Today marks 5 weeks and what a transformation. I've taken my time and not pushed it and yet quite naturally my body is returning to normal. It's only 8 a.m. and I've planned a full on normal day. Have been on exercise bike before shower, lost my sticks twice because I keep walking away and forgetting them. Carried basket of laundry down two flights of stairs, got out of shower without sticks (genuinely forgot) and I've dragged the bins out. Later I'm driving to supermarket to buy ingredients for a nice dinner - no more sending friends or husband to collect shopping !
Husband works away all week and I love it when he comes home and says 'wow, look at you, doing so well'.
So, those of you in those first couple of weeks just take it easy and be kind on yourself. Stick to the basics and follow the rules and you will have fewer complications.
Well done Laura. I'm not quite two weeks yet and doing my best to stick to the rules.I love to here success stories.
Dear Laura,
Wow! This sounds abit like my recovery too.
I've also appreciated tho people on this chat room saying hurry slowly, flow your body so you move smoothly and unrushed.
I also like my Tai Chi lessons for harmony too. my Tai chi Teacher says I can go lower with some postures now than before op, again with fluidity
Have a nice day
mic
x
_________
Good on you Laura
I am 4 weeks and I have since a massive difference over the last 10 days or so.
I sometimes feel I haven't had anything done so normality is returning
See surgeon next week so will see what he says about driving - hate being dependant on people
Have a good weekend
Best wishes Linda x
Thanks so much for sharing Laura! At 11 days PO and up the last few hours during the middle of the night AGAIN (early here in the U.S.) it's so inspiring to hear stories like yours. Making dinner..ah what a treat! Can I ask if you took any narcotics and if so, when you stopped using them? Cheers to forgetting your sticks!
Thanks Mic
love the concept of flow in so many areas of life. I'm definitely in the flow. Thanks also for mentioning Tai Chi. Haven't done any for about 20 years so will investigate where I could go around here but perhaps will restart in the autumn.
Healing hugs to all
I'm allergic to ibuprofen so cocodamol and Paracetomol are my friends. I learned after a shoulder replacement that coming off painkillers too soon just slows down recovery as you are less inclined to do the exercises. So for first few weeks I took 1x 8mg cocodamol with one Paracetomol 3x/ day and then at night I took a 30 mg cocodamol (more for sleep than pain). I gradually reduced to 1 x 8 mg with one Paracetomol once a day (an hour before going for walk and doing exercises) and nothing at night. I can't say I've had much pain but I've kept the niggles at bay.
I know what you mean Pansy, I sometimes say to friends 'right now, as I stand in front of you, both hips feel identical - honestly'. People struggle to understand that. How can a hip with great chunks of new material feel like the other one, but it does.
Just realised you said U.S. - for Paracetomol read Acetaminiphen and cocodamol is codeine with Acetaminiphen. Hope that makes sense.
Well done Laura - that's amazing!! I hope I'm doing as well as you at 5 weeks, stairs and everything? Wow. We don't have stairs but I know they would be a challenge but then I'm only 2 weeks into my recovery.
I'm trying to stick to the rules but I'm having problems doing my physio exercises. I can do them OK but I'm really sore afterwards, I need to get them to show me some stretches as I have some muscle tightness but I don't know what stretches I can do. I'm seeing the physio on Monday so I'll be asking then.
Again, well done you and hopefully you'll continue to improve quickly.
Gaylene
The body and brain are marvellous things - they adapt with us don't they.
Being positive is so important as well - it helps you recover so much more quickly
xx
Gaylene, one of my friends was recommended to lay down flat for an hour each afternoon. I started doing this in hospital when I realised I was spending all my time bent. I tend to put my operated leg behind me and do stretches while the kettle is boiling. 😀
you go girl !!! great to have so much support and love around you ...
oh sweet independence !
thank you for sharing !!!
warm hug
renee
Fantastic Laura,
Thankyou for sharing your progress, I am day 10 anterior RTHR currently using a stick. Planning on returning to work after 5 weeks so reckon I can do it. I also love cycling and can't wait to get on my bike so great to hear it's possible sooner rather than later.
