Eight months ago I started full weight bearing on a revision of a twenty year old hip both done with the posterior approach and now it is my only support as I had a revision of total ankle joint on the other side.
It was a surgery taking about six hours to take out the original prosthesis and put in the replacement involving a long incision down the front of the foot and two incisions on the inside . Although I seem to be getting around the ward quite well I am finding that I get tired quite quickly and my balance is a bit suspect at times. Posted just in case it may be of interest.
Haven't been seeing much of you recently and was wondering whether you'd had the ankle done- seems so. Having a world of experience with joint replacements- you are probably one of the most "Bionic" among the contributors here you already know that these major surgeries can sometime take a good bit of wind out of our sails. The energy can just feel sapped and whats left is needed for healing which can include a lot of rest. That's from both a physical and mental need. Your experience and your apparent healthy state of mind and body not withstanding, your body is probably just reminding you to go easy with it. You've already put it through a lot and it's sounds like it's asking for a little holiday. I believe you're about 10 or so years older than myself and will tell you flat out I hope to be doing as well as you a decade from now, AND, finding time for regular recuperating, relaxing, soothing, lazy naps whenever I feel like one. So why not consider a few weeks of cutting back a little on doing too much? Just a couple of weeks at a different pace to ease into the new ankle, get your bearings, balance and strength back, after that you could begin to ramp back up to your more accustomed level of activity. Glad to see the ankle revision went well and you got through such a long and difficult operation- six hours is a lot of surgery, so be well and take it a bit easier. Good to hear from you.
Hello Steven and thanks. I'm feeling good considering everything and now just want to be back home to enjoy a form of normality. I had weeks of back sleeping last year for the hip and now am facing weeks of the same, with the additional restriction that my ankle has to be kept at a level that is above my heart.
🐈 🐏 Sending well wishes your way for a good outcome for the months of recovery ahead. You have endured a lot and will make it thru this one too! 🌊Ride the waves of recovery one day at a time.
You have always been a positive supportive presence for many here.... and "You know the drill ". Hope you have support at home .
Will be looking forward to hearing about your progress. 🌻Light, peace and healing blessings sent your way. 🌅
Thanks for your generous words. I've been about but only post if I think that I may have something useful to say. Whether others agree is debatable!
I had to present myself at 7.00 am on Monday and the surgery started at about midday. I woke up feeling pretty good but any activity in the first couple of days left me very tired. By Thursday my energy levels had greatly increased and now they are pretty reasonable everything considered.
The pain has been well controlled and I'm on a reasonably low level of pain killers now.
I will bear in mind your excellent advise (I'm 76 BTW) and not expect too much of my body but would you believe it but they wanted to discharge me the day or next day after surgery. I objected very strongly and emailed my surgeon and he said certainly not! However I am expecting to be gone from here by the end of Tuesday and when I get home basically I will have to cope on my own.
Hi Richard, I’ve been thinking about you. Try to stay in hospital as long as you can, and when you are finally out, I hope your recovery continues well at home, All the best, Judith
I'm not one who tends to give advise to someone senior to me but they sound like a pretty insensitive lot you're dealing with at that facility. Kicking you out before a week's up is just plain stingy. Maybe you should start inventing symptoms for them to check out. Another week of nursing, healing, decent food [hopefully, but it is the UK after all, can't ask too much I suppose]. I always thought the British motto was Never, never, never give up! Why capitulate to their wishes so meekly? Put on a mild display of dementia, tell them you just don't have the strength to get out of bed on the day of your discharge, ask if the large white rabbit in the doctor' coat agrees with their assessment of your fitness, get creative- maybe they'll humor you for another week. If not, well at least you tried. Anyway, if you get the need to express yourself, many here will be happy to hear from you.
Thanks, yes I will stay positive whilst travelling to the finishing post..
Dear Jim
Thanks for all your creative suggestions. Although it is quite comfortable here I feel quite capable and would like to be home.
Dear Judith
Thanks for thinking about me. I expect to be carted down for an X ray sometime today, hopefully the lab report will be satisfactory and transport will be organised to take me home to the Isle of Wight then I can recover in a more restful environment.
Thank you all very much for all of your kind words of support.
I too was wondering how you were getting oin with your ankle. I don't post much now either, but continue to make slow progress. I think it is good that you stayed in hospital during this cold snap. Everywhere was very slippery.
Just be careful not to fall off the stretcher in the ambulance this time!!
Good to read your posting. No I will hope not to be conveyed home by the same ambulance driver!
It appears that I may very well be kept in for another week to get the results of long term cultures as the risk of bone infections should they take hold is potentially very serious.
My surgeon has quite a lot riding on this particular surgery and does not want any risks to be taken. I made it clear that I'm fully prepared to sit it out here for as long as it is considered necessary.
The upside are all the young and very attractive nursing staff who care for us blokes here. Now could that be effecting my blood pressure readings perhaps?
Reminds me of the 3 months I spent in the Middlesex in the 70's. It was a teaching hospital and friends kept bringing me bottles that I hid in my cupboard and shared with the nurses in the evenings
What a wonderful story and thanks for sharing it with us all, but Golly Michael three months was a very long stay.
When I had my hip done twenty years ago one of my friends brought in a bottle of whiskey for me but I dared not open it! I did enjoy it over the weeks when I got home. Perhaps that contributed to my rapid recovery!
Many years ago when my dad was poorly in hospital, I used to in little bottles of beer. Used to cheer him up immensely! Hope you’re ok Richard. At least if you end up staying another week it sounds as though the food is good!
Richard, YIKES that they wanted you to leave on the day or day after surgery! What were they thinking? I am very glad you objected so strongly and have gotten to stay longer. Wishing you all the best as you recover, and it sounds like you are off to a good start. Wish you had some support at home, though. Take good care.
Thanks for your words of encouragement. Yes it is a bit bizarre that only a few days ago they could not attempt to push me out as fast as possible and now I could be in for an additional week! In fairness it may be simply because I was put into what they term as being a short stay ward where most people stay for a very short time.
Yes it was a long stay (plus 3 months on crutches) I imagine today they would have replaced the hip. But the result was that I had a fully functioning natural hip that lasted over 30 years.
I learnt a bit about orthopaedics watching everyone coming in for (mostly knee) ops. The nurses were nice. They used me as guinea pig when they were tested on changing dressings etc and being in London meant I had lots of visitors.
When you are young and fit you can spend months in bed without your body falling to pieces. Not quite the same at 69.
Well, when you are young these things are much easier. I was living in Portugal when I broke the hip so flew back. In those days you could book 2 seats and they gave you a stretcher.
But after leaving hospital I borrowed a flat on the 5th floor in Knightsbridge (despite the smart address it was a very ordinary flat) without a lift!!
I went pretty well everywhere on crutches: off to Portugal to check on the farm, to Dublin to vist friends and I got a temporary office job in Clerkenwell and sometimes used to walk back to Knightsbridge. Not surprising that I went thgrough several crutch tips!! But I did find the crutches useful at times: I was wisked to the front of the queue at the Royal Acadamy and other places. Not sure they are a good to those on crutches today.
Good that you're getting around OK with the peg leg. I can well imagine that it's a lot harder when you have a recently operated ankle on the leg.