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Hi everyone
Apologies for a quiet few days but it has been an intense time. Overall way better experience than the first hip replacement.
Have been walking on frame for 4 days now and crutches for two days.
Respiratory has been the issue. Have ended up with a chest infection of the “nasty little” variety. Several days of raised temperatures but not high 38.4C. Had a chest X-ray.
Seem I have a combination bronchitis mild pneumonia, and some pulmonary emboli. Red sputum etc.
Coming out the other side. Enjoying WAY better mobility with the Zimmer Ceramic on ceramic revision system. Will post a photo of the X-ray when I can.
I know I am in the slow lane for hip replacements but I am in the fast lane for complex revisions.
Here is a photo of the stapled wound area.
Earl
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Earl Stevens
Earl,
NICE BUTT!!! Your incision looks to be about 12 inches long? Glad you’re progressing nicely…. abeit the infection and all… also good to hear the new one’s working far better than the last one! Please do keep us posted on your whereabouts now that you’re skittering around, you have some work ahead of you but nothing like what you’ve got behind ya! Keep on the mend and I’ll be pullin for ya all the way!!
Have some great laps around the hospital chasin your wife! :>)) (now that you can!)
take care my friend,
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen
Yes about 12 inches at least.
Antibiotics for chest starting to kick in but has a breathless patch last night.
More physio today I’m sure! All good stuff.
Having a lazy start to the morning which feels good. No doubt this won’t last!
Physio team here is great and good to work with.
Need to make some arrangements for when I go home.
Have a lovely day!
Earl
Hmmm I post a couple days ago but I see my post never made it. :(… I was just stopping by real quick to say I am thinking of you and hope your recovery is going well. It took about 3 weeks till I was able to use a computer. Therapist said a lot of patients say the same thing. Can’t concentrate. Guess it is from the anesthesia, also made me “car sick”. Well speak with you soon ice up and rest as much as you can! First week for me was a nightmare. Second week was rough but manageable and then each week from there just got better :) 11 weeks today for me and I will go brag tomorrow when I have time. Now I am suppose to be sleeping but forgot my meds and it is to late to take them. AHHHH lol
Hi Christina
11 weeks! Wow, how time flies. I am making good progress and am lifetime friends with the icemaker! Swelling has gone down 50% which makes some basic tasks easier.
Had a dreadful migraine tonight which led to a early blackout of the hospital room.
Provisionally booked to go home on Monday. No rush as zero help awaits me there !
Hip quite painful today but pushing the physio each day.
Earl
Do not push yourself to hard so early! Rest! Ice! It will come slowly I promise! Yes I am saying this lol. I am still hurting hehe
Sorry about your headaches. Wish you could get some relief from them :(
Hope you have a good night and sleep all day tomorrow lol.
Thank you for the advice which I am sure you will follow next time.
The ice is a god-send. I have two bags – perfect.
Another migraine this morning so taking it easy !!
Have you recovered from the cyclone?
So are you feeling more in control?
Earl
I have my ups and downs. Today was a down. Have ton of stem pain and my grion hurts 24/7. I do walk “normal” now and I can tell my pelvis is twisting back to normal some. I still limp when I am tired. Can is 100% gone. Still have trouble going to stairs. Have to still use my good leg to go up. I definitely grew a fear of stairs. Might have to suck it up and just excercise on them. My operated leg has gotten a lot more skinner then my other leg. Therapist said it was expected. I have to do my weight lifting type exercises. As you know I waited to long so my body as way off. Going to take awhile and some patience. Both of our recoveries will not be typical. We will have to push a little harder then some but I have hopes of getting there. On Sunday I think I had my best day ever. Was helping with a bunch 9yr old cheerleaders and at times first the first times I forgot my hip. Really was a great feeling when I did something and was shocked I forgot. So yes and no do I feel more in control. Hate the cronic pain I am always in but my body is adjusting to my abuse. I found an old Mri from Dec. 03 that I will try and copy to show ya. Tomorrow I will try and blog. Caught myself a sinus infection so been a little off. Will call doctor tomorrow to see if I need antibotic.s Ok off to bed for me. I hope u have a good day. This was typed out on my phone so please ignore my errors. Have a really tiny keyboard lol
Hi Christina
Yes, we are both not normal and it is the chronic pain that ruins each day. Despite the pain, my hip feels so much better.
You could always get a second opinion on your hip, if the pain persists and worsens ?
