Progress: Week 3

Well, my new hip is three weeks old. It’s been interesting getting to know it. Sometimes, I swear I can feel the exact spot where the metal in the hip enters my bone and where it stops. I know this is my imagination. Mostly because I have this thought while laying in bed unable to sleep.

For the most part, I’m happy with the progress we’ve made together, my hip and I. I’ve added standing exercises to the bed ones the hospital PT lady gave me. My walks have increased in length – today’s was 1.5 miles. I can walk without my cane, but I do tend to limp a bit when I do. Since I’m trying to break a long limping habit, I use the cane most of the time even if I barely put any weight on it.

Being able to take a shower on your own while standing up is a thing of infinite beauty. Each day it’s a little easier to get the foot on my bad side up and over the edge of the tub. Now, if only I could get the compression sock on and off myself. My mom struggles mightily to get it on and I don’t want to bother her to do it too often.

Today I drove my car for the first time since the surgery. It’s not something I’d want to do for long periods of time, but it’s nice to know that I can do it.

Keeping the surgical wound clean and dry is a bit of a challenge – partly because of where it’s positioned and partially because part of it doesn’t seem to be fully closed. I’m paranoid about infection.

I’ve stopped taking the pain pills. Well, I did take one the other day after sitting on bleacher seats for an hour or so. I felt I was due.

My insomnia is getting horrid. Part of it is because I still can’t sleep on my side without a bit of a throbbing pain in my thigh (that’s when I start to contemplate exactly where the metal bits are).

Other than that, not much to tell. Here’s some photos.