Hip Replacement

Today marks four weeks post hip replacement. I went in to see the surgeon so he could follow up and see how things are coming along. As usual, it is a long wait. Excellent surgeon, great doctor for talking to you straight, just wish he’d work on the time management side of the business. It’s at minimum an hour past your appointment time before you see him. That said, I’d not go anywhere else to get this operation done. Dr. Ball is the top of the line for orthopedic surgery. I’m doing really good. You wouldn’t have known that the first two weeks when I was totally depressed over being unable to do the simplest things. Of course, it didn’t help that the dog died and my wife is 3000 miles away. Anyway, I can almost put a shoe on and I’m now able to sleep on my side. I can walk without the cane and do 15 minutes on the exercise bike. I got fresh x-rays showing everything looking good and I am cleared to do whatever I can tolerate pain wise. I just can’t turn my leg outward for another month until everything is completely stable.

So how is it getting a new hip? I wasn’t totally prepared because Dr. Ball helped expedite my surgery getting me in just 2 weeks after our initial consult. I missed the little class beforehand to get you prepped for what’s coming. I did a few online class things but didn’t get all of the information. The surgery was easy. Go to sleep and wake up in the post-op room. A little uncomfortable waiting for the legs to come back to life, but I was still pretty drugged up at the time. They moved me into a hospital room where as soon as I was mostly coherent, a PT gal came in and got me up to walk around a little. Spent the night getting regular shots of pain meds to keep the hurting to a minimum.

I was cut loose by noon the next day when Dad and Sandy picked me up and took me back to the house for recuperation. Lots of lounging around, getting up to walk around with the walker every so often to keep things in motion. I was on pain meds for 5 days then weaned off and went to Tylenol after that. The oxycodone kept the pain at bay, but made my back break out in itchy hives and I was slightly nauseous. Was glad to discontinue that one.

The PT guy, Mark started coming the following week and we did time on the bike and lots of small range leg lifts and extensions to the side. Frustrating not be able to do anything. Hard to even get dressed. One thing I missed hearing in the lead up to the operation was knowing to get a “hip kit” ahead of time. This is things like long handled grippers go pick things up and to help put on clothes, a sock put on thingy and long handled sponge to wash the feet. I ordered them up on Amazon. I picked them out separately because the items included in ‘kits’ seemed pretty cheesy. This is the week Koda died and I went into a deep funk.

Mark, the PT guy

Week three was depressing, not much change. Just keep doing the rehab and try not to go stir crazy. Actually started driving by the week’s end and getting out was good for the psyche. Wound closed up nicely and I was finally able to take a longer shower and enjoy the hot water. Doing lots of crossword puzzles and watching Dr. Pol on Animal Planet with the old man, whose knee is coming along quite nicely also thank you.

Week four finds me getting around more and gaining more range of motion and I can almost bend over and reach my foot but not quite. I can feel real progress coming and I’m able to walk almost normally and can get around easily. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The motorhome is calling and I’m eager to get on the road. The doctor was encouraging and I’m excited to get moving. Coming out of the fog of funk and looking forward to some pain free exercise on the horizon.

Putting on a Sock

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