should they give you way or hold the door? I prefer using crutches when it's windy.
I wish I could wear my jeans. I gained 10lbs after the surgery added to the other 20lbs I gained in 5 years. I only can wear skirts with elastic waist and dungarees. I joined Slimming World last week. I hope that diet and exercise can help me. X
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@frogmorton I was on Fragmin injections for the first 10 days and then 150mg aspirin for a further 28 days.
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