What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

I can’t believe I am 40 days post surgery already! I am getting stronger and my endurance is building up! I am up to over 6000 steps now according to my Fit bit and way more minutes than it shows (I forget to change settings for when I go on a walk)! I am glad I chose to wear the Fit bit while I am walking and made a goal to beat my previous day’s steps. It has really pushed me to move. The physical therapist is also glad I am doing this!Speaking of PT, last Thursday they really upped my game there as well. We added resistance to many of the exercises I was already doing and I started doing leg presses! I am working on doing stairs normally – not just going one step at a time with the good leg up and bad leg down! That is hard work folks! Wow! Oh amd they added on a balance exercise where I stand on this wobbly mat with my operated leg and hold it as long as I can! I did surprisingly well. But man it hurts (in that good, you are building muscle way).

Revealing My New Hips’ Name

Drum roll please!… And the name of my new hip is R2. As in R2D2. When I get my right hip done it will be D2! Why the heck am I naming my bionic parts you ask? Well, it’s because some of the people that are in a Facebook group for us “hippies” (people with hip replacements) started this little trend. So I said why not. But why did I choose R2?I have a Star Wars theme going on you see. I drive a Nissan Rogue and naturally I named it Rogue 1 (just like the movie). I have been a Star Wars fan since the first one came out when I was a kid. I think it was one of the first movies i saw in the theater! R2 is just a very resilient little robot so I am hoping my hip is too!

Building up the Heel

The PT built up my heel on the right shoe at little more on Thursday. Walking is a bit better since the leg length difference is less. But its still not even and the swelling still makes it worse at some point in the day! I wish the swelling would just totally go away already. This leg length difference and the swelling is so annoying still. The swelling is getting better though I have to ice it frequently.I see my orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. I am hoping he will say I can go back to work – in the office and for field visits that don’t require much hiking. I need to work on balance more for that I think. I also hope to get clearance to start swimming or water exercise. I also want to start moisturizing my scar. I do still have some glue and tiny scabs left but those should be gone really soon.Please keep praying for me and know that I am praying for you!Peace!#anteriorlefttotalhipreplacement#myhipsisR2 #gettingstronger #cantstopmenow

How do you measure progress after a major surgery? There are days when I think my progress is so slow and I get impatient with myself and wish for more. But the truth is, I have really come pretty far since the surgery.I remember when I was in the hospital and PT came to my room to do the exercises that I had already been doing at home. I could not lift my left leg up at all. The therapist basically had to do several of the exercises for me. My leg was hurting and weak. Yesterday in outpatient PT, I realized how far I have come. All of the basic exercises were easy and we are now adding more resistance and some weight. I could do all of the exercises that wanted me to do! Sure the last 10 reps had me working extra hard but it felt so good! I am feeling it a little this morning but that is good pain! My range of motion and my endurance are really increasing!I am still swelling though and sometimes it feels like my quads are being held in a tight band that makes me stiff. Most times I can push through it but it makes the leg length difference so much worse. Speaking of which we built up my shoe a little more yesterday at PT and when the swelling isn’t bad, I am much more even! Not all the way yet but getting there. It makes walking without a cane so much easier!I went shopping yesterday ( because walking in AC is nice) after PT and it was nice to do some more “normal” things. I overdid it but I went home and iced and all was well again. I felt goos enough to go to my friend Stamping Up© open house. I haven’t done that in so long. That was so much fun! My mom went with and we had such a nice time. We even signed up for another class in July!My moms new house here in Missouri will be ready to move into today! It will be nice to have them so much closer! She is really excited to move in. She has been staying with us this week since their house in Illinois sold quickly and closed a couple of weeks ago. I am going to drive up to the new house this weekend with my daughter and some of her friends to help them move in. This will mark the lobgest drive I have been on post surgery but its only an hour. I will wear compression socks and take my ice. I won’t be doing much but “supervising” but it will be fun.I see my surgeon next week. I am happy to show him my progress. I am still depressed a little about the leg length difference – ok more than a little. It really is going to squash a real field season for me. Hiking isn’t going to be pleasant or fun yet. Hills are really hard right now. Uneven ground is unthinkable. I use a trekking pole to walk on our flat gravel private drive. I can’t even fathom putting on waders or even my muck boots and trying to walk in a stream. It’s hard enough when you are even legged! Ok must stop dwelling on that before I am totally bummed out again. My healing is progressing nicely. I am using a fit bit to track my progress and most days I am increasing the number of steps I am taking. Don’t push a cart and expect it to count your steps correctly! Just saying… I went to Menards with my mom and walked all over that store and it counted less steps than from my house to my mailbox! Anyway I am up to over a mile and a half a day or roughly 4600 steps. I’ll leave you with a picture I took while walking of some pretty flowers.Please continue praying for me! I am praying for you!Peace.

