Left resurfacing Conserve plus with Dr De Smet

[whyme]

Hi all, I'm 30' away from surgery with Dr. de Smet, waiting in the room. Feeling calm (not for long!). It's been 5 years since found out about the arthritis, so this is a stepping stone. No doubts are creeping in my mind as it got worse over time, even the last few weeks deteriorated even further.
I asked her to stay in the hotel and not come over for a few hours, no point of being here waiting anxiously until I'm back from post op reanimation.
The doc visited me yesterday afternoon! That was nice and reassuring. He is full of confidence.
Talk to you later!

[hernanu]

Hope everything went well, let us know how you are.

[Pat Walter]

Good Luck.  Let us know how you are doing when you can.

Dr. De Smet is one of the best hip resurfacing surgeons in the world.  I know because he placed my BHR almost 7 1/2  years ago.

Pat

[Dannywayoflife]

Really hope it went well! As pat says your under the care of one of the very best in the world!

[whyme]

Thanks guys, as usual once in the op theatre I was asked to move to the op table. Next thing I'm in the recovery room several hours later. Now its 12h post op and no pain at all. There is a morphine drio on demand but I havent used, possibly it releases some qty anyway.
The only inconvenience so far was that I had to be sonded.
We'll see tomorrow how it feels oon the first stepsa. Tired now.

[hernanu]

Sounds like you're doing well. I had an optional morphine that still fed in periodically.

Great that the pain is gone.

[whyme]

So this morning all the pipings were removed (drain, needles), then got out of bed for the first time for a few minutes with the walker, sat in a chair for 1h, still no pain at all.. More exercise afternoon guided by the PT, some in bed and then walking out of the room with the crutches for first time. It all looked good!  Until I went back to bed.. Then the hip felt in discomfort for a good while.
It seems there is a backlash post exercise, so must take a conservative approach.

Tomorrow I'll be leaving hospital and go to the hotel for a few days, as recommended, hopefully is not too early and will manage ok!

[hernanu]

They've done this for a while, I think they're watching out for you.

Sounds like good progress; there is an exercise backlash, it's why ice is your friend.

[luann again]

Hi Whyme. ( love the name!:)
I have a Wright Conserve + going on more than 3 years now and it has changed my life! I can do most anything I want easily and without pain! Be patient with your recovery! We are all here with you! Congrats, chin-up, and good luck! Keep us posted! Lu

[whyme]

This is quite incredible.. Out of hospital after barely 48h, this morning learnt to manage stairs, had the first shower on my own, and out the door! Yesterday definitely was a shock to the system, after all the guided exercise with the PT, I was in a bit of pain for first time, later had some temperature, leg quite warm and stiff.. Worried for a few hours of infection or something. But this morning no sign of any of that. Nice chat with the doc before I left. He tells me I'll walk with one crutch in 1 wk and will ditch the second 3-4 weeks later. He says I can start with impact activities (such as running) in 3 months but I'm in no rush for that, and will take it easy.
Mind me, my walking is pretty poor right now, as it should be.

Happy days so far!

[hernanu]

Congrats!!!

You'll have some setbacks, some soreness and challenges, but the way is up from now.

Ice, rest, exercise and repeat.

I didn't start on anything with impact until six months, heavy impact at a year. Doesn't mean not working out, there was a lot of that, just that the focus for the first six months was healing that bone and making it strong.

Sounds very good.

[whyme]

Thanks Hern and all for the encouragement and good wishes. Fourth day it's again good news, no major pain and I can do more walking and more of the exercises the physiotherapist keeps adding. I've adapted well to the hotel routine, greatly helped by having my partner here with me. I can't manouver the bed as in hospital, but you get used to it.
The two most difficult things for me at the moment are byproducts of the surgery, I mean it's not the hip itself. One is sleeping, as I'm still lying on my back all the time, the second is the bowel, it went quiet  both can be helped with some pills but I'm avoiding that for now.
I also realised without the painkillers the hip gets quite sore after a few hours (I skipped a pill or two to check it), particularly towards the evening, so I'll keep taking them regularly for a few more days.

Will keep you posted.

