THR Barb's Hip Recovery - RTHR

[Layla]

Good news, Barb!
Happy Two Week Anniversary. Have a great afternoon and evening!
@Barb56

 

[Barb56]

Helloooo Bonesmarties!

I've had a lovely afternoon in the Peak District, Derbyshire today, and for no other reason than I have already bored my OH to death with intricate details of my recovery, I decided to share my progress so far. Including Good Things and Bad Things. Apologies in advance.....

Good Things: walked half a mile today on my crutches, good path but on a slope. Very slow, concentrating on heel to toe walking, and for first time I had no pain at all. Result!

On the whole I'm sleeping well, still mainly on my back, just occasionally on the non operated side but can't do the pillow between the legs malarkey.

Using one crutch round the house but defo 2 crutches outdoors.

Nutrition....eating for England , bowels fine, blah di blah... I had sincerely hoped my appetite would be affected so I would lose a highly resistant 10 lbs I put on last Christmas. No such luck (I think this should be in the Bad Things come to think of it)

OH has learnt how to cook English breakfast, bacon sarnie, chicken curry and meat pie....curiously these are his favourite foods

Bad Things: My surgeon told me my thigh muscle tendons were very raggedy and only semi attached to the bone. He said "I wasn't touching those", which was not 100% what I wanted to hear. He also said I would probably always have a limp. I wasn't dead keen on this either.

NB surgeon may not have said raggedy but its what he meant. I was heavily drugged at the time....

I never got rid of the limp in my left leg after LTHR in 2019, despite hours of recommended exercises, physio, those coloured rubber bands and other tortures, and miles of walking. I just could never get rid of the cane.

Has anyone else experienced residual limp 5 years after THR, or been told that their muscle tendons are weak and raggedy and will result in ANOTHER limp? It's just if I end up limping on both sides I'm gonna look like Captain Pugwash on a stormy sea.

Other Bad Thing: I'm doing some of the recommended exercises from the hospital physio dept, hip abductions, adductions, lifting knees to just under 90 degrees (with varying degrees of pain and/or success), but I can't do the blooming back bridge thingy or the squats, spine can't stand former and knees can't stand latter.

Next Big Thing in my life..... squeezing glutes for at least 5 seconds at all times of day and night. Apparently this is more effective than the back bridge thingy. I obtained this info from an unimpeachable source...yup t'internet, the home of all sound medical advice.

I'm going now. Hope u r still awake.

 

[Freyagirl]

if I end up limping on both sides I'm gonna look like Captain Pugwash on a stormy sea.

That’s me after Hip#2. I needed a good laugh. Hopefully we will both continue to heal and get to calm seas.

 

[Mojo333]

@Barb56
At not even one month out from #2, you sound to be doing very well.

walked half a mile today on my crutches, good path but on a slope. Very slow, concentrating on heel to toe walking, and for first time I had no pain at all. Result!

OH has learnt how to cook English breakfast, bacon sarnie, chicken curry and meat pie...

Sounds Yummy!

My surgeon told me my thigh muscle tendons were very raggedy and only semi attached to the bone. He said "I wasn't touching those"

Gee, I hope at your next appointment you get some clarification.

I'm doing some of the recommended exercises from the hospital physio dept, hip abductions, adductions, lifting knees to just under 90 degrees (with varying degrees of pain and/or success), but I can't do the blooming back bridge thingy or the squats, spine can't stand former and knees can't stand latter.

I didn't find any of those exercises helpful in the least, especially these early days when soft tissue is still settling. Especially ones that were to be done in a prone position.
Trying to lift knees in that fashion seemed to strain my groin.
I found slow, mindful walking -as you are doing - much more helpful and some standing exercises as time went on.

Next Big Thing in my life..... squeezing glutes for at least 5 seconds at all times of day and night

I found glute exercises helpful too.
Those butt muscles biggest job is in keeping us upright and pushing our bodies forward. Strong gluteals are important for proper pelvic alignment, propulsion during walking and even standing on one leg. Glutes also help support the lower back during lifting, and help prevent knee injuries....

 

[Gloucestergal65]

@Barb56 Interesting what you say about the limp. I’ve still got a slight limp fourteen months on and beginning to wonder if I’ll ever get rid of it. I’ve given up on the read and yellow thingies but maybe I should start them again. No one ever mentioned ‘raggedy tendons’. Nice description btw.

 

[Barb56]

Thank you Freyagirl, Mojo333 and Gloucestergal for your comments!

I expected to have pain during the night and this morning. Well it's just slight discomfort, so have omitted 30 mg codeine and just taken 2 x 500mg paracetamol and my blood thinning tablet. I've had another dose of paracetamol now.

Maybe I can live without the codeine from now on. Don't want to be too hasty, I've been waiting for this op for 12 months and could hardly walk at all from November onwards, so co-codamol has been my friend for months.

But I'm definitely very tired today so rest and elevation is calling now.

The raggedy tendons thing definitely needs sorting out. I need to know exact which muscle it is so I can establish whether there are any surgical or physio treatments that can help. I see my surgeon on 30 April and that question is at the top of the list. I think we can safely say he doesn't want anything to do with it!

