12/19/13 The Progresses of the Day

Walked down to the corner, took photo by myself and with Christian, went about 10 feet further than yesterday! Blustery and chilly, but lovely sunshine. 

Beverly, my hairdresser and friend, came to wash my hair - what a love. It's just still a bit cumbersome leaning over on the shower bench dealing with and styling my own bum-length curly hair. One more appointment with her next week will be truly appreciated.

I discovered another couple of Firsts!! I can now safely and comfortably lean far enough over from a sitting position to pick things up from the floor without a grabber. Before, it pulled on all of the painful joints and tendons nad was impossible. 

Oh, there was much dropping and sailor talk around this subject in the past several years. 

Also, I (VERY CAREFULLY, still being on Coumadin/Warferin blood thinner) trimmed my toenaiis yesterday! They had reached a place where they were catching the sheets and just looked and felt dreadful. I've alwasy had pretty feet, and they've suffered a lot during this time... I could not REACH THEM! 

I now have almost complete range of motion in the 2-months-older left hip replacement joint, and at least a little so far (It's coming - right on schedule) - enough to have reached my right toes with no strain and give a little clipping. No pedi's unti.l after coumadin is gone, but it's nice to have tidied them up and gottem some lotion on them, all by myself. 

The Things We Take for Granted. 

3:45 I've been able to sit up at my desk for several hours (getting up regularly, as one should always, anyway) with little pain or swelling - pressure on the back of the thigh isn't painful any more! Another on DOWN! 

A nice, quiet afternoon of writing, reading poetry, a little internet surfing. 

Now - for a nice ham sammich. 

... or leftover spaghetti! Which I was able to serve and heat up for myself - good to be in my own kitchen again! 

Toni arrived home in the evening bearing groceries and a case of lovely Placer County Mandarins she bought at the farm that grew them. Sweet and seedless and a lovely treat! She had gone for a drive past the home where we stayed as kids with good family friends and kept a couple of horses.
We had a nice dinner of her delicious chicken corn chowder- even better the third night.

We had a good night - we got on my computer and played with Google maps, looking at old childhood homes and other places we'd been. It was fun to discover the old roads we walked and forests where we had adventures.
Unfortunately, my success with sitting on the desk chair earlier today was pushed a bit too far - my poor bum was inflamed again. (sorry - but I do want this to be an informative/perhaps cautionary informational blog). Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. More cream. More itch. 
Otherwise, muscle and joint wise, I'm ok.
But dammit. 

We are enjoying catching up on the PBS series "Call the Midwife" together. We had leftover chicken corn showder again with it for dinner - it's still wonderful! 

A little treat of chocolate after (Carefully hiding it wawy from the naughty cats). 

we were up late, but it was nice. She usually goes to bed a good bit earlier than I do, but we didn't have anything on for the morning. 

12/18/2013 There is a Bit of an Emotional Roller-Coaster involved in Big Healing...

A bit of a darker moment in the night... 

I confess - though I try ( and often am able) to remain positive and cheerful, embracing the progress - sometimes it goes a bit dark for a little while.

There are times I am walking with the walker and I find it quite difficult to connect the current me, unable to put weight on the right knee and hip, with the me after walking happens.
The knee is still almost more painful than any other part of the leg, though the cartilage is very strong. The level is not super high, but i still am unable to put my weight on the right alone. 
I have only four allotted PT appointments left on my prescription.... I am nervous as to whether it is real that I can accomplish the task in so little time, or if i can accomplish it without her. 
I am hoping that she can write a recommendation to my surgeon that I need more PT...and that I'm covered for it. 
And that it helps. 

Ui. 
Late night musings.

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Later in the afternoon.... looking up.

After my worries about my progress with toward walking, the good news is, I woke up in the middle of the night having bent my right leg about 45 degrees *and "frogged" out to the side, naturally, in my sleep for the first time! I was in NO knee (bursa) pain or hip pain. Hooray!
Slept fairly well, I'm sleeping longer and more deeply now, and my bum issue seems to be clearing up THANK GOODNESS.

