99 Problems but My Hip Ain't One

 It's funny how in the first few days after my hip replacement surgery, I felt like I could write a daily update.  The progress was so rapid and so noticeable and so exciting.  To somewhat quote the great Alanis Morrissette, we'll fast forward to a few weeks later.  Or four months later, to be exact.  There is still plenty of progress, but it's definitely more subtle and most likely only noticed by me.  

I'm putting on socks and tying my shoes with ease.

  I'm painting my toenails.

 I can balance on just my left leg, even in the sand.  

My daily walks are now determined by how much time I have (or if I have company or a podcast long enough to keep me from being bored to tears) instead of being mindful of not overdoing it.  

I'm gaining confidence walking out in the ocean, but this one is taking a little longer to build because the water has been so fricking freezing this summer.  

I'm back to mopping floors and mowing the lawn (again, things most likely only noticed by me).

My strength workouts have very few modifications, and I'm lifting weights I lifted before surgery.  That "grow left ass" I put on my to do list in April?  I'm marking it complete.

April 10th

July 20th

My family members - on more than one occasion - have said things like, "Oh yeah, I forgot you had surgery."

That last one gets me every time.  Because this hip is something I still think about all throughout the day, but if the people around me have forgotten about it, it must mean I'm back to normal.  And damn it's good to be back.

I see the PA again in 10 days, and I don't really have many questions for him this time.  I'm doing almost everything I want to be doing (and a few things I'd rather not be doing, see "mowing the lawn" example above), and I'm pain free doing it.  All day.  Every day.  The one thing I will ask him about is surfing.  It's the one thing I'm itching to do that I'm not sure if I can yet.  Thankfully the cold ocean hasn't been all that enticing.

I'd love to get the ok to paddle out this summer, but I'm enjoying the alternatives just the same.  Like long walks on the beach...

And ice cold beverages...

And handstands...

I could not be more pleased with the outcome of this surgery.  I can wholeheartedly say that the four months leading up to it were far more stressful than the four months since.  The fear of the unknown can reek havoc on your mind and on your spirits, but I have found that controlling what you can and having faith that the rest will be figureoutable is the best way to counter the fear.  With joint replacement and with life.

Walk of Life

 

Tito and I have been together for an entire month today, so I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious.  We celebrated this milestone by walking a whole mile this morning, our longest consecutive stretch.  My gait feels pretty darn close to normal, and I think my pace is picking up a little bit as well.  I'm excited to extend the walks a little further each time while maintaining my newfound healthy relationship with distance and pace.  A common question I've been getting this week is "When will you be able to run?"  My answer is simple and applies to most of the physical activities I look forward to resuming, and that's I don't know and I don't care.  Feeling my strength and stamina improving every single day and knowing eventually I will get back to all the things I love is truly all I need to be happy right now.  

That being said, the follow up appointment with my surgeon isn't for another week, and there are a few things I am chomping at the bit to get back to that I will be asking about:

1.  Bending past 90 degrees.  Mainly because I'd like to be able to clip my own toenails.  I've been out of work for a month and just bought a new hip...I can't afford a pedicure.

2.  Going down stairs like a normal person.  I'm going up like a champ, but that eccentric motion of lowering one's bodyweight down a step is a lot on the hip and my PT told me to hold off on it for now.  Which is fine, except with every passing day, I'm feeling more and more normal and sometimes forget the whole "down with the bad" thing.  I've always caught myself, but I'm a little nervous that I'll fall down the stairs because I'm feeling so good, if that makes any sense.

3.  Bridges.  See last post about flat bottomed girls.

4.  Riding my bike.  Spring is here and when the weather is nice, I ride my bike almost as often as - if not more often than -  I drive my car.

5.  Walking in sand.  Because my whole crew can't sit on the beach access boardwalk with me.

I went back to work this week so I don't need to ask about that, but I have a feeling I may forget to ask when I can get back to mopping floors, scrubbing bathtubs, and mowing the lawn.  My vacation doesn't need to completely end yet, does it?  

