My Post Op Recovery

Note: This is from my Bonesmart recovery thread/diary, and hoping it gives you an idea of how my post op & healing process transpired.
 

Day 1:
Hey everyone! I wanted to give a quick post op report from South Florida! My surgery was initially scheduled for 8:30am, but things were a bit behind schedule and I ended up going in at around 12:30p, in recovery by around 2p and in my own room by 3:30pm...talk about a whirlwind!
I opted for the spinal with happy juice and was so glad that I did - didn't feel a thing and felt pretty good afterwards in recovery.

The team at Bethesda West is amazing - as is Dr Grandic! I got to rock to The Rolling Stones in the OR (at least until they knocked me out!). My hip was really bad with AVN, so Dr G had to go a bit deep for my hip cup. My groin pain was pretty heavy gauge once all the anesthesia wore off but I was prepared thanks to all of the advice here and feel like we've got the pain management down now! I stood up for the first time at around 8pm and went "potty" and it was sooooo nice not to have the bone on bone pain - just the surgery pain (yay!!!).

I'm on IV Dilaudid every 3hrs for pain with Oxy in between & that seems to be doing the trick as far as managing pain. My pain levels were at about 10 before we got things under control (no fun!), and pain was mostly in my groin area - I suspect this is what Dr G was talking about when he said it'd be a tougher recovery than normal due to the damaged tissue that needed to be removed from my hip socket. Anyway, things are much better this morning (I'm icing and elevating!!) and I'm anxiously awaiting PT & my official "first walk"!

Day 1 Update:
Well, PT didn't go very well. I was able to walk with a walker from my bed to the door of my room but got pretty dizzy (and blood pressure went down pretty low).

Ah well....so much for my "big walk", lol. But it's all good - I know it's just too much, too soon.

On the upside, it felt good to actually stand on my operated hip - my groin is sore and stiff, but like many before me have said, the bone on bone pain is GONE, so I can deal with this!! I think once I get some time under my belt, some rest, and my blood pressure and pain meds in check, I should be ready to truly walk. But for now, just chillin' in my bed, icing and elevating, napping and relaxing.

Day 1 Evening/Day 2 Morning
My late afternoon PT went much better! I was able to take a little trot around the nurses station and only got dizzy once, so just sat for a spell and then went back to my room. Going to/from the bathroom is easy, it's the longer jaunts that seem to take a bit out of me, so I'll keep going slow and easy on those. BTW, my new hip feels really good!!! For the PT exercises, I was unable to do any true heel slides on my operated leg, and told my PT we'd try again another time. I'm not pushing myself with anything that causes pain on that side - and so far all I can do comfortably is knee lifts (working quads) and walking short distances.

My pain got a little crazy again at around 3am this morning, but we got it under control with some IV Dilaudid. Woke up at around 8am and it feels like I got hit by the proverbial 18-wheeler! Mostly muscle pain in the operated leg (butt and thigh especially), but to be expected as this is the day that the anesthesia and such is wearing off. I'm now on Celebrex, Oxy every 3hrs, with Tylenol in between, and soon Dilaudid pills as needed. We'll see how that goes or if I need to ratchet things up on the pain med side. Also taking Xarelto (will be on this for 10 days).

Day 2
Walked the entire floor this evening with my trusty walker and only had to stop once due to dizziness. I'm going slow and easy - my muscles still feel sort of achy and my operated side is pretty swollen (despite the icing/elevating) but it's SO nice to walk without the bone pain! Also have been getting up and down throughout the day for the bathroom, and spent about 3hrs sitting in the recliner.

The nurses changed my dressing tonight so I got to see my incision and aside from the ink-spattered looking bruise on my right butt cheek, things look good! I'm amazed that the incision is only about 3 inches long and that the little puncture wound is so tiny (and that Dr G and the other Superpath docs are able to do the procedure with such a small incision)! I'm still unable to shower but am told that I'll be allowed to once I go home, which we're thinking will be either tomorrow or Sunday.

Tonight I'm just hanging out - will spend my time icing and elevating in my hospital bed, and I have a bunch of movies downloaded to keep me entertained!   

