4 WEEK OLD HIPPI

4 weeks today and I can't believe my progress.

Last week I walked a total of 14600 metres, 14.5 kms

First it was 300m along the river, return. Then 500 and return.- 1km. the next day a two bridge walk - 2kms. Then last Wednesday for my 3rd birthday I made it to Cafe Dear Delicious return - 3kms.

Then I spent 2 days in bed reading The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Then on the Saturday I walked 5kms return to my favourite place - Coffee First.

Since then I've learned to climb the 93 Steps of Death behind my place and for the 3rd day in a row have climbed up and down those steps. Am having Coffee at Bar L'unico - maybe they're steps to Heaven afterall.

DRUGS
aside from the social addiction of coffee in cafes, I'm weaning myself off some of the others.

At Rehab I was on 5mg Targin. Last week I dropped it to 2.5mg. Now I've dropped the morning one and only taking it at night.

I dropped the panamax ages ago. I have 1 aspirin for blood thinning.

And anti constipation pills. Despite prunes and teas and fruit and tablets I'm still very rabbitish.

Rehab as an outpatient is excellent with very targeted exercises. What they cut through for the operation is the glutimus medias and this effects lateral movements of the hips. We are building up this gradually with sometimes quite challenging exercises.

working on getting a good gait.

LIVING WITH AIDS - washing and toileting

Not so sightly but highly functional. The throne - the elevated toilet, always ensuring your hips are higher than your knees. And my Landlord Tony installed a rail to help me get in and out of the shower.  Bathrooms are slippery dangerous places so good to have things to hold onto.

Flowers give Life

Thank you kind people

LIVING WITH AIDS - Sleep with Me

Knee Pillow keeps hips aligned without cross over. Can lie on back or side. Cotton Reel pillow elevates knee or calf to level of comfort.

LIVING WITH AIDS - Put Me Ons

Adaptation to mobile phone with hook and lanyard, magnetic extenable biro that hoods on, can pick up metal things from floor such as spoons, sock putter onner, extended shoe horn,

LIVING WITH AIDS - Pick Me Ups

Flowers bring Life

Thank you to Rosie, Nikki, Lou, Nadia, Gabi, Maria, Ariyani, Helen, Tilly, Marrickville West, Yarie, Liz, Jenny, Kate, Gillian, Sandy, Erica, Ivy, Anneli, Hien, Hang, Sylvia  and others for bringing life, love, goodies and  flowers to my bedside.

Moving on to Rehab

I can walk around the block with the frame. I can pivot around and move things. Metro Rehab will ensure a safe and strong recovery.

Just had my last 2 endone before the road. My bags are packed I'm ready to go.

Eileen on her way to pick me up. We might even have a coffee on the way.

My Goals:
Get stronger
Build balance
Improve coordination and flexibiity
Feel fit and energetic

So I can walk the hills again whether they be here, Vietnam or the Amalfi Coast.

Next Round

Enter Monday morning. A new energy blows in to the ward after a sleepy minimally staffed weekend.

Noise, excitement, bells, those who arrive with a weekend beyond these walls.

Soon the Monday Operations people will find themselves in a room up here while they await their procedure. They will be decked up in Hospital gear, a hair net, red if like me you have an allergy to penicillin. They will be given the most flattering undies/nappies. There will be visits from anaesthetists, doctors and nurses. The Dr will draw an arrow to the correct position on the operated limb, just to be sure.

They will wait in turn before going to pre-op room where they'll get that lovely warm blanket and the spinal block with morphine in the spine.

The operation will go ahead and they won't know a thing.  They'll wake up in the recovery room. And then they will be wheeled back to this ward.

But we will be gone.

Hip Hop Blues

The bell toll hour
The song does ring
The falling minor third
Hey you got that thing?

Call my wife
Get her on the phone
Get lost in here
Cos it ain't my home

All I know is da fear
Kind nurses they do keep near
Nurses are patient
Nurses are patient
Nurses are patient
Do you hear!

ROUGH NIGHT

Must have forgotten about what happens when the block wears off. My first attempts at walking yesterday sent me into a spin, with blood pressure dropping and nausea coming in. 

They took out the drip, blood bag, oxygen, leaving only the urinefoot. This morning that came out too, so I'm a free agent.

But I had a lot of pain in the night, on my right hip but also on my right  foot, which we cant explain. We started off with panadol but then upped the ante throughout the night.

This morning I'm having breakfast in the chair and feeling so much better.

RIGHT HIP DONE

went in to RPA for 2nd Hip Hop yesterday at 6.30am but waited until 12 noon for the warm blanket outside the operating theatre. Meantime  fastIng from evening before,

I had spinal block with morphine and i remember absolutely nothing. I came to in Recovery.

And later I found my lovely girls surrounding me in the single room I was returned to. A broke the fast in traditional hospital fashion with a cheese sandwich and a cup of tea.

My girls spoilt me with handcream and mags and their company.

Compared to Hip 1 I had a relatively peaceful night in my room. Last time I was in Observation with bleeping and interruptions all night.

My blood pressure was very low so there was extra hydrating going on. And I have a pain relief button, but am still under the influence of the block. Just starting to wear off now.

