Day 20 it’s OT day

In the last few weeks it’s all been hips and I’ve had to take a step back from my hands. Thankfully the recent weeks has been kind to me and they’ve swelled up minimally. But I’m kinda thinking that’s due to taking dihydrocodeine?!

My worse area was the CMC joint and where they put the cannula in. But now it’s all settled down and being reasonable.

After a week it was minimal

And now it’s completely cleared up.

So today is the day to show my lovely occupational therapist how I’ve done my exercises to build up the thumbs, and lengthen the finger ligaments. The physio I’ve done for them has helped, but so did the steroid injection.

Now medication is absolutely minimum, I’m feeling the familiar aches, pains and swellings. So I need advice on how to move forward.

Advice is to make the stretches harder using an elastic band or bobble, like what MiCats told me to do back in July. Now I have better strength and alignment, it should be easier to do.

Ive also got a new splint for my DIP joint of middle finger, as it’s extending all the time. I need to wear this when I’m doing things, like my thumb splints too (see above)

So hideous, but so needed as well. Back in 6 weeks time, to monitor how well they respond. But this is one thing that will get progressively worse over time, with little we can do about it to slow or control it.

Day 19 bitten off too much

Previous post I put I’d increased my physio, and had done ok for 2 days at that rate. But today I come crashing down back to earth!!

I’ve woken up nearly every 2 hours all night, for a few nights now. I think it’s from the sleeping on my back. And the pains today are too much to even attempt to work through.

I’ve noticed my glute area is actually tender to the touch, is this from cutting the glute muscle? And front of the thigh about 2 inches away from the scar is also tender, where I guess the stem is.

OMG, I think I can feel a staple still in, but under the skin. I’ve had this before, took a year before they believed me, and removed it when my metalwork from a triple pelvic was done.

But I’m not due any more surgery we hope on this hip. Will it hinder healing? Cause infection? Will they remove it? It’s so tender to touch in that area.

So today it’s #Luther with blanket (I love comfy sofa time) and wheat bag in my back as that also has sprung up in pain again (I tried to iron 3 items, and it bit me in the ass, literally)

My knee is also aching on my operated side, but I remember all these niggles from previous surgeries and I know over time they sort themselves out.

Emotions are all over the place, I find myself close to tears over anything or everything. Could be from surgery itself, or that I’m now no longer taking any painkillers except paracetamol. Either way I’m being gentle on myself and having a self care day with my favourite shows on my tablet.

Day 18 increased physio

Now I feel stronger, and less exhausted. I’ve increased the amount of physio I’m doing.

I’ve also added in a couple of added exercises.

Hip Flexion Standing 10reps x 2

Heel to butt (well to 90degree angle) 10reps x 2

Single Leg Raise 10reps x 2

Scar is healing up nicely, you can see where the old one was, and the new is to the side of it, also old scars either side of this one too. I can’t believe how far I’m come in a short space of time.

But I’m not sleeping well at all now the tablets have been reduced. The frustration of being on my back is wearing me out, I’m tired physically and mentally, but sleep comes in 2hour blocks, all night. This is exhausting, my brain tells me to roll over, body says no chance!!

And I’ve noticed increase of headaches, at first I thought it was from the spinal, so I expected it..but now I’m nearly 3 weeks and I’ve had a headache daily, I’m thinking maybe the paracetamol is causing it??

Day 17 TMI probably

Today I thought I’d tackle a subject often forgotten about, brushed under the carpet, or simply ignored.

The menstrual cycle for me, following all this pelvic and hip surgery has got increasing worse, radiating from the stomach, and pelvis and runs down the hips, legs and around the lower back.

I currently use menafenic and tranexamic tablets to help control the pain and flow, but they aren’t fully successful. So I also use wheat bags and hot water bottles too. But while I’m on clexane blood thinning injections I have to avoid the Tranexamic tablets, as they are for the opposite job, they clot the blood. So ask before taking these while on injections.

I believe the reason they get worse following surgery, is the increased hormones, which softens the tendons and ligaments. Coupled with my collagen issues with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome I can honestly say my cycle is a nightmare for me each month. And of course the blood thinner injections clexane, it makes sense why they get so horrendous after surgery. Least I will only have the injections for 4 weeks so likely only during one period.

Thats something the surgeons don’t warn you…

Day 16 reducing medication

As I have no active prescription except ibuprofen 400mg at the gps, once my dihydrocodeine is finished that is all I will have. And honestly if I can get by without meds I would prefer it.

As what others don’t realise is, all these medications come with side effects, or other medical issues, so after a long 10yrs I’ve battled to free myself of them.

Not to say I don’t feel pain, because I seriously do feel it, but I manage it with icing, with hot water bottles, wheat bags, and resting.

I was currently on 0.5 dihydrocodeine morning and night, but not as I run low on them, I’m choosing to forfeit the morning dose, and just have 0.5 at bedtime. Kind of weaning myself off them.

If that is too much of a jump, I would quarter the tablets instead. But so far it’s day one of half a tablet a day and I feel fine. Achy yes from physio, but more muscular pain.

