Day 10 Hip Replacement

Very tired and sore after physical therapy. I spent 10 minutes on the stationery bicycle and then 5 minutes on treadmill.  My place on treadmill was very slow, maybe .6 of a mile.  I had a hard time getting one foot the same distance in front of the other. I did ankle exercises and then added a new exercise where I marched in place as I set on the edge of the therapy bed. Extending my leg to the side is still very hard. I can't reach down to take off my shoe or raise my bionic leg more than a foot off the floor. But still I'm making progress.

I slept about 6 hours last night but took meds in the middle of the night. The pain was too much the night before.  Yesterday I. Went grocery shopping. A half an hour was too much to be in my walker. Then this morning I got up to go to the bathroom and forgot my walker until I was in the bathroom.  That hurt. I'm still not ready to walk unassisted.

When I showered today I could do everything - dress and undress, put plastic over my wound, soap and rinse, then towel off. Everything except Rowling my foot and taking off or putting on my bionic sock.

Hip replacement coming together

Day 9

I'm down to 5 meds a day.  I take one at night.  Maybe I would sleep better if I took more meds at night.  Much of my night is spent watching reruns. I was exhausted in the morning and slept on or off fitfully during the day.

I tried to work but couldn't sit more than a few minutes at a time.  I'm not sure how lucid I am.

I can't be far away from my walker.  I can get off and on my bed better than the couch. When I get on my bed, I sit backwards and lift both feet onto the bed.  Before I would have to crawl more leg length onto the bed before bringing over my legs.  I can see progress.

Because I went grocery shopping and tired myself, I only exercised once. I had my son's help.  I'm doing driver exercises recommended by the physical therapist. Then I elevate my legs and ice them.

Medications and hip replacement

Day 8after my hip replacement.

My doctor prescribed 100 oxycodone acetaminophen 10 325 to be taken 1 or 2 tablets by mouth every 4 hours as needed. When I left the hospital on day 4, 3 days after the operation, my doctor prescribed 100 tablets of oxycodone acetaminophen 10-325 to be taken 1 or 2 tablets by mouth every 4 hours as needed. 

When I left the hospital I was talking them at 2 tablets every 4 hours. I soon realized at that rate I would run out after 8 days. So I modified my pill taking to 1 every three hours.  Yesterday the physical therapist suggested a try taking one before I go to sleep. I took a pill at 12 midnight and then again at 5:30 when I woke up.  My leg hurt badly after exercising 3 times during the day. At 5:30 a.m. my leg was stinging when I took the pill.  

I started with 12 pills daily, cut back to 8 pills.  Now I'm at 6 pills.  With almost 60 pills left that is enough for 10 days.  At the rate of 1 every 4 hours I will run out on March 21.  By cutting back 1 pill per night I can last an extra day.  At 4 pills a day I can last 15 days. 

My goal is to get rid of my walker after 3 weeks. About the same time as I run out of meds.

What pain can I expect from my hip replacement?

I had a hip replacement a week ago.  Since then I have been looking for information on the Internet that would help me understand and deal with the experience.  I haven't found alot. This has left me feeling like I should write something about my own experience.

During the next few emails I will try to catch up. 

Probably the hardest part of a hip replacement is probably not being able to care for myself.  This was no more apparent than yesterday when I peed my clothes trying to go to the bathroom.

(It's 3:30 a.m. and I can't go to sleep but I'm almost too exhausted to write.)