As of yesterday, 6/10/2024, I am now a Bilateral Surface Hippie!  Another stellar performance by the team at Midlands Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery in Columbia, SC.

First time around the mulberry bush was 1/4/2021 on the right, documented in my previous thread.  ZERO pain coming out of surgery then.  A little different this time around:  pain level didn’t drop below a 3 from our morning 1.7 mile dogwalk to post surgery.  Dr. G said mileage may vary.  So far, it is responding to the narcotics and tylenol.  Didn’t sleep well the night before surgery (brain wouldn’t shut off), then not well at the hotel (elevators next to our room wouldn’t shut off!).  :D  Pain has subsided a bit, but tomorrow is supposed to be the worst day after what was put in there during surgery wears off. Let the fun begin….

Icing with the polar pack does the most good.  If anyone is pondering whether or not to invest in the raised toilet seat,  DO IT!  I tried it without the first time around thinking 18” chair-height would suffice.  Glad I bought the raised for this go-round.  It’ll get stored in the closet for future use after all this is done.

I didn’t know what awaited on the other side of my previous surgery.  I just wanted it DONE, hell or high water.  The outcome was sooooo much better than what I ever could’ve imagined.  Post-surgery, my repaired right was taking the load that my already-affected left was giving it.  It’s really taking the load now, so I’m glad I strengthened it up.  I’ve got the same road to plow for my left hip, but I will follow Dr. Gross’s and Dr. Webb’s guidance to THE LETTER, same as last time.  Hoping to have a super-strong matched set!!

I am so ready to get going with the exercises and back to fun!  Looking forward to documenting the progress!  Cheers!

First night sleep at home was WONDERFUL!  Slept solid from about 10:30 pm (zonk!) to 2:30 am when nature called.  After the roundtrip potty workout, I zonked back out again until 5:30am.  Nothing beats good sleep!  Morning exercises in bed were slow.  Heel slides are the toughest.

I also invested in an overstuffed king-size pillow for between the legs when laying on my side.  I am a side-sleeper. Also works great when lying on my back to prop the op leg on for the toes-above-the-nose.  I could barely get that thing into a pillowcase, but it is much more convenient than two standard pillows stuffed in a pillowcase AND it’s long enough to keep my ankles from dangling in midair.

More to come!

Congratulations!  Thank You for sharing your story.
I wish you the very best and a speedy recovery.
Pat

Thanks, Pat!  Hope you are doing well!

Morning exercises already easier, in just 3 sessions.  Went from only 11 heel slides yesterday morning to 17 last night to 30 per side this morning.  Walking on the crutches getting easier, but accidentally moving the op leg in towards the non op… that sticks with you for a bit.  Yikes!  Forgot how important it was to keep the op leg turned out a bit.

Rolling merrily along at lightning snail speed…

Well here we are at Friday already.  Didn’t sleep well last night and still need the heavy stuff as well as tylenol.  Can’t lie on the op side yet, remembering from the right side being done, it took several weeks to be able to.  Sucks being a sidesleeper.  The big pillow between the legs is great.  I switch to lying on my back and propping my leg up on it.  Then back to right side with the pillow between.  Back and forth…every hour or so…all…night…long.  Grrrrr.    >:(

I think the five day mark has all the anesthesia and heavy meds that were put in during surgery gone from my system.  Probably the worst night, hopefully the worst night.  Staying positive, stretching periodically, ankle pump exercises while in the recliner.  Git ‘er done!

Sunday- 6 days post-op.  Sleep still rough.  Tried turning on my op side twice just to make a go of it, but that only lasted for about a minute each time.  Still on the long-acting oxycodone at night and trying to just use the extra strength tylenol during the day.  This recovery is very different from the previous.  Lots of swelling in my upper leg.  Yellowing, black and blue marks come and go almost daily.  Polar Cube machine is my buddy!   Looking forward to starting .25 mile walks tomorrow.

Monday - 7 days post-op - .25 walkies no problemo!  Used both of my arm crutches and took it slow.  Tired and hot, but no pain.  Gosh it’s muggy today!  I’ll remove the bandage in the shower later and get my first look at the 4” piece of chewed, raw turkeybacon I now have attached to my left bun.  Joy!  3 1/2 years post-op on the right side and the scar is still there and dark.  Well, now I have my two racing stripes!

Tuesday - 8 days post-op - The incision site doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would, compared what I had on the right side.  Happy!  Decided to go with no pain meds (not even tylenol) yesterday and last night.  Woke up several times to reposition and pee (dernit!) but no real pain other than the constant toothache in the hip.  Not bad and very manageable.  Still waiting for the other shoe to drop with the “good night/bad night” thing.  We’ll see.

Wednesday - 9 days post-op -  The other shoe dropped.  Didn’t sleep well at all last night.  Probably woke up every hour to hour and a half repositioning.  Tried rolling gently onto the op side again and almost managed to doze off.  It got unbearable after 5 minutes and had to roll back onto the right.  Then the right shoulder started hurting.  My wonderful, long-suffering wife offered the tylenol, but I refused.  I’m an idiot.  Took 2 after breakfast today before getting on the ice machine for the first icing of the day.  Quarter mile walk before breakfast made me tired after shower and morning exercises.  I’m pushing, just like after my last surgery.  “No pain-no gain” has no place here.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and I keep having to remind myself of that.

