Blinkys Hip Resurfacing with Dr. Gross 2015

[blinky]

Sleeping better and eating better. I feel more like my old self all the time.


I did a little work this morning, editing the proof of a magazine. I think I could have worked sooner, but maybe not. Motivation was lacking.


Another explanation for not being able to work: I think  my mental energy has been going towards healing and figuring out how to function in my new, hobbled body. I am thinking a lot, but about how to move the coffee cup from the kitchen island to the table and not about work.


I am going to keep double crutching the outdoor walks and get up to a mile at a time. Meanwhile, I am going to experiment with moving indoors without crutches or with one crutch. My house is pretty open, so I can't surf smoothly from piece of furniture to piece of furniture, but walls and furniture are close enough that I can start to move without two crutches. I am not using the crutches so much for weight bearing help. I use them for balance. If I can touch a wall to steady myself, that is often enough.


I do still have niggles and some swelling. No pain, but there are sensations of pulling or of being tight. It feels like normal healing. Nothing is chronic or gets worse.


Looking ahead, the next big challenge will be Thanksgiving. H and I are driving to my folks' house about nine hours away. We will do it in two chunks. (three, really) We will drive to see Son1 at college about an hour and a half away. Then we will push on to Dallas. H has found a fabulous resort hotel to stay the night. It will be great for him, sad for me. The place has an indoor 25 m pool and big gym. I joked that I would be crutching around the parking lot on the even ground while he swims, then gets a massage. The next day we will push on to LR. I am already brainstorming on where to find handicapped accessible bathrooms on the route. (state line rest stops and large truck stops---too bad there aren't more Buccee's on the route).


My folks's house is large, but two story with all bedrooms upstairs. I doubt their toilet heights and bed heights are as good as ours. Of course, I will bring my special potty seat, but they have one, too. They do have chairs with arms and at least one recliner. The freezer will be stuffed with food so we will have to put ice in a cooler.


We are going to play it by ear for the trip back. I think we can do it in one day with frequent stops. Worst case we break it up.

[jd]

I had no idea you were walking so far each day already, that's fantastic! Like you, I kept up walking aids outside for longer than inside. Obviously with a bilateral things are a bit different going to one crutch or a cane, but once I could handle a cane I was *much* happier.

Glad to hear you're sleeping well, I've reversed a little on that front (great sleep for 5-6 hours, then impossible to continue).

I think the niggles will be 100% normal for quite awhile to come. I still have plenty.

Ambitious plans for thanksgiving, but I'm sure it'll be great!

Take care.

[blinky]

Why the sleeping issues? I am sleeping better now than preop for sure. I used to wander from bed to couch and back, trying to get comfortable.


I could easily sit in my recliner and watch Law and Order reruns all day. Oy! Okay, so I did 2/3 jobs that needed to be done, and will finish the third today.


A physical inventory: right leg still swells more, but I clearly treat it as the lead leg. The swelling is better, it was never bad, like I didn't notice much outside of the thigh area, and I never had any bruising, even on my hips. But I haven't tried to wear my own pants so I don't really know. (The benefits of living in a warm climate. No need for pants and no need for socks.) I notice the camber and grade of the road when I walk outside. That reminds me that my legs seem to be the same length as I don't notice any difference at all indoors.


My arms aren't sore at all. H pointed that out. That means 1) I am not using them for weight bearing much and/or 2) all that weight lifting I did preop paid off.


My scars look pretty good. The scabs are coming off (!) steadily. I bet I get to swim after Thanksgiving. (Though there will be all kinds of logistical challenges. How will I get to the pool? How will I change clothes? What suit can I put on by myself? Will it bother my incisions?) The numbness is lessening. I figure some of the numbness was from swelling. The tissue underneath feels hard and a little swollen. No issues with sitting, however. I do like to put the right leg up, and I do get tired of not being able to lean on the table.


Finished off the blood thinner. A milestone!


I think I mentioned I am taking joy in movement again. Walking outside in the sun, swinging on the crutches in some not approved ways, a playful pivot.


