THR 3 months post op^

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notwhatiexpected

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I am 3 months post op. Went to my GP and was told she doesn't think I'll ever be able to work again and to apply for disability.

I had a hip scope a year ago which didn't fix the pain in my hip and had THR. The surgery went well or so I was told but had horrible pain. The next day was told I had to go back into surgery for a cracked femur that the doc decided to ignore while replacing my hip.

I am 46 years old and having dull pain constantly and stabbing pain upon walking. Has anyone had this issue? I also have pain down my leg and into my foot since before the scope. Is this familiar to anyone?
 
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The cracked femur is something that happens during a THR. But it can be repaired and will heal and normally it is not a problem long term. What has your surgeon said about the pain you're experiencing?

I'm going to tag our forum nurse, @Josephine. She will come along here soon with some questions about your pain location, pain levels and the type of activity you're doing. This information will be important for her to give you an idea what is going on.

Please don't give up and think you'll never be able to work again. I can't imagine why your GP told you that. You are only 3 months into recovery!
 
Can you tell the dates of your three surgeries please?
my GP .... doesn't think I'll ever be able to work again and to apply for disability.
I agree with Jamie - it's a bit soon to be making doom-laden prophecies like that!
I had to go back into surgery for a cracked femur that the doc decided to ignore while replacing my hip.
Well, I've seen a few of these cracks occur during surgery which the surgeon has decided to do nothing about at the time, mostly because it was a hairline crack and would heal perfectly well on its own. But once in a while the crack opens up and sadly, the patient has to undergo further surgery.
I have a dull constant and stabbing pain upon walking.
That would be an expected aftermath of having that crack and then having it operated upon again.
I also have pain down my leg and into my foot since before the scope.
If you've had it that long, my first notion would be that it might be a back related pain.

I'd like to ask you some questions if you don't mind, and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what approach did you have for your surgery? Anterior, posterior, lateral? You can look here to see the various types THR approaches or incisions

2. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!
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)
Also don't forget to include other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness

3. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your hip and for how long?

4. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

5. what kind of physio and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often?

Can you describe them like these examples ....

Exercises done at home: 3 sessions a day
Heel slides x10 (reps)
Straight leg raises x10
Steps x10

At physio
Squats x5 (reps) x2 (sets)
Wall slides x5 x2
Clamshells X5 x2
 
Thank you so much for replies, I'm getting super discouraged.

1. I had anterior approach
2. Constant throbbing in hip itself, stabbing pain sometimes and pain into my calf to the top of my right foot. Most of the time pain level is at 6 right now about an 8. I have constant swelling in about a 6 inch area to the right of my incision.
3.I hadnt been icing hip at all until I stumbled on this website yesterday...iced for about 20 minutes last night and propped leg. Propping makes hip feel worse. I am on 50 mg Tramadol every six hours and 15 mg meloxicam 1 × daily
4. I try to do everything...Im very uncomfortable driving, it hurts to get in and out of a vehicle and my leg cramps.

5. When I first got home I had visiting nurses and pt come to my house. The pt person says my surgeon doesn't have individuals do.pt exercises, so I havent been doing anything, did try walking but that is pretty uncomfortable.

Thanks again for a reply...
 
My GP didnt have any xrays to look at nor had any taken. Im looking for a different ortho because after all that has happened Im really uncfortable with my current one. I am really getting discouraged and I can't see my life as sitting around for the next 40 years..before all this happened I was very active outdoors with gardening, hiking etc.
 
I really do need you to answer question by question and the PT question in details as per the example.
Otherwise I am unable to make head nor tails of your answer.

Can you please try again for me?
Many thanks
 
1. I had the anterior approach on August 18h an femur repair the next. I had a scope done in November of 2014.

2. Pain level at this moment is a 5. My hip always aches, upon standing I have a stabbing pain to the right of my incision. By the end of the day my hip not only hurts but the pain radiates down my thigh to my calf and top of foot. I am really stiff if I sit for more than a few minutes. I have a small amount of swelling to the right of incision.

3.I am on 7.5 mg of meloxicam 1 x daily, I was on 50 mg of tramadol every six hours but now Im taking about 800 mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours. I havn't been icing my hip since about a month after surgery.

4. I am uncomfortable driving as it makes my leg cramp up but, I will drive if there isn't any way around it. I clean and cook but, it takes me way longer than it should and I have to rest several times in the process.

5. I am doing no physical therapy, my surgeon didn't order any.
 
With my anterior approach hip procedure (two years ago today) experienced a cracked femur during the installation of the prosthesis. My doctor placed a small titanium wire loop around the femur to repair the crack. The crack was quite small but he requested that I be non-weight bearing for six weeks post procedure (ultimately shortened to four weeks). The reasoning was that he did not want the crack to propagate and potentially loosen the prosthesis.

Basically had zero issues, minimal zero pain (no narcotic pain medication), almost zero swelling, had four weeks/three times per week of physical therapy.....was back to work in ten days and completely recovered at about 10 weeks. I did experience tendonitis at about eight weeks (treated with oral steroids and resolved in a week).....per doctor very common in anterior approach cases at 8 to 12 weeks due to the very quick recovery time=frame and return to normal activities.

Steve
Spring, Tx.
 
Thank you so much - I really appreciate that
I had the anterior approach on August 18h an femur repair the next.
Then your surgery was way beyond 'normal' as you had two major surgeries within 24hrs and as yet are still only about 14 weeks out.
2. Pain level at this moment is a 5. My hip always aches, upon standing I have a stabbing pain to the right of my incision. By the end of the day my hip not only hurts but the pain radiates down my thigh to my calf and top of foot. I am really stiff if I sit for more than a few minutes. I have a small amount of swelling to the right of incision.
That's hardly surprising.
3.I am on 7.5 mg of meloxicam 1 x daily, I was on 50 mg of tramadol every six hours but now I'm taking about 800 mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours. I haven't been icing my hip since about a month after surgery.
4. I am uncomfortable driving as it makes my leg cramp up but, I will drive if there isn't any way around it. I clean and cook but, it takes me way longer than it should and I have to rest several times in the process.
That's a very small amount of pain meds. Plus does your doctor know you are taking meloxicam and ibuprofen? Because they are both NSAIDs and we shouldn't take more than one type at a time. Medications: acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetamol) and NSAIDs, differences and dangers. And you need to do less and take more pain meds. Forget about driving, you're still too soon for that. And you need to be taking your Tramadol 3-4 times a day.
5. I am doing no physical therapy, my surgeon didn't order any.
Good!
 
Thankyou for answering my questions.....I am unable to get any more Tramadol until.I.see.a new doctor on December 17th...the doctor that prescribed the Meloxicam is no longer employed where I was seeing her and the doctor that took over refilled my antidepressant but refused to refill the tramadol and requires her patients go to a pain management clinic...I really don't see much of a difference in pain level without the Tramadol ...the Meloxicam does help with stiffness somewhat but not the swelling or throbbing or stabbing pain. I have also been soaking in epsom salts and using a capsaicin cream that gives me temporary relief and will.relax me enough to sleep for a bit. Is it alright to use these things? Do you have any suggestions for something over the counter that I could take with the meloxicam? I also would like to know how long the average femur break takes to heal, I realize we all heal at different rates and have been doing some research online but find it's a bit mind boggling bevause everyone says something different
 
I take 800 mg of ibuprofin every 6 hours. Meloxicam did nothing for me. I hope you can find some relief. Have you seen that product out that is around 200.00, but it is an electrical stimulator wrapped around your leg? I was wondering if that would help. Maybe someone on this forum has used one of those...
 
I have also been soaking in epsom salts and using a capsaicin cream that gives me temporary relief and will.relax me enough to sleep for a bit. Is it alright to use these things?
Perfectly alright! Personally, I can't use the capsaicin cream as it was using it made me aware that I was very reactive to chilli! I eat a dish with chilli and my lips swell to the point where I look like Mick Jagger! but it's okay if you can tolerate it.
Do you have any suggestions for something over the counter that I could take with the meloxicam?
How about Tylenol? I know you need a prescription for the stronger ones, but you can get regular Tylenol over the counter and take 3 at a time which will be 975mgs. Take that no more than 4 times a day with the meloxicam and see if it works for you.
I also would like to know how long the average femur break takes to heal
Femur or finger, it's about the same 10-12 weeks. But it doesn't mean it's going to be unstable that long.
 
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