Back to work

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi my lovely hipsters

I'm back at work now - went back to work at week 12. Had the choice of going back phased return but decided to get on with it and work the normal 12 hour shifts. It's 14 weeks post lthr now and all good. I still cannot put my socks on properly and i still get very stiff if I sit for too long but no pain at all which is good. I'm a nurse in a busy ae dept so on my feet a lot. One thing my colleagues have noticed is that towards the end of the shift I do start limping - I'm wondering if this is just still due to muscle weakness as I don't realise I'm limping. Also in my right foot I have now developed plantar fasciitis which is damn painful - and again wondering if it's because I'm still favouring my good leg or because I have a slight leg discrepancy. It's only 0.5cm shorter so I have put a heel raiser in my left shoe (0.5) to see if that helps. I'm hoping all things settle down as my right hip has oa too and will need doing in around 2 years and don't want it getting worse sooner.

Hope all you hipsters are getting on well. I guess these small little problems are just still part of the recovery

Gilly xx

2

Hi Gill,

Thanks for this cheery update. A number of people have been wondering about how soon they can return to work, so this update will be doubly interesting. Well done on jumping back into the fray - esp in an ae department. I am using a heel lift as well - surgeon recommended I use it between surgeries to help correct for leg length difference and it does help.

I'm not surprised that you are tired and limping at the end of a shift - I get this as well when tired or lots of physical work although I imagined that a lot of it was due to my other hip (to be done in Sept).

I remain constantly amazed at the degree of readjusting/realigning my body is doing due to new hip, posture and healing of connective tissues. What a learning experience this journey has been - and I thought I understood my body fairly well -huh!!

Best wishes for continuing recovery and ... thank you for the work you do as a nurse. It is a tough and unrelenting job (even if it has some rewards).

Take care,

Linda

3

hi gilly,  

Wow, going back to 12 hours shift at 12 weeks post-op is a major achievement - 

Linda already said it all - 

funny how putting on socks took me forever to do without sock aid - just try to not force it ... 

take good care of your self Gillby - rest your body - she is still healing and recovering from major surgery --

you don't need to prove anything to anybody, okay?

big warm hug

renee

renee

4

Hi Gilly

You go girl, you certainly threw yourself in there.  I went back at 12 weeks too, but I work in a school office so I'll have a little more sedate pace than you, although there is plenty of running around with messages etc but I have to be concious of not sitting too long.  I went back on phased return which actually lasted a week then back to normal there was so much work to do.  But dare I say it's good to be back to nearly normal.  It is amazing how rubbish my posture, muscles, ligaments and anything else that could have been out of sinc was pre op, you don't notice until you start your recovery.  I still limp a little at times too.  

Try and make the most of it when you do get a break.......