Home from hip op

Thank for the ideas.

I think I will cancel today! - I have just tried one of the physio's exercises that I had avoided because it involves going up on the toes (which I cannot do on my b*****d left foot). I tried doing it while leaning on a window ledge to take some of the weight that would have gone through the left foot - and I had the most unbelievable pain in my right knee (hip op side) - it made me scream! OH thinks I must have had some sort of floaty rubbish in my knee which got caught. Boy did that hurt!! It is settling now.

I have planned for tomorrow to be a better day!!

My grabber has a clip that enables it to he attached to a crutch, if necessary. After I'd been at home about a week after surgery, I had an infection at the end of the wound which was cleared up very quickly with an antibiotic.

I cannot remember the name of the small gadget which one can attach to crutches or a frame so that the grabber can attach to it. Provided your grabber was not too long Mishap and did not trip you up, that may be a solution to having your grabber at all times rather than having fifty million or so dotted around the house.

Good luck for tomorrow with the physio. Hopefully it will be a simple solution to sort out the groin pain.

When I had my hip replaced, about a week in, I suffered from extreme pain when first moving after sleeping. My Doc suspected infection and refereed me back to the consultant pronto.
The consultant was happy it was not infected and diagnosed a deep Haematoma in the muscle that was hardening overnight and causing the pain when I stared to move, he said it would slowly disperse, which it did over a few weeks.
However you MUST get professional advise, it's most likely nothing so don't get too worried, your PT will advise you.

You are right anno (and thanks for posting the link) - I actually have 2, one of which was my Dad's. The critical thing (as galen says) is for them to be in the right place when you need them!

My GC just LOVE them! - they use them to hide things out of the reach of others in a great hide-and-seek game; and one decided it was perfect for digging out a molehill when no-one else was looking! They fight over them and we have to ration them out! They also love my crutches, raised toilet seats etc. - anything out of the ordinary is a source of a wonderful game.

MIshap, my neighbour lent me a grabber so that I could pick up objects from the floor or get them down off a shelf. I was so impressed with it that after I gave it back to her I went to a disability aids shop and bought one which I still use when I need something from an inaccessible place.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Economy-Reacher-Handy-Reacher-Grabber-Pick-Up-Tool-Long-Helping-Hand-/191035251163?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Mobility_Disability_Medical_ET&var=&hash=item2c7a9699db

The pain comes on most when I am sitting or lying and is relieved by walking about or standing up. I will talk to the physio tomorrow - it may be that this is just something that happens to some people after THR and I have to wait for it to resolve. I shall certainly be glad when it goes!

Mishap is your groin pain "pain specific" ie do you get the pain when eg you are getting in and out of bed or a chair, or upstairs but it goes when you walk indoors on a flat surface?

You must discuss this when you see the physio tomorrow, your pain should be getting better, not worse.

I too have an automatic car - we bought it when it became clear that my left foot was going to be a long term problem. However - no help with a right hip replacement! I plan to wait the full 6 weeks before even trying to drive; and to wait on the consultant's OK. I am not a risk-taker when it comes to driving, and our tiny winding lanes are risk enough of themselves.

I am frustrated by the quite bad groin pain that I am suffering and I have gone back to the codeine - albeit at a dose that would be homeopathic for a normal person. Even that tiny dose makes me feel a bit "absent." I had not predicted the groin pain and will talk to the physio about it tomorrow as I am a little concerned that it might not be normal.

However, I am beavering about doing cooking etc., organising a village arts festival and also a huge choirs event for next year's Three Choirs festival. I can do these on computer and by phone and it helps to keep my mind off the pain which is good.

It sounds as though you are making excellent progress *pompa." That is good news. Is your wound sparkling clean now? - did you use Vim or Cif?!

No reason to apologise, what you say is spot on for most drivers.
I love autos, have had them for about 20 years now, would never go back to a manual. I also use the cruise control at lot, enables me to move both legs around, which make it much more comfortable on a long drive (our kids are 3 & 4 hours drive away)

I was a bit nervous about not using a stick, felt unstable at first, but it soon improved and I think it is helping my gait. As I said earlier, my knee was not very bad before I had the op and I had been doing all I could to strengthen it up beforehand. My hospital started the PT 2 weeks before the op.

My apologies, I totally forget about automatics!

You have done very well to get rid of your crutches and also to be rid of any sticks indoors. I was in too much pain to discard my crutches for weeks. It did not help that the ankle on the opposite leg had been pinned and plated a couple of years previously so was taking too much weight. Oh the woes of surgery!

Charleygirl, it is my left leg and I drive an automatic, so my left leg is superfluous to requirements. My insurance company was quite happy as it was automatic. The consultant said around 3/4 weeks for auto. (manual would have been at least 6 weeks). No way would i consider driving until I was totally satisfied that not only could i control the car, but also that I would not de distracted by any discomfort.
The crutches have already gone, single stick outdoors and stairs, none at all indoors.

pompa you need to have full control of your operated leg before you can be let loose on the road in a car that is. It takes around 6 weeks and even then you may well still have the dreaded crutches in tow.