It is day 31 post op. The pain in my hip was gone immediately after surgery and that is a tremendous relief! The surgical pain, swelling, plus the nerves and muscles all waking up and realigning has been another story. However, the last two days have been so much better on the pain amd swelling front! I mean I still swell and have to ice especially after exercise but it is so much more tolerable! Thank you Jesus! I have been praying for this! Today, I even walked a little ober a mile. Not all at once but throughout the day and I call that a win!But there has been one step back and it really has almost nothing to do with surgical recovery. I have a sinus infection folks. It really sucks. I have been battling allergies since before surgery but they finally got away from me and I knew I better call the doctor to get it taken care of. You see, any infection can decide to go and get settled in a new implant (a.k.a. my hip – which I am calling R2 (more on that in another post). So I am on antibiotics now and the doctor thinks I caught it early enough not to worry about it affecting my hip. Phew.So I am attaching a photo of my funny shoes. I found if I wear the croc like shoe (it’s actually Sketchers) on my right foot with the little gym shoe from Wal-Mart on the left, I am pretty evened out. I wear my real gym shoes with lifts when I go out for a walk or out in public don’t worry! But just to slip on in the house or to let the dogs out this is fine.Peace friends. Keep praying for me! I’ll be praying for you!

I have never been so happy to drive! Today I had to drive myself to the chiropractor and then later to PT. It was glorious! I love the simple blessing of being able to drive again!My first appointment today was with the chiropractor. He was surprised about the big leg length difference but he had a better shoe lift than what PT was offering. Well he didn’t have my size so it is on order and it’s coming from a company that is only about 20 miles from here in Cuba, MO. I like supporting local businesses! And now they will be supporting me quite literally! 😆! This lift will lift my whole foot not just the heel. It will be much better for my right foot itself. He also adjusted the rest of me. He has been so instrumental in keeping my pain bearable before the surgery and I am happy he can keep helping me afterwards! If you need a good chiropractor I can give you a recommendation!PT went well too. I don’t need the cane much except for long excursions and my therapist said I need to take it with me everywhere in public if only to keep people from josteling me amd making me fall! They did a goals assessment for my doctor and me and themselves of course. I think my goals are almost halfway met. I am off the walker and almost not dependent on the cane. But still have swelling and the LLD. I also have very little endurance and strength. It is progressing slow and steady. I have to be pleased with that.There is no more agonizing hip pain which is a huge blessing. If you have been waiting to do this surgery, I recommend you go do it before you lose all of your strength in that hip and leg like I did.As always please pray for me – especially for patience through this slow recovery. If you want any prayers, just leave a comment below!

