2 week checkup

Today was my two week check up, got my staples out stamp of approval from dr. Tressler that everything is healing well. I can start putting more weight on my leg while using the walker for the next week and then switch to a cane when I feel ready. I can also start driving next week so that is good news! My prothesis is the same as the right titanium stem, ceramic ball, cobalt socket with a propothelene insert in the socket, it is made by depuy but not part of the recalled metal on metal hips.

It was a long day after doing little beside napping for the last couple of weeks. We ate lunch, went to the appt. and stopped at Sam's with me driving around on the scooter. then heading

swelling...

I almost made it to my two week appointment without any trouble and then the swelling started yesterday. Luckily it wasn't as bad as it was last time but enough to make me nervous enough to lie low all day today which made for a long day. Because I am not sure what caused the swelling to start I was afraid to do much so spent most it the day in bed. Hard to believe I managed to sleep as much as I did. I don't know if it is the medication, low hemoglobin, surgery recovery, or maybe the narcolepsy but I am averaging an hour of sleep for every 2 hours I am awake during the day plus I started taking lunesta at night again so I have been sleeping most of thr night too. My staples are starting to feel like they are pinching in spots so I will be glad to get them out on Friday. Hopefully the Dr. Will also give me the Ho ahead to start putting more weight on my leg and move past the walker.

better days

Yesterday had several friends stop by which was fun but tiring! Sher, Lisa, Jan, and Wendy brought lunch and we chatted and are for a couple hours which was nice. I did my best to clean before they came so between that and the company I was wiped out after they left.

Today was my first full day home on my own and after the initial boredom of being all alone the day went fine. I napped, played around in the computer, did my exercises, walked around the house etc. Tonight I am trying lunesta before bed and will see hoe long I am able to sleep and how I feel when I wake up without taking a percoset in the middle of the night, hopefully not to stiff or painful.

back and forth

So today wavered between good and bad. Physically I am feeling much better but at the same time I have been feeling a little neglected. Even though I don't need constant help I have been feeling bad that dane has been so quick to leave for coffee and everything else. I think he cares and wants to help but he is not exactly a doting caretaker.
On another note I cut back on the percoset, I am trying 1 at a time instead of 2 and seem to be doing ok.

road trip

So it was really just a ride to Dave and Sher's but at least I got out of the house for a little bit. It was good because now that I am more awake I have been feeling a little lonely and sorry for myself. Part of it is perhaps emotions running high. Hopefully my attitude will improve.

The fog is lifting...

Well today I am finally feeling more awake and alert! It is a good feeling to not be in too much pain and not be exhausted. I am still taking the percoset but trying to space it out to every 5 hours rather than 4 and maybe my body is getting used to it also. Slept pretty well last night from 11 to 2 and then again until about 5. Then I dozed from 6 to about 7:30 and have been up and awake since then and it's almost 1:30 so that is a huge improvement. I was able to vacuum the front hall and hang some laundry so feel good that I am accomplishing a few little things. I really wish I could maneuver the vacuum with the walker cause the house piles up with dog hair quickly but it is rather difficult so I was happy just to do the entry way where it needs it the most. The sun is out and may even take a little ride in the car after.

routine

I have settled into a routine taking my pills at 6, 10, & 2 and repeating through the night. During the hours between meds I typically nap for an hour or so, take a couple walks to the kitchen to snack, browse the internet, then nap again before restarting the routine. I am doing my prescribed hip exercises twice a day and though I am not dealing with the shooting pains I remember from last time it is achey and tight from the hip to the knee. I think my extreme fatigue is related to my low hemoglobin more so than the meds but the combination probably increases my need for constant naps.

Mixup

So this morning I over slept past my scheduled time to take my pills then panicked for a minute and apparently quickly too 2 then just as quickly forgot whether I had taken them or not! I took 1 more figuring that I didn't want to ratchet up the pain scale and end up in the misery that I remembered from my last surgery then decided I had to think things through and figure out for sure what I had done. The fact that it took almost 20 minutes and counting my pills twice before I was sure I had taken 2 plus one extra at 6:30 am should be an indication that I am not thinking clearly either because of the surgery recovery or the effects of the percoset! Consequently I set up alarms on my phone fr my pain medication for the rest of today and tomorrow. I want to start weening myself down to longer between doses but as I said I am a little afraid based on my first experience and low pain tolerance. For the most part I feel good and think I am doing what I should although I am extremely fatigued maybe due to the low hemoglobin since surgery. I will research that more tomorrow.

