May 27, 2016

Met with my surgeon 2 days ago with a bunch of questions for him. I asked him why I was no longer a candidate for resurfacing & it’s because the bone quality is no longer there.

Makes sense now when he said that he didn’t want to have to do a revision. And when I think of if, there are other tell tale signs in my overall health that supports his findings. A lot can happen in 5 short years.

June 20, 2016

surgery went very very well. I’ll post more when I’m more awake.

June 27, 2016

On the day of, my husband came with me & kept me company until it was time.  I was soooo nervous, of course.  But I have to say, everyone involved in every step were absolutely fantastic.  I waited in the wait room for an hour, then was moved in the pre op, where I changed into the beeeeaautiful gown, I had the line put in, was given various pills.  My surgeon came over to say hi & autograph my leg.  He then asked if I’d be willing to consent to having photos taken of me during the surgery.  It’s to promote the new surgical wing & for a donor’s gala they were going to have.  I was ok with that.   It’s good to show where the dollars went, the donors will see the equipment & then photos to show how they were used.

They put a hot air blanket on me for an hour before wheeling me out in front of my surgical room.  There I talked with the fellow assisting Dr. B., the nurse, the anaesthetist, another medical personnel (I can’t  remember if she was a doctor or nurse).  I decided to go ahead with a spinal anaesthesia.  I don’t remember anything, I  had asked to be heavily sedated.  And waking up went quite nicely, it was really weird though having numb legs.  It did take me 1.5 hrs longer before they released me to go to my room.  I think it was 5:20pm.  My husband came over & said he spoke with Dr. B who said the surgery had gone really well.

July 4, 2016

So 2 weeks today…

Yesterday was tough mentally, I just felt drained & wanted to curl up in a ball & just zone out.  Kinda funny from an outsider’s perspective when all they see is you doing nothing all day.   I’ve found that the Dilaudid & Tramadol made me weepy.  My husband did lose his cool over it but my sons were awesome about it.  I can’t wait to be fully off of both meds.

I can now do all my prescribed physio.  I’m really happy about that, considering I couldn’t even do one pre surgery.  One thing though, my right hip has been sore now for quite a few days & so has my lower back, making it difficult when I go for my 5 min walk.

I’m still using my cane.  Some times I think I don’t need it so I try without & nope, pain niggles.

I still go up & down the stairs one step at a time but I don’t need a chaperone.

My dog, Ripley is such an awesome companion, she still stays right by my side & when she thinks I’ve been sitting for too long, she makes cute attempts at getting me up & going.  Huskies are so funny.  She knows the routine.

I’m glad I called my doctor’s office today, apparently they’d called last week to reschedule but my husband didn’t check the messages.  So I’m rescheduled for next Monday but someone will take out my staples today.

I’m still waiting to hear from physio, I had to email the form on Thursday.  I had been given mixed info before surgery about it regarding who was going to book it.  In hindsight, I should have given them my form when I went for the class.

July 12, 2016

o today is week 3. Both hips are sore, I’d say from mild to moderate. With the left, I know it’s healing pain but the right, it’s OA pain. I last took a Dilaudid last Wednesday at 4 am & took extra strength tylenols when needed. That’s when the right hip pain became a constant. But even then, I don’t take it often, only when rest doesn’t take the edge off. I had a follow up appointment with my GP regarding my iron today & asked for some Tylenol 3 to take when the pain refused to go with the extra strength tylenol.

My GP’s nurse was mentioning that I was walking quite well, so that was nice to hear. I keep apologizing for walking at a snail’s pace.

Tomorrow I take my last blood thinning meds, Xarelto. Yay!

I’ve increased my walking time to 2 driveway circuits, still with the walker because I’m getting the sharp groin pains in the right hip. I’ve landed sharply on the operated hip a few times, which is not good.
Physio keeps improving, which is comforting. I can’t wait to start the next phase which will be at the hospital
but am scared to plateau & regress like last time. But… this time should be different since the hip has been replaced. I’m supposed to start next week but haven’t heard back yet as they are short staffed & 14 people were ahead of me.

July 27, 2016

I have the metal on poly THR device btw. 5 weeks post op & doing great.

August 6, 2016

I was so proud of myself, Monday was my 6th week post op, so driving & water restrictions lifted.

I`m allowed to go in the water but no swimming yet. Driving was a bit tough, making the hip area seize up.

We took the weekly update video of my walking & was putting together a comparison one to a year ago. What a huge difference! I was also able to do 40 ft without the cane, walking just as well with or without. But then I received a call that my mother was having a stroke. She lives an hour away from me so my brother called 911 & stayed with her until I got there. They sent her home 10 hrs later & I`ve been staying wither since then, driving her to appointments & making all the necessary calls because she was in the middle of moving.

I went to my physio appointment (1hr drive into the city) & 3 exercises were added: lying on un-operated side, lower leg bent, pillow between legs, upper leg straight, you do abduct lifts. Then, the clam exercise & the reverse (foot/lower leg goes up, knees together). Well with helping my mom out & these new exercises, my lower back is killing me & the sciatica is back with a vengeance. Which of course is affecting my walking. I’m back to taking 2 extra strength advil + 1 Tylenol 3 twice a day.

September 12, 2016

Guess who managed to walk without her cane for a good 7 hrs today, and do a bit of work, and make a quick 30 min shopping & fed her horses?

