THR Spongebob's Recovery Journey

I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone on here that has helped me understand what is going on in my body after what I have had done and understanding that the road to recovery and getting back to doing the things i love is going to be a long 1 but the main thing is I'm now on that road ❤️. Also the pain is no where near as bad as it was pre op so that's also a massive win for me . I'm staying positive all the way from here on in I am keeping the vision in my mind that 1 day soon i will be doing the things I love again pain free (or relatively) so this is just a massive thank you to everyone that has helped me along this journey ❤️
 
Three months on I’m not without some discomfort and I can’t tie my shoelaces (so I bought some loafers). However, I am without the pain that kept me awake at night, made me cry walking to the end of the road and stopped me doing things. I still limp and am using two sticks to help. I may never get better than this but it is already better than it was so I try to be philosophical about it and have patience through the journey. Friends say it is life changing, I hope they’re right.
I feel exactly the same the pain/discomfort I'm in now is no where near as bad as it was pre op where I was crying with the pain and feeling deppressed all the time and not be able do what I love gym/cycling/swimming its just frustrating that I have had the op and I still can't do the things I love because of the discomfort I'm in but I know that the discomfort is only temporary what did your friends say say about it ?
Reading this thread I like seeing that you are shifting a bit your perspective to hoping for the best, and understanding that although no one (even the OS) can make any guarantees, there are things, improvements to hope for in the future.

I believe you are grieving over having to go through the surgery. And part of this process is also acceptance of where you are now (you describe it yourself above as day and night in comparison to pre-surgery), and that there is a possibility some pain or discomfort may linger. This way, each time you make progress it will feel all the more sweet.

The alternative to the surgery was to stay in horrible pain, depressed. Now you have a new lease on life, but you also need to respect the process and take care of your new hip, so that it can take care of you :)
 
You are more than welcome, that's what we do here, try and ease the mind and answer your questions/concerns.
Stay with us and keep reading and learning as you progress down the hip recovery road.
Maybe in 6 months from now you can help a new "hippie" with their worries.
That's why I'm still here over a year later, these contributors gave me so much encouragement and good information and resources that I didn't get from any doctor!
I wish you a happy day!
 
You are more than welcome, that's what we do here, try and ease the mind and answer your questions/concerns.
Stay with us and keep reading and learning as you progress down the hip recovery road.
Maybe in 6 months from now you can help a new "hippie" with their worries.
That's why I'm still here over a year later, these contributors gave me so much encouragement and good information and resources that I didn't get from any doctor!
I wish you a happy day!
So are you pain free now ? Also if so how long did it take to settle down
P.s i will be more than happy to help
 
I am back to all my daily activities, walking rescue dogs, cleaning my house, cooking, driving, yesterday I walked 3 miles, and trying to get back to work. Only reason I'm not back at work right now is because I have several trips on the horizon and didn't think it was fair to go back and then ask for more time off.
However, there still are days I have a few aches and pains, but I'm 71 and had those aches and pains before my hip was fractured. But there are also days I feel totally normal. You will get there.
I'd say there are "ah ha" moments along the way, like doing something w/o thinking about it that you couldn't do before.
There will be milestones in your recovery, maybe 3 months, 6 months, then a year. I'm a little over a year recovered and much older than you. We are all on individual recoveries as you are already finding out.
It's different for everyone.
 
the pain is no where near as bad as it was pre op so that's also a massive win for me .
A member once mentioned on the forum that even IF they were only ever 90-95% better than they were pre-op, it was still a win. So try to keep that in mind when you're tempted to get anxious about any discomfort or pain you're dealing with.

Honestly, a level 2-3 on the discomfort scale, which is how I believe you rated your current state, is not abnormal at this point and I am assuming shouldn't hold you back too much. I understand that pain thresholds vary from person to person as we all feel pain differently, but what you're describing sounds like it shouldn't really keep you from getting active, back to living life while allowing the healing process to continue.