A little heart to heart with my sister Toni, a few tears, and a big hug this morning, a lovely hot bowl of oatmeal with fresh apples, nuts, and cinnamon, coffee -- bit better.
Shawna my PT came for my appointment and helped me talk it through, even teared up a little with me - true empathy is much appreciated! And she assured me that she can recommend and schedule more PT sessions - if they are after January 1, I'll have to co- pay them, but I can manage that. In case I'm not actually walking yet. It could even mean another week off work, but if needed, that's ok. Work can spare me another week if need be.
My worry is much lessened. I try to be positive and hopeful, but sometimes there are dark moments. That's what your support crew is for!!!
We had a good walker walk down to the corner and back - I was pretty beat when we got back, but good PT . The focus was keeping my right foot in a straight front-to-back pattern, lifting it UP, breaking a years-old pattern of throwing it out to the side in the classic gait of hip dysplasia, since there is no strength and too much pain in a crumbled hip joint to lift it up properly in front of you. I did very well, and I'm beginning to get the sensation of the correct motion and pattern into my bones. The clouds were absolutely gorgeous, and it felt good to be outside.

Toni left to take a well-deserved night off, and my pal Graham came to stay the night. We had a lovely visit - it is important to get some friends over, with their news and different conversation, etc. as the time goes by, to help stave off cabin fever. We ate, visited, he updated me on his theatre  company and mutual friends, etc. we watched about four episodes of Dr. Who - great fun!

I got a text from my dear friend Christian that he can visit tomorrow! He lives in San Francisco, has a busy teaching schedule and I've not seen him in months- it will be wonderful to see him! My hair dresser is coming to wash my hair, but otherwise his timing is perfect! Graham leaves at 8am, and Toni will be home in the evening. I'm able enough to do a lot on my own, off pain killers and safe alone, but it is still great timing.

Being able to put my feet about an inch apart with my legs straight and even weight on both feet is wonderful!! 

12/17/13 A Long Day

Slept through my 3am tylenol dose, awoke at 8am not feeling it too badly. Stiff and sore but not very painful. So I took it at 8:00, which actually was great, because now, with 8 hours between doses, I will have no middle of the night dose to wake up for.

My wonderful nurse case supervisor was here to check my Coumadin level and remove my staples.
Coumadin was perfect- we continue at 4mg everry evening at 5pm... 
** For hip replacement patients-
Something to look out for re: if you are put on Coumain/Warferin: you will be given about 4-8 pieces of paper, a video or two and a hospital visit re: Coumadin and vitamin K dietary issues. It is VERY confusing. Some data sheets say keep Vitamin K in your diet low ( with a list of foods and their K levels). Some say continue your normal levels of these foods, and every nurse has a slightly different opinion . Nurse Mary helped clarify today -for heart patients on long-term Coumadin, you want good nutrition, so it is instructed to eat them, but in moderation. But for folks on orthopedic surgery Coumadin for prevention of blood clots( a very big risk with orthopedic surgery), which is usually three weeks worth of medication - it is important to cut out almost all vegetables  and fruit  high in vitamin K for that time, to keep levels even (mostly green vegetable, Cranberries and Grapefruit and their juices). It was also confusing because, *in the hospital* - they gave me cranberry juice and broccoli!  
It was a big point of debate for my sister and I, because of all the contradictory data. NOTE- some surgeons prescribe other blood thinners such as aspirin. Don't worry if you have a different course of treatment. There are several alternates. My surgeon uses Coumadin. 

But I digress...It was the big day for the staples to come out, and Nurse Mary is the the best at it. It was wonderful to see her, as she was on vacation for all my appointments so far. She is so great, takes time, is personal and friendly and kind. I love her visits, and she likes me as a person, too - such amazing old-fashioned care. She did a beautiful, painless job of removing the 33 staples. The Auquacel bandage is wonderful for home showering, but she did say she doesn't like removing them, as they are so very strongly sticky, like a huge mega- ban-aid. I am OK with a little tenderness for a moment while it's removed, in order to be able to have a real shower without avoiding a bandage. The incision/scar is perfectly straight, really beautiful. The nurse puts butterfly tape on after the staples come out to just give it a little extra support as the edges have just healed together. You then shower normally and over the next two weeks the strips of tape come off naturally, one piece at a time, and it's a good strong healed scar! 
Nurse Mary was so great about knowing I wanted good photos all through the process to add to my photo journal of the whole experience. 
My sister Toni, who can be a little squeamish, was very brave and stayed in the room for the whole process. 

Mary was off and away, with an appointment for one more visit this Friday. 

Toni and I had lunch, and then went for a physical therapy walk (with the walker) down the stairs, all the way to the alley(about 30 feet) and then back upstairs. 

Then we needed to get groceries, so it was back down the stairs and into the car for my first drive around a bit. She is uncomfortable getting around the city, so i was navigator. I sat in the car and played with friends and my other sister on Facebook until Toni came bearing groceries. By the time I made it up the stairs, I was pretty beat. I hadn't planned to go out again a - two-stair trips are unusual and have been avoided for a while... 
The rest of the day I was pretty tired and sore, but nothing huge. Just more sore than yesterday, and had to remind myself to do my PT, but I did!
Toni made a delicious chicken/corn/veg chowder for dinner- absolutely divine!! We finally found some good programming on TV, PBS British series, ad relaxed.