October 3, 2016

Four months post op on Thursday & I feel great!  No more pain!  Well, other than the other hip…     I wish I could just get it done now & not go through all the debilitating pain that’s started.  But, I have been cane free for a whole week!  Yay!

On Thursday I also finally spent a normal hectic day & other than some shooting pain down the ITB, the hip & glutes were great.  A typical day for me is sitting at the desk prepping files, then walking back forth between the workshop & house as I fabricate signs.  A lot of squatting & shifting side to side standing & squatting.  Lifting heavy rolls of vinyl.  Going to locations to do sign & lettering installs on buildings.  The only thing I have not tried is to go up ladders yet work wise.

And of course looking after my two horses, a 14.2hh Appaloosa & a 17hh Shire which requires effort there (and it’s been crappy here with rain) so hoisting heavy rain soaked turnout sheets, walking the horses from one side of the property to the other.  What is so funny is that I was so worried with being around my 1600lbs draft mare who has demons she’s still working through (she was neglected, starved & we suspect abused) & so far *knock wood*, she’s been such a dear with me, so gentle & stuck at a slow speed.

I haven’t started working with my husky yet.  So no walking off property yet or resuming classes. Though, I am cautiously playing with my dog more (which looks like practicing for football)    My short burst of running are improving also.

And also the Tylenol 3 & extra strength advil… taking these less & less!  Actually… it’s been a week since I’ve had my last T3 & a few days too since I took 1 extra strength tylenol & 1 extra strength advil.

I don’t do my physio 3X a day like I should though, I’m lucky if I remember to do it once a day & actually if I miss it more than 3 days in a row, my hip area will get stiff & sore.  Once I resume physio, that pain & tightness goes away.

I still sit in my english & western saddles often (not every day) & have started to sit on the inflatable exercise ball.

I am having a couple of other health issues though, they were present pre surgery & have nothing to do with the hip.  But one will require surgery to fix & that will mean no more heavy lifting or heavy activities.  It will impact my work & my activities that I was looking so much forward at resuming.  It’s quite a kick in the teeth… I finally get my active life back, I turn around & it’s about to be taken away if I choose the rectify the problem.  It’s a big enough surgery also, so lots to think about.

My follow up appointment with Dr. Beaulé was moved up.  I can’t wait to see him on Nov. 3rd.

February 4, 2017

7 1/2 month post op & new hip still doing very well!  Other hip on the other hand, not that great.  But oh well, what can ya do?  Just wait.

Note to self… do NOT stop physio at the 4th month milestone.     I got lazy, stopped doing my physio & went back to “normal” life.  Result of this: gained back 10 lbs & am stiff in the lower back/SI area.

Regardless though, it’s nice to be able to wear nice boots with a heel & be able to keep up all day, do some short bursts of jogging, get in odd positions & lift heavy things again.  I’m still working on straddling as that range of motion is still somewhat limited.  (Which is why I didn’t post a riding update yet on my other thread)

I did however, manage, ungracefully, to take part in a little 30 min Burlesque dance workshop last weekend.  I used to dance ballet before I married back in 1990 & haven’t danced since.  I was so stiff & my glutes & lower back hated me for the next 3 days after but man, it was a blast!    And the new hip was awesome. [/size] Mr. Bean is more fluid & graceful than I was.  Lol!

So I decided I should start my physio again since it was really helping with my core & glutes.

February 25, 2017

Woohoo! I did it… I sat on my pony yesterday! It was only for 5 min & at a stand still but it was absolutely fantastic!

I climbed up on a chest & slowly got on her, bareback, testing out the hip. Sat for a bit, got back off. Went & got the camera to take an ear shot & got back on & sat for the 5 min. She is so wide.

Every day I plan on sitting for just a couple minutes longer, letting her warmth relax my muscles as they stretch. Last time I actually sat on her was back when I first got her in 1999. She just stood there as if saying “About time chick!”

Both hips became a bit sore 10 hours later but they are fine this morning.

March 6, 2017

Rode my pony!  Ok 5 minutes & with my husband at her head but still!

My hip is very weak & I can’t hoist myself like you would normally.  So I use her rump for support as I crawl up on the trunk.  And she continues to stand rock solid as I drag my other leg across her rump.

April 18, 2017

Almost at my 10th month post surgery & I’m happy to report that I got myself a part time job in retail!!!

I’m a bit tender at the front of the hip & that’s it! I figured I probably won’t be able to go back to teaching riding but I probably could go work at a store in something equine related.

May 15, 2017

Even though I’m not at the 1 yr mark, I had my 1 year post op follow up appointment.  It was with a different doctor (not Dr. B).  He loved what he saw in the x-ray & said I had no restrictions (other than what I’d been previously told I could no longer do) & to do whatever I wished as long as I was conscious about it.

I asked about the tightness & pain from it, would it hurt the device if I forced it & should I push it to loosen up the area.  Answer: yes!  Because of the OA & the progression of it, it rendered the area so tight & atrophied that it was a good idea to push it (within reason of course, as with anything) to get the area limbered up & mobile again.  So that was a relief to hear.

I then asked if there was a length discrepancy, as it felt like my leg was 1/4″ – 1/2″ longer… he measured & it was only 1mm longer.  If it made me feel better until I got acclimatized to it, I could put a lift in the other shoe & reduce it over time.  And when they do my other hip, they’ll have them both equal.

As for the other hip, whenever I need something, just give their office a call.  Right now we’ll wait, I still have more good days than bad.