Please don't compare yourself to others as far as intensity of pain, or length of time it takes anyone to become pain free. Many won't remember this because it is normally a gradual process. Also, there are many reasons why pain varies from person to person, like age, pre-existing health issues, length of time they were incapacitated with pain etc, so it really does no good to compare your recovery with that of other's.
 
the pain is no where near as bad as it was pre op so that's also a massive win for me .
A member once mentioned on the forum that even IF they were only ever 90-95% better than they were pre-op, it was still a win. So try to keep that in mind when you're tempted to get anxious about any discomfort or pain you're dealing with.

Honestly, a level 2-3 on the discomfort scale, which is how I believe you rated your current state, is not abnormal at this point and I am assuming shouldn't hold you back too much. I understand that pain thresholds vary from person to person as we all feel pain differently, but what you're describing sounds like it shouldn't really keep you from getting active, back to living life while allowing the healing process to continue.

Please don't compare yourself to others as far as intensity of pain, or length of time it takes anyone to become pain free. Many won't remember this because it is normally a gradual process. Also, there are many reasons why pain varies from person to person, like age, pre-existing health issues, length of time they were incapacitated with pain etc, so it really does no good to compare your recovery with that of other's.
True that like I say i can't fully do what i want to do because of discomfort but I know I will get there soon so I am staying positive
 
the pain is no where near as bad as it was pre op so that's also a massive win for me .
A member once mentioned on the forum that even IF they were only ever 90-95% better than they were pre-op, it was still a win. So try to keep that in mind when you're tempted to get anxious about any discomfort or pain you're dealing with.

Honestly, a level 2-3 on the discomfort scale, which is how I believe you rated your current state, is not abnormal at this point and I am assuming shouldn't hold you back too much. I understand that pain thresholds vary from person to person as we all feel pain differently, but what you're describing sounds like it shouldn't really keep you from getting active, back to living life while allowing the healing process to continue.

Please don't compare yourself to others as far as intensity of pain, or length of time it takes anyone to become pain free. Many won't remember this because it is normally a gradual process. Also, there are many reasons why pain varies from person to person, like age, pre-existing health issues, length of time they were incapacitated with pain etc, so it really does no good to compare your recovery with that of other's.
Like you have said previously i will get there to pain free living once my body gets used to the changes with my gait and the trauma from surgery from discolating my hip to resolve the knee pain and also once my body gets used to the new implant for the hip pain.Then if I look after it then it will look after me for years to come its just going to take time and patience then i will look back on these previous messages as a learning curve in my recovery then maybe 1 day i could help people with a new hip in the future
 
Question- I lay on the bed of the surgeon office with my legs out flat and then I lifted my operated leg and I got so far say 1 foot off the ground and it was painful to which I said will that pain fade off which he replied he didn't know it may always be there. Firstly why is this painful to do and secondly surely it will fade off as i couldn't do it without pain pre op? Now I still can't?
 
Question- I lay on the bed of the surgeon office with my legs out flat and then I lifted my operated leg and I got so far say 1 foot off the ground and it was painful to which I said will that pain fade off which he replied he didn't know it may always be there. Firstly why is this painful to do and secondly surely it will fade off as i couldn't do it without pain pre op? Now I still can't?
Hi @Spongebob, this is kind of the same question that you’ve been asking all along - you’ve had an operation, there’s still some pain and there are things that you still can’t do. We’ve all said to give it time, no one, anywhere, can promise you anything. My surgeon says ‘maybe’ when I ask him anything that requires him to look into the future.

I remember saying on one of my recovery threads that I wish that I knew what I’d be like in a years time, so I understand your impatience. For me, things have got better as time has gone on, that’ll probably be the same for you, just as it has been for everyone else who has told you that it takes time and patience.
 
Time may do the trick. But it may not. This is why you need to be evaluated by a physical therapist who is trained in gait analysis. Sometimes things that feel "normal" to you are not.
I'm going Monday to see a physio
 
So I'm really now understanding that its going to take time and hard work but I will get to pain free living and the things I love doing 1 day soon
 
You will, a THR is a big surgery with a lot of controlled trauma. Treat your body well and it will repay you with a good recovery.
 
