Almost 4 weeks post-op ....

All continues to progress well with the hip. My 4-week post-op appt. is this Friday at 11am. I am sure we will take x-rays, but I anticipate everything being fine. I am driving again ... it is fine, but I have to remember to "back in" to the car seat. Doing stairs is coming along, but going down is easier than coming up. I walked at the mall several times this week, but really felt it when I returned home. I have to be careful to not do multiple, consecutive days in a row with a lot of walking/standing. I think it is going to take another 4-6 weeks, before I am back to full stamina.

This is my last week at home and my plan is to return to work on August 1st. I have a student group at JA on August 1st, of all things! I have great staff that will work with me & if needed I will use the scooter.

I'll update again after the Friday appointment .... not a lot new happening on the hip front at the moment.

Thanks for your continued prayers & for checking in!
Jenny

Two-week Post-op mark ....

Post #470 ....

All continues to heal well and move along nicely with the hip recovery process. The in-home physical therapist came yesterday for the final time. I have exercises that I can continue doing on my own. Lack of stamina and incision soreness continue, but those are both things that will simply require additional healing time.

I started another antibiotic for sore throat and congestion .... not sure if it is the sinus infection that has returned or what, but the sore throat needs to to disappear.

Tomorrow will be the two week post-op mark ..... incision is dry and is healing well. We probably should have tried the "glue method" on my foot long ago! I finally managed to get the Beta dine washed off my legs ... that yellow stuff is the stickiest substance and stays for days.

Thanks for checking in ... no complaints!
Jenny

Hip Update - #2

All is going smoothly with the hip surgery recovery. The home health-care nurse came twice this week and is now finished coming. The incision is healing well and all still remains closed. I had pt twice this week as well. Physical therapy at home is pretty weak, but we are doing the exercises. I looked at returning to the same pt office that worked with my foot, but this cannot be done while I am doing "short-term disability." I did make the decision to take off the remainder of July, to make sure that I am good to go. My first post-op appt. with the surgeon is on the last Friday in July.

Each day gets a little easier with the pain and discomfort. I am doing extra strength Tylenol for pain. I did go to lunch with a friend from work on Friday. It was fun to get out of the house for a bit. The new hip still feels very heavy, but that will go away eventually.

My aunt came this week and was a huge help .... it is amazing how many things I drop on the floor and cannot pick up. I continue to be thankful for a smooth recovery process.

Thanks for checking in & enjoy the weekend!
Jenny

Post-Op Hip Surgery Report ...

All is done ... yeah! The surgery started very late on Thursday - around 11:30am. Needless to say, it was a long morning of waiting alone. Everyone I encountered wanted to know why I was having the hip revision done at such a young age, so I repeated the same info. about twenty times. The anesthetic guy turned out to be the same person that I had fifteen years ago, so that was good. We had trouble with the IV and drawing blood, because my veins are so small. Every needle they used went through one side of the vein and out the other side instantly .... eventually, we got it to work.

Hospital stay was manageable. The smaller setting is always a benefit. It was a double room, but no one else was in the other bed the entire time. I had a great brownie with chocolate frosting, while I was there! I also got to change into my own PJ's on Friday, so that was a mental boost.

I came home from the hospital about 11:15am on Saturday and spent all of Sunday in bed with nausea and sickness (from medication). We had the same problem in the hospital and thought we had it solved, but obviously not. Today I am doing Tylenol and Advil for pain, not nearly as effective but at least I am not sick with tummy issues. The home health care nurse and in-home pt person did come and see me yesterday & I got sick during both visits. Pt returns tomorrow and the nurse at the end of the week. Not sure if the pain meds are the culprit or if it is just the combination of all the drugs together.

My surgeon used glue on the 13" incision, so there are no staples or stitches. Let's hope I'm not allergic to the glue. The hip is really sore, tight and doesn't want anything touching it at the moment. We did correct the leg length, but now it feels overly long - it will really be okay, but it is just a sensation at the beginning. I can put full weight on the hip and did get a shower last night. I am using a walker some and am trying it on my own some, too.

Tomorrow my aunt from central IL comes to help until Friday, so that will be good. There are all kinds of "hip precautions" of things I cannot do or I run the risk of the hip dislocating. Obviously, we are trying to be extra careful. All has gone well so far and no major glitches. Thanks for praying and for your encouraging cards and phone calls. I'll continue to update with new developments this week.

Happy 4th of July!
Jenny