Recovery Journal Written By a Hip Replacement Client, Oct. 2020

Recovery Journal Written By a Hip Replacement Client, Oct. 2020

In last week’s blog, we spotlighted one of our recent client’s, Teresa Hannah, who had a hip replacement done in the US.  She took extra care in her recovery process and even journaled some of her post surgery progress for those first few weeks.  Although every individual is different, we thought it would be  great to show her documented journey as a possible expectation of how you might recover.  Keep in mind, Teresa was in incredible shape and did a lot of athletic exercise in the way of hiking, yoga and biking.  Teresa’s surgery took place on October 30, 2020.

Nov 24 – Was first day I got on stationary bike at PT.   Did it for 10 minutes on 24 – what is 24? and more like 20 minutes on 26.  (This was just 3 1/2 weeks post surgery!)

Nov 25 (Wed am) – I am sleeping better.   I am mostly down to the 2 daily aspirin for blood thinning and one type of pain killer in the AM – either two Ibprophen or two Tylenol. (No narcotics!) Still very stiff and tricky to put weigh -? on when first get out of bed in AM.  Once I move around it gets better. Increasing the number of 15 minute walks, and focusing on form, on resuming a graceful gait.  I no longer feel like I am holding my breath to manage the pain when I walk. Range of motion almost in normal range in terms of PT – internal rotation to right is still not quite there. Scar healing well.  Steri strips off on Sunday. Can do modest clam shells again- yay! What are clam shells? Still using my stick in house, but can tell that discomfort when putting full weight on left leg is subsiding. Still moving slowly around house, especially when first get up after sitting.

Nov 26 – Did a 30 minute walk, and another 15 minute walk later in day.  Did bike for about 15-20 minutes.    Up and about in town doing errands for about an hour.    Then dinner, cleanup, and prep that evening took probably a good 30 minutes.  Today, as I go through my daily motions, I shall approach it ALL with a mindset of Thanksgiving (maybe worth mentioning that she is both CAD and US).  A mindset of how positive all the movement is.  How nicely the healing is progressing. I can spend a little time lying in bed on my left side with a pillow helping to prop my knees off the bed. I can do girl push ups without having my bum way up in the air.

Nov 27 – Was first day that I reduced the drug intake to one tablet of either 500 mg Tyl or 200 mg IB each day.   One 30 minute walk, and one 15 minute walk.

Nov 28 – Pain at 3.5-4 in AM.  Realized I needed to skip walking today.   Did bike for 2-15 minute stretches.   Shopped on feet for an hour.   Did PT exercises, puttered decorating the house.  That was it.

Nov 29 – 3-25 minute walks spread through-out the day.   Felt pretty decent.  Pain about 1.5 in AM.  Higher than that by end of day. Somewhere around here my body really wanted me to start doing modified sun salutations which I did.

Nov 30 – Chris (PT guy) approved of my modified sun salutations and was fine with me doing a full plank on way down, but my body let me know I needed to lower myself all the way to floor and then push up from that postition and not staying in a plank. Ever since Nov 26 (one week ago), I have mostly reduced my drug intake to either 200 MG of IB or 500 MG of Tylenol.  Generally take it in the morning. Some mornings the discomfort (after being out of bed for 5-10 minutes) is a 1.5.   Other mornings it is a 4 (out of 10). This morning, after having 2 half-hour (or at least 25 minute) GOOD walks yesterday, where I was barely putting weight on the sticks and was moving at a mostly normal pace, and a 20 minute stationery bike ride (where I actually worked up a sweat, despite the low resistance of Gear 2 on right and one on left), and after having done more reps of the PT exercises, I notice my lower back is very tired and a bit painful.  Like those muscles are working overtime.  This morning, pain back up to 3.5-4 in am.  See how it goes each day. I find myself moving around the house on some days (not all yet by any stretch), with relative alacrity (not like my self from 2 years ago, but heading in the right direction).  I can stand with reasonable comfort for longer periods, like last night in kitchen – after 20 or so minutes of cleaning up, still felt comfortable. Observed to husband that I am on fewer painkillers now than in summer.  And we both observed that I am way better than last winter when I was so tangled up.

Dec 3 (Thursday AM) – Moving around the house with no hiking stick for the most part, other than when get up in middle of night, still use it sometimes to steady myself.  Painful and stiff when first try to get moving out of bed or if have been sitting for a long time.

We recently spoke to Teresa to do the April Newsletter and she is still doing amazing.  She was still happy with the results and so glad she had the surgery.

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