3rd night at home

Nights are a little long since my sleep pattern is so mixed up. Typically I sleep from after my 11 pm pill for a couple hours and then have been up off and in for the rest of the night, due to the combination of doing nothing all day, sleepiness from the percoset, and discomfort from my hip and having.g to lie in one position. Of course as.soon as I start writing or reading I am ready to start doing so will try to finish this later

house bound

So I am feeling good but of course limited in how much I can do. I wish I remembered how much I had done before the swelling and hematoma that landed me in the hospital last time. I have watched a lot of hgtv and taken lots of naps but not much else. I haven't had the concentration needed to really read so haven't dine much with the nook do far. Whenever I start reading it posting on the blog or fb I start falling asleep, in fact I an ready for a nap now!

What a difference

I am so relieved that things are going so much better, I haven't had any regrets about going through with surgery nor have I had a breakdown as far as pain that I remember from my first surgery. Still hoping that won't hit me since I can't remember when it got so bad last time, I just remember being miserable so this mild discomfort is great so far. I took a shower this afternoon and have been propped up in the recliner for an hour or so on the laptop so I am heading back to bed to do another set of exercises before I turn in for the night. My leg feels tight at the knee and don't have much mobility doing the knee extension exercises but otherwise feel good. I wish I had a comfortable spot to use the laptop, too bad I didn't get the ipad2!

first day home

Left the hospital at about 1:15 and was home by 3, the ride wasn't bad at all, sat in the front seat with the seat pushed all the way back and had no trouble getting in or out. Once I got home I set up camp in the bedroom and took my first dose of the generic percoset and did notice that it wasn't as effective as what I took at the hospital because my leg started feeling noticeably sore by 7 eventhough a dose wasn't due till 830. I gave myself til 815 then took two as I have been doing. I wrote down a schedule for every 3 hours 45 minutes so am cheating just a little early each time but writing down helps to not have to figure out if I am ahead or behind. Staying on schedule has really helped pain not to get too overwhelming.

surgery and postop

Despite a sleepness night the night before for both dane and I all went well yesterday. I woke up in recovery in some pain but not excessive and they quickly gave me extra pain mdeds to help and the amend had taken care of the nausea so tbat was a big improvement over last time.

day 3

I don't want to jinx myself but so far I think I am doing better with recovery than I did last time around. The real test will be if I can keep up the pain management once I get home but so far I have been able to take 2 percoset at a time and if has been effective taken every 3 1/2 to 4 hours. I vaguely remember the generics I took att home last time not working as well but I am hopeful that won't be the case.

8 hours to go...

Feeling sorry for myself, I am wide awake, hip, ankle, and knee are aching, and can't get comfortable in this hotel bed! Really mad at myself for leaving pain relief gel and lunesta behind. Don't know what I was thinking. Meanwhile dane is sound asleep. It's really going to be a long miserable night. I can only hope that means I will be tired enough to sleep through the worst tomorrow.

surgery eve

We are in green bay for the night so can be at the hospital by 5:30 tomorrow morning. Forgot to bring my lunesta so am not expecting much sleep. Hope I didn't forget anything else!

last day of school!

Today was my last day at work, my long term sub spent the day getting the hang of the regular routine so hopefully that is all set and jeanette is feeling ok. Had a great send off by friends and the staff at north so have money to spend at b&n after I get home. Pat and Carrie gave me flowers and a gift basket so I am feeling awfully special with some great friends and coworkers! Physically and mentally I think I am ready as possible. I have a mamogram tomorrow thing the dogs go in for shots then last.minute packing and heading down to gb by 3 or so.

What a day!

Just when I think I have things under control something happens to show me that I don't!. I was home trying to fix Tue computer and getting frustrated with that when I got a call from brunos neighbor to led me know that the furnace minded light was on indicating the furnace was off and sure enough it was so 3 hours later the dte service man has it running again and all is good except my leg is throbbing from the extra hours of being up and about back and forth to Tue house Nd up and down to the basement so now I am struggling to fall asleep. ok the positive side is thank god tje.light worked and I got a call to check.it before pipes froze Like last time6

Pre-surgery weekend

Got the platform finished and washer and dryer in place with help from Dave and Sher while Dane was at work. Unbelievable how much it helps and that we didn't do it sooner! I spent the weekend trying to get ahead on laundry and cleaning but somehow as soon as I get ahead it piles up again but hopefully the head start will help in the first week or so after surgery when I won't feel up to doing much. I am feeling a little less apprehensive about the surgery and feeling more comfortable it is the right thing to do that may change again as it gets closer but with 4 days to go I am ok. Wish I could remember how many bad days it really was but guess I should try to be more positive and hope for the best. I have been reading the posts on the Totally Hip Support Group on Facebook and overwhelmingly people are more positive about the procedure than I am, maybe surgery on the left side will be easier than the right and will improve my opinion.