I'm sure the slow mindful walking is going to help a lot. You can actually feel it giving the leg a workout. And the glute squeezes, my new Favourite Thing.

Slow walking is driving OH mad as we were used to hiking until all the back/hip problems started 5 years ago. So as I lumber behind along behind, his favourite saying is C'mon, Flossie. Strangely, this is not as motivational as he thinks . But then he bought me a delicious soy latte yesterday and a flapjack from National Trust cafe so all is forgiven.

Off to bed....zzzzzzz

 

[raylo]

Bonesmart is generally a great site... except I keep learning of more things to worry about, like ragged tendons? Damn, I hope they don't find those in me Wednesday! Hopefully in your case it just means tendonitis and it will resolve over time.

We were also big hikers until a couple years ago, when I started having more problems with my knees and hips. Luckily (and sadly) our little dog was slowing down with age at the same time so I could still keep up with him. But when we would lag behind my GF would call us "her old men". LOL

 

[Barb56]

Good Luck on Wednesday @raylo . May your tendons be fully functioning. We will soon overtake our doubting other halves xxx

 

[Barb56]

My 3 week anniversary...off for a walk up the lane....heel toe heel toe

 

[myglasshalffull]

Happy 3 week aniversary!

 

[Barb56]

In ODIC today. After my walk felt really well yesterday morning, hubby out all day so decided to do laundry, drying, cooking a meal, veggies in bottom of fridge, just bent down and got em, hopping about sans cane or crutch. Plus decided I could do without strong painkillers.

When hubby got home I was a snappy ball of fatigue and pain.

It's impatience to get back to normal I guess.

Cross with myself. Sorry to be a bore, it's so stupid.

The lesson is slow and steady wins the race.

Grrrrrrr......

 

[myglasshalffull]

We've all been there, don't beat yourself up, take it easy for couple days, you know the drill, ice, elevate & relax

 

[benne68]

Don't be too hard on yourself, @Barb56. It's something we've all done it at least once (I've done it multiple times!) during recovery.

We start to feel better, and think we can do more than our body is ready to handle. Finding the right balance between enough and too much is really hard!

My surgeon often lectured me that "the most important muscle to exercise during recovery is the Patience Muscle."

 

[Barb56]

Thank you both.

Resting then walking yesterday, no exercises and no housework.

Had an unrelated hospital visit yesterday, quite a walk from the car park to the department I needed.

Then hubby took me to the Garden Centre for some plant porn, bought lots of Spring plants and have lots of plans for digging out and moving plants around. Thankfully I have a lovely friend coming next week to do all the digging etc.

Weather pretty good here in the North of England at the moment.

The real reason for coming here today is to ask if anyone's scar is itching? Had my dressing removed and replaced about a week ago, wound was all clean. Second dressing was becoming detached so I took it off. Nice clean line, no redness, but it's itching like billyo.

Any advice? Don't want to put some random cream on it without sharing with Bonesmarties.

 

[Barb56]

Hurrah, good weather at last!

 

[Layla]

So beautiful! The grass is so green.

Still looking at shades of yellowish brown in my neck of the woods, but hey, the sky is blue, the birds are chirping and a warm weekend is in the forecast so I am not complaining!

I hope you have a lovely weekend and get outside to enjoy that beautiful scenery!
@Barb56

 

[benne68]

reason for coming here today is to ask if anyone's scar is itching?

Yes. It is normal and a sign of healing!

Itching usually occurs during the second phase of healing as new skin tissue is formed to replace the damaged tissue. If it becomes severe, trying icing to numb the area, which will help.

It's important not to use any topical agents on or near the incision until the wound is fully closed (usually 4-6 weeks post op) without the approval of your surgeon because there is a risk of infection.

The itching can last for several weeks, but it will pass!

 

[Barb56]

Thank you both.

Will defo try icing tonight, it's super itchy just now.

Enjoy a lovely weekend xxxx

 

[Barb56]

4 weeks ago today I walked into the Operating Theatre for my new right hip.

Some little victories: I can walk up the stairs both legs . Doesn't look elegant but it will do for now.

Scar has stopped itching.

I can lie in bed on both sides (heaven)

Been on 2 one-mile walks last 2 days. With crutches, on the flat. I don't feel safe enough outside without crutches yet.

Just walked from home down a steep hill to post a letter, and back up steep hill. Was puffing a bit coming up the hill, it just shows my lack of exercise while waiting for my op.

I tied my own shoelaces on my sneakers for the first time in months, yay

Anyhow....I'm due to have a physio appointment by phone on Thursday, during which I can ask for some future "in person" appointments. I will definitely ask for some, I know this will still be a long haul, I'm not throwing the crutches away yet! Or the raised loo seat!

One thought...this right leg is already stronger than the left hip which I had replaced 5 years ago, on which I still limp, and this has been a much easier recovery. Different surgeons....

I feel ready to drive again but I'll have to wait for my 6 week consultant apt 30 April.

One bad thing - I now have to exercise with the dreaded rubber band thingies. Ho hum

 

[SurreyGirl]

Please be careful re the rubber band thingies - I did that during my first hip recovery and it set me back bigtime. Recovery much better second time around just doing gentle exercise and walking. Best of luck!