Mr Holland - LBHR - June `12

[morph]

Admission was 12 yesterday (7th June). The anaesitist came in and we decided that a spinal and light general aneasthetic was to be used. Then Mr Holland came in to discuss the procedure, first Bhr with delta motion as a bail out shold the cyst on the xray prove a problem, in the end it was no problem and perhaps a shadow on the xray. There was alot of waiting, I was last out of 3 ops, and believe me that is the worst bit, the rest is no big deal just got to put up with a few needles. I woke up feeling really good in the recovery room, Mr Holland told me it went well, I got my BHR, but I may be in some pain because of the amount of muscle and big bones. To Be honest I did not feel much pain at all and did not really need the morphine which made me feel sick. Getting out of bed and walking for the first time was tough and I have very little strength - I struggle to raise my knee an inch of the bed. First night I hardly slept jjust dozed but was quite relaxed and comfortable. All in all feeling really happy.

Thats a brief account so far as I am writing from my kindle in hospital. I will try and update regularly. Oh, I have just found out I have to inject myself in the stomach for 21 days, no way am I giving it to my wife todo, ouch.

But so far a big thumbs up to Mr Holland and the Nuffield Newcastle team.

[Boomer]

Well done! Welcome to the other side.

Let your wife do the injections. Mine enjoyed giving them to me so much that she tried to refill the perscription. Had to remind her it was only for 20 days.

Congratulations to you and best wishes on a steady recovery.

Boomer

[Dannywayoflife]

Morph that's awesome!

[morph]

My wife is heavily pregnant with twins and suffering a wee bit at the moment. She may just get too much enjoyment from those needles.

[Anna]

Double congratulations on the hip and the babies!! 

[Dan L]

Congrats Morph, follow the plan, and you'll be in great shape in no time.

Dan

[morph]

Thanks so much, it is good to be on the other side on the road to recovery. This may be a walk in the park compared to what coming with twins.

Been using the zimmer the first day and after the first time it does get easier each time, kept forgetting to bend the knee when walking for some reason. Some of it must be the initial shock of moving after lying still for so long. For me the pain and discomfort was highest when initially turn the legs out on the bed. After the op best to keep shuffling your bum to prevent it going numb and wiggling the toes and feet when feeling has returned.

Move on to the crutches today which I have never used before. The two excercises I have given are: Pull the foot back and then push the knee into the bed using your quad muscles and slide your foot back to raise your knee, this one is hard.

Slept much better last night waking every now and then and drifting off again.

[Rach41]

Congrats on having the op done. Omg yes getting in and out of bed horrific! A tip my OT gave me was using dressing gown cord to hook underneath my operated foot to help lift my leg back into bed. Used this quite a lot as makes u more independent getting into bed especially if u pop to the loo in the middle of the night saves u waking yr wife up to help lift yr legs lol. The first couple of weeks are tough! Wishing you a speedy recovery. Rach

[hernanu]

Congrats, morph! Sounds like everything went well and you're on your way.

What longer term pain meds are you getting? Make sure you stay ahead of the pain, it will help your recovery. Movement will come, it returns fairly quickly if you take your time and live within the limits your doctor has laid out for you.

You'll get to be a pro on the crutches, just in time to lay them down. I stayed with crutches all the way through, two first, then one, then none, but many folks have been fine with crutches, then a cane.

I was taught a way to get on/off the bed that worked for me: tuck your non-operated leg under your operated leg at the ankle, extend the legs, use it to help lift the operated leg up to the bed as you rotate onto the bed. Reverse the process to get off the bed to a sitting position.

Excellent results, morph, really glad for you and that extends to your twins! You'll be in much better shape to raise them now.

[morph]

cheers Hern. So far so good. I actually returned to my parents today and have been given long term pain meds: 500mg paracetamol 2 tablets 4 times a day and 30mg nefopam up to 1 tablet 3 times a day for pain when required. I have been told to stay on crutches for six weeks.

Nice tips for the bed Rach and Hern, I have been finding it really tricky to get my leg of the bed, takes immense concentration, so will try tonight.

Another tip while we are at it which the nurse gave me whilst attempting to get in the car. Place a plastic bag on the car seat so that it is easier to turn round, simples.

[Rach41]

Lol yes did that but with a cushion first to lift u up a bit then a black bag. Seat as far back as it will go. I am 4 weeks in on Tuesday and I still have my cushion and black bag to get in the car!

[morph]

Well I am now at day 5 post op. The first night out of hospital, day2, I found it difficult sleeping, I think I got about 2 hrs. I needed to to get about half a dozen fluffed up pillows to prop me up ...lol. This helps, but I found that even without pain I woke just because my body wanted to move, it seems to be every 2-3hrs I wake and need to get up to move about before trying again. Day 3 I was feeling totally wiped out, aching and a slight chill - a 3 hr sleep during the day helped with that.

