THR Made it around the corner

[mainegirl1]

Work? I hate to be a Debbie Downer but expect to take a few steps backward. I too am shocked at going back to work so soon.. How will you elevate and do your job? Hopefully it is one where you can share your work space with an icepack.. I understand that work keeps your mind engaged and your pocketbook solvent but man it is early!
PT???? Is this an insurance or a surgeon thing @Chaotic? My OS says NO PT at all for 30 days and he has a lot of experience.. he says just walk and do not fall.
I have been to the ODIC (Overdid it Club) and its not fun. Sometimes less is more. Remember your new hip may have realigned your leg and those muscles that were residing in one place happy may be not so happy for a while with your new alignment. They will get over it if given a chance.. Seems like a little kid they need a time out.

 

[Chaotic]

Yes work. I have special circumstances that allow me the flexibility to come and go. My husband and I own our own company and it’s a very low key time of year so it will be easy to phase in and come home whenever I feel I need to.

Of course owning our own business also means making sure certain things get done that can only be done there. The beauty of it is I have a great team that will help me as needed. I’m also a little stir crazy so I think it will be good for me.

Thanks for the concerns and the reminders that muscles and walking and all of it is different from before and will take some time to adjust. I think I am also adjusting from the walker to the cane as that just began yesterday. I have been resting, a ton. I think my brain likes to run amok.

No PT for 30 days, wow. Mine had me doing PT day 3 from the hospital. Crazy how they are all different.

 

[Tarajeane]

I have been doing to PT since day three as well. I had two in patient PT sessions and both times I had bad knee pain after. I then cancelled my in house and went to out patient PT and LOVE it. I feel so much stronger. I can now even take 10 steps without any walking assistance and no limping. Mostly I use one crutch though. Sounds like you are doing great! And yes everyone is different and recovery is different for all but we all know our own bodies and what it needs Good luck with the rest of your recovery!! Sounds like you are doing great!!!


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[Cecropia]

I felt pretty much the same as you at 2 weeks minus the dizziness. You think things won't get better, but I think you will improve, 2 weeks is really early. I never tried sleeping on my stomach, I think that's prone. I was told not to sleep on my stomach till healing was much further along. I'm not sure at what point that would be...
Patience is really hard right now, but I feel the same way. We just want to fast forward and be all better.

 

[Chaotic]

I misspoke @Cecropia, I should have said supine, not prone. Laying my leg flat on my back. I did take a dose of pain pills last night. And that did and didn’t help. I felt it kick in but then I lay there for 30+ minutes with various aches and pains anyway. My husband thinks I am weaning off them too quickly (being stubborn as he put it) and I am going to get my walker out later in the day. I am walking improperly because of pain which isn’t helping my cause not one bit.

So all this to say, I’m feeling better this morning, it’s a great new day. Thank you guys for the support.

 

[Eman85]

Wow, you're very flexible if you can lay your leg flat on your back! LOL!.
At least you realize the stories about going shopping 3 days after THR are a myth. Hate to say most of what people tell you, including health care professionals are myths. I think they are tales spun to make you feel worse about yourself to go along with the nagging aches.

 

[Cecropia]

Okay, I'm with you @Chaotic.
I cannot lay on my back at night and lay my leg flat on the bed either. I told my OS that I put a pillow under my knee's to sleep. He said don't do that you are making it worse. So I stubbornly made myself lay on my back and lay the surgery leg flat for 30 minutes and was about to scream. Well, you know what happened then, the pillow went back under my knees, man ya gotta sleep... I'll have to deal with that problem later....

 

[Mojo333]

I cannot lay on my back at night and lay my leg flat on the bed either. I told my OS that I put a pillow under my knee's to sleep. He said don't do that you are making it worse

Why?
That's how I slept in the bed.
My recliner has a cushion part right where my knees hit so...

Hope things get better @Chaotic

 

[Cecropia]

@Mojo333 OS has 2 hip replacements. He said the muscles are getting use to contracting that way and need to be stretched because they are so tight. Maybe it's just his take on it. He's really nice, and I gave him the look....and he said well walk as much as you can and try to work on stretching that muscle....

 

[ceezee]

@Cecropia I’m 10 days ahead of you and about a week ago I laid down in bed, stretched my leg out straight and suddenly it felt fine. In fact it felt great! I think it’s all tied up with me trying to improve my gait and stop the limp. My knee hurts but only when I’m walking. Even so, I still occasionally put my leg fully out on a king size pillow. I’m 5’ 3” so it just fits.

@Chaotic It’s a work in progress and quite a journey. Hope you’re feeling better!

(Or at least I was 5’ 3”, who knows how tall I’ll be after both surgeries.)

 

[Eman85]

My OS said no pillow under knee. What he did say is if You're sitting with your leg up on a recliner or an ottoman is put a rolled towel under your ankle for 25% of the time. It will help stretch out the muscles on the leg. Worked for me I didn't have any problem laying my leg flat on the bed.