I do have this as my back up plan, liquid morphine, short acting medicine for when you feel you can’t cope until a bed time dose. Works great with paracetamol in between times.

Paracetamol at the moment is my best saving grace, it takes the edge of the aches, and keeps me from being too restful as well. If I’m not too achy I will naturally do more physio and movement.

I will say I’m no longer sleeping the whole night, for some reason I’m waking up at 3am or near it. Probably just to adjust my back and sleeping position. But it’s something I’ve noticed as medication is cut back.

Day 15 staples are out!!

Getting to this day has been equally long and hard as well as quick and easy, a total contradiction of sorts. Long and hard as the leg has been waking up more, thus creating more aches and pains, and stinging.

But quick and easy too, as is it really only 2 weeks ago I was nervously getting ready to have this surgery done?!

Taking my own hospital provided dressing in, to replace the surgical one I’ve worn for 2 weeks. Though it may be dried and not leaking now, once the staples come out, it has a tendency to bleed a bit from the staple holes. So another dressing is needed.

As you can see the dressing measures over 13inches long! I think my scar is between 11-12inches from my measurements.

Also needed and provided by the hospital is my staple remover tool to hand to the nurse, she will use this to snip the staple in half which then levers them out.

Here it is before the staples came out, a bit plucked chicken skin, but the wound itself is clean (surprised after I had the same dressing on for 2 weeks) it looks a normal colour, no redness, or oozing. So that eased a lot of anxiety seeing it so good.

Felt a touch faint at times, the nurse did alternate ones at first, they tug, they sting, and although it doesn’t especially hurt, it makes me woozy, and hot. So I had to stop for a few seconds pause, to adjust myself (I was standing) and to ensure I didn’t faint. The last few came out while I sat down thankfully.

New dressing on now for a couple of days, as staples leave little open holes, so these need to close as well. But the tight feeling the skin had has gone. Glad it’s done and dusted.

2 weeks post #hipreplacement

I swear time is flying, maybe because I’m ensuring I’m busy each day with at least 1 chore to help, or doing my daily physio.

When I’m not active, I’m resting but in a productive way too. Rather than just lying down all day and night vegging out. Even small glute squeezes while watching TV are super useful.

So here we are, I’ve come on in leaps and bounds, had highs and lows, and followed these exercises to the letter.

The one crutch walking is getting straighter and easier, less leaning and I’ve picked up the pace too.

My biggest change today is staples out day, just thinking about someone touching the wound makes me queasy. I was dreading/ looking forward to this day at the same time.

I hate how it feels coming out, it stings and pulls, makes me feel faint. But once it’s over it’s better, even though that whole day it will be nagging aching.

Day 13 going out out

Today saw the first time I went out out, bit of cabin fever had set in with not only me but the rest of the family.

We didn’t go far, and I knew once we got there, I’d have a comfy chair and access to painkillers. But the drive was 40mins each way.

All my fears soon subsided as actually the drive was pretty easy, though I still hate bends and corners!! Anything that makes me lean into the scar. As the wound still stings a bit.

Once there I knew I had stairs to do, which I don’t do at home (I live in a bungalow) which I think I did pretty confidently, using on bannister and one crutch.

But I did tire quicker as you do, though comfy it still wasn’t home, or my pillows around me. So when it’s time to go, my body is happy. I did enjoy getting outside and travelling for a different view and experience.

Day 12 one crutch!!

I honestly didn’t think it would happen so fast. But I’ve been doing my physio religiously since day 6, I felt strong enough to try.

At first it was leaning to the left, and limpy so I stayed on 2 crutches and focused on staying as straight as possible. Did this for a few more days.

Then today I thought I would try 1 crutch again, and it worked. Yes I have to actually think about my position, and posture, so I’m ultimately slower, but I can do it.

The leg feeling so long isn’t helping, but I’ve had this before, so I’m trusting that the muscle and tendon physio will do what it’s done before, and pull everything back into correct alignment.

I’m half way to feeling ‘normie’ again, I think stamina is a whole new ball game, but certainly in the house I’m getting more independent, and moving more freely. I even caught myself standing up from sitting, but without putting my operated leg out a bit first. I did it naturally and without thought.

I also washed my own hair too, I lent over the bath side and used a shower head. I was very surprised I could do it, no way with a triple pelvic would I been able too, I would of used the bath board. But here’s to feeling almost human and normal. Hope it lasts.

Day 11 fears

Things are going well, but I have my own niggles and stresses, and one of them is my leg still feels HUGE.

It measures 3 inches bigger, I know it’s swelling, which isn’t worrying in itself. Was does worry me is that it also feels longer.

Now over the years I’ve corrected my left leg to match the length of this one, in fact the leg was lengthened 2inches. Not an easy progress, or journey.

Even with the lengthening I was a bit squiffy still. But following this surgery, the time came to correct the other side, the frustration of knowing this could throw me off being level ish again was annoying, but understandable(just).

But now I fear it’s back to its original leg length difference. I hope it’s just a lot of physio and muscle work to pull it back into line, and of course time. I guess I won’t truly know until new x-rays in 6 weeks time.