12 days po

[midiowa]

hello all,  well its been a whole 12 days now feeling like its been 50, still cant sleep beyond 3 hrs, moving around pretty good but having knee soreness, off all pain meds at day 9 don't know if that's good or bad but the meds made me feel worst, horrible nightmares, i flew out of bed to rescue my 3 year old from nothing he was sound asleep, so there i stood middle hallway without my crutch's, when i came out of my stupor from the meds that was last straw, man was i sore that day after that.i feel like iam not doing enough on the pt part.  realistically i haven't even seen my 1st PO appointment with my surgeon yet. I've really been feeling a little down about the whole thing to be honest, hope things turn around little faster, iam about to go crazy i just not a guy that sits at home day after day ,day,day. getting a little down.i know i have forever to go.thanks for the whine session it helps.brad

[lynne123]

Hey Brad! I am 5 weeks post op and I still don't sleep through the night. I still have pain in my non-operated hip so that keeps me up at night.  But it is normal at this point in your recovery to sleep in small chunks of time. Yep, the pain meds will give your nightmares.  I try not to take mine any later than 6pm so they are worn off for the most part by bedtime and then use Tylenol PM for sleep and pain.  I am down to 1/2 a Vicodin and not even daily, just as needed to help with the other hip. My operated hip doesn't need the pain meds.  I have a hard time sitting and laying around too and it has brought on quite a bit of depression.  I have for eight years wrestled with mild depression and I combat it by keeping busy with physical activities, I don't take meds they don't cure a thing and I need all the brain cells I can keep! As long as I am busy and physical I get through it - so I am at a loss right now and the depression is a little worse than usual.  But all this recovery has me very unmotivated. I know once I begin out of home physical therapy I will start to pick up.  When is your first followup appointment? Hopefully he will clear you for physical therapy outside the home and that will help pick up your spirits.  Chin up Brad, you're not alone and it is quite normal. 

Wishing you all the best,

[midiowa]

hi jennifier,  my first follow up is march 5 which sounded along time from po, iam gonna try some tylenol pm tonight to see if i can get some more sleep at one time.  i cant wait to get out for some pt, local college lets use of there pool for 2 dollars a day, cant wait, i dont know yet how long before i can get in water but have been reading from hippies that the pool is very good, hope you get feeling better as well, thanks brad.

[Two4One]

Welcome, Brad!

I was out of the hospital post op on a Friday, and I saw my In Home RN for the first time the next day, Saturday.  Monday, I saw my In Home PT Harry and OT Carrie, their real names I swear!  You need some in home care STAT, IMO.  In my case, I was having 'crazy' side effects, it turns out, not from narcotics, but from my blood thinner Arixtra; something like that could be making you have that horrible sleep walking type moment.  May that never happen again.

These 3 In Home Professionals will contact your surgeon for you, and do whatever needs to be done so you will feel a LOT better right away! Have you called your insurance company's general number on the back of your card?  They should answer on Saturday; ask them to hook you up.

I would not wait for official Out Patient PT because that could be another week away.

I hope this helps you because you need some medical advice.

'One
aka
2fer
aka
2-4

[hernanu]

Hi brad, jennifer. I think you'll see that we all suffered from depression at different degrees. I definitely was depressed before the operations, feeling hopeless about the pain and lack of future prospects.

After the operation, I knew I was fragile emotionally, since I had hopes for the future, but they were just beginning to come to be, and it was very easy to slide back into my previous state. There's so much going on with you guys right now, that I would just focus on the real positives, some lack of pain here, a great day there. The good days are coming, just let them come and realize that your progress is not something that will be taken away, but that you're building things up again.

I was helped by talking to a counselor, by friends and family that kept in touch, and mostly by myself doing things that I wouldn't have done before. Like two4one says, tell your doctors, get in touch with insurance and make sure you're getting the best possible.

The biggest thing that I felt was that I wasn't helpless against the tide anymore, but taking control and working to get my life back. So far that's come true.

