Hip Replacement Update

It's been only a week and a half since surgery. 

Need to keep reminding myself of that, as it feels like it's been much longer. 

Possibly getting a little stir crazy, but it is nice and warm in here compared to the outside, and since we got 5-7 inches of snow all day and night yesterday I don't have much motivation to go anywhere right now and not much need to do so anyways.

Apparently, I overdid the PT exercises a tad and have been up and out of bed too much. For some reason my right ankle swelled up to the size of a softball yesterday.  Probably due to overuse as I didn't hit it on anything or twist it or anything like that.  Ankle is better today but it was a good reminder to not overdo things and I should be lying down and elevating the legs more.

Just completed today’s PT session and the therapist says I’m doing great and she now wants me to start using the cane 50% of the time, and the walker the other 50%. All in a week and half since the surgery!

Therapist was also "Don't even think about trying to cut down on your pain meds right now."  Outpatient PT will apparently offer some new and different exercises and she warned that I'm  going to be very sore the first few times plus the stress of going outside to boot.

I will be converting to out-patient physio therapy starting next week.

Supposed to still use the walker anytime I go outside for doctor's appointments, etc due to risk of falling in snow and ice.  Falling needs to be avoided at all costs.

Still on serious restrictions as to no bending forward at the waist, no reaching downward below the waist either, no crossing feet or legs, no sudden turns or hip rotations, and still no going up/down a lot of stairs. 

May soon get cleared to drive which is pretty wild.

Overall, I've improved a ton since surgery in terms of range of movement.  A lot stronger and more stable.   Less pain than when I had the arthritis too. Down to about a 3 or 3-2 even.

Still need a lot of work though, as some movements still simply still don't move. 

I still, for example, can't get up from a chair without using my arms to help, and lifting the whole leg higher than an inch when it is straight out from the hip when lying down only works about 50% of the time, but it's getting there.

Doctor follow-up appointment has been moved from tomorrow to Friday due to a scheduling conflict on their end, so we will have to wait a bit for the official medical status update.