THR Nini's Right THR Recovery -- January 2024

[benne68]

@Nini great job with the tag!

 

[Nini]

I’m wondering if anyone has taken muscle relaxers in their recovery?

 

[Nini]

I am almost shocked at what a good day I had. (9 weeks). I fixed us a dinner casserole from scratch this morning. First time since surgery !While doing the chicken I would take lots of small walks so I wasn’t standing in one spot. I got it done and we enjoyed it for dinner! Very little pain all day. I felt so blessed! And now evening is here and it appears to have caught up with me. Tonight is a normal pain night. BUT can I really believe it’s the first of good days to come?? I sure hope so it was so good!!

 

[Layla]

Great news! I'm glad you had a good day...I am sure many more are on the way!

And now evening is here and it appears to have caught up with me.

Rest and ice if you need to and hopefully you'll feel good again tomorrow. Take it s-l-o-w.

 

[Nini]

Yet another question! I do feel fairly well again today! That’s great! I just started bending over after the surgery finally last week and using my knees which because of my back I’ve done for about 30 years because of my back. This morning when I bent over to pick up some laundry I felt a definite pull in my operated buttock. My husband feels this is a good thing because I’m using the muscles. Your thoughts please? (I made sure I kept moving right after that happened)

 

[Nini]

No thoughts on the bending over? I had two relatively painfree days and what I had was tolerable! Today is ODIC! I was hopeful that I wouldn’t as I didn’t think I had really over did it. But here it is. I’m resting and icing while still trying to do small things thought the day. (9 weeks po)

 

[benne68]

Are you still having discomfort from the muscle when you bent over, @Nini? Or was it a momentary sensation that has passed?

Not sure if this is exactly what you are experiencing, but I had lots of strange aches and tightness in my low back and buttocks following my THR. I think a lot of it has to do with our bodies adjusting to the difference in our alignment. I know I certainly was favoring the bad leg prior to surgery (I needed a cane to get around) and it took a lot of aches and pains to adapt to the new position of my body. Could that be what you're experiencing?

 

[Nini]

No it didn’t linger. Just felt the pull. Was sure if I should be doing it or not. Thanks for your reply. Today was a step back but tomorrow will be better again!

 

[Nini]

I had a couple nights of fairly good sleep and then last night happened. Significant pain was keeping me awake. I didn’t overdo it yesterday in fact laid down a bit extra to be off my butt and toke the normal two Tylenol before bed. Is this normal to go backwards like this? This whole week has been one of ups and downs! Thanks to all who take the time to reply.

 

[Eman85]

Sorry I'm late on responding to your bending over and feeling a pull. I had similar with my left when first being able to wash my feet at 6 weeks, felt like a tearing sensation. It all was fine and I have no idea what it was but it felt scary. You're still in early recovery, hard to believe but that's the way it is with THR, so ups and downs and pains and regressing is pretty normal.

 

[benne68]

Is this normal to go backwards like this?

You are not going backwards! This recovery is not linear -- it's a roller-coaster ride with lots of ups and downs. The good news is that the "dips" get shorter and less intense over time. Yes, it can be a bumpy ride, but that's normal. We even have a little illustration of how recovery from a joint replacement usually goes:

You just have to hang on a bit longer. And, remember, we are here for support whenever it's needed.

 

[Nini]

@benne68 @Eman85 thank you so much. I really needed these words of encouragement! As the morning has progressed so has the pain. I’m going to take it easy the rest of the day. It’s the butt cheek pain so intense today. Which seems to be making other parts of my thigh feel sorry for the butt cheek so they have decided to hurt as well. Hopefully it won’t take long to recover from this dip and then I’m going to be very wary of overdoing it.

 

[Nini]

Today is a new day! I’ve dusted a few long over due pieces of furniture. It’s 2:15 and I just over 2000 steps. I don’t have the intense pain of yesterday but still pain in my cheek and lower buttock. (Like a searing pain when I sit). Especially when I sit. Groin pain also. So I’m up moving and then I sit and rest or else lay down for 15 minutes just to get off that butt. I don’t know what else to do. I feel like I’m missing out on so much! Especially with grandkids. Next Saturday is a big small town Easter egg hunt. I so hope I can go! But it might be far to walk and our family Easter meal is that night also. I was so on the go before this and now I feel like this…. I remember the surgeon saying I can’t fix all your problems but I can help you feel more like yourself. I’m waiting. I know give it time but there is always that devil on the other shoulder shaking his head. Thanks for listening to me today and all days!

 

[Eman85]

Are you icing?, it feels good no matter how many months out. Sounds like you're ready to earn a gold card in the ODIC club, time to exercise your patience. You're about 9 weeks into a 1 year recovery, can be longer depending on how many overdo's you have. I have a lifetime membership to the ODIC as I keep renewing, that's right even after years it still happens.

 

[Nini]

Oh yes. Icing several times a day! From what I told you I did today would you say that was too much? The over dos make it longer??

 

[Nini]

I had mentioned the question of taking a muscle relaxer earlier. I have had ongoing back issues and have been glad no flare ups since the surgery. But yesterday I started to notice a bit so decided to take one at bedtime. This relaxer is not supposed to make you sleepy like Flexerile does which usually knocks me out. I woke up after 6 hours and could hardly believe I slept straight for that long! I will call my surgeons office on Tuesday to see if I could start back on it regularly as I had been before. It is Baclefan. Anyone else take muscle relaxers on their recovery journey?

 

[Layla]

Piriformis syndrome - a pain in the butt!
Does the article above describe the pain you mentioned? If so, I suggest you try some of the stretches indicated and see if it brings any relief. Good luck, Nini!
@Nini

 

[Nini]

@Layla
. a sharp intense pain in the middle of the buttock that affects almost all movements including getting out of bed, rising from a chair, any bending or stretching
2. radiating pain down the sciatic pathways, commonly called sciatica, which travels down the outer side of the leg,

Thank you for your reply! I don’nt have these symptoms. I have no problem getting in and out of bed or getting up from a chair and other than a slight pull when I bend over no. And no sciatica.
My pain is in the area where the incision is and flares up from too much sitting or just trying to be up doing things. Such as using the steam mop in the bathroom was something I should not have done! I can walk with hardly any pain and no sign of limp Right now it’s 11:30 and I have emptied dishwasher bending over of course. Walked 1000 steps and have only a twinge of pain! I did ice when I got up this morning.

 

[Layla]

Good news, Nini! Glad you're having a decent day so far. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
Happy Sunday!
@Nini

 

[Eman85]

Oh yes. Icing several times a day! From what I told you I did today would you say that was too much? The over dos make it longer??

Very hard to determine what too much is. All it takes is a certain movement that the muscles don't like, especially if it's repetitive. Besides all of us react different as do each hip. I had the same OS for both of my hips, and they were very different experiences in some ways.