It is the butt-crack of dawn, and we leave for my pre-op appointment with Dr. Gross today.....surgery at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. I am nervous, for sure. Wish me luck. And, thanks for being there everyone.
Andy
Don't be nervous. You're dealing with a great doctor with a real pro team. I hope you can post when you wake up and let us know how you feel.
Good Luck, I look forward to hearing about your success.
I am very, very excited for you. Tell Dr. Gross that Linda from Blythewood, SC, who had surgery in December couldn't be more pleased with the results. I am certain you will be happy with your results to. I'll be thinking about you tomorrow when I drive by the hospital on the way to work and you will be in surgery :) Let us know how it goes!
Andy, you are in great hands, and I mean more than just Dr. Gross. You'll do great and they take great care of you. Breathe slow and look forward to the result. Good luck on a terrific outcome!
Curt
Hey There, Andy,
You are gettin' 'er done with a Top Dog who has tons of resurfacing surgeries under his belt! Believe you me, you'll be wildly surprised waking up tomorrow and hardly believing that your OA pain is GONE, and I mean GONE!
We are all rooting for you, with everything crossed (except our legs if it's still early days post op)!!!
'One
Andy
Good Luck. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Dr. Gross and team are great!
Let us know how you are doing when you are able to.
Pat
Good luck Andy! I feel great for you, you'll see the difference tomorrow. Let us know how you are when you can.
Andy;
Congrats on your new hip, today is the last day it will get worse, all things looking up starting tomorrow or thereabouts!
Dan
Best of luck Andy - the op will be over before you know it. Sit back and let the professionals look after you. You just need to look forward to a pain free active lifestyle.
Cherz
Kiwi
Andy, when you are there getting prepped you will find out it's not as bad as you thought it will be. It's the waiting and the wild imagination that gets everyone worked up. You will be fine. Keep thinking about getting your life back. The people there will take very good care of you.
I day two and feeling good.
Thanks everyone. You're right, Newdog, its the waiting that's killig me. That, plus the fact that the hip has been playing nice. I know it is inevitable, and better now than waiting until I'm in constant pain.
One disappointment-slash-good thing: my DEXA scan shows my bone density to be low.....a huge surprise since I've been active and lifting weight forever. So, now for some diet changes and drug therapy. But, without this I would be unaware.
Andy- By the time you read this you will proably be resting in your room in Providence Northeast! I truly hope your surgery went well and you have had your first walk. Are you on the slow recovery program due to bone density? let us know how everything went today! Sending good vibes to you! I am typing this at 7:27 and your surgery is at 7:30!
I am resting fine, thank you. I walked up and down the hall once, and -luckily - I am on a normal recovery plan. Thanks for all the good mojo!
I did hear that days 2-5 or 6 are worse, pain-wise, when the spinal wears completely off.
Andy
Everyone's different, Andy - challenges are going to come, but things will just keep getting better. Let it flow and enjoy the absence of the OA.
Congrats Andy - glad it all went smoothly.
Hern's right, expect some challenges - this is normal. There's there's no carbon copy for recovery as everyone heals at a different rate. The waiting was the worst part for me & I reckon I got around on relief & adrenalin (& meds!) alone for the first two weeks post op!
Keep us posted on how you're doing.
Hi Andy,
Glad you came through the surgery well, try and get some sleep tonight in between the nurse visits. Tomorrow you'll have a morning full of OT and PT class, then you'll be on your way back to the ATL.
Use that ice machine as much as you can when you get home, and let everyone baby you for the first week.
Mindi
That is herd.....letting people baby me, but I will do it. And, man do I love the ice machine! Thanks Mindi.
I really kept up with the ice machine as well and had no bruising other than a small spot on my calf that showed up about 2 weeks post op. I had swelling though and the ice feels so good! A little tip freeze water in water bottles like you would carry on a bike. Put one of those in the ice machine and fill the remainder with ice. It sure cuts down on ice cube use. I also found freezing small water in yogurt containers creates nice chunks that work well. Have a safe trip home. I actually have my six week follow up today. It was supposed to be next Tuesday but a work commitment led to me scheduling it for today!
Great ideas, Aerial! Please post about your checkup...I'd love to hear about it.
Hi Andy,
Aerial has great advice; I go back and read her thread for ideas a lot.
QuoteI really kept up with the ice machine as well and had no bruising other than a small spot on my calf that showed up about 2 weeks post op.
We were not sent home with an ice machine, so Hubs went low tech. Our freezer looks like we are stocking up on "The Peas' End Times" as we have
twelve 2lb bags of frozen peas in there taking up valuable freezer real estate.
I applied 2 bag 'o frozen peas per hip, one bag each for my knees ( which feel fine now). Then, I always had my six backup bags staying frozen, as we alternated them through the day. Use caution though; Hubs found out the hard way that dropping a bag of peas to our kitchen floor to break up the ice chunks was not such a great idea - except to our dog, who was thrilled with his unexpected windfall and who pooped green for the next day. Also, if you don't want your hip(s) to have freezer burn and don't want your bedclothes to be a sodden mess, a fluffy absorbent towel works a treat. Oh yeah, my in home OT told me funny stories of people actually eating their frozen bags of peas later, and she says you don't want to do that!
