Hip news 3AM edition

[bill_schubert]

I woke up to go to the bathroom. They tell you to walk frequently. I call it going to the bathroom. Either I dehydrate or I get lots of short walks in. I have a sports squeeze bottle that stays filled up with ice water and I sip on it all day. Liquid in, liquid out. My kidneys are happy and I get my exercise every hour or so. On my way back from this morning's trip I realized that I wasn't really sleepy right now and wanted some milk and graham crackers.

The seat at my desk will be replaced soon. I've got the one from Ikea sitting in a box in the living room, another casualty of 'things I should have done before surgery'. It joins pedicure and cutting the grass. So I'm sitting right now on my old chair which is a little wonky. But I'm not too uncomfortable. It is nice to be able to sit here and type this. Some of the comfort is attributable to hydrocodone but some of it is healing and that is encouraging.

Saturday morning was my low point. I have one every surgery. My blood pressure in the hospital was low on Thursday morning I think as a result of being a little dehydrated. So they did not give me any meds for pain after Wednesday night until I was about to be discharged at noonish on Thursday. I got behind and didn't really catch up until mid day Saturday when I just doubled up my dose for a bit to the maximum allowed. Before that time I was becoming depressed by the continuous pain and my inability to find a tolerable position. Once the pain meds caught up I was much better. And could move. And this morning I'm back on a normal pain med schedule and sitting at my desk typing. I feel like I turned a corner Saturday and headed back uphill from my low.

It is always a bit hard to tell what is real healing and what is just good chemistry. While I'm certainly seeing the latter I think my hip is quickly recovering.

For maisydaisy: The surgery documentation says: "A standard posterolateral style hip incision was carried down to the deep fascia." They have a step by step description of the entire procedure. Best line: "Complications: None; patient tolerated the procedure well."

I think I had an anterior one last time but it was with a different surgeon and different hospital system and I don't have those notes. They may be the same but this scar will, I think, be slightly less vertical. I get the bandage off in a couple of weeks so I'll find out then.

I did not get any kind of pain block put in this time. Of my four surgeries, only my shoulder had a nerve pain block.

In some ways I can already walk better than I could last Tuesday. My left knee, which was in constant pain for the past few months having to handle all the weight of my left leg, is now pain free.

Comments

[zoefruitcake]

Thank goodness for pain meds

[maisydaisy]

Sorry to hear all this. You should be comfortable immediately after surgery and all the way to normal again.
I was pushed hard by physio i think on day three. They had us on the static bikes and all sorts of exercises. I was a bit shocked but they were like tyrants ! But it paid off well and recovery was quick. I was given crutches immediately and told to walk every day.
I have been told by a couple of people there are no restrictions now.
Try and do what you can to keep moving moving moving to build and strengthen the area. Hope you don't mind me saying this. It's how it's done this side of the pond !
This too shall pass and you will be with your friends at the ranch before you know it.
Sending all good wishes for your recovery. And i suppose we are both older than the last time and that counts as well.

[bill_schubert]

I do not, at all, mind input and advice. This has been anything but comfortable. It is Tuesday morning here, so the seventh day, and I'm still too focused on pain control. I see advice online from various medical facilities that say start using the cane in the second week (tomorrow, for me). But they also say 3-6 weeks and to ask your physio.
Since I've got no physio and I don't meet with the doctor post op I'm on my own for such decisions.
Previously I would have started in home physio this past Monday and gotten lots of good advice. I'm falling behind a bit now. I've done some exercises but not as focused as if I had a physio come to the house.
My leg is pretty strong. Getting in and out of chairs is (and will be for a bit) difficult mostly due to the pain but once I'm vertical I'm better off and healing much faster if I just use a cane. I already move around the kitchen without anything since the counters kind of wrap around and I can catch any wobbles.
So I'm going to create my own physio from what they gave me and what's online. Two a days as I've done before.
And I'm going to complain when given the chance and let them know that if I could go back I'd chose a different system to have my surgery done, one that supports post op better. It's a bad way to save money.

[maisydaisy]

I feel i am going on a bit. They recommend crutches here and if you look on a freegle site and ask you may get lucky and you could give them a try. You will feel more supported than a cane. The cane bit came later for me. Thay wanted safety and as a side note and may not be applicable to you my Physio said crutches out in the community signal to folk to be careful around you.
Bill in reality you can go on you tube and get the exercises you need and walk in front of a mirror to see what you are doing.
The pain bit is a worry because it will prevent good progress. Look on UK NHS web pages for post op hip exercises and pain management. You will get some ideas hopefully.

[maisydaisy]

Here are a couple of links that might help you.
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/hip-replacement-total-advice-and-exercises-following/

https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/services/adult-learning-disability-service/surgery/bed-exercises-after-total-hip-replacement/

[bill_schubert]

Helpful web sites. Thanks.

I realize the biggest differences this time from last. Last time I was 64 and I had a long term habit of riding my bike 20 miles a day usually 5 days a week. Pickleball interrupted my bike schedule (not that I was riding nearly that much after we moved from the location where I had the surgery). I was walking about half an hour every day, a mile and a half, with Zoe and also with the other dogs. But riding a bike was deep muscle exercise for me.
My muscle mass was much greater at 64 riding 150 miles a week than at 70 not riding at all.
I think that has made a huge difference.
Reading through the notes in the links you sent it seems to me that I don't really have enough control of the pain.
But it is getting better. I'm sitting at my desk as I type this which I could not do day before yesterday. And I don't lean on the walker at all and carry it as a safety device only. I can feel my leg getting stronger so I'm on the right path.

[siglinde999]

That is excellent news - glad to hear you are healing well.

[anais_pf]

Good news all around! Glad to hear it.