THR Wiggle’s post-op hip surgery journey

Thanks ncarlson. I was doing really well. Walking without a walker or cane. I was going out some then I have taken a step backwards. My PT said to go out every day. Now I’m getting a shooting pain in my groin area and can barely walk. I’m not sure what happened or what to do at this point. I’m getting a lot of swelling on my lower leg, foot and ankle. I can’t even see my ankle it’s so swollen. It’s difficult to ice that area with my new gel pacs with straps bc they are very large and I can’t reach that area very well. All I can do is lay ice pac on it but it doesn’t get direct ice, just partial. Trying to ice groin area too. I hope this is only a temp setback. I’m having my staples removed Monday.
 
P.S. I am only taking Tylenol 1000 mg., 4x per day, 2 low dose aspirin, 1 Celebrex 200 mg. for 1 month more.
 
Hello, I’m sorry you’re struggling. I’d advise you ignore PT for now, taking a step back.
If you’re not elevating, please begin, you need to. Here is an article to explain how to do it properly.

Ice several times per day any areas of discomfort. Do this for 45-60 minutes, no less, each time you ice. Always placing fabric between the ice source and bare skin. As far as icing your ankle - Set up some elevation, place an ice pack where your ankle will be and using your grabber (hopefully you have one) to place another ice pack on the top of your ankle, Hopefully that will suffice.

You don’t need to be doing more than what you see below at this point of recovery -

Week 2
Start on a plan of walks around the house lasting longer than 5-10 minutes but don't a) get into too much pain and b) get too tired. Stop before you get to that point.

Activity: do some tidying up, a little bit of meal prep and maybe some washing up so long as someone else dries and puts it away!

Get some rest, elevate and ice and hopefully you notice improvement soon.
Wishing you comfort and a peaceful evening. :)
@wiggle
 
Good morning everyone. I’m still having a great deal of pain and swelling in my foot and ankle on my LTHR. I’m now 15 days out, not needing a cane or walker, once I stand and stretch the stiff muscles out. I don’t have a grabber and I sent off for 4 of the Flexi Kold gel pacs. They are good but I have difficulty getting my leg elevated properly and getting the gel pac on the sore area of my ankle. My toes are badly bruised also.
I had the staples removed yesterday and steri-strips put on. I see the surgeon on Wed, tomorrow. I am concerned about taking too much Tylenol. 2/500 mg. 4x per day max. I got a rash from Tramadol but seem OK with one at night. How long is it advisable to take 4000 mg of Tylenol daily? I only have a few Tramadol left, maybe 6 or 8. I have Celebrex 200 mg., once per day and 2 aspirin daily also.
Another thing, I was attending 2 Bible studies on Tuesday. and Wed., mornings. Is like to go back next week. I would be driving there, 5 minute drive and they are in the mornings and last about 2 hrs. Do you think I’m pushing it? I went to Publix, SAMS Club and Costco already. Just short visits using a cart to lean on and walk. My leg muscles are still very stiff but I have more pain in my swollen ankle/foot than my hip. Also, I have that sensation of my other hip/leg being shorter! Strange but the home PT said that is very common, initially. Thanks for reading and answering my questions. It is very true the Surgeon’s office greatly minimizes this post-op recovery. I thought 4-6 weeks and had no idea. Good to be with all of you here. God bless.
 
Good morning @wiggle! You are still VERY early in your recovery so you still need to take it slow. I found using an ace bandage worked great to hold my ice packs in place even if I was moving around, that might help keep ice on the area that is bothering you. I personally would continue the use of Tylenol as long as I needed it to move around without too much discomfort. You are at a prime time to join the Over Did It Club (ODIC), you start feeling like you can do more, it doesn't hurt at the time, but that night or the next can become a nightmare. Key thing to remember our hips never tell us DURING the activity that it's too much so it's easy to over do. Bible study may be a challenge depending what kind of chair you are sitting in, I didn't find many that my hip didn't mind in the early days. Can you let others in the group know that you are giving it a try but that if it starts hurting you might need to leave early? Maybe take an ice pack along? I just don't want to see you hurting because you pushed too hard. Been there done that and it's no fun. You seem to be on the path to a good recovery, brighter days are ahead! :flwrysmile:
 
Good Morning,
Sorry you’re still dealing with the pain and swelling. Are you familiar with Ice Wraps? Basically a removable gel pack that you freeze and insert into a pocket that is attached to straps which fasten with Velcro. If you feel you could wrap it around your ankle, it may be the answer for you.