One total treat are these leg wraps, that massage your lower legs, purportedly to stop thrombosis but infact just feel great to get these periodic massages.

Soon off for xray, then first steps this arvo.

The Right Hip

Left Sydney with my sister to travel to Tasmania in my van, Frida. We took 12 days to do it, stopping along the coast in National Parks along the way. Every day we would go for walks along beaches and coastal tracks, exploring new scenery. And that's when I discovered my right hip couldn't do uphill and would ache at night.

From The Hipster Club

Materials for hips, and more info on Total Hip Replacements http://hipsterclub.com/2014/06/08/total-hip-replacement-implants-2/

5 months

I am revisiting this site but the whole Hip Op thing feels like a distant memory now. Im bushwalking. Im dancing. I can even put on my left sock. Still a bit stiff getting down low and getting off the floor, or climbing a big step or a log in the bush, but generally Im good. So glad not to be in pain and debilitated as I was for months before the Op. Thank medical advancements for this new lease on life.

Throw the Stick

Its now 7 1/2 weeks since Op. I havent been using the stick for 3 days. Apart from Wed night when I took a couple of panadeine extra for back pain, ive had no painkillers for a week.

I continue to do 3 hours of physiology, hydro and physio on Wed mornings at Metro Rehab. Its so good to do. As I get more caught back into the cycle of work, plus driving, this physical activity is all the more important.

The Physiotherapist told me not to get down on the floor and up again until post op 3 months, which is late october. However I did notice myself getting up and down off the floor in Playgroup today without even thinking to trace around a childs body on the floor.

The School Play on Wed was fabulous with our Playgroup performing Dem Bones. Kids and parents, even a baby was dressed in black outfits with white bones. Looked great against the black curtains of the stage with stage lights on us while dancing.  I also tacked on a hip replacement in my outfit.

No Drugs No Stick

No painkillers last night and none for 4 days. Im ok. I went for a walk around the river and the last bit I did without the stick.  I even climbed the stairs using alternate legs and no stick.

Life is getting back to normal post 6 weeks.

Next goal is weight baring and getting up and down off the floor.

doin without da drugs

Been just over 6 weeks since op.

i cut out on any drugs through out the day the last couple of days. I didnt know what the painkillers were masking. But ive been fine.

i also had my first drive today and that was fine too

i went to my first playgroup in 8 weeks too. but its challenging in an environment created for children. i still cant get down on the floor or sit on low couches and childrens chairs.  i cant pick things off the floor or pack away that easily.  Where would I be without Nimfa and Ariyani.

i feel the time is getting close to chuck the stick.

Back to Work

6 weeks have passed and even though I didnt feel ready in my head, it was time to go back to work. Rika drove me and I took my stick and walked up the steps, and across the playground into my office.

Helen had sorted everything: the office, my emails, the cooking demos, the recipe collections, childcare, playgroup song dancing and costuming for the school play and great updates in Facebook. She, Nimfa, Ariyani, Yunita, Nazma and Lilly also threw me a Welcome Back Lunch!!  Those women are just so together. Not to mention the cool baby Suri and sweet Shafin.

Not feeling quite up to the enormity nor the speed of which Connect can become, I plan to leave each afternoon at 4pm.

Not taking oxicontane is like taking off the velvet glove. There simply is no pain or discomfort with it. Im on Panadeine Forte but it doesnt quite cut it and I feel some discomfort. Im taking Endone at night.

Following Up with Surgeon

Its 5 weeks since the Op and today I took the 412 bus to Dr Boyle s private rooms at the RPA.  I had used my notebook to write down some questions such as:
What is inside me?
What happened to the spur and cyst?
Can I see the X Ray?
When can I drop the precautions?
When can I chuck the stick?
What about the pain in my back when I walk?
How should I come off the oxicontane and other drugs?
What about Osteo Arthritis elsewhere in my body? How do I know the extent of it?
What can be done to prevent further deterioration?
What about the bill?

Well starting with the last question they are not charging me anthing extra than what my health fund will pay. Hooray!!
I didnt even have to pay for this followup consultation, which would otherwise be $230. Feeling lucky.

I havent seen the xray yet but I believe him when he said there was a ceramic and titanium hip in me. I had a feel of his model.

The twinges in the back are probably the effects of the realignment and are quite normal he says. And poss also OA.

Finding out where OA is - by pain. Propensity for cartliage degeneration in one area  indicates its likely in other areas too. Fish Oil Glucosamine with chondroitin are the best known preventors at this stage. Plus using the muscles.

Abandon precautions any time from now on. Start driving locally to begin with.

Walking without the stick remember to tighten the buttocks with each step.  Drugs: go off Oxi when pkt finished. Take Endone when necessary.

About it. Its been an incredibly social time. Suzie came from Tasi in the weekend.  We visited Anneli in Manly on Sunday. Ive been walking all number of steps and distances, but overdid it on Sunday. I got back pains and my worst night ever following. I hadnt taken oxi s and my leg felt a wreck. Panadeine didnt work. Taking oxis on Monday felt like velvet.