I'm very happy with the hospital. It's new and beautiful and everyone who works here seems so caring and knowledgeable. My only complaint and I'm not certain this is a "hospital" thing, is that a lot of the pain management is really left to the patient. I suppose that's fine but if one oversleeps, wow...the "as-needed" drugs aren't given unless they are asked for 

Day 3
Slept through the night with Dilaudid and Tylenol, and after breakfast took a nice little walk with PT. All good this morning, except for some achy feeling in the groin and thigh muscle, mostly felt after walking or PT. After that, I got the "all clear" from Dr G, so I'm going home to my sisters to recuperate I'll have a home health aide come and change my wound dressing and in home PT to help get me walking even better. I also was able to shower today and WOW a hot shower never felt sooooo good!

I'm eager to get to my sisters and see how things go in a true home environment! Although I'm still sore and achy, I have to say that all in all, I'm very happy with how things have been going post op.   

Day 3 Evening
Well I'm home at my sister's house and it feels soooo good to be out of the hospital! I got here around 5pm last night, and my wonderful sister had everything all set up and ready for me! The hospital had made arrangements to deliver my shiny new walker to her home, so she had that waiting, along with some other items from the BS checklist: raised toilet seat, pillows, extra ice packs, etc. My boyfriend found a lift/recliner chair for me at Goodwill (it was like new!) and delivered it to her house before the surgery, and I'll tell you that it is one of the best things I've sat in post op! It raises up to your butt (so that you don't have to bend down when sitting) and then gently goes down, raises the legs and reclines! Ahhh it's hippie nirvana!

As many of Dr Grandic's patients have mentioned here on the board, Bethesda West doesn't have an in-hospital pharmacy, but they do offer pharmacy delivery service from Walgreen's. Dr G and the nurses made the arrangements before I was discharged and it worked out quite well for me. All you need is a method of payment and your insurance information. The local Walgreen's didn't have the Dilaudid in stock, but they made a run to another store that had it, and still managed to deliver my entire pharmacy order within an hour. Very convenient!

I spent the rest of the evening in my hippie chair with ice packs, and every hour or so paddled around the house using the walker - little trips to the kitchen, the bathroom, the patio. I'm doing everything slow and easy - and it feels amazing! I used my phone alarm to remind me to take my meds overnight, and also keep a little notebook by my side table so that I can jot myself reminders, etc.

Today is my first full day day of being "home" so I've got lots to keep me entertained while I recuperate: movies, tv episodes, kindle books and of course the internet! I might get dangerous on eBay or one of the other online shopping sites in this mode (ha!) but for now, all is good! 

Day 4  
 I spent probably 85% of my day in the recliner on Day #4, icing and elevating. I've got the pain meds down to a science, and was up & walking with the walker to go to the bathroom, the dining area for a bite to eat, or to sit outside on my sisters patio in 10-15 min increments here and there. I'm walking so much better each day - and Day 4 was no exception: I can now easily walk with a normal gait (one leg past the other) with the walker, and am getting pretty good at sitting and standing up! I try to practice my PT exercises in bed, but for the most part, have only been doing the leg circles (more for circulation than PT) as I feel like the walking has been enough exercise for me. My quads are already pretty strong from pre-surgery condition, so I have to admit the PT exercises have not been a huge priority for me personally. Maybe I'll change my tune when the in-house PT gets here, but for now, it seems to be working for me! 

My swelling seems to get worse at night, but I've been able to manage it with ice and elevation. The swelling is mostly around my rear and hips (not exactly the places that most women want to swell!) but I also have some swelling down my thigh and around the knee of my operated leg. I am using large ice packs purchased at Walgreens and they seem to be doing the trick. My only complaint is that they only stay cold for about 2hrs, so I'm constantly swapping them (luckily I purchased four packs - and I use two to ice each time). I also purchased an Aircast Cryo machine & hip cuff, but haven't used it...yet! I want to wait to make sure my incision is OK before I start anything that might 'compress'.  

My incision is still under wraps but as I mentioned in earlier reports, it's only about 3 inches long and sits on the side of my right butt cheek, high enough to be covered by a bikini. The puncture or stab wound is a little lower but is so tiny that I suspect it will fade pretty easily once it heals. I'm still all black and blue on my butt, but it is starting to fade a little each day.  

I tried staying up with my sister and her family to watch television last night but was only able to hang out with them for about 90mins before excusing myself to go and chill out in my bedroom. I was seated in their family room recliner (not my cool lift recliner) with ice, but the chair was a little too smooshy, so I wasn't as comfortable as I wanted to be. I can also tell that the "surgery drain" hits in different ways, and even just sitting and interacting with family can sometimes be a little too much drain! Sounds funny, but it's been the case for me - so that's when I go to my bedroom and just chill out!!  