As far as elevation goes I’d recommend the Lounge Doctor. While it is an investment, it’s a worthwhile one in my opinion. I still use mine on occasion three and a half years post op and do not regret the purchase. When considering the purchase I figured it would come in handy should I ever need another joint replacement.

Since you have an appointment with your surgeon tomorrow, question him on the medication and Tylenol usage. I believe he’ll be able to offer you reassurance regarding the Tylenol.

As far as Bible Study....give it a try. I‘m sure they wouldn’t mind if you had to take a break standing or walking a bit to avoid stiffness. You'll never know unless you try and Tuesday will dictate whether you feel you can handle Wednesday. Let your study group know at the beginning that if you’re to uncomfortable you may need to excuse yourself and leave to try again at a later date.

Leg Length Differential is a common complaint. Following is an article -

Wishing you the best at your appointment tomorrow. Please let us know how it goes. :SUNsmile:
@wiggle
 
Thanks everyone. Your support and suggestions are so helpful and comforting. ♥️☺️
 
Sorry but no clue on drug recommendations. My OS had me taking a Fomatadine with the aspirin to help protect my stomach.
The bruising could be from the wrenching they do to our legs to get all of that stuff in there. If you had a grabber you might be able to place the ice pack on your ankle with it. I used mine for everything.
Many mention a leg length feeling, I didn't notice it. I wonder if it's due to the stiffness of the operated leg. I used the shopping cart method and was very conscious of walking properly to flex the operated leg.
 
Went to Dr. today. Saw PA. He thinks I have cellulitis around my ankle area. Going on an antibiotic. They also sent me to have a vascular ultrasound to check fir a blood clot. There was no clot. I have had stinging, burning abs swelling of my ankle so I am hoping the antibiotic clears that up. I slept in my bed all night fir the first time. I’m 16 days out from surgery. I can walk without a cane. Didn’t get home until 3 pm and was exhausted and fell asleep in recliner. PA wanted me to try to take less Tylenol than 4000 mg per day so he gave me more Tramadol to use at night. I seem to tolerate 1/50 mg. per day but get itchy taking more. Hope everyone is doing well.
 
Hello @wiggle
I’m sorry you have to deal with an issue aside from normal recovery. Thankfully there is no blood clot, you received a diagnosis and treatment plan and will hopefully be back on track soon. The good news is you slept in your bed all night and moved away from the cane. Those early trips out and away from home can be draining. I hope you have a peaceful rest of the day now that you’re back home relaxing. :) Take good care!
 
I thought I read here on these forums that 1 Cup Alcohol to 4 cups water, in three sealed zip loc bags (to prevent leaks) is a way to make the packs stay colder longer ,and almost like a gel pack, not a bunch of hard cubes next to your skin- this has been a Godsend to me - put them in a travel pillowcase. Ice a lot - it truly helps! I put my pajamas/pants, and the sheet and blanket between the packs and my skin, so no freezer burn. Best wishes for your recovery!
 
Good morning everyone. I’m so glad to be here and able to read your posts and the responses. I am wondering why I got so much swelling around my ankle, which developed into cellulitis. It is just in the beginning stage but is red, swollen, stings and is angry. I elevated it and slept in the bed last night so it was better this morning. I’m in my recliner this morning with leg elevated taking Bactrim (antibiotic)) for 7 days. I am concerned about sitting too much (17 days post-operative today) and not getting enough exercise (walking) in for hip to heal. Activity is causing that ankle to swell, which is causing the cellulitis. If I don’t walk everything stiffens up. If I walk too much, I’m aggravating the swelling in my ankle. Has anyone heard of this. I saw PA yesterday in Surgeon’s office and he said to go to my PCP, to have her look at it???? Guess I am reaching out for some feedback. Thanks and I pray you all have a blessed and pain-free day. ♥️☺️
 
The ODIC club is so common. I am ashamed to say I did it again over the weekend, just pushing my UTV in the garage several feet. One day later my entire hip and upper glute is painful and swollen. I am 5 weeks out. Back to icing and laying down for a few days, its so easy to get a false sense of what you can/cannot do.