[jon]

hello all,  well its been a whole 12 days now feeling like its been 50, still cant sleep beyond 3 hrs, moving around pretty good but having knee soreness, off all pain meds at day 9 don't know if that's good or bad but the meds made me feel worst, horrible nightmares, i flew out of bed to rescue my 3 year old from nothing he was sound asleep, so there i stood middle hallway without my crutch's, when i came out of my stupor from the meds that was last straw, man was i sore that day after that.i feel like iam not doing enough on the pt part.  realistically i haven't even seen my 1st PO appointment with my surgeon yet. I've really been feeling a little down about the whole thing to be honest, hope things turn around little faster, iam about to go crazy i just not a guy that sits at home day after day ,day,day. getting a little down.i know i have forever to go.thanks for the whine session it helps.brad

Hey, Brad.  Drop the pain meds as soon as you comfortably can and continue to be as mobile as you can.  Twelve days is nothing and your progress should accelerate.  Eat well, do your best to rest, lay off the meds and stay mobile.

I'm at ten weeks on Tuesday and I feel great.  The pain meds were a little freaky while I was on them.

How is your mobility so far?

Jon

ps:  You're it now, not your surgeon.  Many of us had surgery in a foreign country and promptly bolted as soon as we could.  My guy said "email me your x-rays after eight weeks...you're all set."  I have done the exercises prescribed to me and have just tried to be as active as appropriate.  Focus on you, not docs and outside PT.  Right focus and you will get stronger fast.  Just my two cents...

[midiowa]

thanks everyone,  Jon  iam moving about good, i think, up and down stairs at home, haven't left house to do anything gonna try this week,  how come so many left states for resurfacing, i knows is fairly new to U.S. but are our doctors really that bad in comparison? Brad.

[John C]

Hi Brad,
I remember that the time around two weeks post was the toughest. By around 4 weeks, things started getting better fast. As you mentioned, getting into a pool is wonderful, which should be coming up soon for you.
You mentioned not getting out of the house at all. Unless their is an issue with snow and ice (which there certainly might be this time of year), I would consider going out for walks at least a couple of times a day. My doc insists that walking is the best thing you can do at this point, so starting the first day that I got home, I was on a routine of going for three walks a day. I was on crutches for the first four weeks, and sometimes the walks were shorter than others, but getting out of the house three times a day was great for the mood.
It was a long time for me before I got a full nights sleep, but getting outside for some exercise a few times a day is the best way I know of to help with getting good sleep at night.

[midiowa]

my problem is we live country so i really dont have large flat even spot to go walking, the timber ive been staring at is drawing me to come in but i know how bad a mistake this would be at this time, so i walk the back deck its  only 50'long but the view is nice and cruel at same time.lol.   gonna get DR to get me pt perscription monday.brad

[jon]

Brad:

I'm with JohnC all the way on the walking.  Is there a place that someone can drive you to where you can have an easier time walking?

With respect to docs, there are lots of really good and qualified ones all across the US.  Members on this site attest to this fact every day.  Those of us that went offshore usually went because of insurance and/or cost issues.  I was a self-pay because of really annoying insurance issues.  I went to Derek McMinn because he is widely recognized as one of the best and I reluctantly (insurance) had complete freedom of choice...!

Jon

 

[hernanu]

I agree with the above. Is there a mall or somewhere that you can go walk? It does help to have someone you care about walking with you, so make it an outing.

[hipnhop]

got a treadmill near?

[midiowa]

i do,  called surgeon he wants to see me before any pt besides just walking,went to mall today, walked alot ,slept good last night also felt good! should sleep better tonight too.  i have no pain at all iam suprised, got a little sore thats all, had to walk at least mile.

[WTW15]

Mid - I find that the more I move the better I feel, even when I am stiff/sore in the AM, I do the PT and feel better right after.  At almost 6 wks post op, I still am not sleeping well, but I will say it is getting better. I did my home PT till 4 wks, then started formal PT 1x wk with all the exercises to do at home the rest of the time. I have  your issue with no where to walk safely outside. 

Keep moving, use the pain meds if you need them.  I still find I am hurting - deep muscle pain, so I am not taking a lot of pain meds, but still taking some.  Use your best judgement - there's that balance between feeling OK with out them and feeling like crap and not being able to do anything. 

I returned to work, also and have a desk job - sucks as I am not comfortable at the desk, so find myself fidgeting, standing, sitting, sitting on the yoga ball, etc..  trying not to break the 90degree rule....

Hang in there, keep getting out if you can - it all helps.  It's all getting better - one day at a time.