I think these socks represent some of what I am feeling in my leg now. Well my thigh anyway. Splotches of zings and zaps. Occasional muscle spasms that can be short and isolated to spasms that quake my whole leg. I also get the wierd sensation that water is running down my leg. It’s. The weirdest thing – my leg is dry but I swear something dripped down my leg!I am now just about 4 weeks post anterior left total hip replacement. Things are going well except for the swelling and the things I mention above. The swelling is much improved though. I am no longer using the walker at all and I only use a cane if I am walking longer distances or in the gravel. It is kind of my security blanket! If I feel wobbly, I can stabiloze myself with the cane easily. If the swelling would just go away, I think the leg length discrepancy wouldn’t be as noticable. I got a new lift for my shoe and when the swelling is down it is great. So I sit and ice my thigh and wear compression stockings!PT is going great. No more “shocking” experiences – at least in the negative sense! Every time I go, they add on a new exercise. I am doing well they say! I have come a long way since I statted there! I just need to be patient. Before long I will be ready for some more action. I need to build up endurance. Slow and steady right?This is going to be a hard week for my extended family. We are laying my Aunt Cecilia to rest. She was a great woman. I loved her a lot. I wish I could be there for my uncle and cousins. But its a long way away and there is no way I could drive or even fly there right now. Please say a prayer for the family if you are the praying type.

I had a shocking day at PT this morning. All was going well and as usual at the end I get a relaxing session with electro-stimulation and icing. Well I couldn’t feel one set of the pads at all turned all the way up and the other set was wonderful way down low. Turns out the first set wasn’t plugged in correctly. When someone noticed and plugged it in right – WOWSERS! It about sent me through the roof! Holy moly that HURT! He quickly turned it down after my scream shook the whole room! He couldn’t have been more apologetic! Poor guy felt so bad. I laugh/cried for a few minutes. I am still tingling….On the bright side of things, I am now using a cane not the walker! Yay! Walking is getting easier and exercising it feels good. My blood sugars have been really great lately too. My daughter has been feeding me very well and building muscle certainly helps. Can pain cause your blood sugars to increase like it can your blood pressures?To relax, I have started watercolor painting again. I did these two little bookmarks the other day. I will be giving them to some friends who brought me some gifts during recovery. Need to laminate and add a tassel. How do you relax?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Orthopedic surgeons really do have a different mindset don’t they? When I saw mine 13 days post surgery, he said my scar was beautiful. Umm, not so much doc. It’s big and ugly to me but I know eventually it will lighten up and be just fine. Here is a picture.

It actually looks better today than it did two days ago but it is still jarring to see. The swelling at my hip also bugs me but at least the swelling below the scar is getting better.

Today I start outpatient physical therapy. I am using a different company than the hospital amd home health company that started my therapies. Probably some negatives in that decision but the surgeon did say I could choose either place (and he is at the hospital). I just like the billing practice at this facility better than the hospital. At the hospital you can’t pay your co-pay at the time of service. They bill you later and you end up with a huge bill. At the other place you pay as you go. I much prefer that. And parking is better there too! My daughter used to go there and we liked them. I will let you know how it goes. I am looking forward to getting healthy and strong.

Goals

My ultimate goal is to be walking without a limp and to be pain free. I want to be able to hike in the woods for work without fear of needing to be airlifted or otherwise rescued because I can’t make it. Before the surgery, I was in so much pain that field work that would require a mile or even less hiking was just out. Trips to Wal-Mart were even horribly painful. I am looking forward to being able to exercise to lose weight also.

If you have had a THR, what are/were your goals and have you achieved them? How long did it take?

#anteriortotalhipreplacement #hipreplacementrecovery #THRscar #leftTHR

It is 1:30 am and I am awake. I should be sleeping but I made the mistake of thinking I didnt need to take a tramadol tonight. I just corrected that mistake and also brought a hot water bottle with me. They tell you not to let the pain get ahead of you but gosh I just want to be done with it!The doctor took the last dressing off yesterday. I am so happy because ripping those things off hurt like hell! He is pleased with the way my scar looks. I think it is ugly but it will look better soon right?The thing that bugs me the most is leg length difference. He assures me that it won’t be so bad before too long but in the meantime PT will help with that and get some inserts for my shoes. Might have to get sandals with a built up sole for hot weather coming! Any recommendations?Ok I think the meds are kickingin. Must rest up and heal.#anteriortotalhipreplacement #hip #hipreplacementrecovery