 

[Chaotic]

Thank you @Mojo333. I’m thoroughly annoyed.
One good day... yesterday I felt upbeat and positive and walked most of the day very well.
Another bad day... today my groin hurts so much it’s hard to put weight on my right leg.
Does that make any sense? My leg feels strong, like I should be doing great and yet my groin is ridiculously painful. I just don’t understand. I have no swelling, Steri-Strips are coming off and my incision is healing fine.

The PT today was very knowledgeable and feels like my SI joint is very loose. One leg was noticeably shorter than the other. After her very gentle movement, my legs were exactly the same length. She also pointed out that recovery should be a straight line of better days, not good then bad. I don’t care to take pain medicine to walk forever, that was the point of surgery.

I can’t help but believe that painful pop in the middle of the night has to have something to do with it, but that’s anyone’s guess. I’m just trying to be positive.

 

[Eman85]

Seriously if you read a few posts on here you'll find that either we're all wrong or your PT is. Feeling good and overdoing so you feel terrible the next day is the normal pattern. You won't be taking pain meds to walk, It will just take time. Taking pain meds to mask the pain so you can do what you think you should be doing will make the setbacks larger.

 

[Mojo333]

She also pointed out that recovery should be a straight line of better days, not good then bad.

Well that is just malarkey..and the more mobile we get, the more likely we will need time to recover from the increased activity.
Recovery is rarely ever a straight line.

If we let that soft tissue, and those muscles and tendons heal first, before expecting our leg to perform...we will have a faster recovery.
I discovered this early on.
Not even one month out...early early days!
It us hard to be patient...your hip is fixed but all the stuff they had to cut, stretch, and so on to get to it is injured! be easy with exercises!

 

[Chaotic]

I totally have been resting and taking it easy on the exercise. I do the exercises they ask of me while here and walk but that’s about it. I’ve been resting, icing, resting, walking, icing, and taking tylenol. I have helped with a little laundry and have gone back to work today which required, getting in the car, dropped off at the front door, walking to my desk, walking for coffee, walking to the car and being driven home. It’s such a tough life. I really love the diagram I’m sure that is more accurate. What is it about docs/pt’s etc. you mention a problem, they immediately set out to solve it. I really believe I have soft tissue torn or strained and that it will heal in time. I’m just not so patient. I can tell a difference in the pain, I really believe that, even if it is the same spot as before. Thank you @Mojo333

 

[Mojo333]

I hope I don't sound smug...I also had to figure things out the hard way sometimes.
Your body is in charge of healing, so just listen to it and it will all work out.
You've got this!

 

[Chaotic]

Three weeks today! I had a very good day. My first day back at work I definitely overdid it, I guess it just felt really good to get up and out. However, that made for a really hard night, I didn’t get any sleep so yesterday was 100% rest day.

I went in today and was very careful, I realized how bad my mechanics had been on Tuesday and made adjustments. Then I came home and had PT. This new lady is very aggressive with “strength training” and I’m a little concerned because of my groin pain. She’s paying attention to my concerns or so it seems.

I’ve done a lot of reading up on groin pain as I have not seen much on postoperative groin pain after THR on this site. As substantial my pain is I don’t understand why I haven’t seen more about it but according to one very large study, only about 13% of anterior THR’s had this pain at 6 weeks. Exercises I could easily do on day 8, I can barely do today because of this pain. Everything I’ve read comes up Iliopsoas muscle/tendon and it mostly heals with rest/stretching/PT. Right now I’m trying to focus on the rest part. Hopefully I won't fall into this category at 6 weeks.

It is better than it was and I’m paying super close attention to my walking (heel/toe) and using my core really helps. So here’s to healing. One day at a time.

 

[Chaotic]

I had the BEST PT today. Yesterday I posted that she seemed too aggressive. I don’t know if she thought on it over night and changed her strategy or I was just misunderstanding her. However today she really helped me to understand the difference between sore and pain. That a little sore is ok, but any exercise whether it’s the first one or the 10th that presents pain means STOP. That made me feel so much better, like she wasn’t trying to push me into doing things I didn’t want to do. And actually I could do more today than I could yesterday.

My groin pain is still present but as I rest and pay close attention to my walking, it is much much better. I am so pleased. It’s made my attitude a lot better, that’s for sure. PT was happy, I’m happy... that means hubby is happy. LOL.

She was telling me today to watch out for the automatic motions like leaning over to turn on the shower faucet (she’s still talking SI Joint) and I laughed and told her don’t worry, my hubby is so happy to see me nekkid, I haven’t had to turn a shower on or off since surgery day LMAO. She giggled and said well at least he’s enjoying the caregiving duties

 

[Layla]

Hi,
It sounds like you're progressing nicely. You're fortunate to have an easygoing PT who isn't pushing you with a no pain no gain routine. At only three weeks post op it's very early days for you. It's nice to have a husband who's a cheerful caregiver. Makes you happy, which makes him happy. Happy wife = happy life!
Have a wonderful weekend!, you two lovebirds.
@Chaotic

 

[Chaotic]

I am pretty sure I’m becoming a popsicle