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I did it!

Posted , 18 users are following.

sally89710
sally89710

Hi Fellow Hippies, I did it!  Now post op 4 days. The surgery went very well.  No problems with the anesthesia(spinal and light sedation). To my amazment I wasn't anxious the morning of the surgery.  All of the doctors and nurses were so reassuring.  Discharged from the hospital Tuesday afternoon.  So happy to get home.  No P/T except for excercises  to do at home given by the physio in the hospital.  Have upper thigh swelling.  I guess this is normal?  Slept in my 97 yr old Mom's lift chair the first 2 nights.   Now sitting in it during the day except for meals.  Very comfy.

Feels like I was kicked by a mule and at times like I have the flu.  Overall can't complain.  Not able to take opiods and so just taking regular strength tylenol every 6 hrs. Pain is not nearly as bad as before the surgery! Practicing walking like a normal person-feels really odd.  How much walking are we supposed to do at this point? I have to use the bathroom quite a bit and its a long walk so is every hour or so up and walking enough?

Thanks to all of you who responded to my pre-op post if I didn't respond directly to you.    I didn't see some of them until today.  Soo grateful for all of you.  This is the best source of information to be had.  Called the surgeon's office  yesterday with some concerns(fast heartrate, swelling etc and got a phone call from a resident who basically said go the the Urgent Care if your not feeling well! No help at all.  Heat rate is better today-maybe just my body's response to the trauma of the surgery. Anyway to all of you pre-op hippies, it won't be as bad as you imagine.And If I can do it-you can.  I postponed for 5 years and cried and fretted for the last two years about having the surgery.  Wasn't sure I'd survive the anesthesia.  The anticipatory anxiety is so much worse than the actual surgery. Be brave you will be so glad to be on the road to a normal life again.

Warm hugs to all,

Jeanne

7 likes, 37 replies

37 Replies

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  • maggie93798
    maggie93798 sally89710

    Posted

    Sounds like you are doing OK. Go with your body, exercise a little each day and you will feel the improvements
    • sally89710
      sally89710 maggie93798

      Posted

      Hi Maggie. Thanks for your support. Looking forward to making  improvements. I think it's easy to forget day by day  how we were doing the day before. Certainly better than Tuesday!
  • holly_12500
    holly_12500 sally89710

    Posted

    Glad the surgery is over and you now can just think about getting better and the next mountain range you will be able to climb.

    X holly

    • sally89710
      sally89710 holly_12500

      Posted

      Thanks Holly.  Can't wait to be at the base camp of that mountain range!

      hus JeanneJeanne

  • renee01952
    renee01952 sally89710

    Posted

    Hi Jeanne (Sally) -

    Welcome to this side and thank you for sharing ! very encouraging, especially for all our pre-op hippies here ...

    The trips to the bathroom will get less but yeah, I remember them vividly - Also had UTI right after I was discharged ... 

    Are you on blood thinners?  

     

    Swelling will go down and flu-like symptoms will come up now and then - As you said, all part of the healing process ... This is major surgery after all ...

    How is your blood pressure? 

    The best thing is to really listen to your body ... nap when you feel like it - only do what you can without too much effort - that will come later - 

    Take care and be oh so gentle with your self ..

    warm hug

    renee

     

    • sally89710
      sally89710 renee01952

      Posted

      Hi Renee

      Thanks for the welcome and info.  Flu like symptoms lessening but swelling has gone from my thigh to the top of my knee.  I guess swelling anywhere on the operated side is normal?  I've been up and walking more today and maybe that's why.   Also sitting is the most difficult thing for me to do right now.  So painful getting up-knee pain mostly.  I am so afraid of going past 90degreess that I am probably sitting awkwardly and putting a strain on my knee.  Not sure.  Now icing the knee since icing mh thigh really helped.  Did you have knee pain or mostly lega and hip pain?

    • renee01952
      renee01952 sally89710

      Posted

      Good morning Jeanne -

      I hope you had a good night sleep ..

      Swelling is absolutely normal - from thigh, knee to ankle where it might linger for a bit longer ... mine was all gone in 10 days ... 

      just make sure it is not painful and you don't have a fever ..

      Oh, my poor knees !!!  they both have to do so much work to get this, heavier, body moving - especially getting in and out of chair or bed or, later on, car ... To be honest, they already gave me problems prior surgery - so much so that I asked for some kind of a brace or being taped or something ... 

      The 90 degree rule is taunting - they scared the hell out of me and, like you, I was focussed not to break it - akward and unnatural - afraid my new hip would pop out or something - ...

      Not so though ... it is more the fragility of the tissue, tendons and muscles that were severed ... 

      Have you watched the surgery on You tube ? It was an eye opener for me and gave me so much respect for my body and its healing capability - I didn't realize what a major operation this is ... Not for the sqeamish - so be warned ....

      Unfortunately (or fortunately??) my left hip's cartilage has gone from mild to bone-on-bone in a very short time and is very painul ... 

      You are doing great !!! put ice on the swelling if it helps you and take one step at a time, taking your time with it ...

      Angel blessings and warm hug

      renee

  • susan57233
    susan57233 sally89710

    Posted

    So glad to read your recovering well Jeanne. Soon you will be back to living your life again and doing all the things you've missed. 
  • Kate53CornUK
    Kate53CornUK sally89710

    Posted

    I have said this all over this forum but believe that this is how the recovery pattern goes -

    The first two weeks are rubbish. 

    Most of us are weak, tired, feel like we've just done 20 rounds in a boxing ring, we sleep all the time but can't sleep at night. We are hot/cold/bruised and sore and we spend our time counting the four hours between meds.

    We develop cankles, we ache, other joints and limbs join in, we shuffle to the loo and sometimes we don't make it!

    THEN

    After two weekswe  notice a difference.

    Not only did we survive anaesthesia, not only did we survive getting the top of our femur chopped off - now we realise that the pain that we have left is a hopeful pain.

    From this point on  we are shuffling forward to a new life. More steps, more stairs, less crutches and aids - it all comes along slowly as we heal. It is often two steps forward and one back but always moving forward.

    High five yourself, Sally, we are the brave, we are the hip adventurers and no matter what your new hip throws at you in the next couple of weeks just remember it is just settling into its new home.

    Kate x

     

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