Flat Bottomed Girls

 I'm three weeks post op, and the forward momentum of progress is still going strong.  No pain, no cane, baby!  I haven't taken Tylenol for about a week now, and the only meds I'm still on is the baby aspirin to prevent blood clots.  The physical changes are much more subtle now, most likely barely noticeable by anyone other than me.  Every day there seems to be a little less hitch in my giddy up...my leg length seems to be evening out, slowly but surely, which is helping my gait inch its way toward normal.  Midday is when I feel my best, when the stiffness from being in bed all night melts away and before the fatigue of getting around all day sets in.  

The rest of my movements are starting to feel more free and easy, not requiring as much thought.  I don't have to back myself into bed anymore and can climb in pretty much the way I did before surgery.  I'm getting in and out of the shower with greater ease and only using the shower chair to shave.  Today was my last visit with the in-home PT, and she gave me the green light to start step ups with my left leg.  Until today, I've been taking stairs one at a time, stepping up with the right leg every time.  

I've been given a whole list of really basic exercises I can start doing and progressing as tolerated.  Thank you, sweet baby Jesus, because when I got out of the shower this morning, I noticed a flatness where my left butt cheek used to be.  

                                        right side                                                           left side

Granted, I'm sure there was plenty of atrophy on my left side before surgery, but seeing these side by side shots was alarming.  Looks like I'm adding "grow left ass" to my to do list.

Sleep has been another significant area of improvement.  My body aches less, I'm sleeping for longer stretches at a time, and I'm finding it easier to fall back asleep after I've woken up.  I've even slept through the night a couple of times in the past week.  I've tried lying on my right side with a pillow between my knees and feet for a few minutes, but I don't think I could sleep all night in that position.

I'm getting back to doing my every day things around the house, but in a slightly modified way.  I've done some laundry, but since I can't carry a full laundry basket yet (especially not up and down stairs), I throw the sheets or towels down the stairs and carry them in manageable loads to the washing machine.  I still get help with my clothes since it would be a little more challenging to pick up all the little bits as they rain down the stairs.

Much to the delight of my family, I've gotten back to cooking some dinners.  I'm still building up stamina for time on my feet, so I'll all the chopping, slicing, and dicing, sit for a few, then get to cooking.  It's serving me well right now since I'm not working or playing Camryn's personal chauffeur and have time to spread the dinner prep out.

I'm a little annoyed that I'm cooking and cleaning yet still not driving, but I will stay the course and continue to be patient.  I was given the ok to ride in a car (shhhhh...what the PT doesn't know won't hurt her!), but she realllly wants me to wait til I'm four weeks out to start driving.  I think I can, I think I can.  I'm thankful Brynn has stepped up in the running errands for me department, and I have an incredible village that has helped me get Camryn to allllll the places a busy 14 year old girl without a license needs to be.  For now, I'll just make the most of my off duty status.

Walk This Way

 A dozen days after surgery, and every morning, I chuckle when I find myself moving a little better than I did the day before.  I think I expected the trajectory of recovery to be somewhat flatter than what it has been, so every speck of progress I notice feels like Christmas.  My PT told me I could get around without using the cane a little bit around the house, and that's been awesome.  I carry the cane with me and use it as soon as my gait starts getting a little wonky. 

One of the most helpful tidbits a fellow new hipper shared with me was that for a while after surgery, your surgical side will feel (or will actually be) longer than the other side.  I'm so glad she told me that because it prevented a full blown panic attack thinking the surgeon messed up.  She said eventually the hip settles in and you even out again.  I'm really looking forward to that, as I don't enjoy the little bit of a waddle I have going on right now.

My heartrate and blood pressure have been high when the PT has come and taken my vitals, and since that's not my norm, I'm hoping it's just part of the process of recovering from anesthesia and surgery.  But I did notice a low grade headache I've had this past week or so, and since I'm definitely not dehydrated, I don't feel stressed, and I'm taking Tylenol around the clock, I'm thinking it's from the elevated blood pressure. I asked Dr. Google what they thought about post-surgical blood pressure changes, and I came across an article about regular use of Tylenol causing high blood pressure in people with hypertension. 

Now I don't have hypertension, but it got me wondering if maybe all the Tylenol is contributing to my elevated blood pressure.  Since I have very little pain, I stopped taking the Tylenol during the day and only take it at bedtime.  I've had no issues with pain without it, and I no longer have a headache.  My watch says my resting heartrate is still around 90, and when I took my own blood pressure this morning it was still high, so my Tylenol experiment might be a bust.  The BP isn't high enough to need immediate medical attention, but if it continues after the next several weeks, I'll bring it up with my primary care doc when I see them in May.