We are going out tonight and I need an outfit. No shopping trip, I will find something that works in my closet, but it will be a step up from my day to day dressing.

[jd]

It's so nice when walking starts to be fun again! For a long time I've avoided walking when heading out, even when the walk was easy (half mile, etc). Now it's just the opposite, I'd rather walk when I can!

Regarding sleeping, I think the main issue is that now I can easily shift positions while asleep. It's not immediately painful lying on my incision, so I tend to roll over to that side after awhile lying on the "good" side (still with a pillow between my legs). It probably takes ~1 hour of lying on the incision for it to ache enough to wake me up, but then it continues to ache for awhile after rolling back to the other side. Add in that there's a lot to think about at work at the moment, and I tend to sleep for 4-5 hours on my good side, roll to the bad for an hour, wake up, and then struggle to get back to sleep because my mind wakes up. I'm sure it'll pass, I'm just tired! :) 

[djganz]

I just caught up on your posts. It sounds like you're doing well. Good for you!  I look forward to hearing more about your ongoing recovery. Best wishes!

[blinky]

Good to know I should enjoy my deep sleeping while I can. I am trained now to lie as still as a corpse, but it won't last. djganz, since you are the most recent bilat, I refer to your posts all the time to get an idea of what to expect.


So I am walking crutchless in the house and I look like a toddler with a load in his diaper.


Seriously, I am bent kneed and kind of bowlegged, swaying from side to side. But I can surf between walls, furniture, and countertops and I can carry things. WooHoo!


I still need a bag to carry heavier items, like a laptop, and I still use crutches for longer walks (longer meaning more than about five steps without a wall nearby) and when I am in a scrum of people.


Speaking of scrum of people, we went out last night. I see that as a milestone in that I had to dress a little nicer, stand longer, and move around among people. It went well, but I was swollen and tired at the end of the evening. We went to a housewarming (lots of standing as people congregated in the kitchen and not near the chairs with arms that I required to sit down) and a fundraiser (could sit, but crowded). H did a great job looking out for my interests. He found me the right kind of chair to sit in and got me in it.

[Debcoco]

Congrats on getting "out and about" even for just this one time.  You've made remarkable progress!  I can't imagine having surgery on both hips at the same time.  It sounds like you have a great support system at home, too.

It seems most people on this site use crutches while recovering. My Doc recommended using a walker.  I'm not sure why.  I did like the way the walker helped me to walk by distributing my weight evenly and by not having to balance.  Plus I'm weak in the upper body. I'm sure there are pros and cons about both.

Anyway, you are doing great and I look forward to your next posting!

Deb

[blinky]

Thanks. Yes, I am very fortunate to have the support of H and friends. I think I am something of a curiosity, that crazy woman who had two hips replaced at once. I don't know why crutches and not  a walker for me. Did the PTs think a younger person would prefer crutches? Like it is an image thing? I ran into a gym trainer, former Green Beret and army medic, sixty yo, who had had a knee replaced and he said he preferred a walker because it made him stay balanced in the middle.


Yesterday was good. I did some work, took an outside walk in the cold (Texas cold), experimented with going crutch less indoors. I do pretty well, but do tire toward the end of the day and move back to one crutch. I can do more all the time, including chores that don't involve bending over. Of course, I am doing those four Dr Gross exercises, which are pretty easy now. (The heel slides were tough right after surgery. The friction from the bed sheets was hard to overcome.)


There is still some swelling in the hip area and I do have sensations of tightness and pulling on both sides. Not all the time, but when I move I will find a tight spot. Left incision site looks really good, right not as good and still lumpy, but better.


Packed and ready to go to LR. Now that I am so comfortable in my own house, I will have to go learn how to function in a new place. Lots of problem solving to come. I found some longer, simple, over the head dresses in my closet so I can stay with that easy dressing strategy, but I also borrowed some loose sweats from a friend.


