One week to go

Cantab · November 15, 2011, 01:57:01 PM

I just had my first visit with the visiting nurse, blood pressure was up, but I explained I had just gotten off the phone with Blue Cross, so that explains the elevation. No problems with the paying of the bills but BCBS was trying to "educate" me on what to expect from the surgery. I told them that i had received the OK for the surgery from them, dated the day after surgery had occurred. They had all sorts of questions, I finally got tired of them and told them my Dr. could answer any questions I had, and I also had you guys to run stuff by. I am real tired of the bureaucracies of BCBS, I am fighting with them over my acid reflux disease and the med, nexium, which needs to be approved by BCBS every year now. They keep changing the rules but won't tell you about the change until you ask.

My recent updates are, got home yesterday, ride wasn't bad but getting out of the car was an adventure. After the whole day and finally relaxing in my new recliner, the leg was sore and swollen. Tried to sleep in the bed and woke up about two hours later, both legs wore sore from not moving at all. I had to pee and it took awhile to get the strength up in the leg to get out of bed. I then took a pain med and went out to my recliner, soooooo comfy, I slept through the rest of the night. The recliner will be home for the foreseeable future. can walk with the two crutches now, occasionally get a twinge of pain, but still no strength. Doing quad sets now as I write this. Tomorrow is first PT session at home, hopefully i get the OK to do the exercises I have seen here from McMinn Centre, we'll see. Next Wed. is the next appt. with the Dr., 13 days post op. , and will get the 28 staples removed from my 33cm wound. Is this average for BHR? I'll post if anything else comes up before Wed, 11/23.

curt · November 15, 2011, 02:09:35 PM

Niiiiice recliner, good recliner! Whatever it take Cantab!! The strength comes back slowly and surely, a little more each day. I too had trouble swinging my leg out of bed to get up and pee. Found that using my arms and pull my butt deeper into the bed and then turning 90 degrees (keeping the two legs more or less together) allowed me to ease the operated leg over the side and onto the floor. As with most things the first 3 weeks, up and down are easier than anything lateral. Hang tough and easy does it! Curt

Cantab · November 16, 2011, 12:05:02 PM

Just had my first visit from PT. She was shocked that I had'nt been shown any exercises at the hospital. Lucky I found the basic exercises here and did some ankle pumps, quad sets and glut sets the last few days. The PT says I am doing fine and walked me through the exercises for now, will continue them the next few days until my next Dr apt. next Wed.

Feel so much better , blood pressure was normal today and FINALLY had a bowel movement. I needed to take some dulcolax instead of colace, that worked. I'm done with the pain meds, except tylonol, unless I really hurt after PT. Its a long road but I think I am on the right road.

Cantab · November 17, 2011, 02:55:15 PM

I got real sore today on the outside of the operated on leg. I think my IT band is inflamed, it's sore to the touch at the knee, and just above in the quad area. I might have overdone it with the PT, I'll keep doing pt but tone down the range for now see if this helps, I definately don't want to take another pain med if I can help it.

hernanu · November 17, 2011, 03:03:24 PM

Just play it by ear, I think rest should do it, but definitely take the meds if needed. If you have any IT issues, when the incision is fully healed and you can bear it, I'd recommend using a roller to deal with the IT band (and other muscles). I had IT problems, and the roller did a great job with it. It's cheap and effective. Again - only when you're ready for it.

An example only (I think you can get'em in a lot of places):

http://www.amazon.com/fit-Basic-White-Foam-Roller/dp/B000WG0L74/ref=pd_sim_shoe_51

PistolPete · November 17, 2011, 04:18:09 PM

Is the IT band the muscle that runs along the outside of your quad or behind your knee? Both areas of mine on my operated leg are really tight and have been for a few days.

ScubaDuck · November 17, 2011, 04:24:23 PM

Pete-

The IT band isn't a muscle so it can't be stretched per se. It does run from inside your hip down along the outside of your quad and attaches under the knee. "Stretching" the IT band really stretches the muscle that attaches it to the hip.

I have had tight IT bands since I was a kid. After surgery I had alot of soreness for weeks with the IT band and muscles on the inside of my leg. I am sure this was because my leg was moving back to a normal tracking and these muscles needed to adjust to this change. I have virtually no problems now.

Best wishes.

Dan

Cantab · December 03, 2011, 12:47:34 PM

3 weeks post op.

Sorry I haven't posted on my progress, but everyday is better than the day before. Some small and some large improvements. For those that are preop, it does get better everyday after surgery.

Started outpatient Pt on Monday, 12/28, 18 days post op. First day on the bike and could only do half rotation, 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock then backwards to 9 o'clock again. By Wednesday could go all the way around and rode the bike for 7 minutes, 0 resistance. Did lots of VERY light weight training on the leg muscles and some exercises. The tightness in the quad and IT band are holding me back, for now.
I was able to sleep on my side for first time during week 2, pillow between my legs for support so legs don't cross. It felt great and helped me sleep for longer than a couple of hours at a time. Still a little swelling in the hip itself , but I think this is the IT band. The surgeon did tell me he had to split it and sew it back together to get at the hip.

I started with the cane on Monday around the house and Wed. no crutches at all, I now use the cane exclusively. I was 3 weeks postop on Thursday, 12/1. I tried the no cane thing at home Friday, the first few steps are huge limp, until I concentrate on a normal gate. Went to the gym today for the first time and rode the bike for ten minutes. I used the machines for upper body, light weight, and did my pt exercises. My gym is 3 levels and for the first time I walked the stairs in a normal fashion, one leg after the other. I felt great, finally some normalcy, so I told my wife I would drive home. It was no problem at all, except getting out of the car on the drivers side. My IT band and quad are still tight and the knee doesn't bend all the way, so I have to really push those leg muscles to contract enough to get out of the car. It might be that I drive a sports car, G35, it's big but kind of low to the ground. But I did it and this will give me so much more freedom. Will be at the gym every day now for my exercises and bike, this should help with the recovery.

PistolPete · December 03, 2011, 03:24:07 PM

This is awesome news. Sounds like you're really making progress. I haven't started outpatient PT and won't for at least 2 more weeks. I'm going to hit the gym starting tomorrow and ride the bike and also do some upper body exercises. Glad you're finally driving. Going up and down stairs normal is AWESOME. Congrats on that. Keep it up and keep us posted.