I'm 8 weeks out tomorrow from anterior THR, and I cannot lift my right leg very far off the ground when laying on my back. There must be some muscle in the front of the thigh, as I tried leg lifts 3 times, and I was REALLY sore for 2 days after that. So I'm learning again (this is my 2nd hip replacement). that it does take time! I get frustrated sometimes, but today, I can tie my own shoes and put my socks on. This is a HUGE task for me and so grateful I'm getting there. As the saying goes...."patience is a virtue" Hang in there!
 
I'm 8 weeks out tomorrow from anterior THR, and I cannot lift my right leg very far off the ground when laying on my back. There must be some muscle in the front of the thigh, as I tried leg lifts 3 times, and I was REALLY sore for 2 days after that. So I'm learning again (this is my 2nd hip replacement). that it does take time! I get frustrated sometimes, but today, I can tie my own shoes and put my socks on. This is a HUGE task for me and so grateful I'm getting there. As the saying goes...."patience is a virtue" Hang in there!
So could you lift your other leg that you had done after time pain free ?
 
Straight leg raises (also kown as Supine Leg raises - SLRs) are tough for new hippies but are often used by doctors or PTs as a diagnostic tool.
Your quad is weak not from permanent damage but from soft tissue trauma and/or weakness pre surgery.
You are still in the Let It Calm Down Stage especially since you didn't know to so early on. If you attempt to do a few sets of SLRs and tell me where you feel it – I bet it will be in your groin. That’s because when used as a quad “strengthening” exercise, the muscles you are really working are your hip flexors. And it's unhelpful to irritate your hip flexors at this point because that’s something that is really tough to calm down.

If you are activating the quad in lying position and you want to give it the best chance to activate, why would you put the quad muscle in the shortest possible position (full knee extension)!? So the SLR puts your quad in a one of the most mechanically disadvantageous position to contract (and then actually makes the rectus femoris even shorter as you do the exercise).
As we've all tried to communicate : Time and Patience are the best Healers.

I couldn't do it easily for the first 3 months, and I found it unhelpful to push to try.
Hope your PT is mindful and gentle and is familiar with hip replacement.
 
Straight leg raises (also kown as Supine Leg raises - SLRs) are tough for new hippies but are often used by doctors or PTs as a diagnostic tool.
Your quad is weak not from permanent damage but from soft tissue trauma and/or weakness pre surgery.
You are still in the Let It Calm Down Stage especially since you didn't know to so early on. If you attempt to do a few sets of SLRs and tell me where you feel it – I bet it will be in your groin. That’s because when used as a quad “strengthening” exercise, the muscles you are really working are your hip flexors. And it's unhelpful to irritate your hip flexors at this point because that’s something that is really tough to calm down.

If you are activating the quad in lying position and you want to give it the best chance to activate, why would you put the quad muscle in the shortest possible position (full knee extension)!? So the SLR puts your quad in a one of the most mechanically disadvantageous position to contract (and then actually makes the rectus femoris even shorter as you do the exercise).
As we've all tried to communicate : Time and Patience are the best Healers.

I couldn't do it easily for the first 3 months, and I found it unhelpful to push to try.
Hope your PT is mindful and gentle and is familiar with hip replacement.
When I lie down with my legs out straight and try a SLR with my operated leg it hurts as you predicted in my groin ? So is this normal?
 
I suggest you re-read Post #236 (typed by Mojo) for your answer.

I feel the best thing will be if you try really hard to stop ruminating over your recovery. It really isn't conducive to your physical healing, or your mental health. Consider going outdoors for a walk in nature, maybe meet someone for coffee, or a meal, go for a car ride and listen to your favorite music, or any number of other things to take your mind off of recovery and let more time pass.

I hope you're reasonably active and not just sitting around waiting until you feel no pain. Are you staying active at all? Wondering if you'd mind sharing a bit in that regard...Like what does a typical day look like for you? If you don't want to share, I understand and its okay, but maybe we could offer some suggestions of things you can safely try / do at this point to help get you out of this cycle of anxiety you seem to be in. We'd like to help if we're able.

It often seems our words are not reassuring, nor did your OS seem to console you, so I'd suggest you try to just get on with life in an effort to keep your mind focused on something other than the healing process. It may be key for your recovery.
 

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