Looking ahead: H has to go out of town for two weeks when we get back.  He has been very concerned about how I will manage and so we have been figuring out safe ways to shower and trying to identify exactly what I can't do on my own. Drive. Fill the ice machine. I think those are the big ones. Now, Son2 will be home on break (trimester system at college), so i won't be alone. But let's be honest about eighteen yo on break. He is a good boy, but he will sleep until noon, go to work at five, then go out late with friends. It will be interesting.

[blinky]

So yesterday was a tougher day. I am double crutching outside like a champ, faster and better all the time. Inside I am experimenting with going crutch less and that is the hard part. I am more sore ("sore" isn't quite the right word) at the end of the day. Some unaided trips are great, with me walking pretty straight, others are more wobbly. I do love being able to use my hands and to carry things. On two crutches every trip requires so much planning.


Because I am a big show off, I had to let every visitor see that I could walk without crutches. Because I am impatient from feeling good, I didn't use the crutches to get packed for this out of town trip. It was faster and easier to just get my own stuff by myself than to let H help. I paid by being more swollen and more tired yesterday.


We drove five hours in the car, taking a break in the middle. We brought ice. I moved my legs around, ankle pumping and bending my knees.I was surprised how much I use my hips to stabilize myself in the car while H drives. He is rather....aggressive...so it was rough until he got on the highway. Getting in and out of the car is a piece of cake now. I am strong enough to sit in chairs without arms; I can use my arms and legs to raise and lower myself without breaking 90 degrees. Just have to check that the table won't flip from my weight.


A sad moment was seeing the Dallas skyline and remembering the last time I was here I was driving into town to run a marathon with a friend and son1. Here I am on crutches and wearing a funky independence outfit ( t shirt, men's silky boxers, long dress, slip on shoes, son's hoodie with front pocket for phone). I hope next year when we do this drive, I am the one driving, I look more stylish, and I have packed my swimsuit and running shoes.

[PMac]

Sounds like it's all going well and don't be sad look at it as a motivation now you have a real chance of doing it again whereas if you hadn't had the op you would never have had a choice. I'm glad the journey wasn't too bad.

[blinky]

Absolutely. H enjoyed our stop so next year I will be running those paths and swimming in the pool.


The long day of driving, five hours, was well, long. We started late, stopped after about an hour, then didn't stop as soon as we should have when we crossed the border to Arkansas. On the way back we will know better. I was more than ready to get out and stretch when we finally stopped.


The good surprise, though, was how well I am able to move in my parents' house. It was built in 1970, never really modified, so it has lots of smallish rooms (by today's standards) and relatively narrow hallways and stairwells. This makes it perfect for me to get around without crutches. There is always a rail or a wall I can touch. I was delighted to go up and down their long stairs with no issues what so ever. The potties are low, which is a problem, but I am strong enough now I can lower myself using legs and triceps. They did dedicate one bathroom to me, but with so many extra people in the house, I can't always get in there.


I am also so much happier and chattier than last year, when my abilities were starting to really diminish. I went from being the one who organized long walks and morning runs to just sitting around drinking coffee and eating pie. No long walks or runs this year, but I will be going out to crutch around the neighborhood.


Lots to be thankful for this year!

[blinky]

So yesterday is the first day I really can say I overdid it. Too much new: climbing long stairs, walking on hillier and more cambered roads, going crutch less, not icing as much. My left side was tweaked and overused by the end of the day.


I tweaked it rolling over in bed of all things. I started to roll, felt it, thought better of it, stopped. But the damage was done. On the heretofore quiet left side. Ugh. I notice that I swing my leg instead of lifting and that contributes to the problem. So back on at least one crutch and I won't take a walk outside today. Just eating and napping!


A night's sleep was mostly restorative. I am about 70% better. And the good news is I feel much much less swollen. I did ice, but I didn't feel like I needed to the way I have the last few weeks.


Yes, my brothers and the kids are all making fun of me for being such a princess. I had first choice of beds when we arrived, for example, and got to be Goldilocks picking the best one. And I get the chair with arms.

