Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement (April 2006)

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Wednesday 4/5/06 - 2 Days Post Surgery

Everyday for 2 weeks I will wear Ted Hose, designed to prevent blood clotting. I put them on first thing in the morning and wear them all day until I climb in bed at night. They are tight and I can't put them on by myself. Chuck accomplished the feat, but I'm not sure I want the punishment every day for 2 weeks. I also don't want blood clots so I will comply and Chuck and I will have to get better at this. Right now getting these on is more painful than walking.

Pam a home health nurse came to check my vitals and see how I was functioning. She was concerned with practical issues like 'could I get on/off the toilet?', 'could I get in and out of chairs?' and 'was I going to eat or starve and go downhill?'. When I told her that Vicodin didn't agree with me, she call Dr Cohen for a different prescription. She encouraged me to use pain medication.

Megan a physical therapist came to make sure I understood and was doing my physical exercises. She encouraged me to use pain medication to ensure that I be more pain free, would tend to do the exercises correctly and gain the most therapeutic value.

They both came to reassure me and answer questions. That was a good idea. I always have questions. And, when one question is answered it prompts another question, sometimes hours or days later as my mind plays with the information.

I did a full set of exercises, designed to stretch and strengthen individual muscles. It was such a beautiful day I wanted to be outside. I was told that walking was good. It would encourage my body to heal. I just should not overdue it to the point that I was regressing. Chuck, carrying my walker, and I headed outside and around our condo complex. I walked down the stairs by myself, leading with my 'surgery hip' leg. At the bottom I continued unaided, focusing on keeping my knee and foot pointing forward, stepping heal to toe and keeping a straight posture. When I started to feel fatigued and tended to turn my foot, I asked for my walker, then turned around toward home and continued to focus on my gait. When I arrived again at the stairs I walked up, unaided except by the rail, leading with my 'good hip' leg.

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