On an excellent note, I've slept a little better the past few nights.  The verdict is out on whether that's because Ryan has been away, but we'll find out tonight when he gets back.  I still wake up after 3-4 hours and have some trouble going back to sleep, but that second half of the night is much more restful once I do fall back asleep.  I'm not as generally uncomfortable lying on my back, and while I'm relieved that's the case, I still can't wait for the day I can sleep on my stomach again.

I was lucky enough to have Dayna come down from New York to hang with me for a long weekend.  It allowed my family to take a break from waiting on me hand and foot and get out of town for a few days, and it allowed me to just be.  I spent about three full days not wondering if I was being needy and annoying and also not worrying about anyone else's needs.  We ate chips and salsa for dinner.  We woke up when we woke up.  We sat on the couch and drank coffee.  We played scrabble in the sunshine.  We watched the Eras Tour. We talked, uncensored and uninterrupted.   It was truly delightful.

My family returns today, Ryan will go back to work tomorrow, and my kids will be home all week for spring break.  I think my challenge will be finding a good balance between letting them come and go as they please while also making sure my needs are met.  I'm getting around better for sure, but I'm still lacking the strength and stamina to do it all, all day.  Wish me luck. 

Well It's Been One Week

 When I discussed hip replacement with those who've been through it already, the main takeaway was that the first week is rough, but it gets better and better after that.  Here we are at the 1 week post-op mark and holy shit.  I'm in awe of how not rough this first week has been.  The day of surgery was fine thanks to some residual anesthesia, the evening after was probably when my pain was at its highest, but still tolerable, and every day since has gotten better.  

The pain at its worst could best be described as it feeling like someone dropped a bowling ball on my thigh.  From a very high building.  I took my meds, went to bed, and haven't felt that way since.  I'd say the swelling in my thigh was at its worst the second day post-op.  It didn't look too bad when I was sitting, but when I stood up, hello Quadzilla.  Ice, elevation, and movement kept the swelling from creeping down below the knee, completely avoiding a cankle situation.

I took my first "shower" on Saturday, in which I sat on the shower chair facing the faucet and ran the tub faucet instead of the shower, washing everything with my handy dandy loofah on a stick.

Ryan used a pitcher to wash my hair and helped me shave my left leg.  I felt like a new woman.  My next shower was Monday, and we changed things up a bit.  This time I sat on the shower chair facing away from the faucet with the actual shower running and was able to do everything myself.  So so good.  I just needed help getting in and out of the tub to be on the safe side.  And can we talk about why all showers don't just have seats in them?  Soooo nice.

By Sunday, I ditched the walker for crutches to get around downstairs and even took them outside for a short walk.  Full disclosure, this was my own decision and not instructed by my care team, but having been on crutches numerous times in my life, I felt comfortable and completely stable and safe using them.  I've kept the walker upstairs and use it to get ready for bed and in the middle of the night for trips to the bathroom when I wasn't feeling the most steady on my feet.  PT was back at the house today and gave me the green light to drop down to a cane.

  

Sitting here with the cane hooked on the arm of the chair is bringing back fond memories of my firecracker of a grandmother.  You'll know I'm really feeling good when I start hooking the cane on my arm like a purse instead of using it for its intended purpose like she did. 

The PT also took the top dressing off my incision, revealing a beautifully healing line down the front of my thigh.  There's still a layer of tape on top, which will come off at my post-op visit at the end of April.  I'm no stranger to scars, so this will just be the newest of my collection.

As far as the rest of my daily activities go, I'm able to get myself dressed, with the only exception being putting a sock on my left foot.  Since winter won't leave, socks have been a necessity.  Until this morning when I was cleared to use the cane, people have had to carry everything for me.  I tried not to take advantage or be too needy, consolidating my needs so they can bring me everything all at once.  I'm sure my family will love that I can get my own damn water now.

My chief complaint at this point is still sleeping on my back.  As in, I don't do it well.  I manage to get a few hours in at first, but the rest of my body gets so still and sore lying in one position all night, making it really hard to fall back asleep for any substantial amount of time after that. I want nothing more than to roll over onto my stomach and sleep for hours.  All in good time, and until then, I'll take advantage of being able to catnap during the day.