And excitement in the morning was that my foster cats had found an open milk chocolate bar and perhaps consumed a little bit. More toxic to cats than dogs, I was worried. Then Electra came out acting strangely... Thank goodness it passed quickly and we found the cause... But the last thing I was ready to deal with was a  theobromide poisoned cat! A pet care company, for who I foster them and who is helping me care for them while I am dealing with recovery, was at the ready to take her to the vet, but thank goodness it was a false alarm. 

Sorry  - a long eventful day... I do go on. 

12/16/13... TMI After an Uncomfortable Night... and The Difference of a Few Hours

6:38 am- a TMI post after an uncomfortable night
but something you may want to be aware of if you are undergoing surgery
One thing one may encounter after surgery is a sort of diaper rash situation, even if diapers are not involved.
Mine began with the first post-op period and the Terrible Constipation. The awful pushing and straining created hemorrhoids, then this rash.
Looking online and appealing to friends who had been through surgeries (and grateful for their candor)  I found some products which seemed to help on and off... Prep H and Boudreaux's Butt Paste(for baby diaper rash, but the Extra Strength is a good product). Sometimes they helped. I finally asked a friend to pick me up a sitz bath, and the few times I dealt with the somewhat elaborate and messy ( water spillage) set up, it helped. The situation took almost 2 1/2 months to clear up, just in time for surgery #2.

With this surgery I had nearly thwarted these tender skin issues with three times daily doses of Metamucil and careful watch and use of the stool softener prescrubed and Senekot laxative when needed...
But just before I was able to ditch the culprit, Norco, I had a mild slow-down, perhaps in part due to a day when I drank less water.
That one morning of having to push brought back the whole situation.
So, this has been a night of stinging, dabbing gingerly to keep the delicate  inflamed and weeping skin tissue as dry as possible, then slathering it with a Dimethicone cream, the skin barrier used in the cleansing wipes in hospital. What had been working decided it would not work this night, and it made for a fairly miserable night.

Of course, sitting ( and what else do I do?? ) is one of the worst irritants in this situation. Lying in one's side giving the area some air is good, but not really feasible yet - uncomfortable on either side (with a pillow between thighs) for more that a minute or so at a time.

I look so forward to this being yet just another memory, and I try to look for the lessons in all, of it.
I have to say, the un-glamorous dealings of a stinging, throbbing and maddeningly itchy bum are a bit tricky to embrace as Lessons to Learn.
But it does go away. Dear Babies of the World : I feel your pain. I know why you scream. 

**Note added on 12/19 - this was the worst night for this situation - it cleared up well the next night, and I am knocking wood that I have seen the worst of it.

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 2:30 pm... The difference of a few hours : 

It has been a great day so far! I am completely at the turning point! The thrill is palpable! 
The anticipation of walking freely as it approaches is the same as that of a fast approaching holiday trip abroad! 

Today:
A nice morning with my sister - made up for the rough night by sleeping in a little.
PT, Shawna arrived as I was just done ice massaging the bursa on my knee (It has been irritated and one of my biggest pain sources, though the cartilage is great, because of the bad alignment of my hips for so long). We did my bed exercises, and she did some great massage on my knee and some ham string resistance stretches. 
Then, outside we went! The temp out today is nearly 70 - grateful for it, as we have had a VERY uncharistic cold snap! With the walker, we went down the stairs and up the sidewalk about 15 feet! A bit tired at the end, but the good kind! :) 
Then, about a half hour ago, doing a self-progress check, I discovered one of the small wonders...
I put my feet as close together as i could while putting weight on both feet. My knees were tight together, and my feet were about 2 inches apart!! Standing independently, without the walker's support! :) 
A HUGE accomplishment! I first discovered that I was unable to put my feet together with knees straight about 3-4 years ago, trying to do a grounding exercise for singing technique. The closest I could get them was about a foot apart, and it just got got worse over the years. 
Baby steps are becoming MEDIUM steps!! I am very, very happy and proud. I shared with my sister and a couple dear friends who completely get it - it feels wonderful to get some loving support to boost the journey along. 

