Update to the Update for Hip Replacement #2

While I'm not quite clicking my heels as the illustration shows, I'm simply amazed at the progress I've achieved over the past couple three days in regard to my new hip.  I sort of figured my right side would bounce back more quickly than the left hip, mainly because I had a lot more strength in my right leg than my left when I had the hips done.  But I didn't think I'd bounce back quite so quickly. 

I have to tell you - the excruciating pain I was in on Thursday and Friday of last week was five times as bad as what I experienced when I had my left hip replaced in March.  I couldn't get in and out of bed without help, the hip flexor and side muscles were so painful that even heavy dosages of pain pills couldn't mask the tremendous pain. 

Saturday afternoon, I was able to gingerly get in and out of bed on my own - but it was a painful chore.  By the time Sunday rolled around, Cindy decided that I was good enough to leave me alone for the day while she went to celebrate Easter with her family in Cedar Rapids.  I got out of bed and decided to make a couple eggs in the kitchen after she left.  I was maneuvering around the kitchen pretty well without my walker and I got to thinking, "Hey, maybe I don't need the walker any longer."

I took it to the back room, folded it up and grabbed my cane.  I started using my cane exclusively on Sunday morning.  That was just remarkable given how much pain and how little mobility I had just 48 hours before. 

Monday was my first session of physical therapy after the second hip replacement.  Both Nicole and Aaron agreed that we needed to take it easy on my left leg muscles as I was continually pulling the quad and hip flexor, quite probably because I was having to use the left leg as my "good" leg all of the sudden. 

Nicole thought that I had enough flexibility and strength in my leg to allow me to drive.  On Tuesday night, Cindy and I got in the car and I drove around for a bit.  I drove myself to physical therapy on Wednesday morning. 

Late yesterday afternoon, I took a walk down the block and back - about a quarter mile total.  While I carried my cane, I didn't use it at all.  As I was walking, I got to thinking, "Geez, right now, one week ago today, I was on the operating table getting a new hip.  Five days ago, I was in such tremendous pain that I would have never thought I'd be able to be doing this today." 

While I'm still black and blue and somewhat stiff in my groin area and around my butt, and the fact that I've gained about 10 pounds from water weight gain and the accompanying swelling associated with the surgery, I have to say that I'm doing exceptionally well.  Much better than I hoped (and thought) I would for the second surgery.  The weight is going to slowly peel away, just as it did after the first surgery.  I don't know if I'll hit my goal of losing 50 pounds by June 1, but I hope to be in the ballpark. 

I'm still not out of the woods yet, given that I still can't fully bend over and pick things up off the floor.  And I've developed a somewhat severe case of "turf toe" on my left foot, undoubtedly from pushing off the left foot to get up and walk around.  But I'm off the Hydrocodone - a generic version of Vicodin - and am down to just taking a couple Tramadol three times a day.  I hope to be down to one Tramadol a couple times a day by this weekend.  But if this "turf toe" keeps up, I may have to stay on the pain pills longer.  Right now, it's more annoying and painful than my leg muscles are. 

Once again, thanks to everyone who e-mailed, called or left comments on Road Tips.  I hope to be fully well and back on the road again by late May. 

Comments

[Robert Coleman]

You may want to check with your doctor to make sure you don't have gout. Gout can happen with people after surgery. And if you've gained some weight like you said that may be another symptom of gout. I've had it. It's not fun.

[click for more information]

Blood clots. Just the words can make many people nervous. We have all been so well educated about the dangers of blood clots in the leg veins that our minds often times go straight to this conclusion with any little ache or pain that we experience from the waist down.