One week to go...

[Snowbound]

Not being able to sleep on my side was my biggest issue. I can't sleep on my back but having both hips done at the same time didn't leave me any choice  :)


I had a bed set up beside the recliner in the living room. I found I could sleep on one or the other for about 3 hours before needing to change position. Alternating between the bed and reliner worked well for me. In bed I put pillows under my knees which helped a lot.

[blinky]

Home beats the hospital for sleeping. I am sleeping in the recliner, but think I will switch to the bed late this week. Having lots of pillows on hand will help you find the most comfortable and safe position for sleeping.


I am glad you have so many people who can help you.

[jd]

You'd be surprised how hard it can be to sleep on your side even without a bilateral! I basically couldn't at all for the first week as I felt a lot of pressure in the incision area, even when it was on top.

I did get a *huge* body pillow from Amazon that was cheap and I thought was fantastic. My first side-sleeping was with that, plus two other pillows between my knees. Seriously. That was the only way I could keep the stretching pressure off my incision enough to fall asleep.

Thankfully now (at 4.5 weeks post-op) I can sleep on either side with just one normal pillow between my knees. I get about 5 hours on the non-op side and 2-3 hours on the op side before I get too sore. Throw in a little lying on my back just to change it up and I'm relatively happy sleeping in bed again. Can't wait to be 100% normal sleeping though!

[PMac]

So I started the thread one week to go and now here we are one week since (well give or take a few hours) so some thoughts...


I'm now sleeping much better, sleeping in my own bed and maybe grab a small nap in the recliner during the day. I can get around on the crutches pretty well and have caught myself using just one from time to time without really realising it. I do find it uncomfortable in normal chairs however and when eating etc I can't stay in those chairs any longer than necessary.


So pain wise I had a bad day yesterday, seemed to swell up a fair bid and developed a new pain about half way down my operated leg and also in my knee (which I had been expecting). I have also developed a bit of bruising again not unexpected. Left me feeling quite low but my wife was great and reminded me how far I'd come.


I am trying with my exercises to be as regular as I can and for the most part doing ok, back at the hospital next Tuesday for the first official physio session with their team but do feel my mobility is improving slowly.


If I had to say one thing that is still difficult and painful it would be getting in and out of bed especially in the middle of the night! But it's only been a week, so many thanks for everyone who has messaged me or even posted on other threads where I can read up if there are other things bugging me.

[blinky]

I tell myself that some niggles are normal, that I am still healing and am unlearning some bad habits of movement. For example, if I take a bigger step or turn or stand up with my weight distributed unevenly, I will feel it somewhere. It could feel like a tightness (bigger step) or I could feel pressure in the side of my knee. Immediately posy surgery, I noticed my knee was bruised where I fell on it and that the left side of my back had sore muscles from where I tightened them. A lot of these sensations are transient. If anything stayed or got worse, I would be concerned.


Getting up in the middle of the night. Ugh. Yeah, that was hard the first week. Husband would jump up to make sure I didn't fall.


Please post about your PT. I would like to know what they have you do.

[jd]

Niggles are definitely normal, as are strange sensations constantly while walking (and doing many other things). I wouldn't expect hip flexors or abductors to feel normal for quite awhile and pivoting early on (accidentally) definitely caused twangs of pain.

What's your recovery protocol regarding restrictions? Do you have a cane you can move to once you feel up for it? Obviously dropping to one crutch lets you carry things, but I was so much happier when I felt stable enough with the cane. It's really much more closely matched to normal walking, so helps you start moving toward correcting your gait.

In and out of bed was probably my least favorite thing to deal with early on. I actually don't know how I could've done it without my "leg lifter" (like this: http://www.amazon.com/Norco-Leg-Lifter-NC94301/dp/B0052ZVQCY) or someone moving my leg for me. Even with the leg lifter, I recall a couple of times I spent 20 minutes or so trying to get my leg in or out of bed in the middle of the night right after surgery (in the hotel, not wanting to wake my wife). Thankfully now it's trivial to do :)

Sounds like things are going well!

[PMac]

Restriction wise the usual really but regarding crutches do what I feel comfortable doing regarding dropping a crutch here and there. We are having a better chat about it at physio on Tuesday. The leg lifter looks good I'll look into it.

[PMac]

First trip to the physio done and all good positive stuff, my range of movement is good for 10 days post op and they asked me to show them how I was walking with one crutch. Apparently I'm leaning quite a bit which is quite normal but I need to work on it. So I've been given the OK for one crutch around the house and two if going out and about.


I have some new exercises as well, marching on the spot whilst leaning on a surface, raising from a seated position and down again (without using arms) as well as all the originals on the other leg putting my weight on the operated leg. The hardest one though is hip raises on the bed which are fun to say the least!


Generally feeling pretty good the last couple of days have been positive and I have been out of the house on a couple of walks. I'm sure I'll push it too far at some point and have a setback but for now it's onwards and upwards!

[blinky]

Great news!


I march in place, too. It isn't an official exercise, but I find when I get tired I don't lift my legs, but kind of throw them from the side.

[PMac]

So two and a bit week update, this morning I had my staples out! Everything looking really good according to the nurse. The wound looks great really neat and nothing out of the ordinary. My operated leg is still a little swollen but much less than it was.