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The rest of the day has been great. I could feel later in the day that I have done a lot today - a little sore and a bit of swelling, but nothing out of bounds. I'm in bed- late- now ( I have a hard time getting proper sleep, I hope to have a huge nap tomorrow) and i am a bit sore(still mostly the knee and calf). My next tylenol dose is in an hour and a half.. 

But my friends Luther and Christine provided dinner tonight- absolutely perfect spaghetti and meat sauce. Delicious! Toni and I enjoyed it, and there'll be leftovers tomorrow-huzzah! 

I made a few visiting dates with friends- without Facebook during this whole time, I, feel I'd have lost my mind. Keeping in touch with people I love, getting good advice and lots of support and so much uplifting love... Arranging practical things like people to come and stay with me when I needed it, and setting up the Mealbaby program... Utterly indispensable. 

My friend Mike asked me to call his mom, whose first hip surgery was shortly after mine, and give her a bit of a pep talk on her second one in February. I'll be delighted to do so, because I love having knowledge and good information I can share! This is the main reason I am writing this - to help others, and to remind myself, in case I ever take the simple act of walking for granted again, to keep the importance and value of what I will have, precious. 

There's probably more but i need to try to relax and sleep. 

December 15 2013 - Reality is Beginning to Set In

December 15 afternoon blog

A quietly exciting day in my healing process...
I am feeling like a fledgling bird - beating me wings, lifting slowly from the nest-my right thigh muscles are  so close to settling back around the bones, in the right place, learning to stretch in all the right directions; to lift FORWARD AND UP! Oohhh, almost, so close! Pushing beyond tolerable pain is dangerous and foolish. It moves so quickly now, the increasing ability to function nearer to normal! 
It goes by the hour! 

Lift off the bed- oh, THAT Angle is suddenly ok! 
No norco, switched back to Tylenol again, this time it WORKS! 
Walk across the room with the walker- evenly distributed on both legs- closer! 
Lift left leg slowly, leaning on walker... Lift the lean from the walker, shifting to leg... So CLOSE! 
So exciting! 
Each small triumph gets its duly deserved notice and acknowledgment , " gasp! Ooh! Look! I don't have to pivot on my left foot ( irritating the previous left replacement joint )  more! I can step from foot to foot as I lean on the walker!!"
I moved the chair I use for the new elastic band hamstring stretch into place, got the loop around my foot, did the ten stretches and put it all back in place carefully, all by myself, with my sister nearby for safety! Not something I had the strength or low enough level of pain for before now. 

Sitting on the commode... About halfway down, applying equal weight to both feet, realizing that for the first time in- a year? Two years?? I can ALMOST sit down - and then rise up -with ONLY the strength of my legs. 
If you have never experienced and injury or damage which takes this ability away, believe  me- it is HUGE in the way of personal independence!! 
I am about to be free, and it invokes really deep, strong, moving emotions in me.
As much as I have told everyone who would listen ans many who wouldn't since June that i WILL HAVE MY LIFE BACK - suddenly, it really truly feels like actual, indisputable fact, and it's like someone I knew who died is coming back. 

****This, dear readers, is because I am religious about doing my physycal therapy. It is increasing my strength and flexibility, my rotation and my function, 
BY THE HOUR. I do not lie or exaggerate, and within weeks of this procedure of Anterior Hip Replacement surgery, you will see it, feel it, and believe it. 
Going through it twice is a double challenge... 
And makes it all the more breath-takingly miraculous. 
It makes me love my life more and more by the minute. 
"Gratitude" doesn't suffice as a word any more. I need a new language for it. 
*whew* 


It was a good afternoon. My sister went and got ice cream from a local shop, Gunther's - my favorite, Peppermint Stick with hot fudge (eating both scoops for lunch seems to have thrown my digestion off a touch, but it was fun!  I rarely indulge that way. )
Dinner was leftover Chicken Paprikash with carrot juice-cooked rice and lemon sour cream brought by a friend, with mushrooms and eggplant from my sister on the side- divine! 
We relaxed and watched tv... Toni has cleared off my recumbent exercise bike and is using it nightly, and I'm glad she can, so she doesn't maybe feel quite so sedentary and cooped up here - I'll use it like mad again when I'm up to it.

I am officially off norco! I'll use it if i have to as-needed, but this time Tylenol is working! 
So little pain, and I did plenty of PT! 

I also learned the cast list for my first return show, "Cannery Row" (I'll be singing for it!) and it's a GREAT group! 35 of 'em!! I so look forward to learning the music, and working with some splendid people! 

I'm finally tired, so it's drifting off for me! It's been 
A fine day and night! 


I must to my bed. Good night! 