[hernanu]

Take whatever meds you need to. It doesn't last long, and this is the proper use of them.

Sleeping on your back takes getting used to. I found that putting one or two pillows under both knees relieved the stress on the lower back, making it more comfortable.

Keep it up, you're doing fine.

[oldsoccerplayer]

I can empathize with the bowel issue, I had to stay an extra night in the hospital not because of the hip but because I needed catheterization  .
I was on pills for a few days but it got better.  Just go with the flow.

[whyme]

Yep, so yesterday the nurse that visits me daily to look after the wound, heparine shot etc gave me a 'light laxative pill' that should work within 24h, and it did indeed! I won't get into the details ha ha!
So Day 5 went well again. Of course, you have to understand this in this context we are in.. Tend to get tired and achy in the joint area towards the evening, but that is what I would expect. The joint feels stiff when I start moving, but eases off quickly. Earlier we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant, after 45' I was ready to go leave but had to hold on for a while. Sleeping could be better. And things like that. The physio says I walk pretty well with the crutches at this stage, which is encouraging.
I'm in no rush to go back to full form too quickly, being happy as long as I perceive progress on a daily basis first, then weekly, then monthly. Fingers crossed.

[whyme]

On Day 6 I felt not as good as in previous days, the main worry being the operated leg started to swell, and I had very little swelling up to then. The nurse that visit us daily at the hotel told me this is very normal (and I read this in various post here) once you increase the activity, and eventually it will disappear rapidly.
Today is Day 7, and new improvements have been made. I walked (well, the way we do with crutches, slowly and robotically) without pain or tiredness for around 1 km, that sounds pretty good to me! Secondly, last night I lied on my good side for around 1h, in the middle of the night, to break the two big stretches on my back, where most of the sleep happens. Third, the physio encouraged me to ditch one of the crutches, I already had tested this for a few steps, and can walk the same as with 2. Well, when going out on the street, I will still use both for a while, to "warn" and protect better myself from the crowd.
Tomorrow starts week 2, the highlight will be if I'm able to inject myself the heparine injection for first time, instructed by the nurse...

[hernanu]

One thing you want to do is not to push to get off the crutches.

They provide the support you need... until you don't!

But it is important to develop the right gait, which you are re-learning now. If you are too swift to get off the supports (crutches, cane, etc.), then you may pick up some bad habits that will take a bit to unlearn.

I understand (believe me!) the desire to get off them and they are a goal, which for the type A's here (you all know who you are) is like steak in front of a lion. But you will benefit from using those tools to get your walking flawless.

Just my 2 cents....

[whyme]

Thanks Hernan, I'm in no rush to get off them, it just happened Dr. de Smet told me the other day that I would use one after a week or so, and also the physio said he thought I wasn't using much the one for the unoperated leg.
Forgot to say he showed me the other day how to use them not both at once, but one with each opposite leg, so it would be easier to make the transition to one crutch later.
Will try to focus more in style than distance..

[hernanu]

Well, both is good, but you do want to be a stylish walker.  What is life without style?

[whyme]

So I'm on Day 10!
The peak of the swelling was reached on Day 8, since then it has eased off. It's there, particularly in the evenings, but mainly gone by the morning.
The doc visited me a couple of days ago at the hotel, the scar he says is perfect (so he said the nurse), and everything looks good at this stage. I asked about going to a PT once back home, and he suggested I could keep doing the exercises by myself, at least for the first 6 weeks. He warned not to try forcing mobility, particularly hip flexion, as if done too early can result in permanent groin pain/discomfort. It would be better for that to start on the static bike, with high saddle first and then gradually lower it down.
Also, very gradual progress is key at all times, and take it easy when coming back to sport activities.
I started giving myself the heparine shots, the first one it wasn't easy at all!! Big psychological barrier 

Yesterday I walked quite a bit adding all up, I'd say around 4 km.. Only the upper body (opposite side of the operated leg) was really complaining in the end, not used to the crutches..
And today we travelled back home, moved around the starting and destination airports without problems, a bit tired but that was all.
Ahhh, and first (of hopefully many) metal detector alarm went off at security!