Hip Replacement: The First Physio

Nerve block is wearing off and pain is going up quite a bit but still tolerable. Muscles are spasming in the leg pretty good at the incision site, which feels really weird but not as painful as the operating nurse indicted it would be so I'm happy about that.

Had a visiting nurse come today to check on me take my vitals and discuss medications. I'm holding off on taking the real heavy stuff - partially because it invariably makes my head even more spinny than it should be and nauseous to boot - but she said it the pain goes way up take it and I should take one of the heavies tonight before going to bed to knock the pain down and get a good night's sleep. Will follow medical advice accordingly, after all I’m not about to be driving a car or operating heavy machinery for awhile anyways.

Taking a ton of different meds - 8 scripts in all - most I've ever had to take, including a blood thinner to prevent clots which means if I fall at any time and land on my head it's a direct trip to the emergency room. Yowza.

Then on to my first at home physio. PT guy came and did a questionnaire and basic exam. Just a brief assessment and Day Two brought on new exercises, and it was a butt kicker even so. Already been doing ankle pumps since yesterday to stop clots now four more exercises are added to the repertoire.

One exercise today that seems simple is this: Lie down on your back and extend your leg out fully, then slide your leg on the bed dragging on your heel so you feel the stretch. You can probably touch your butt with your heel right? Right now I can move it only about 2 inches back before the pain really kicks in. But, better than the one inch this morning though, so that's progress.

I'm getting up to walk with the walker and doing good going straight and penguin feet for turns as I'm not allowed to rotate the hips. Good to be up to prevent clots and good to move around.

I went down two small stairs today to the kitchen for lunch - going down two little stairs was darn scary and tippy, even being supported by a wall, walker, and Tash. Made it, but I then found I couldn't sit down at the kitchen table due to the chair height being too low, so went back to the bedroom to sit there. Going back up the stairs was easy. Weird how things that were no issue before are an issue now, but with PT and some time I'm going to come back better than before.

Probably still a little loopy really, pretty tired most of the time, but no real complaints.