Home from hip op

Hope you feel stronger as week goes on. Look after yourself.

Hi Mishap, so please to hear you had a better night, and OHHH that first proper shower/hair wash is wonderful. (not that hair is a problem I have).

I can get my stockings on by myself now, so only one of us is exhausted, but why does it take so much out of one.

Yes I am quietly pleased with my progress now, it all seems to be coming together, starting to plan for when I can drive again. Just had to re-new my driving licence, can no longer drive a 40 ton truck , but I can still ride that superbike

Thanks pompa - it sounds as though you are doing brilliantly.

I had a better night - tried a new position (!) - and took more painkillers, so, although I did wake a few times, I was able to stay the night in bed and woke up feeling a bit more refreshed.

Just showered properly for the first time, including washing hair in shower (no mean feat as there is a lot of it!) - then poor OH put my stockings back on and exhausted himself (he has PD). So we both had a post-shower snooze as we were done in.

This is beginning to sound like 50 shades of grey!!

Which reminds me - DD bought me a book called "Back to Love" which is about sex after hip replacement - it's the sort of book she would buy me! - cheeky lass! Available on amazon apparently if anyone feels the need.

fo Mishap, hope you have a better day.

Walked to Docs & back for flu jab this morning 1.5 mile round trip, feeling pretty good atm. I did use both crutches, too many wet leaves about to risk just a stick.

Yes, still awake, been trying to find a new paper shredder to replace the one I wrecked yesterday.

Are you still awake Pompa? I need to move and get some pain killers for my back.Its not an unusual state of affairs at this time of Morning. flipping Joints.

Woke at 3am feeling stiff and uncomfortable, so here I am in my chair with a cup of hot choc, watching yesterdays F1 practice. Now Iv'e move around, feeling more comfortable.

I've only just worked out why all those beds in stately homes were so short - they used to sleep sitting up.

That's good Mishap, at least you know it's nothing life threatening. You say you have been more comfortable since you got up, does that mean that you are more comfortable in a chair?. Several nights I have got up in the early hours because I am getting painfully stiff (1 am onwards). I don't fight it, just get up, make myself a hot drink and settle down in my chair with the TV on low or some music, usually dose off after a short while, not ideal but at least I (and Linda) get some sleep.

After long discussion with very sensible GP who knows me well, he feels that the probable source of it all is some of my old problems with discs etc. He thinks the disruption of the hip surgery and of the last 2 years of disordered gait from my broken foot has come home to roost and combined with my post-op pain to create a difficult situation. He is happy that it is not due to infection or DVT as there is no evidence for either. He wants me to up the painkillers as best I can.

He said to get back if things changed or worsened again so that we can rethink.

He was also very reassuring about the surgeon, saying he would be "happy for him to make a hole in me" and feels that it is extremely unlikely that there is any direct nerve damage, but probably inflammation and irritation.

I do feel reassured, but am pretty desperate not to have another night like the last if it can be avoided.

If you have been in appalling pain, then you are not disturbing the consultant unnecessarily. It is necessary, and it is what you have paid him all that money for. If it should turn out to be something he could have fixed at once, he would have even more disturbance if you wait. Get on to him today - as soon as you have spoken to the GP, and sooner if it gets any worse than it is at the moment.

I'k sure your Doc will be able to reassure you. But if not, you should ring the consultant. I rang mine when I had problems with my hip op, he had me back in the same day for him to look at it, it was a false alarm but he was OK with me contacting him (and that was NHS).

That's good.

Ex-GP hubbie says not a DVT and I believe him - no swelling and the pain is all the way up to my groin. And if it were a DVT it would not be improved by sitting out. Also I can "cock" my foot without pain which is diagnostic of not being a DVT.

But I have rung the surgery and my very nice GP is going to ring me back when he finishes his morning surgery. I do not know whether to ring the consultant (I went private so could do this) - I do not want to disturb him unnecessarily but I do not want a whole weekend of this either. And I would value some reassurance that it is going to go away sometime soon.