Congratulations 🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴
Congratulations! It's great to see how just a few more weeks make a huge difference in what we can do after this surgery.
I'm doing what I'm supposed to, trying not to push to much, resting when I can, but have to admit I am impatiently awaiting the days I feel like my old self again!
While out to get a bite to eat hubby mentioned how well I was walking with walker compared to before surgery. I am! It hurts a bit (sore muscles) and I'm slow but I'm doing it. It's hard to remember at times that just 11 days ago I could not put any weight on my operated leg and labored to get about.
Congratulations again and thank you for sharing.
Thank you Georgie,
Are you having a phased return? If I had a normal job I could definitely consider returning this week but not sure about doing a full day. I must admit all this activity this morning has really tired me out. Time for a coffee and trip to supermarket before watching the tennis. Oh, girl on the check out at the supermarket said she returned after 4 weeks but not full days.
Take it steady,
Laura
Kudo's to you Laura! Major Props!
It is great when those of us who had a somewhat normal recovery post.
It encourages others.
You have your life back, so do I.
A year later I painted a 2 bedrrom apartment, all the tall ceiling had beams which meant I had to go up on the ladder & apply painters tape to the beams, the wall & celing are different colors so more painters tape, up the ladder & on the ceiling. Then I painted my kitchen with 15 ft tall ceilings again those dreaded beams, then I spent 4 days on the ladder jsut washing the living room ceiling (we burn firewood in winter & it was full of soot), then up the ladder to tape the ceiling, 2 coats of primer & 2 coats of finsih paint. After that I painted the cement stairs to the basement, sanded & refinsihed a large teak patio table, and now I am sanding and repainting an entire rattan patio set. This is all a year after surgery.
Ok the first two weeks sucked, but little by little we heal (most of us) and like Laura we get our lives back. Yeah between weeks 4 & 5 I also had a huge leap in recovery. To all of you not there yet, hang in, you'll get there.
Laura, I believe cocodamol is codeine with Tylenol, right? Paracetomol I know for sure is Tylenol.
I to was on Tylenol+codeine at night 2 tabs of codeine @25 mg + 400 mg of Tylenol. After about 2 - 3 weeks I reduced that down to jsut one tab of codeine @25 mg + 400 mg of Tylenol. At the very end around week 3-4 I cut the tablets in half.
Here is how I knew to cut down, when I started feeling dopy, high. As long as I had pain & took the codeine+tylenol I never got high off of them, but when my body had recovered enough & I took one, one day I started feeling weaker, and kind of dopey, that is when I knew to cut back. If you are getting a high & feel lethargic, time to cut back.
I want to offer encouragment to those of you who are not exercizing for whatever the reason. I dind't exercize at all until around 4 weeks as I has tendonitis in my psoas muscle/tendon. I used a walker in the house & I really needed it & never went outside for a good 3 1/2 weeks. Even thugh I dind't exercize at all along came 4 weeks when my tendonitis healed up, I got up out of bed and over the course of perhaps 5 days went from the walker, to 2 crutches, to one crutch to no crutch. I know people stress the exercizes but I dind't do any at all, my physical therapist came 3 times a week and simply used massage oil on my leg & gave me a leg massage. He said let yourself heal up a little bit first. So if you are not doing exercizes don't beat yourself up over it, when you are more healed you will be able to at that time.
Hi Laura,
No phased return, going back full time. I can take an extra week if needed. I was pretty fit before so am going to focus on getting active whilst still being sensible in the next few weeks. I am on my feet at work but can sit down and compared to preoperatvely I already have less pain.
I think by next week I'll loose the stick, I'm leaving it behind a bit at home so have set a goal for next week of trying walks without it. The physio has given me squats as part of my exercises so am going to try these hands free and gradually build up.
Coffee always a good idea!!
😀