Getting closer...

Accomplished a lot at school today getting things organized and ready for my sub to take over, wish I was organized all the time! Pain has been steady and I have started taking 1 1/2 vicodin instead of 1 in hopes of being able to do a little more before having to sit again but so far even though it helps the pain level it doesn't do much to improve my mobility or how long I can stay on my feet. I have the house to myself tonight so am hoping to get ahead for the weekend there are so many things I would like to have finished before now so am hoping to get motivated to finish. Picked up 2x12's to build a platform to raise the washer and dryer a little to make loading and unloading easier, unfortunately they are too big for me to handle cutting on the table saw myself so I will have to wait for Dane tomorrow but am hoping if I get everything set tonight it will be easy for the two of us to finish tomorrow.

The power of anti-inflammatory meds

To reduce the chance of surgery complications the doctor instructed me to quit taking any anti-inflammatory medication a week before surgery and without realizing how much it was helping I quit taking it even earlier. It has been almost a week now and the amount of pain and limited mobility I now have as compared to a week ago demonstrates how effective the medication was even though it didn't necessarily feel that way at the time. Where my pain had been maybe 4-6 depending on how much walking I did it is now more often 6-8 and I am having a hard time lifting my leg to even put socks or shoes on. I don't remember going through this degree of increased discomfort last time around but maybe I waited a little longer to quit taking the mobic last time. Had my pre-surgery test done today so am one step closer to being ready.

F on the pain scale

Unfortunately since stopping the anti-inflammatory medication as per presurgery recommendations my hip and leg pain has increased greatly. It may be helping improve my attitude and readiness towards thr but it has led me to reach 'f' on my personal pain scale, which is the point when I start swearing. Under normal circumstances I rarely swear and when I do it is pretty mild. However the increased pain is bringing back the swearing I went through after my first surgery. Even though its just to myself, the fact that this time around I have hit stage f at 8 days preop could be a bad sign!

Frustration

I have been waiting to hear from hospital scheduling about prop testing and still haven't heard and am running out of free days left before surgery. Had a bad night sleeping last night tossing and turning not finding a comfortable position and hoping for a snow day. Neither worked out so headed to escanaba for all day training then back to school to do lesson plans for tomorrow, not sure when I am going to get my classroom organized for the sub, I am running out of days for that day too, only one.week left to go.

Going downhill

Several coworkers have mentioned to me how much worse I have gotten in the last few weeks especially. I quit taking the mobic on Friday so I have really be struggling with added pain and mobility in my left side. Getting in an out of the car, chair, bed, etc. is all painful. Bending my knee and lifting my leg to get dressed is equally frustrating. Only 2 more actual days at work so lots to do for lesson planning.

10 days to go...

I am still trying to get pre-surgery tests and paper work taken care of and am down to just a few days left at work, lots to get ready for, wish I was better at organization. I quit taking the anti-inflammatory prescription and am really feeling the effects. I am surprised about how much the joint pain affects my muscle strength in limiting my ability to lift my leg to get in and out of the car or into the recliner or bed. Also surprised by how quickly it seems to have deteriorated, hopefully that means this is the time to do the surgery.

and so it begins...

Surgery is a little less than two weeks away and I am still anxious but resigned to the necessity, and know that waiting another few months or so isn't going to make a positive impact so might as well get it over with.

Made some progress cleaning and getting the house ready for me along with a little extra effort to get it ready for potential visitors too :). Finally finished moving Christmas decorations to the basement storage room.

My only frustration was how limited I was before I had to sit and take a break, although in some ways that made me feel a little better about needing the surgery now rather than putting it off.

2 Weeks Pre-op

Decided I need something to keep my mind off worrying so am trying to keep a journal of surgery preparations and results. Wish I had done this the first time around so I had something to look back at in preparing for surgery number two because right now all I remember was the post surgery pain and being sick from pain meds but don't remember how long it took to start feeling better.