Post-op aids, DVT, clunks

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about re socks and undies. For a

few dollars at any store which carries stuff for the handicapped or

arthritic, you can buy a long handled " grabber " and a rigid plastic

folding wedge with long straps that fits inside your sock. You pull

the sock over the folded wedge, the folded sides flip open, you lower

the wedged-open sock to the floor holding the tapes, stick your foot

into the sock as far as possible, then pull on the tapes to pull the

wedge up your leg and out of the sock. It helps to do this while

sitting on the bed, so you can fall back on the bed with your leg in

the air and let the top of the sock " fall down " your leg. Takes a bit

of practice, but it works like a charm. You could probably make your

own sock aid with a large clean tin can (both ends removed) with a

couple of long ribbons attached to one end. Getting the socks off was

more of a challenge, but the long armed grabber will do it eventually.

This system doesn't work for tight TED's however. I always needed help

with them, but the physio said I could wear them for two days in a row

and just shower every second day. Since I wasn't doing too much to

work up a sweat at first, I took her advice.

As for undies or long pants, just stick the lower arm of the

grabber through the leg hole on the operated side, grasp the fabric

firmly with the grabber, reach over sideways (again, it helps to be

lying on the bed with your leg sticking over the side or raised in the

air) and drop the hole over your foot. The panties will slide down

your leg to your knee or a similar point where you can reach them with

your hand. Then bend the good knee and insert good foot in the other

hole. Of course, that won't work so well for a bilateral patient;

maybe in that case you need TWO grabbers and long arms...

If you are under about 5'8 " you probably don't need a raised

toilet seat, but if you are tall (especially for women) or if you had

a bilateral, it's wonderful. I kept mine for about three months, just

because it made me feel safer if I had to get up in the middle of the

night, and didn't want to plunk down too hard on my operated hip while

I was half asleep. However, I was able to use regular height toilets

when I was out, so long as there was a counter or something to hold on

to while raising or lowering myself. I even used a few towel racks,

although I know they aren't supposed to be strong enough for that.

Regarding sofas and chairs, put an extra cushion or two on the chair

or sofa, and use the arms of the chair (or one arm of the sofa plus

the back of the sofa, lowering yourself into the corner, if you're

strong enough) to raise and lower yourself.

I didn't use a recliner, I used one of those " pool-side " lounges

with arms and a thick firm cushion. I kept the back sloped at an

angle greater than 90 degrees. If your arms aren't extremely weak, you

can get up from it quite easily by pushing down on one arm of the

lounge with one hand, and on the seat cushion with the other hand,

while keeping your leg fairly straight.

For the guy who's worried about DVT, I had my resurfacing with Dr.

McMinn, and they gave me some pills called Plaxil (not coumadin, I

don't think), and a couple of homeopathic medicines (Rhos Tux and

Arnica, I think they were called), plus they made me wear a long TED

on my operated leg and a knee-high lighter weight TED on the

non-operated leg for SIX weeks post-op. I had absolutely no problems

with blood clots, although certainly lots of bruising during the first

few weeks. Annoying as the TEDs were, I found that they also gave my

leg some support, and I was more comfortable WITH them than without

them for the first few weeks. Please don't call off your surgery

because of DVT worries unless you have had a lot of clotting problems

in the past. The complications of NOT having the surgery (knee, back,

and neck problems come to mind) are pretty bad, and the risks of DVT

are low if you follow doctor's orders.

I'm seven monts post-up, and I still get the odd clunk. I worry a

bit, but on the other hand, it usually clunks when moving into a

better range of motion, so it seems positive in that regard. I decided

to look at the whole picture: am I gradually improving? YES! and not

get too obsessed with minor details and small setbacks.

n

rBHR Oct.17/03 McMinn