Feeling pretty good overall and have cut right down on the meds now. I did try and cut out the nightime ones but that was a mistake and led to the worst night i'd had to date. That said the rest of the time I'm sleeping well. I did overdo it on Thursday last week and paid for it for the next couple of days (but reading your posts it seems that is pretty normal) I also drove on Saturday round to my in laws, its only about a mile and a half but in truth it was a mistake and I wont be doing it again for a while. Being in the UK we mainly have manuals and not automatics.

Still need to remind myself its not three weeks yet as I find I get frustrated not being able to get around as I feel that I should. On one crutch all the time unless I go outside for a walk (we are getting battered in the UK with heavy rain and strong winds at the moment).

Back to physio tomorrow morning so we will see what they have to say, I am doing everything Im told and not finding it too hard. Hopefully things will continue as they have been and i'll be off the crutches by Christmas, back at work today all be it working from home but nice to get the brain working again!

[blinky]

Good progress. I am curious what the physio will say.

[jd]

Sounds like more good progress PMac. I sure hope you're off crutches by Christmas! Given that you only had one leg operated on and that you have great progress already I can't imagine how you could still be on crutches at 6 weeks post-op.

I recommended this to blinky and I'll recommend the same to you too -- get a cane (the medical offset-handle ones work well) and try that once you feel pretty OK on one crutch. It's harder, but closer to normal walking, and I found it massively preferable to a crutch.

You're doing excellently and you'll be amazed how quickly you reach the point where things feel mostly normal again :)

[PMac]

So the physio is very happy with me and thinks I'm doing well and ahead of where she thought I would be. Quite a lot of carrying on with the exercises I'm already doing but a few new ones as well. She took me into their gym today and had me doing some step work and also some non crutch work (she was standing behind me ready to steady me if needed)

Then she got me on a balance board to see if I could balance it, most people tend to tip to the side of the stronger leg and favour it and it tests how much you trust the operated leg. Well after a few wobbles I was keeping it reasonably level and dropped equally on both sides which she was happy with.

She wants me to try with no crutches here and there and after next weeks session has said that I can go back to swimming (probably)

[PMac]

So it will have been four weeks tomorrow which means no more blood thinners and I can take off these sexy compression socks/stockings at last! Today was the latest physio visit. I drove myself there and I walked in there with no crutches or stick! (Not on purpose I just forgot to get it out of the car) The physio didn't mind but did give me a little telling off and told me not to do too much too soon.


That said they took me in their gym and got me on their cross trainer (elliptical machine) and have given me the green light to go back to my gym and start using their machines again BUT no more than 10 minutes. I can also start swimming again YAY! I'm also now sleeping on my side again mainly on my non operated side but I have woken up on the other side a couple of times.


I really can't believe how well I feel and how well it's going, my range of movement has a long way to go and no chance of getting my sock on yet but my exercises are helping and I'm getting there. I really didn't think I'd be on no crutches around the house and one when I go walking (in honesty I don't even think I need that now)


But here's the thing, the residual muscle pain still makes it difficult for me to figure out how much better my hip feels yet. It unquestionably is much less painful but I'm looking forward to actually get back to normal life pain free. I'm not there yet but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter every day!

[PMac]

Yesterday was a good day, I was back in the gym on the cross trainer for the first time since the day before my operation. Just a quick 13 minutes but it felt great, no pain in the hip and the muscles are getting stronger all the time.


After that it was into the pool for a few lengths and also some stretches and exercises. The one thing it has highlighted though is how unfit I have become in the (nearly) 5 weeks that I have been taking it easy.


Physio again tomorrow and I'm not using any crutches at home and to be honest I really don't think I need them at all now. Really looking forward to Christmas now and then back to work full time on the 4th January. Can't believe how quickly the time has gone.

[PMac]

Christmas Day will be my 6 week anniversary and I'm amazed how far I've come in that short time. I'm now walking without crutches or a cane, driving both our cars (including the manual) and doing all the exercises the lovely Jenny my physio has told me to do with no real problems. In fact I am doing a little more maybe, today I went to my gym and did 15 minutes on the cross trainer and 10 on the bike followed by a swim and lots of stretches and exercises in the pool.


Life is getting back to normal and I'm looking forward to going for a long walk with the family on Christmas Day which I haven't been able to do in recent years because of the pain. I go back to work full time on 4th January and to be honest I'm looking forward to it! Unlike most on here I don't have a follow up until 3 months post surgery so that's not until early February.


For anyone reading this who isn't sure about things I can honestly say as I sit here right now this was the best decision I have ever made regarding my health and I wish I'd done it sooner! Any UK based hippies that want any advice don't hesitate to get in touch

[blinky]

That so so great. What a Christmas present to be able to function normally again!

[jd]

It's fantastic to hear that this has been so successful for you PMac! Like blinky says, what a great Christmas present!

[PMac]

Today is my 8 week anniversary and what can I say? I went back to work full time on Monday and survived the week. I'm now walking a mile and a half a day and in the gym three or four times a week doing a light workout. Things are going well however still have a niggling pain in the hip, probably muscular and it could even be in my head I guess.


Things on the whole are going great and I truly can't believe how fast the time has gone, I'm back to driving the manual and am not even thinking about how I get in and out of the car now. And the biggest news.... I sold the recliner today! I don't need it anymore and I actually sold it for slightly more than I paid for it!


Four weeks until my 3 month check with Mr Eastaugh Waring, I guess I'll report back then if not before

[blinky]

You sold the recliner??!!!


It all sounds good except that last bit.