Saturday 12/14/13

Saturday 12/14 
Brunch - less pain, more progress... New PT strap/ hamstring exercise 

I'm beginning to feel the phase where almost nothing feels like injury pain, but more like exercise, productive strengthening pain. Levels a bit lower nearly by the hour. 

Ready to try again st switching out one norco dose for Tylenol. 
This time I 'm nearly certain it will be successful. 
If one of those works today, I will change to Tylenol all day and norco at night tomorrow, then perhaps just one norco Monday night at bedtime. By tuesday(two weeks out from surgery) , I plan to be down to no norco, with the possible exception of one on a tough night for the next week. There after, I am done with norco. 

It will make my sister nervous, but she'll adjust as I get better and the switch actually works. 

**Big landmark today! Getting into bed for my afternoon nap just now ( even having gone 7 hours between med doses comfortably!) I was able to lift my right/ surgery leg up onto bed under my own power, without even using the leg lifter!! 
Fantastic progress!!! 
This is a big one. 
And compared to surgery#1, one or two days earlier this time! It is not a contest, but it is a lovely milestone! 

Another smaller landmark- first full, straight stretch of the surgery leg, laying down, with zero pain!!! 

12/13/13 12:57 am

Mariam and i had a good visit last night... 
She was pretty tired but we enjoyed Toni's chili for dinner, and Mariam made fantastic gf cookies. 
A bit of tv, pills and such sorted, and out! 
She left cheerfully this morning for work at 7.

I was comfortable and content to be here alone for the first time for 2 hours. 
Cheantelle came at 9, put on coffee and got us some toast and yoghurt. 
We had a great catch-up blether - this luxury of hours-long patches of time to talk with friends is a jewel in the experience of these surgeries. 
We had the last of the chili for lunch, and my friend and hair stylist, Beverly, came to wash my hair for me.
I highly recommend having someone come in to help with hair washing, particularly if you are a woman (or man! :) ) with long curly hair to deal with. I love my long hair, but I confess it spends most of the time in a braid, post-op.  It makes all the difference to have the help! My hair is so long now that i have to be careful not to sit on it, so the help really saves  muscle strength. 

Toni arrived home with a few groceries as Bev was preparing to go- perfect! 

Today's pain levels have taken a good change for the better, and clearly stronger muscle. 
I notice today that I was able to increase the bilateral nature of load bearing, getting up and sitting down. Markedly less pain, feeling more and more balanced! 
Between this and my increasing abilities; and Toni having a night off from the care that this takes - it was very clear that the air was lighter, the tension and tendencies to misread each other and snap at each other over the last week are nearly gone! 
We both felt it, celebrated it, didn't dwell, and ordered Thai delivery enough for two nights' dinners!! :) 
We ate well and watched some tv and had a few treats ( a little See's candy- we enjoy a bit of it now and then! ) 

Decided to double the bedtime Norco dose for a couple of nights, as that stretch had been too painful after too many hours at a time.. Both of us felt better about it. 
Toni is getting more used to the situation, and is beginning to trust my judgment more as i get more steady. All contributing factors to getting us BACK to where our relationship is, which is loving sisters who very very occasionally have a wee, quickly- fixed spat... It feels wonderful to be back to our normal! :) 


Busy day today, friday the 13th. 
Physical therapy - a good session, and a few more added bits. Shawna taught me how to do ice massage for my knee (the bursa is very sore and tired of doing most of the support work) and added exercise strap work to work the ham strings and build overall thigh strength. 

Another new home nurse, Nancy came. She was great - 62, very cool - but a litle bit old school and doesn't know my case so Toni asking her things about my case makes me feel a little discounted. *I* know my case, norco or not. 
But the Coumadin level is perfect  - I have had near perfect levels throughout for both surgeries, and again I thank my healthy body - 
and I get only one 4 mg tab a day until Tuesday, when they (I hope it will be Nurse Mary again!!) will come and remove my staples - HURRAH! It feels so good - free, and the constriction of the bandage, which you don't quite realize is there, and then the staples being out, are just DIVINE sensations!! No pain whatsoever removing the staples, either. 

A handyman visited to change heater filters and replace a couple of my electrical outlets to bring up code to comply with new laws - great news, since my old outlets were practically useless! 

Leftover delicious Thai food for dinner, medications in their due times, and both Toni and I were ridiculously sleepy! She was off, I waited til 11 for my night dose of norco, and then came to bed (to catch this up a bit first )

More to come... I'll learn more lessons, too, I expect! 
Sea changes- these are what make the process so much more positive as they come! 
Hurrah! 

ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz