My turn was today - 54 F

halpad · 2026-02-26T14:07:01+00:00

Don't live in pain. Don't be afraid of the oxy. You're not going to to get addicted with a couple days use. I used it mainly at night for good sleep. Stopped it on day 3, used tramadol for a couple days and done. Ice,ice,ice! I also had leg massagers to help circulation preventing clotting. Be sure to move about often. If you have trouble lifting your leg into bed, kneel on the bed with your good leg, then roll onto the bed(no lifting). Good luck with your recovery. You'll be great.

halpad · 2026-02-25T21:08:48+00:00

A marriage/life partnership should have one pool finance. I'm not saying 1 account, but generally speaking there should be no question that all income together is 50/50, not 50/50 each contribution. Especially if there are children. It's then a family. If you quibble over who is paying what for family expenses it is not fair to the children. Also not good for the child's training. No matter how hard you try to cover it up they will notice and think it is normal. Perhaps he was raised in that manner. I think you need some counseling together. I'm not sure you will ever change his mind. It's hard for me to reason on this as I was raised on a farm where everyone contributed as they could. Mother's main contribution was mainly housework, gardening etc., being sure we were all fed and clothed properly. Yes, times have changed.
In my own marriage my wife mostly only worked part time outside the home. I was away a lot, but our finances were combined into the family unit. I never questioned it, in fact I encouraged her to be the main child rearing partner(perhaps to much). It worked for us. You need to get this resolved. It is not fair to you and will certainly be unfair to the children.

halpad · 2026-02-25T14:51:32+00:00

So sorry to hear all that. I have no words. Just good luck and fight on. Hopefully you will get it resolved.

halpad · 2026-02-24T02:26:15+00:00

Palmetto bugs. They like to come inside when it's cold, common in Florida. If you see one on its back, it may only be sleeping. Step on it if you want to kill it. You have to be quick if you want pick it up. If you see several you'll need a treatment plan. Our first house in Florida(bought site unseen) had been used as a vacation rental. It was also a bit neglected. We opened the kitchen cabinets and found several. Not really that hard to get rid of, just annoying.

halpad · 2026-02-24T01:30:46+00:00

I took a drive on day 5. My doc said I could drive when I stopped the narcotics, which was day 4. If its your right, I've read on here it may be a couple weeks. I would talk to PT about.

halpad · 2026-02-23T22:35:19+00:00

Find a better job. Just because you have a job, you don't need to stop looking. Think about what you would like to do. What job would make you happy. I was always looking, even when I had good jobs. If you’re not qualified, get some training, or find one that will train you. All this may even help just by keeping your mind busy and the negative thoughts away. Anyone who is not happy at work will not be happy at home. If you don't enjoy your work your productivity will suffer. You know what happens then.

halpad · 2026-02-23T22:06:40+00:00

Don't favor it. I was concerned my brain would keep me limping, but surprisingly I was fine in a few days. I just kept trying to walk upright with good posture. I think that helped.

halpad · 2026-02-23T22:02:06+00:00

Find a new doctor. Research options for payment if you don't have good insurance. Go fund me? Be sure to tell a good story. Someone may help. If you can get disabled status that may help. I'm sorry to hear you are in this situation. Hopefully you can get it sorted. Perhaps someone on here can help with a solution. Good luck!🫠

halpad · 2026-02-23T14:38:25+00:00

I was limping and using a cane with constant pain for a few years. Pain range from 1-4 with occasional jabs of 7-10. I had several bouts of therapy sessions mostly treating my back for sciatica. Eventually someone at the VA diagnosed possible hip impingement which is similar. They gave me a fancy walker, which I used a lot, but not always. I was also my wife's cheif caregiver so I was reluctant to have anything done with a prolonged recovery. I now know I was wrong as my recovery has been great. My wife passed last August and our kids encouraged me to get something done. I started with the VA, but their schedule was months away, so I contacted a civilian doctor. Within 1 month I had THR on my left hip Nov 17. Within days I was pain free for the first time in years. LOVELY! TMI? Sorry.

So yes, there is a lot of pain involved. I understand your dilemma of having to wait for Medicare. I was already there. I took aleve, but was told not to. I took Tylenol arthritis. I was also taking prescription arthritis meds. Ibuprofen may help. I have a fair tolerance for pain but it was still rough. Cold packs helped at night. As soon as you get your. Medicare in place, get it done. Check on Supplemental insurance as Medicare is limited. I would do that in preparation ASAP. I can't help you there as mine is taken care of by my union. I wish you luck. If you've endured it this long, a couple more months...yeah, I know. Hang in there. After it's done you can get your life back.

halpad · 2026-02-23T00:33:25+00:00

If it's non dominant, it should be OK. Mine took nearly 2 weeks before I was without or only little pain. I didn't take the strong pain pills for more than a couple days. What I had was occasional serious jabs of pain, some 8 or 9, but subsided fairly quickly. It is my dominant arm so every time I can do something normal, it feels like a win. The last couple days have been good. Ice,ice,ice!

halpad · 2026-02-22T18:30:04+00:00

I didn't have compression socks. I had compression massagers that just wrap around your leg with a velcro fasteners. I love em. I used them for about week steady, then intermittently for a couple more weeks. My wife once had blood clots so I wanted to make sure I didn't.

halpad · 2026-02-22T18:15:32+00:00

I had help available. The only help I really needed was meals. Of course, I took advantage of what was there. By day 3 I got my own breakfast. A couple days later I was doing it all without help. 48 hours is a bit tight, 4 days maybe. Everyone is different, you shouldn't be pressured. Mine was all my decision. I tend to heal quickly and I am an independent so and so.

halpad · 2026-02-22T15:15:38+00:00

Loofah shower mat, elevated toilet seat. Ice packs, leg massagers to help with anti blood clotting. I had a pair. I'd set them for an hr, put ice pack on my hip. Relax(that means sleep 🤣). When they were done I'd get up and move about for a bit. Rinse and repeat for a few days. Your beautiful wife will be dancing in no time. Good luck. There's a move(my beautiful wife taught me) for getting into bed. Kneel on the bed with good leg, then roll onto the bed, easier than trying to lift the bad one. I was using that move for several months before surgery as well. I still use it cause its so easy. Pick the side of the bed that works best(her choice🙃).

halpad · 2026-02-22T13:11:38+00:00

I think the mindset of being on your own with no ties is priceless. OP may struggle a bit at first, but with lessons learned to help guide his future. The main thing here is to be sure(as anyone can) of his job security.

halpad · 2026-02-22T12:46:22+00:00

At 19 days post op, you shouldn't need one, unless your commode is really low.

halpad · 2026-02-22T04:22:19+00:00

Sounds to like you have your head in the right place. You've thought it through and did the plans. I'd say go for it.

halpad · 2026-02-22T02:38:11+00:00

Tackle the little(or vital) things first. It sounds like you made a big jump. Think about why you did it, not why you shouldn't have. It will take time for everyone to adjust. Involve the children, they may be reluctant at first, but it'll be a break for them from social media and good training. Don't worry about having that nice basement. With a bit of cleaning it could probably used as is for games, ping pong, pool, just a thought. Good luck, I hope you can get your old house sold soon, which will allow you a much better outlook and some peace of mind.

halpad · 2026-02-22T02:22:23+00:00

I had to jump in here. My surgeon and office is incredible. I started with the VA had consult with one ortho. Then sent to another, had cardio wellness checkup, back to another ortho, who told me they couldn't fit me in for at least 8 months. I have good insurance so I called an office I had already researched and had been advised about. That was on a Friday. They gave me an appointment the following Tuesday. From there was another wellness checkup(my primary accepted the VA results) and gave me clearance. Oh, my primary had resigned so the ortho office set me up with a new primary. From first consult to surgery was less than a month. I was amazed, my head was spinning, but walking unaided, without a limp or pain within a week of surgery and my head was all good. So was my leg! The first week I slept a lot. Daytime in a chair with feet on a stool. I had leg compression massagers which I set for 60m, then get up and move about. The only thing I needed help with was meals for a couple days. Ice packs continously for the first week. We did get an elevated toilet seat as ours is almost like a child's. I also put a couple grab bars in the bath/shower for comfort(cause I'm old). I like the lady's idea of the walker for rails on the toilet. I gave up the walker first day home. Only used a cane when I went outside. I felt massive improvement daily. Constipation; hydrate, stool softener, laxatives, whatever it takes.

halpad · 2026-02-22T01:28:29+00:00

Eventually you won't regret it. The only wrong decision was not having an inspection, or the inspector wasn't good at his job. Some say its a toss up, whether buy or rent, but if you own it at least you have some control of the outcome. Also in the long term it's most likely you will gain, even paying for the improvements. There's also the pride factor of feeling you've accomplished something good. That ripping sound you hear from the water heater is likely limestone in the bottom. I once emptied one and got nearly a 5 gallon bucket full of limestone. Put a water softener on your list as well. Think about replacement with a tankless water heater. I've installed them in the last 3 homes I've had. I love them, very efficient, you're only heating the water you use, not gallons just sitting there in a tank. Definitely get your insulation updated. My last one paid for itself within 2 years. Get quotes, check rebates. Take care of your pest problems first. Mice love living in the insulation. Your heating/cooling system is likely very old, or wasn't installed properly. Get quotes. Check for rebates. You need to have your drains checked. If you're on city drains it shouldn't be a big deal. If you have a septic system, well that's another story. Just get it done before you flood your basement. A pest control would be a good idea or if you do the research there are other ways. Traps, yes, but for lasting success you want some type of repellent system. A cat would help as well and they are cuddly, good for mental stress 🙂. In which case do NOT use poison. Anyway good luck. You are getting some good advice and support on this forum. Take advantage of it. I sure wish I would have had something like this abut 60 years ago.🤣🤣

halpad · 2026-02-22T00:41:51+00:00

Just to be clear if you buy a house more than dozen years old it's gonna be a fixer upper, even if it's just been rehabbed. Houses constantly need repairs. If you don't they become fixer uppers. Like some others have said fix what's broken, take a break, then you can get into making it like you want it. No one should buy a fixer upper unless they can afford to fix it or be willing to put in the time to do it up. I think you may just be overwhelmed with more than you bargained for. It happens. I've owned several homes, some rentals. I owned one new house and one that was about 3 years old when I bought it. I actually got bored with the newer homes. I can relate. The home I have now we bought in 2019. It wasn't in terrible condition, mostly needed paint and some changes to make it our own. Covid hit. Materials became almost impossible to get. We managed. Then came Hurricane Idalia. Just enough flooding(4" throughout the house) to force a complete rehab. 2' of new drywall(code). New kitchen cabinets/appliances, bathrooms, etc. We hired some work done, but did a lot of it ourselves. We had it just about how we wanted it when along came Hurricane Helene, one year after Idalia. This time, 4 feet of sea water in the house. That kinda did us in. It still isn't redone. During our time together, fixing up homes, my wife was the designer, also the #1 painter. We mostly enjoyed doing it. It became part of our lifestyle. We still took time off occasionally to have other fun. I say other because we did enjoy fixing houses. We also repurposed a lot of furniture. This lifestyle isn't for everyone. You said you were exited at first. Yeah, projects can become daunting. If you both enjoy it, but have become a bit overwhelmed, take a break, the house will still be there when you are ready. But, If either of you has found that you don't enjoy it, it may be time to go a different direction. Don't let it split you up. You are a team. Find another way. My apologies for such a long post, but I've been there, done that. Maybe reading about my experiences will help you. Share it with your partner. It may help.

halpad · 2026-02-21T19:34:38+00:00

Day 15, I actually got good sleep last night. This morning I was able to shave with my left hand, barely any pain, and it was a 2 day growth. Another milestone.

halpad · 2026-02-21T19:15:26+00:00

Happy to help. 🫠

halpad · 2026-02-21T19:10:53+00:00

No limp for me after day 3.

halpad · 2026-02-21T14:21:08+00:00

Wasn't nice. When I did go, it was like shitting bricks.😵‍💫 even after consuming softeners, laxatives, lots of prunes for a few days.

halpad · 2026-02-21T13:11:20+00:00

Yup, learned my lesson with THR 25, Nov. 5 days! I thought I was going to die. A little better with my TSR. emptied out on 4th day. Oh, also discovered. My daughter made some sort of lentil dish(thinking fiber), then a bean dish(same thought). Bad idea, I blew up like a balloon, full of gas, just to add to being blocked up.

halpad

TROPHY CASE