Galen, LOL, you are spot on, PT's obviously love their job, probably would have been inquisitors in days of old.

Just spoken to my insurance company re driving, they are happy to be guided by the PT, so I will have to be nice to her when I see her in 2 weeks (and work at the exercise she has given me)

Pompa PTs are all born with superhuman strength and a sadistic personality. They have a special breeding programme for them.

Mishap I have a 'helping hands' littered around the place to retrieve dropped articles.
Dgd, doesn't approve. She insists on gathering them all together and lining them up. When she's gone I have to redistribute them again

I would really dread having to cut back on painkillers, I am a total wimp.

I have a dodgy left knee and both of my hips are bad, but the right one is worse. They won't let me have a replacement until I am at least 60, and say that I should try to keep going for as long as humanly possible after that. As I have already 'kept going' for ten years I get a bit cross, but they don't want to have to repeat the operation too often in case I live on for ever. My second career (first in accountancy) was in horticulture, and I blame it on trying to prove that I was as good as the men at digging. Apparently it's very common amongst gardeners, but no-one ever thought to warn me.

Yes, my poor friend is all on her own. She said she wants me to make sandwiches and keep her company and that will be enough, but I think she is just being brave and not wanting to impose. She does have all the kit. A huge relief is knowing that another of our friends lives next door to her and is a doctor, but of course she will be at work most of the time.

So, nice meals, not sandwiches confirms at least one of my thoughts. I'll take some books, too. I often feel like suggesting she come on here, but very stupidly I used my real name.

I hope today is better for you Mishap, I'm sure you will very soon be your old self.

I have been trying to cut down the painkillers, physio told me off, told me to keep them up as I need them to enable me to push the muscles/joint through the pain barrier to stretch everything. She managed to get my knee to bend beyond 90deg by slowly working on it and pushing it a bit further than I could.

She is very slight, but when those fingers started massaging the back of my knee where the worst swelling is, she turned into a she devil with superhuman strength, felt great when she had done.

Pain returned to bite me this afternoon - but I have reduced the painkillers today so that is probably why. I will up them again for a bit.

Janerowena - are you due a replacement? Do not be put off by my posts. My other medical problems and the fact that I am intolerant of painkillers has complicated things for me. I could hear the guys in the other hospital rooms being very jolly - jealous moi!?

What help have I needed? When the pain has been there, I have found it difficult to do many things; but I have been persevering regardless. I keep blooming dropping things - which is S**'s law in operation - just when I cannot bend to pick them up!

Is your friend going to be at home on her own in between your caring visits? I have to be honest and say that I would not have wanted to be on my own for long periods during this recovery time. I have a second problem in the form of the aftermath of a broken foot on the other side, and I feel slightly insecure on the crutches and am glad that my OH is here just in case. I am doing fine on them, but am happier if he is here, particularly when I am negotiating the stairs. But maybe I am just a wimp!

Nice food is welcome; support when having a shower; help with getting un/dressed - all is well until I drop something!; laundry. Hopefully your friend will have all the kit - grabber, crutches, raised toilet seats, toilet frame (this has been brilliant). She will also need to be able to get help if she gets in a pickle on her own. I just dropped my crutch whilst using the loo and did not have my grabber in there - so I do not know quite how I would have extricated myself if OH had not been around.

Getting in and out of bed is not easy - I can do it slowly, but would not want to be doing this in the middle of the night on my own really.

A friendly cheery and encouraging face is something that you can provide and that is always welcome.

I hope your friend makes good progress and I am sure she will appreciate anything that you are all able to do for her.

So please to hear that things are getting better little by little, Mishap. It's a shame you've been unlucky with the aftermath of the op, but it takes everyone differently and I'm sure that in the end you'll be as spry as anyone.

It does make fascinating reading, and I have to admit it is a little bit offputting...

I'm so glad you are feeling a bit better at last. And yes, my uncle had his knee done two months ago and he is 70, quite fit but still struggling a bit.

My friend up the road is having hers today. She will be staying with family until next week, when our caring rota kicks in, so apart from your stockings, what do you feel you would like the most help with?

Glad to hear its a better day, nothing like a cheery visitor to perk one up.. keep it up Mishap

That's good to hear Mishap, she sounds a lovely DD.

Up and about - DD has visited and washed my feet and legs and got the blooming stockings on - wonderful to have clean ones on. I am not showering at present as the wound needs to be dry for a bit, so this was a great joy. She also brought some food she had made for us; and lots of jolly tales about the children - what a tonic she is!

It is so nice to be in a bit less pain - it was getting a bit wearing and dragging me down. There is a chink of light!

Thanks for all the encouragement - it is so appreciated.

One day at a time Mishap, you'll be there in no time