Happy Friday!  11 days post-op -  The sleep issues continue.  Still no heavy drugs, two tylenol this morning to knock back some pain.  Just got up from a 1 hour nap that took 30 minutes to fall asleep.  I’m sure this is lack of exercise.  Still icing 1 hour on and an hour to 2 off.  Swelling seems to have gone down bit.  I remember lack of sleep from the previous surgery being the number 1 cause of “THIS SUCKS!!!”   >:(

Also, remembering it is not a straight line progression towards full recovery; more like a heartbeat on an ascending scale.  I keep reminding myself that the pain is the nerves, muscles and tendons knitting themselves back together…like the growing pains most of us had as kids.  Grin and bear it.  If it gets too bad, there are still some Oxy’s left!

Monday - 14 days post-op - Couldn’t sleep last night.  Pain problems and didn’t take anything, just tossed and turned most of the night.  Started 1/2 mile walks today.  No issues.  Picked up some Tylenol PM, as advised by Dr. Gross.  Moved the daily meloxicam anti-inflammatory to evening instead of morning.  We’ll see if that makes a difference.

Tuesday - 15 days post-op -  Again with the rough night.  Tylenol PM knocked the pain back.  Dozed for a while on the op side, amazingly.  It seems that when I start to nod off, a nerve misfires in my op leg or foot, waking me up.  Annoying!!

I distinctly remember from the right hip surgery how precious sleep was.  Prior to that first good night about 4 weeks in, I started to question whether or not all this was worth it.  After 6 weeks, I was wondering what took me so long to throw down on the surgery.  As they say, what a difference a day makes.  Or in my case, 4 weeks.  Looking back, it was worth every second of missed sleep, aches and pains, night sweats and all.  I’m sure when my whining is done this time, I’ll feel the same.

Friday - 18 days post-op - Slept a little better last night.  2 Tylenol PM at 8pm, woke up at 2am and smacked it with another 2 extra strength Tylenols.  Slept until 5:30.  Sleep is definitely at a premium these days.  Walks are going well.  Down to one crutch using it more like a cane.  Barely need it.  Still going up and down the stairs, good up, bad down, not foot over foot yet.  Probably try that starting Monday at the week 4 mark.  Hope all of you Hippies and Potential Hippies are doing well!

Monday - 21 days post-op - Beginning week 4 and 3/4 mile walks.  Tired, but no issues.  2 Tylenol PM before bed and 2 extra strengths at 2:30 this morning.  Sleep getting a little better.  Can now sleep for about 30 minutes on the op side before it wakes me up.  Looking forward to the mile walks next week, as we have a new brewery that opened up right outside our neighborhood: 1.16 round-trip!  Close enough!   :D  I figure I can rest with a pint at the halfway point.  Talk about incentive to get your walkies on!

Wednesday - 23 days post-op - Worst pain so far today.  Did something stooooopid yesterday:  we had a fridge delivered and I knelt down on the floor to shut the water off..  Op leg down first, then  good, both knees down… no problemo.  When I went to get up,  accidentally put my op leg foot down first and pushed.  Paid for it all day today.  I was so used to my left leg taking the heat for my previously op’d right hip that I just didn’t think.  Palm-slap-to-forehead-multiple-times moment.  Back on the ice this evening.  Dern lucky I didn’t rip something.  New Hippies, listen to your Uncle Marv:  THINK before you move…for six weeks at least!!!

Thursday - 24 days post-op - What a difference a day makes!  Got much better sleep last night after going full steam all day, with a little help from Tylenol PM.  Didn’t wake up as much.  Woke up ready for my 3/4 mile walk.  No issues.  Decided to get on ice this afternoon after spending the morning rearranging refrigerator contents.  Happy Independence Day, Hippies!  To our Hippy counterparts over in England:  sorry for your loss!   ;)

Friday - 25 days post-op - I was so enthusiastic yesterday… Hardly slept at all last night.  Leg pain from the bottom of the incision down to the knee.  Couldn’t find the sweet spot.  Took a three hour nap through lunch today and actually woke up lying on the op side.  No pain.  Every day is different and mileage is varying wildly.  3/4 mile walk this morning, I pretty much carried my crutch and hardly used it.  I decided to quit trying to do foot-over-foot on the stairs with crutch until next week.  I’m pretty sure that and my little indiscretion of two days ago are what is causing this extra pain.  Skipped the Tylenol PM last night thinking I wouldn’t need it.  Mistake!  I’ll be taking 2 tonight before bedtime…

Sunday - 27 days post-op - Slept better last night, still with a couple of Tylenol PM, but I only have one more dose left and determined not to buy anymore.  Walked my 3/4 mile this morning without carrying my crutch.  It is now in the closet.  Looking forward to the 1 mile walks starting tomorrow!

Monday - 28 days post-op - beginning week 5!  Throttled up to 1 mile walks today.  No crutch.  Put off trying to walk up stairs foot over foot until next week.  Still not strong enough.  When I had my right done, I was walking 3 stories up and down by now, foot over foot.  Taking it a bit slower this time.  I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize our trip to the mountains of Western North Carolina for a respite from the oppressive heat of South Carolina and some much needed hiking.  The mountains are calling and I MUST GO!   8)

Tuesday - 29 days post-op - No Tylenol PM last night and slept well, even managing about an hour on the left side!  Did a mile and a quarter by accident in the neighborhood this morning (took the route I had planned for next week…oops!), then decided to even it out to 2 miles with another 3/4 mile on the treadmill in the gym. <grin> No issues, but I’ll see how sleep goes tonight and how I feel tomorrow.  My great nephew will be visiting tomorrow, but Uncle Marv won’t be impressing him with his Spider-Man pose like I did a year after my right hip surgery.  I’ll have to work back up to that!