Hip replacement update

[GinaD]

Here I am on day 10 of a projected 42 day recovery.

I was in the hospital for 6 days -- longer then anticipated because my blood pressure kept crashing whenever I tried to get up. Why? Guesses -- anesthesia sensitivity? narcotic/pain reliever sensitivity? fluid imbalance due to surgery? laying in bed too much? Probably all of the above.

But I'm home now. Using a cane. The OA pain is gone, and though it is much improved,the BP issues hang on. Better -- but I have to moniter my wooziness so I don't overdo. My adrenal glands are fine and I'm doing my in-home exercises. I'm not cleared for out patient PT, (Oh I wish!) but I have home exercises and a home visit from a therapist a couple of days ago and scheduled for later this morning.

Onward and upward!

[Lure2]

Hi Gina,

Take it step by step. Be careful and rest I guess. Good to hear.

Kerstin in Stockholm

[GinaD]

Thanks. My goal is not to run,but to go hiking in the Cranberry Wilderness this spring.(Cranberry Wilderness =s as Scottish-moor- like as one can get in the US. I didn't realize how similar they were until I hiked The West Highland Way.)

And I'm drinking a lot of low calorie Gatorade and salting food. I've delt with low BP issues before, and I certainly hope this is not the beginning of the 3 year hell I had in the 70s when on more then one occasion I woke in my University's ER with no idea how I got there. Bad memories, brought to the fore by recent feelings. ( isn't it amazing how a physical input or experience, such as a smell or a feeling, can so vividly trigger half forgotten memories?)

[stillwaiting]

Good to hear your progress thus far Gina - take care.

L.x.

[Suzypawz]

Take it slowly Gina, hope it all improves soon for you xx

[MaryF Administrator]

Nice to hear from you, keep well, when I last had operations the morphine sent my blood pressure through the floor and took days to sort itself out. Mary F x

[Hidden]

Glad to hear that you are making good progress, keep it up!

[jetjetjet]

Hi Gina -- glad everything so far has been on a positive note :-)--- sorry it took so long for my imput things just crazy. glad things going well just don't overdo it .. --------jet

[GinaD]

Actually, the worst is this one PT exercise: the Lieing straight leg lift. The therapist explained that the short, inefficient Sosas (? Hope I'm remembering this right) become notoriously weak during a patient's trip down that degenerating hip OA road. It hurts. A lot, when I do my reps. But I'm being firm with myself and doing the proper # of reps, 3x a day. And it is getting easier.

But isn't it some fortuitous karma that my spending-lots-of-time-in-the-recliner-watching-TV happens to be the time when BBC America is broadcasting nearly non-stop Dr Who? I couldn't have planned it better.

Oh! Also, though I'm on my Church's Vestry, I had to miss the pre-annual meeting, and also the annual meeting. Oh well. And then there's Thanksgiving Dinner; I'll show up and eat with extended family, but I really can't contribute too much can I? and the annual leaf raking-- all fell, literally to hubby and daughter? ( Did you know the average mature sycamore generates 1 million leaves?)

Obviously I'm not slow at counting the attendant blessings. ( hee, hee, hee. Now I'm feeling spoiled and decadent.)

[stillwaiting in reply to GinaD]

Lol - there is always a silver lining Gina!! My INR went up to 5.9 - gulp - but that means I can indulge in broccoli soup and spinach in tonight's curry in order to bring it down a bit - there are always silver linings Enjoy resting up and watching Dr Who!

L.x.

[GinaD in reply to stillwaiting]

And kale chips? Love those. ( pinches of fresh kale, turned in olive oil and sea salt, and baked a nice crunch.)

[stillwaiting in reply to GinaD]

L.x.