Made it to the other side

[fenceman]

Had my right BHR done yesterday which makes me an official Bilat. Everything went very smoothly. Couldn't sleep very well last night but felt very good this afternoon. Up and walking with walker first and then switched to crutches.  Dr said I could go home tomorrow if I do my steps tomorrow and I don't get snowed in.

I can't say enough about the care I recieved at Euclid Hospital branch of Cleveland Clinc. The nurses and staff have been wonderful.
Bill

[Pat Walter]

Congratulations Bill.

Take it easy and try not to ski yet!

Looking forward to your posts when you have time to keep us updated.

Good Luck.

Pat

[hernanu]

Congrats Bill ! Keep us posted.

[Mike D]

Well done Bill-no more arthritic hips,ever!
Take it easy- plenty of lounging around over the holidays for you!

[OtterDriver]

Nice Christmas present!

[Boomer]

Welcome to the Bilateral Club Bill. For the first time in a long time you can stop worrying about your hips. How does that feel? Never mind, I already know how that feels! I wish you an unremarkable recovery and a pain free 2013. It's going to be a great year for you.

Boomer

[fenceman]

Made it home on Friday evening through a snow storm and am resting at home today. This side has seemed so much better than the first.  The hospital care was very coordinated and anticipated every step.  From the house keeping guy grabbing me a ginger ale or an ice pack to the PT people and nurses working together. They all had very good training.

The pain medication was a big problem my first time, oxycodone, and made my sick. We were able to alternate Vicodin and ultram with a muscle relaxer and kept the pain low and me coherent.

Thanks for all the positive support by the great people on this board.  I even had someone offer to drive over to the hospital if I needed anything.
Thanks,
Bill

[Dan L]

Bill;

Congrats on #2, it's got to be a good feeling with both behind you, glad to know this one is going better than the first.  Keep the icepacks deployed, stay ahead of the pain, and do the exercises and you'll be feeling much better in no time.

I also found the muscle relaxers helped me avoid as much pain meds during the second recovery, which helped on a number of fronts.

I had the same experience with the staff at Euclid, made those couple of days much easier for sure.

Best regards,

Dan

[fenceman]

Took off my waterproof bandage last night and was surprised to see a 12"er. There goes the Speedo.  Stopped the pain meds but still have a week left on the calf pumps. Progressing very well except for a little knee pain and a lot of boredom. Too much snow to walk outside.

Strange but I am usually an avid reader but I am having trouble concentrating while I read.
Bill

UPDATE.  Ok, so it looked bigger but is actually 8.5" long.

[Dan L]

Bill;

Wow a 12" incision?  You'll probably want to check your bills from the hospital to make sure they are not 40% larger also  .

I had the same exact experience with reading after both of mine.  I love to read and thought I would be able to while recuperating, but like you, I didn't have the attention span I normally do.  Strange.  Maybe the meds?

The snow, and more specifically the ice, keeps me off the sidewalks this time of year, even after a year from the first surgery.  I'm paranoid about falling, having done that a couple times prior to the surgeries and landing hard on my hip(s) each time.  Of course walking into the office in downtown Cleveland from the garage is also an adventure this time of year, freaking ice everywhere (except near the new Casino garage, which is mostly ice free).

Dan

[fenceman]

2-Week update.  So far so good.  Had a scheduled ultrasound appointment to check for blood clots this morning and everything was clear.  Thankful to be done with the calf pumps.  Drove to work at my wife's objections (don't tell my Dr.)  and did not have any problems. Going to try 3/4 days at my desk job for this week.  We do have a large heated warehouse were I can get some indoor walking without worrying about slipping in the snow.

Only taking 2 aspirin for blood thinning and 2 tylenol per day.  My knee is still sore and has weird bruises on the inside that looks like marks from a clamp to hold my leg during surgery.  Not sure if that is what it is from.  No pain in the hip which is great. 

I had a lot less bruising or swelling this time compared to 4 yrs ago.  Already feel like I could switch to one crutch but will keep using 2 and follow my own advice. 

Happy New Hip Year and thanks for everyone one on this board.
Bill

[phillwad]

Bill - sound like good progress - be careful driving.  I went back to work 1/2 time at 2 weeks; and then full time at 4 weeks - I was able to telework.  The warehouse for walking would be a great idea 

[patrick_d]

Sounds like you are making great progress.  You know the drill....slow and steady.

My knee was a little sore for the first few weeks too, but all the other recovery stuff made that seem pretty minor and after 2-3 weeks I didnt notice anything with the knee anymore.

I did laps in the halls of my office the first few days when the weather wouldnt let me go outdoors.  Worked pretty well, but I found myself talking to lots of colleagues more than walking!

Hope things continue to go well.

[Manofword]

Awesome report, Bill. Dr. Brooks is amazing and I agree that the staff at Euclid are great. They made my stay doable. Since this is your 2nd op, you know what to expect. Was there much difference from your first one in '08 to now? My incision is only 7" but they also put a size 40/48 in me since I'm only 5'-5" tall. I am totally amazed at the lack of pain. I can even go up stairs now w/o limping! Praying that your recover goes extremely well!

I have been driving since 3 weeks out and started using a cane instead of crutches about 4 weeks out. I have my 6 week appt. in the morning and they'll finally tell me to ditch the crutches! LOL However, I haven't done anything my body wouldn't let me do. I've been stretching my quads by "folding" up and walking quite a bit and it makes a big difference. Walked a mile today for the first time w/o the cane and it felt great. Didn't go too hard but at least I stretched the stride out a bit. If they let me ride my Triathlon bike, I will be on it in a heart beat! Also can't wait to get back in the pool and swim my mile. Being inactive as far as regular work outs are concerned has cost me some endurance and fitness but I will get it back.

John Adams