[JHippy]

Speaking of crutches some of the best advice I got on this forum was not to rush getting off them. It's all about your walking form. In fact here it is in his own words: http://surfacehippy.info/hiptalk/index.php?topic=5474.msg51853#msg51853

Overall all it looks like you've been doing great! Just don't push it too much right now, you'll get there. I know it's tempting :)

[blinky]

Thanks. I took a step back and went back to crutches yesterday and that did the trick. My left hip settled down. The next two days will be very chill. One day will be another long car trip.


I think  the stairs are what set me off. My house has a first floor master so I don't have to climb steps except those few to get in and out of the house. This house has stairs and I am up and down many times a day.



I do need to think about how I move. Crutchless I waddle more.

[blinky]

Thank God for the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA.


After our ten hour drive, I am pleased to report that there are handicapped accessible restrooms everywhere.


Back to normal tomorrow.

[jd]

Glad you survived the adventure!

How are the walks going? I'm guessing the adventure put all of that mostly on hold.

[blinky]

Sadly, yes. Plus the wonky left hip, rain, and the long trip.I figured all the stairs I was doing made up for the walks. Yesterday I was only in the house for an hour and went up and down half a dozen times.


I did go out today, had to break down and wear long pants due to cold weather. I am going to double crutch it and go 3/4s of a mile for a few days, then think about modifications. I can go further on two, but also I think I can start short outside jaunts on one crutch. In the house I am on one or none. One feels good. None is wobbly, but I can use both hands so I go that way when I am moving things around, like dishes to sink.


Son2 is home with us. He spent the night with friends. We will have to train him how to take care of his disabled mom. I am showering without help for about a week. H was nervous about this for a long time, but is okay now. Son2 certainly doesn't want to be helping me with bathing! Driving and the ice machine are the two big issues. We will figure it out. Son2 is pretty sensitive.


The usual random niggles. Right leg is more tired today. Incisions look better and feel more normal all the time. I don't think I will get to swim for another week. Slept in a bed the last week, but returned to the recliner last night. The cats wanted to be with me after the time apart, and it is easier to do that in the recliner. And I snore on my back, so gave H a break from that.

[jd]

Do you have a cane yet? Obviously you want to be comfortable on a single crutch before trying a cane as it provides less support, but I much preferred the cane to the crutches. It allows you to walk with a much more normal gait vs having something showed up under your arm. If you don't have one, I'd recommend getting one -- once you feel up to using a single crutch outside and become pretty competent with it, try out the can and see what you think (I just bought a $12 one on Amazon with an offset handle like this: http://www.amazon.com/Medline-Offset-Handle-Cane-Black/dp/B000BJBH3Y/).

Glad that your independence is on the rise. It's very nice to be able to shower without help! Do you think you could carry, empty, refill, and carry again the ice machine with one crutch?

[blinky]

I do have a cane and maybe that is the next step. I am thinking I can do the double crutch long walk and then a shorter cane walk and see how it goes. I don't use the two crutches in the house anymore, just move them from place to place.


The issue will be my gait. I think  I walk pretty normally on two crutches: evenly, not waddling, just touching the ground on both sides for balance. Moving through the house crutch free touching the walls and furniture for balance I think  I also look pretty good, except for touching the walls all the time. But my unsupported steps are awkward. When I get the cane out, I will get someone to watch me walk.


The drug count down: seven Mobic left. I forget to take Tylenol and it doesn't matter too much. Once a day seems to be enough. I have a while left on the baby aspirin. Out of the prescription iron and nagging H to buy me some OOC and he never remembers. Son2 is going to take his mom out on a grocery trip and I will get it then myself.


Napping is a no no. I can't sleep at night.

[jd]

Gait is definitely important. Obviously you have things tougher being bilateral and therefore I'm not quite sure how to translate my experience weaning off the walking aids to yours. I went from 2 crutches to one, and then as soon as I was really solid on one I switched to the cane. I tried the cane directly from 2 crutches and it wasn't going to happen, I was far too wobbly. However, I did transition to the cane much faster than from 2 crutches to 1.