If it is a damaged nerve, then you have my deepest sympathy as I have one in a finger that has caused pain for thirty years now! Most do find a new neural pathway though, so maybe it is just a matter of time, but there should be some specific pain blocker for a neural pain of such magnitude, if you ask. It reminds me of when I couldn't walk for over a week after I had my daughter, the shooting pain in my groin was so bad.

Phone your Doc today, don't wait and see, it's probably nothing, but if it's DVT you can't leave it.

I have no temperature; there is no redness at the wound site or anywhere else; the pain is improved by sitting with my legs down - so I do not think it is an infection janerowena. It smacks of muscle pain, or, worryingly, nerve pain. I hope it is not the latter as it could be a long slow haul to get it better. I am very frustrated by all this and can only hope for better things to come. It is annoying that it is Friday today as, if the "wait and see if it settles approach" does not work, we will be into the weekend tomorrow.

Hopefully I will look back on all this at some point with a rueful smile. Fingers crossed.

If it doesn't clear quickly, like within a few hours, get back to your consultant or if you can't contact him your GP, don't leave it.

I think you should insist on it being looked at more closely, if you still have it tomorrow. Supposing you have an infection?

Just had whole night awake with appalling pain in the whole of my right leg from foot to groin – no painkillers helped and I burned my thigh trying to stop the pain with a hot water bottle. I just have to hope that going in the car and going to physio yesterday is the cause of this development. I certainly could not bear another night like that – it was intolerable. I am going to leave off the exercises today and just sit about like a puddin’ in the hope that it will settle down.

It is a bit better now that I am sitting in a chair, and I plan to see if I can organise a different position to sleep with the use of cushions.

I do not seem to be having a smooth ride.

Mishap, please that you are less worried about your progress, everyone is different, take your time and follow your PT's advice.

The nylon scourer is proving very good, especially now the edge has been taken off it, it provides a very satisfying scratch, especially when combined with e45. I can really massage the scar quite hard now and it is softening up well. I did try a Brillo pad at first, but the soap got a bit too messy.

I would stop short of using a scourer on my nipples, that sounds like some fetish thing and it would play havoc with my piercings.

I do need to get out for longer walks, but I don't fancy it in the rain, we don't have pavements and the puddles are more like lakes.

I'm really quite worried about this scouring pad! Years ago, they used to advise scrubbing your nipples while pregnant to make breast feeding easier [cringe] or bathing them in surgical spirit. Turned out that was a really bad idea! Putting butter on a burn, anyone?

Have just returned from the physio who says that I am trying to do too much, especially on such a small amount of pain relief (as I am very intolerant of so many drugs). We talked about what my aims are and I said I did not want to cycle/run marathons etc but just wanted to walk and stand/sit without pain (especially when singing or conducting). She says to keep on with exercises that I already have (which I can do with minimal pain) and to take things a bit easier. She said she did not think the groin pain was something to be particularly worried about unless it gets worse - she thinks it is inflammation irritating nerves. But she said I should take as much pain relief as I can tolerate and to keep it coming regularly rather than waiting till it has taken hold badly.

She did make me feel a bit better as I was feeling that I was being a wimp and trying to compare myself to others who appear to have rattled on a bit quicker.

She also recognised the limiting factor of my injured foot for which I was already walking with a stick. I found her very reassuring and comforting.

Clearly I have to take it my own possible pace and be patient.

Pompa - she did not suggest a scouring pad - clearly just for alpha males!

Hi I had a hip replacement 7 yrs ago. The best thing I ever did. I took it at my own pace and never did anything that hurt. If it hurts and goes red you've done too much. I took several months to become fully mobile and two years to feel ok. I had no problems. I know people who followed the advice of the health professionals who had never had one, do far too much too early, ending up with lots of problems. Trust your instincts. Walk every day and eat well.

Strangely, I I didn't have physio after I got home. My instructions were to walk a bit further every day. I counted the number of houses I passed each time and eventually reached the bus stop, later, the corner shop.