Giving the body time to heal is important. Your operation was special and in my case I have two bone grafts, a femoral ostomy (split the femur) to clean out the old mess. Plus normal surgical cutting of the muscle! Maybe that is why I am still sore at day nine……
All the best,
Earl
Yes I will definitely go for a second opinion especially with my back.
I was still hurting and defeated at 9 days and I didn’t go through any where close to what you went through. It takes time by 2 or 3 weeks the pain will start subsiding and you will be more like sore. Maybe a little longer for you but it will get better. Just rest. I really cant believe it has been 9 days already!
Hi Christina
Thank you for the encouragement. Was feeling quite frustrated at the pain today. But physio helped me in and out of bed and I had a good walk and stair climb. Now back in bed with my friendly ice pack.
Will be going home in a day or two but not really looking forward to that as I won’t have the support I am lucky to have in hospital.
Stitches come out on Thursday – will be two weeks.
all the best
Earl
I was sooooo scared to leave the hospital and the hospital was terrible. I was petrified of the car ride also. It was over an hour. My hospital was in NYC and you can imagine the traffic. I would have ate that horrible hospital food for another week if they would let me. Getting in the car was the worst part, got a little car sick. Then I got home and wow I just felt better. Did have help but I also went home at like 5 or 6 days and by I think about day ten I could take care of myself. I did have help but I tried to do it all by myself. You will do fine. You have your kids to get you a drink and that is the most help you will really need. Are you getting and physical therapy after?
Hi Christina
I can imagine. Mum’s have a lot more demands on them than Dads!
I am about 30 min from home and the traffic on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia does not rank compared to NYC !!!
I will get a few more things organized tomorrow and then home will be fine. The kids will help. Hopefully my wife who had zero patience, will cope!
I will have to check out home physio. We live right by the sea and so going for walks should be really pleasent.
The surgeon has adjusted my long term pain medication to see if we can get better pain control.
Started oral antibiotics today too.
Lovely fine day outside. Family is off to the local school fair today.
Earl
I had a revision of the Depuy ASRXL 12 weeks ago. The stem was not replaced. I now have a heap of metal eg. A plate withe 4 screws, mesh and bone graft. Had 6 days in the ward 2 weeks in rehab.
I have bad groin pain, numbness of my thigh and am still unable to walk without a stick. I feel as though my progress is very very slow and some days not at all. I have now had two days without painkillers. No one seems to know why I cannot walk unaided. I am sure it is something to do with nerve damage in my numb thigh.
My scar is like yours about 12 inches long and gross.
Not even certain I needed the op but did get two opinions before embarking on the revision.
I still have physio once a week trying to get my gluteus to wake up. Any suggestions.
We live in Brisbane.
Katherine mcWhirter
Hi Katherine
sounds like a tough time – Don’t be too impatient. I had two months on crutches because of the 2 bone grafts. I had two weeks in hospital. Some embolisms and a chest infection. So you got out quickly. I wish I had done rehab & physio but that is hindsight.
And I had numbness – relatively common in revisions it seems. My peroneal nerve was damaged by the operation and it has taken 12 months to recover but it is OK now. Just a little numbness left in my right foot.
You definitely needed the op – you did the right thing and it will get better.
I work in Fortitude Valley – just down from the McWhirter building!
Earl
I hope I don’t have to have a revision. So far, so good. Surgery for total hip replacement, left, 9/2011. I did have bilateral deep venous thrombosis within a wek of my surgery do had to endure injectable anticoagulants and…COUMADIN. Started driving my 5 speed car at 17 days. Put the crutches and walker away at 21 days. I have a ceramic hip with a titanium acetabular component. I occasionally have some pain but it’s most likely soft tissue issues. I hope. Had an MRI today on the opposite hip and the the implanted side hurt a lot. Possibly from vibration/heating of the implant. Uncomfortable. MRIs don’t usually bother me. This one did. My reason for the THR was due to avascular necrosis caused by oral steroids, prednisone. I have it in the other hip thus the MRI to determine how far it’s progressed. A core decompression will save the hip joint without requiring a THR. I hope all is well with your recovery. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to go through what you have gone through. Luckily I had a good surgeon. I’m relatively young. Only 54 at time of surgery. My hip “should” last 30 years. I plan on living to be 100. Surgery at 84? Medicine I hope will be adequately advanced at that point. I’ll keep abreast of your recovery and I hope I don’t have to have a REVISION!
Hi. Sounds like you are on the right track and hopefully a revision won’t be needed. 15 – 20 years seems to be a good run for a hip. 30 years would be outstanding! Here’s hoping!
Earl