Last night was another good sleep night - I woke myself up with phone alarms to take my meds, and still managed a decent night's sleep. I've been getting myself to/from the potty without any issues (thanks to the riser toilet seat) and have found I only needed the Senekot to help me with any constipation (yay!). I'm also drinking a LOT of water and broth in between meals, which seems to keep things "moving"  

I believe my home health aide should be here today to change my dressing so I'm eager to hear how my incision is healing. Aside from that, my plans today are to chill out, ice and elevate and catch up on some good kindle books! 

Day 5
Wow...has it really been almost ONE WEEK since I had this surgery? Kind of freaky to think about!!

So Day #5, I had my first at home Nurse evaluation and my first at home PT Evaluation. My incision looks good, though my butt still has all sorts of bruising around the incision! But the nurse was happy with how it looked, and with my vitals, so all good there. They'll come back out tomorrow to change the dressing again and check on me.

My PT adjusted my walker and stated that she feels I'm doing very well. She gave me Dr G's PT protocol so I could look it over, as the actual PT will start later today. It's essentially the same exercises that I've been doing/seeing for the hip: ankle slides, knee lifts, knee presses, and some standing flex exercises...nothing too crazy.

Aside from that, my day was pretty much business as usual: got up to eat, walk around a bit, then back in either bed or recliner for icing, elevating and chilling out. My swelling is going down a little, but it's still around my hip and butt area - and I can certainly feel it when I'm walking. My new hip feels good - but when I stand in place it feels "higher" than my non operated leg. I know that is to be expected, so I'm not giving it too much thought, but just an observation that it was noticed today. The new hip also feels "big" inside, if that makes any sense? Again, I'm not concerned, but just an observation as I was walking that it definitely feels different than my non operated leg, like the inside joint is larger or something.

Pain levels have been managed with meds so no complaints there.

Today will bring Occupational therapy over for a visit. I'm not really sure that I need them at this point, but will listen to what they have to say/offer as far as helping me around the house.etc.

Day 6
All is going well post op and today as I write this, I'm actually one week post op...so hard to believe! I'm walking better and better each day, am still taking meds and still have quite a bit of swelling in the hip and thigh area of my operated leg. I haven't ventured outdoors yet, aside from walks around my sister's outdoor patio/pool area, but feel really good and am not really concerned about taking a jaunt outdoors, other than to be careful of crooked sidewalks and other "gotchas"! I've even been walking without any aides for a few steps here and there in the bathroom and around my bedroom, and though I feel a bit "weak" on the operated side when doing this, it's nothing too painful or scary An occupational therapist came out to visit me yesterday, and once she saw how well I was getting around, getting dressed, etc, she "discharged" me...yay!

I think my biggest post op complaint is with the home health company that I've been assigned through my insurance company. A nurse was supposed to be here this morning at 10:30am to change my dressing, but never showed up, and never called. I called the main office and after being bounced around and placed on hold for like 20mins, was told "she's probably running late - I'll call her now and ask her to call you". It's been 30mins since that conversation and, um, still no call. Errrgh.

The company also manages the at home PT, and they were supposed to come out yesterday at around 1:30pm. They never showed up and at around 3pm, I received a call from the PT who said she could be at my house at 5pm as her schedule was "slammed". I get very tired each day at 5p, so told her to forget it, and instead to come today (Weds). She said that she was unable to come on any day before 4 or 5pm, and suggested that I call the main office to find someone else who can do my PT earlier. Double Errrghhh! So today I called them and again, they said they'd find someone and have them call me. Guess what? No one has called. I cannot imagine what it must be like for those who have a hard time getting along (I'm thinking the elderly who live alone etc) with such poor care! Luckily I'm in good shape, and am going for a follow up with Dr G tomorrow, so it's not like it's critical for the nurse to be here, but the PT?? Just a very eye-opening experience for me, and I intend to let my insurance know that the company they are using really seems unorganized, unprofessional and pretty much useless!

Ok, enough whining on my part - the good news is that I feel great, and am finding that it gets easier and easier to get around each day and all without that rotten arthritic hip pain that I've had to deal with the past 3+ years.  

