Second Hip Replacement Developments

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi all so here I am reporting on the latest developments after the second hip operation, last Friday, all seems to be well, but the swelling has happened as they said it might, as I was a few days without any real swelling at all.

Well my left leg is swelled down to my ankle, and painful but the Tammie's mask the pain.

 I am walking without the crutches as they are hard work and make me sweat, a stick is ok, I am walking like a distinguished gent upright and with good heel and toe movement, keeping my back straight, as my stick is the right length for that. Walking with a carrot up my ass.. as my wife says...But I would never admit that to the Physiotherapist, from the hospital.

 I tell them what they want to hear, and I am able to deliver on their silly tests as I was so strong before this befell me, but if you do all they want for as long as they want it you will never get off one crutch. They have been great but just too careful for me having trained my legs, since I was 17 in Karate, for most of my life.

I am getting in and out of bed much easier than last week, and the leg lifts are difficult and painful, pulling on the glue, but I do them every two hours that I am awake in a corner patch of our kitchen surface, any time I am there fixing stuff washing up, making tea, cooking stuff, ect...same as last time only more so.

I am sitting down better in my chair than before, and taking less painkillers now, just when I fell the wound scar pulling, and the pain going down through my left leg.

 But is not so bad now so many hours later, and nothing is going wrong I assure you.

We have the Blackpool Air show on Sunday from 1.30 until 4.30, I will be , I hope, on the new Sainsbury's Car park, but I have no deckchair to take with me, to sit down on, so anyone wants to see it from here with me as I shoot it with my 400mm telephoto lens is welcome to join me. I am taking a flask of strong tea, and some Lipton's lemon Tea, sure it will be a great show and that is as close as I can expect to get this time, and it is the Vulcan's last public Flight.

So  a  moment to get a rare catch that could be worth a lot of money if I get a good one.

My batteries are on charge now and I am really excited that I can get to shoot it, last year we had a storm hit Blackpool but they flew through it, so I will be there...

Love and Kind regards to you all. 

Ian.

2

Ian, good morning,  just a quick question - how did you manage to get your surgeon to do the second leg so quickly? Both of mine are shot and I had to choose a side to be done first (it was like choosing a favoured child, who do I save first?). My consultant said he wouldn't do the next one for six months to give the hip a chance to heal and settle. I just wondered why you have had yours so quickly.

I was also amazed when I read of someone on here having both done together.

Did you push to have the other done so quick or is that the way your surgeon works?

Btw, thanks for the progress reports, it really is useful to read.

3

Dear Ian, 

Thank you for the honest update ... sounds good and even seems that you are doing more than after your 1st THR ... is that true? walking without crutches just one week post op? How is the "old" hip holding up? 

and going to the air show!!!! wow .... isn't that too much though? standing and all that? 

You are amazing ... just don't over do it ... we don't want to hear that you collapsed or something ... just kidding .. I know you are a very responsible man -

I am a wee bit jealous here that you already had yours done .. suddenly getting apprenhensive about it, but on the other hand, pain has taken over my life again .....

I am already looking forward to your shots !!!!!

How is Sandy doing? is she going with you ...

Oh, are you driving ?????? 

warm hug

renee

4

Hi Renee no not driving, there is a large carpark on top of Sainsburys supermarket at the bottom of our road, it is as close as I could realisticly get as I would not dream of going to the prom in my state, I am finding that I can walk ok with the stick, and the crutches make me sweat, and I dont need them really, the stick supports me very well.

I am thinking of buying a deckchair or sitting on the brickwork there, Sandy is not interested and I wont get close to the action, I will however get the planes as they regroup over our area, and I hope some closeups of the RedArrows Gnats as they flip about all over town, there are so many of them, they need a lot of space to regroup for their display, depends on the weather I wont go if it is a bad day.

I had to do a wee bit more than the first one, but I did nothing yesterday, I can get in+ out of bed so much less painfully since Sunday already, and am taking far fewer painkillers already, remember I was a very strong Karateka in my 30s, and have great legs for my size, still no more Karate for me those days are over.

I just do what I do and listen to my body, but most people here really wont believe the looney things I used to do, hand stand pressups, running in the surf with my Karate suit on, weight training with weights on my legs, I used to have 4 German sheps in SA and used to live right on the beach so Karate training took over my life really.

This is how I ended up this way...also standing all night working in the casino business besides all that training....Hmmm....But getting btter now....Ian+++++

5

Hi Kate, I had to have the second one done as I could not get about with my left side hurting and worsening as quickly as it was, I could not go to work, well get into work from where I had to park the car the walk was getting just too far, and that was effecting the healing of the first one, my bloods came back faster than most people would as I am a very fast healer, and I ate a very high protine diet, it was expensive, lots of Salmon fillets and thos £3 steaks at Tescos and my health came back very quickly, the surgeon was astonished at my recovery as were the physio people at the hospital, but remember I was in very good shape before I got all this, and I was determined to have them both done as soon as possible to get it all behind me.

Ian.++++

6

Dear Ian,

Thank you for your update! You are doing really well...I am sure you will spend a fantastic  Sunday. I am looking forward to seeing your pictures!

Best wishes

Ella 

7

Hiya Ian,

all sounds good progress....physios can be a tad over cautious but from some peoples' experience on this site maybe they need to be - as long as they bless your endevours to go at a  faster pace. hopefully at 6 week check up you can throw them the crutches and be totally free of them. As I posted elsewhere, I find Leki poles good for hill walking now...

suggestion - get a couple of friends to check you really are walking well, tall but relaxed. an outside view is very useful!!

wish I was closer to come with you to air show, but hope you enjoy it -maybe post a photo on this page...

now, off to do a shoulder stand and afew few exercises, then work in the afternoon

Warmly

mic.

8

Hi Ian,

So good to hear a positive outcome, as you know I'm 10 days into my 2nd opp. so good to hear that you ahve a day out planned, I look forward to hearing all about it, question I seem to feel totally wiped out after this one, did you feel like this? the nurse just came and took my dressing off,she was very happy with my wound, so that's that box ticked, I don't get PT as they say just the post opp exercises are enough, so now I'm just looking forward to getting my ok for driving at 6 weeks,

have a great day on sunday,

Lynne x

9

H Ian great to here how well you are doing. As you said pre op strength is a big bonus but unfortunately the NHS wait is so long here that the muscles are wasting pre op. That why I went private because I knew a year and a half of only being able to walk less than half mile would weakenmy leg / hip muscles. Have a great day on Sunday. The little outings are so much appreciated now.