Good luck,

Larry
 
@wiggle Have you seen a doctor about the cellulitis? If not you really should!

About 4 couple of years ago coming back from a trip to the other coast I got whacked on the lower leg by a fellow traveler's suitcase. Didn't think much of it at first but the next day spot was red, swollen, hot to the touch ... and because I have hip replacements it scared me. So off to the doctor's. My regular guy was not available so I saw a PA who was very nice and had an xray taken of the area to make sure there was no foreign body lodged under the skin (No there was not)... and prescribed a course of antibiotics. A week later it still did not look right so back to the doc (my regular physician this time) ... who order an ultrasound to check for a clot or blocked vein or artery ( nope not that either). And a course of a different antibiotic. 10 days later still looks inflamed so 3rd course of yet another antibiotic. When I finished that the redness was down and it no longer felt hot ... but still looked like a big bruise. So was referred to dermatology for another opinion. That doc said infection was gone and that I'd probably have a mark on my leg forever .... 4 years later yup I still have a bruised looking area on my calf.. no kind of lotion, arnica gel, or anything else has changed the appearance ... but also no further exacerbation and no infection. Could have been very serious per my regular doc but thankfully I got it treated and had no complications.

Please consult your medical folks!!!y
 
Thank you. Yes, the surgeon’s PA sent me for a vascular ultrasound. No blood clot. I called my PCP to go see her after I’m done taking 7 days worth of antibiotics. This is my 2nd full day on them. No improvement yet. Still hot and red on both sides of my foot and ankle. Swelling is down some this morning. My toes are also very dark. I have Celebrex. The PA said it can inhibit healing in the hip so I stopped taking it. I wonder if it might help with the inflammation in the cellulitis? I have enough for about 3 weeks.
 
Another quickie question. Surgeon’s PA gave me an order for PT. I am wondering when I should go there, especially in light of having developed cellulitis? I’m now 18 days out from LTHR. Thanks everyone. Prayers for a beautiful day for each of us! ☺️♥️
 
Hi @wiggle
Glad there is no clot but I'm sorry you are having to deal with the cellulitis.
It often takes several days for that antibiotic to start kicking... Certainly three full days ought to show some improvements.
Less swelling probably is due to it being more horizontal.
My best advice is to try to keep this elevated toes above heart as much as possible.
Need to get this on the mend before considering whether you think PT might be helpful.

Hopefully once you get the cellulitis cleared up, you can walk more which really is the best PT for new hips.

Healing mojo coming your way:friends:
 
The most effective way to take Tylenol is 2 x 500 mg tablets (Tylenol Extra-strength) 6-hourly, to a total of 4,000 mg (4 doses) in 24 hours. You need to take it regularly, to keep up the levels in your bloodstream. If you just take the odd dose now and then, it's far less effective.
Hello again. How long does one stay at this high level of Tylenol. The Surgeon’s PA said to cut back but I wonder if Tramadol or Tylenol is worse for the liver? Thanks everyone for the suggestions abs feedback. Have a great day! As I said, I’m 18 data post-op for LTHR.
 
Hello. My cellulitis is clearing up slowly. So much less pain. I had a question. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks post-op and I cannot step up steps yet with LTHR. Not even one with left foot yet. Does this come naturally over time or do I need PT to strengthen the muscle? Also, I was wondering if I should massage the incision gently to avoid lumps and scar tissue? Does one really need PT? I would like full range of motion restored if possible? My pain has diminished greatly after the cellulitis was treated with Bactrim. Can one start bike riding this soon? I’m getting ansy being home so much. It’s warm here in FL so I could go to the beach and sit under an umbrella.
 
Going up and down stairs comes with time. It's the old story about doing a little to strengthen it, but not so much to cause pain. I know you want it to be over but at 3 weeks it's still very early in the recovery deal. I've got a few steps to get up to my back door and I would just take my time and try to go up them. If I couldn't I would just try the next day. It was kind of like log leg, when I couldn't lift my leg into bed I'd just slide it in until slowly it came around. With my left I had no log leg and stairs were no problem, my right was a completely different story so everyone and every hip is different.
 

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