Day 8
Hey fellow hippies! Today I had my first post op appointment with Dr Grandic and all is going so well! He took Xrays and is very pleased with how my scar is healing and with my mobility progress I have copies of my Xrays and will try to attach to this post - you can see my before/after, and note that I tried to blur certain areas for privacy hence the reason the pics make me look asexual! You'll see with my new hip, Dr G ended up placing one screw in my hip cup for stability - as my pre-surgery hip socket was such a hot mess! The other thing you may notice is a little charm on my non-surgical side: that's from my undergarments (which was pretty funny to see on the XRay!). At first my boyfriend was like "Um Doc what's that?" and I wanted to pull a gag & say something like "Dr Grandic, did that charm fall off a necklace???" but I couldn't make eye contact w/Dr G in time....ah well....funny moment!!

Let's see if these links work:



Dr Grandic also removed my bandage and I'm now allowed to go leave it uncovered, take a bath and go swimming if I want. It felt good to be really outside today, and I was even able to get into a Chevy Trailblazer (sans running board) with ease!! After my appointment, we went out for lunch, took a quick trip to Walmart for a new TV gadget, and all without any issues or pain.... I'm still using my walker, but have a sneaking suspicion that I can start using a cane. I'm not rushing it though - and will wait until I have a little more PT under my belt. I finally have things resolved with at home PT, so they will be stopping by tomorrow (finally!).

So all in all - things are incredible - I feel like a new person and am so, So, SO pleased with how things are progressing 

Day 9  
Here's a learning moment: At 8 days post op, if one decides to spend an afternoon at the store & then out to lunch - generally walking a bit more than "normal" - be prepared to pay for it just a little bit the following day

In all seriousness, today's not too bad, but clearly my bionic parts are telling me "hey, you did a little too much yesterday"! My groin is a wee bit sore, nothing that can't be managed with my meds, handy-dandy ice bags and recliner, but um, yeah, I'm sore!

I also had my first official PT appointment today. I really like my therapist, he seems to share the belief that one shouldn't push to the point of hurting & you can tell he clearly enjoys what he's doing He had me peddle on a little floor bike thingy for about 4mins, do standing side lifts, and the ever-so-difficult (for me, anyway) lifting of the operative leg from a seated position. He feels like I'm doing well for 9 days post op though, and again, made sure that the exercises were not causing me pain. I'm looking forward to more PT next week!

Aside from that, I'm pretty much just taking it easy. Walking as I can around the house, icing & elevating & trying to keep myself amused with reading, movies, tv shows and music. I'll admit that my post op guilty pleasure has been watching episodes of Dance Moms - I know, I know, pretty low brow, but hey, it passes the time and amuses me! 

Day 12 
It's been a couple of days since my last report, and I'm happy to report all is good I spent the weekend pretty much just relaxing, walking around the house, icing and elevating and have been sleeping though the night without the need for pain meds (yay)! I was a little sore following my Friday PT session, mostly felt in my groin, but it only lasted that day, was gone by Saturday. On Mother's Day, I went on a 45 minute car ride (with someone else driving) to visit some other family members, so just brought along my ice packs for the trip, and all went very well. I stuck the packs in the freezer while I was visiting and had them nice and cold for the trip back home - and I think it really helped as I didn't notice any new soreness, pain or being overly tired from the little adventure!!

This morning's PT was good - again, we're taking it easy with just 4mins of bike pedaling, sitting and standing leg raises, leg lifts, etc. I'm getting a little better at lifting my operated leg from a chair seat position, though I still feel it in my groin, and can only lift my leg about an inch off the floor. I'm listening to my body though, and am not pushing this, as I've already noticed that it is so much easier to do than it was just last week. Baby steps

I plan to spend today walking just a little bit more than last week (including outside) and then relaxing, icing, elevating. I'm starting to get a bit stir crazy though, so I'm going to do my best to keep myself occupied so that I don't overdo it!  

Day 13
Today I graduated from the walker to the CANE....yipeeeee! I'm so happy - it makes me feel like I'm making progress, not to mention that I was getting a little tired of navigating the clumsy walker!! So yeah, I'm one happy camper today!

I had my PT appointment this morning and was able to go 6mins on the little pedal bike, and do all of my other exercises. The leg lifts on my operated side are still a challenge, but it does get better each session. My therapist also feels like I'm ready for outpatient PT, so I'm going to discuss with Dr G at my appointment next week. Dr G has a specific protocol for Superpath patients, so it'll be good to get started on the stretching and other exercises he recommends. Walking on the cane feels good - I'm able to really put all my weight on my operated leg without discomfort, so I'll continue to use it, and will keep the walker handy just in case I need it. The really really nice thing is to be able to walk without the arthritis pain! I can deal with the healing/post op pain, but to walk without the crunching, grinding, lurching and pinching from O/A...priceless!!!