Good Luck and may healing shine on your hips & hardware knitting together for a picture perfect recovery!
Two-4
Hey, Andy - one thing I did that helped very local swelling (like the area around the incision), after it healed and other areas:
- Take a styrofoam coffee cup.
- Fill it partway with water, then let it freeze in the freezer.
- Rip off the bottom about 1/2 an inch, to expose the ice.
- Use a paper towel to cover the ice, to prevent ice on skin.
- Then move it around the swollen area to cool.
Worked wonders for localized areas and I could put it right back into the freezer. The styrofoam keeps your fingers well insulated.
Awesome ideas. Thank you.
I find that after the drive home I am VERY stiff. Also, I'm in a recliner (which is fine) but if I try to shift my operated leg just a little to the side, I can't do it. It is painful to do so. I'm using the leg lifter for that now. Is this normal?
Andy
I'm at 9 weeks and I still get stiff when I get out from a long ride weather I'm riding of driving. I think you sound just like the rest of us. I'm really the last person who should say this but you have to be patient with this
I know...I know. I was just so pleased at how little discomfort I had at the hospital, that this seems like a step backwards. Time for some meditation.
Andy
I'm 7 weeks & still get stiffness - especially after sitting for long periods. I try to keep moving as much as possible which has it challenges with a desk job. I ensure don't sit for more than 30 mins at a time without at least getting up and walking a bit or doing a few standing exercises. My team are already used to me talking with them whilst exercising!
Movement is good, but I found I needed plenty of rest early post op, especially in the first 3-4 weeks.
Easy to get excited when the meds are hiding the pain. That's when over did my walks early on...!
Andy, 100% normal to have a lot more pain now. If you need stronger pain meds, talk to your in home nurse and call your surgeon to up the strength. Whatever you do, stay ahead of the pain; in other words take your pain drugs before your hip starts killing you. I started my taper on Monday, over 2 1/2 weeks post op, so you will have muscle spasms, scar burning, and plain 'ol recovery pain as your body is busily knitting itself back together around your new hardware.
Also, I used the foot lasso for about 2 weeks post op. Keep doing your PT and strength will return, promise! This all totally normal.
My only caveat is to keep an eye on your anticoagulant, if it's anything other than aspirin. Those blood thinners can really do a number on you. Arixtra gave me aphasia, short term memory loss, lower limb weakness, confusion, and anger; I didn't even know what the remote was called!! Within 2 days of switching to Aspirin, I started getting back to myself, Thank God/or Serendipity.
This weak kitten period will pass very soon. Meditating, listening to music, downloading funny stories, and use your enforced downtime to make plans for a wonderful summer!!
Quote from: imgetinold on January 12, 2012, 06:39:50 PM
Awesome ideas. Thank you.
I find that after the drive home I am VERY stiff. Also, I'm in a recliner (which is fine) but if I try to shift my operated leg just a little to the side, I can't do it. It is painful to do so. I'm using the leg lifter for that now. Is this normal?
Andy
Day 2 I was the same. Day 4 it is moving much better. Keep doing the basic excercises PT advised and you'll see improvements each day.
mslendzion, glad to see your strength returning day by day!
Thanks for the perspective. I read about those who stop the narcotics on day 3, and wonder how they did it. I typically have a pretty high pain tolerance, or so I thought.
Andy,
You are not stepping backwards. When you were in the hospital you still had some effect from the local pain anesthetic and the spinal from your surgery. It is normal that you are feeling more stiffness and soreness. Things are healing back there already. It won't be long until you notice huge improvements. This first week is the toughest time.
If you still need the narcotics longer, then use them. That's what they are for and that's why you have a supply in case you need them. There's nothing wrong with that at all. Everyone is different. The main reason I went of of the heavy stuff after 3 days was because I felt they were messing with my mind too much in a way I didn't like. I just didn't feel very well. I did fine with 2 X-Strength Tylenols three times a day for about a week then tapered off to twice a day. And of course the ice, you have to ice. It was my best friend for at least two weeks. My Polar Care machine worked well in the hospital but for me was kind of a hassle when I got home. I had to have two pads hooked up to it since I am a bi-lat.
It sounds to me like you are doing great. The use of the leg lifter and the pain you are feeling is absolutely normal. Don't forget you can call Lee or Nancy at the office if you have questions or concerns. They are totally helpful. And don't hesitate to call the off hours phone number if you need to speak with someone. I had to call the number once on a Sunday evening and the response was very friendly and helpful. I even received a call about an hour later from them to make sure my concern was addressed and I was O.K. Someone from Midlands Orthopedics is on call 24/7 in case anyone needs to speak to them. Maybe you already knew all of this, sorry if I'm babbling on.
It does get better in a short time. You'll be amazed.
Thanks, newdog. Yea, I've kept up with the meds since then. I slept like a baby, and felt really decent this morning. I can tell I'm on the upswing.
I'm with newdog on this. There are no rules on this, just whatever works for you. The thing you need is to be comfortable enough to aid your recovery. You'll be off the pain meds soon enough, don't stress whether you should be on them or not - if you need them, use them.