I'm really excited to see where I'll be a week from now.  I imagine self-discipline will be put to the test to keep myself from overdoing things.  What a great problem to have.

Counting Sheep but Running Out

We're on Day 4 post-op and I'm settling into this monotonous new routine pretty well.  Once I'm awake, I consolidate my efforts on my feet by washing my face and brushing my teeth when I make the first trip to the bathroom.  Then I head back into bed for a little bit and Ryan brings me my coffee, meds, and miralax.  I've been off the harder stuff since Friday, only taking extra strength Tylenol for pain and baby aspirin to prevent blood clots. Unfortunately, my gut hasn't caught up yet, hence the miralax.  I'll usually read a few chapters while Ryan gets in a workout...gotta keep him moving too!

Eventually I get dressed and make my way downstairs.  I've been able to manage getting dressed myself with the exception of putting on my left sock.  Once I'm downstairs, I do a few laps, hit the bathroom again, and park it on the couch or armchair for a nice little ice session.  I am not exaggerating when I say my ice pack is everything.  I've had it for several months and was using it before surgery, but my love for it has grown exponentially after surgery.

Ryan will bring me some breakfast...usually some cottage cheese with everything but the bagel seasoning and some mixed berries.  After the first day, I had to educate him on what a normal person's portion looks like.  We'll chat, I'll read or scroll through my phone, checking my brackets (all but busted), playing various New York Times games, or getting a good laugh about the reels Brynn sends me.  I've been lucky enough to have visitors each day, which has definitely helped keep my spirits up.

Lunch and dinner eventually follow, sandwiched between laps around the first floor of the house.  I've been eating small, healthy meals to keep my gut happy, but also because I'm getting in about 450 steps a day and summer is coming.  

I'd say my primary issue right now is sleeping at night.  Pain isn't the problem, it's position.  I'm a stomach sleeper, and having to sleep on my back right now is not going well.  The PT suggested putting a pillow under my right leg to help take some pressure off my back, and I've rolled up a towel and shoved it under the fitted sheet to keep my left leg from rolling out.  It helped a lot the first night I tried it - I went from waking up every hour to every three hours - but last night was a tough one.  I was up every other hour and just wanted to roll the hell over and get some sleep.  

As far as the actual hip goes, it's feeling great.  I've got some swelling and stiffness in the left quad and a little achiness in my left glute, but I'm not in any great pain.  The first few steps any time I get up are a little slow going, but I can cruise once I get moving.  I don't feel ready to ditch the walker for the cane just yet, but each day gets a little better.   I find myself leaning on the walker less and less for much of the day.

I do find myself hitting a wall every night, usually around 7pm.  I'm stiff and sore, and the connection between my brain and my left leg is diminished.  I'm tired, cranky, and out of patience, and the best thing for everyone is just to get me to bed.  Essentially, I'm an infant.  

The progress I notice each day is exciting, and I'm hopeful that my trajectory is more of a straight shot up than a squiggly line full of peaks, valleys, and turns.  Patience is key, and while it's not my strong suit, I'm hanging in there pretty good.

Hip to be Square

 It's day 2 post-op, and I continue to feel pretty good.  I would say my pain was at its highest last night around 7pm, and I knew I just needed to get in bed and snuggle up with my ice pack.  Even with waking up about every hour last night, I feel like I had more restful sleep than the first night.  I've only taken the oxycodone at night, and have done fine with tramadol during the day.  Since my chief complaint is stiffness and not pain, I think I'm going to give the tylenol a try tonight and see how it goes.  The sooner I get off the harder stuff, the better I'll feel.  

Big day today...the in-home PT came for our first session this afternoon.  It wasn't an total ass-kicking, but I did feel a little wiped out afterward.  We walked some laps around the house, I proved my proficiency in navigating stairs, sitting, and standing, and she gave me peace of mind that I'm on the right track.  It's been pretty boring just sitting around most of the day, but knowing it's exactly what my body needs helps me chill out a bit.  She said next week we'll go take some walks outside and I can't wait.  If tomorrow's weather wasn't supposed to be complete rubbish, I'd take all this sitting around outside.  Maybe Sunday.