My incision is healing nicely and I only have a wee bit of bruising left. I'll have to take pics so that I can add my selfies on the 'badge of honor' page. Today was also my last day on Xarelto, so hoping that helps to clear up any remaining bruise color.

I plan to spend the day chilling with ice/elevation and will try to make an appointment to get my hair done this week (nothing like a little pampering to feel 'normal', right?). Aside from that, life is good - I can't begin to express how great making progress feels - and how much I truly appreciate all of the support, insight and wisdom I've received from everyone here at Bonesmart! 

My Badge of Honor
It's just under 3" long. The bruise below is where the Superpath puncture wound is - it's tiny so hard to see with my crummy phone camera!

  

Day 16 report
All is going well! I'm basically down to taking pain meds only when needed, around 1-2x/day, and am feeling good. Much of my swelling has gone down (yay!) and my bruising has all but disappeared. I'm still icing and elevating as needed, mostly in the late afternoon and evening.

I graduated from walker to cane earlier this week, but am now basically walking unassisted around the house. This isn't intentional - I just keep forgetting to grab it before I get up to start walking! But I've also been "home bound" for most of the week, so perhaps that's why I feel this way. I'm going out to get my hair done later this afternoon so I'll bring my cane and leave the walker in the car just in case I need it. But so far I feel really good when walking, and have no pain when doing so (which is downright AMAZING!).

Day 19 Report
Wow, what a difference 2+ weeks post op makes! I'm pretty much off the cane around the house (as I mentioned in my last update, I keep forgetting to use it!), but am definitely using it for my outside jaunts. I had no problems getting my hair done on Friday, and was able to easily sit in the salon chairs at the sink and at the stylist's hair cutting station - easy peasy

On Saturday & Sunday I did a little retail therapy and was able to walk two or three blocks with my cane before getting pooped out! I took it easy, walked nice & slow, but steady. I found that the hardest thing about walking outdoors is the work it takes to balance on uneven surfaces like cobblestone or grass. I could feel my body "adjusting" to balance, which is something that I definitely took for granted with my pre-arthritis real hip! It's all good though - no real pain to speak of, but I did get pretty tired afterwards.

I'm basically off the narcotics, aside from the occasional Oxy 5mg or Dilaudid 2mg pills, and only when I need them. I'm finding that Tylenol is enough for the most part.

I'm seeing Dr Grandic is tomorrow, so looking forward to getting his perspective on how I'm doing.  

Day 20
Today was my final post op visit with Dr Grandic, and he has given me the "all clear" to go back to Atlanta!

He took one more set of XRays and all looks good - everything is as it should be, so no restrictions whatsoever! The only thing to watch: my BP became slightly elevated in the past week, but he suspects its because of the Celebrex (which I had to go on right after surgery). Now that I'm off the blood thinner (Xarelto), I'm going to ditch the Celebrex and get back on Meloxicam as my anti-inflammatory, and continue to monitor to make sure my BP gets back to normal.

Aside from that - my scar is fine, my mobility and progress are fine - so I will start outpatient PT here in FL and continue when I get back to Atlanta. We'll do a Skype "visit" from Atlanta in about 6 weeks, but I also have his cell and email in case I need anything once I get back home.

By the way, I cannot say enough good things about Dr Grandic! Seriously - he's SO humble and compassionate (he gave me a HUGE hug when I left!). And I've never had a physician who was always available via text, cell or email - and who displayed such a great balance of confidence, compassion and genuine happiness for his patient's progress! The guy ROCKS in my book!!

Ok, off to ice, elevate and catch some sweet Florida sunshine!  

Day 23 
I'm officially 3+ weeks post op and life is good! I walked all around a local thrift store (more like a warehouse) yesterday using my cane, and while I wasn't racing, I managed just fine.  I'm finding that walking is best for me, along with some sessions on the little floor bike that was used by my therapist (and which I found at said thrift store for $5).  The thing that bothers me most right now? My groin gets sore.  Nothing like the old arthritis pain but there's an ache if I overdo things so I suppose it's my body's way of keeping things on the mend! I have really been taking it easy aside from little trips here and there, and I suppose the true test of my healing will be when I get back to Atlanta - back to my regular bed, regular bathroom and regular way of living!  It's Memorial Day weekend so I hope to spend time outdoors to get the last bit of Florida sun that I can!  I'm now off all narcotics with the exception of one before I go to bed, and only when I need it.  Aside from that, I'm taking Meloxicam and Tylenol as needed.