It's hard to know how much to do, I think I am erring on the cautious side. So far it has been two walks outside, morning and afternoon, starting with about 100m each gradually increasing it each day and on top of that every hour getting up to make a cuppa etc. Today it was about ~500m and by two weeks I aiming for about 1mile on two crutches in time for going back up to Edinburgh. Not really been given many excercises to do - just walking for the time being. There has been some mild throbbing and stiffness but nothing major and the leg has swollen all the way to the knee.

[hernanu]

Hey morph, that sounds good - how's the icing going? That was the most beneficial non-active thing I did. Your activity and sleep cycle sounds about right, but that will improve.

Early on, I typically did some hallway walking, with no goals other than walking and then having enough left to walk back to my apartment. By the end of the first week, I started outside and walked (with two crutches) about three 1/4 of a mile walks per day.

This was in addition to three PT exercise sessions per day, but very gentle workouts - standing side leg movement, standing knee up like marching, very slow and easy leg back (no stretch or pain, just to get muscles moving), slight knee squat with your upper body straight. All of these I did while holding on to the refrigerator with both hands, facing it.

Lying down on the bed, lie flat and bend your knee, slide your supporting foot flat (very lightly) and back. Another I did was while lying flat on the bed, having put a trash bag under my lower leg, slide the leg sideways and back.

Check with your surgeon first, but these helped me. The walking alone, though is probably the best thing - these others were good exercises and kept me going.

Keep hydrated (lotsa water), elevate that leg when possible and ICE.

[morph]

I've been icing every evening, it's heaven.

[morph]

2 weeks today - time flies when you're having fun Got my clips taken out today and blood taken for the last time, to check platelets. Just got 2 weeks of injections to put up with. Swelling and bruising appeared to the knee and now is going down like a deflated balloon, bruising still there though. Hip and groin feels pucka but my quads and IT band burn when I stretch/use them after being sat for a while, like a really tired burning cramp like feeling, to be expected I suppose. It lasts for a few seconds before going. I think I should ice more.

Generally though things are progressing really well. Walking on two crutches is getting better. I can now easily do 1-1.5mile in one go whilst maintaining good gait. been trying to add in a few small hills in too. I do not have the strength/stability to do even one step without the crutch yet so I am going to take my time there. I am at a bit of a loose end today because it is raining cats and dogs outside, I suppose a rest day will do it no harm.

Going to try to sleep on my non-operating side supported by loads of pillows tonight and tomorrow back off back to Edinburgh to see my wife and daughter for the first time since my op. Just found out my wife may have to take insulin injections due to gestational diabetes. We may end up, on the count of 3, prodding each other with needles, how romantic.

[hernanu]

All sounds good, morph - time does fly, and you sound like you're doing things right. The bruising and swelling should still be there, but when gone, they'll be gone for good.

I like how you're emphasizing the gait. You gain nothing by getting off the crutches before you can walk properly, so all good there.

As for romance, at least you can say you shared infliction of needles. How cute!   

[Dannywayoflife]

Morph it sounds like your progressing really well!

[morph]

I am concentrating on not limping and maintaining a reasonable even stride on two crutches. I find one crutch I can not achieve this. This is going well and no OA pain which is fantastic. But I feel until my glutes are activating correctly the gait is not feeling natural and I guess the flexibilty in the pelvis will help too. So I guess even walking is going to be a long term plan to achieve 'normal' gait. Is this the case? Did people feel that it returned suddenly or was a gradual thing? Was walking sufficient to achieve this or did people feel extra physio was required at some point? Although I am happy with just walking for the time being as instructed.

[Dannywayoflife]

Hay morph,
                It returned over time for me and to an extent still is. I avoided physio after my first encounter as my surgeon told me to. I have just walked and done my own remedial stuff. My mate doing his deep tissue massage defiantly helped too! 

[morph]

Been working on using those glutes on heel strike and clenching the butt when standing, which I could never do prior. Did some very gentle massage down the IT band (especially around the knee) and glutes this morning, Not really massage more a very gentle rubbing, boy it felt good but very tight. The incision is not ready for anything like that yet, still a wee bit tender and a slight bulge. I guess still a bit swollen and scar tissue, which may take a bit of shifting. The only stretching I have been doing is long natural stretches whilst lying down in bed, that feels really good in and around the hip too although gets close to feeling like a spasm at stages.

Generally I think I am going to have watch what I am doing because it is feeling good and I may be tempted to do things I should not, there are so many small jobs to be done around the house, I am aware the healing has really only just begun. Done quite a bit the last couple of days so today and tomorrow I am going to take it a bit easier.  ICE and catching up on a few things recorded on the PVR.

Danny, at what stage did your mate start the deep tissue massage?