THR I'm done!

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heathersmom

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I had my LTHR last Thursday, 16 October, and I am doing great. Once in a while I make a wrong move and the pain level hits instant critical mass. I had a RTKR in 2011 and sailed right through the recovery. Piece of cake! I had forgotten how bad the pain can get! I have staples removed Friday and will probably move quickly into out patient P/T. When the actual device was inserted, I was between sizes so my doc used the larger one. When he shoved it into the bone, the bone cracked slightly, so I have a minor fracture to deal with. He wrapped it with wire and we moved on. I just have to be a little more careful about putting my full weight on it too much right now. The day after I got home my daughter was gone and a cousin came to stay with me. I was in the living room when she got there. When my daughter found out, I heard a squawk: "How'd she get out there???" ☺️ I'm lucky to have great family members to help me through this. Looking forward to getting to know my fellow recoverers!
 
Welcome to the other side @heathersmom ! I'll post your official recovery threads here for you to refer back to during this process. Please remember to take those pain meds regularly. You need to stay ahead of the pain for now to allow more mobility. I look forward to following your recovery.
First are the BoneSmart mantras ....
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Activity progression for THRs
Home physio (PT)
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
 
Welcome to this side. Sometimes we get some surprises but I love how you are looking at it. Take care and do remember to rest, ice, pain control a must. Please keep us informed on how you are doing and any questions this is the place.. Tashia
 
You'll be fine! Several hippies have experienced those little fractures and nursed them per doctors orders and were great! Just be mindful of your limitations and give yourself a chance to heal properly. Marathon. Not race.


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11 days in and I'm still doing great! I get staples out Wednesday, and I think I will be much more comfortable sitting and lying down. P/T is kicking my butt. Can't seem to get past the groin pain, but I WILL do it. This is so different than the LTKR...no bruising (I guess all that fat absorbs the blood!) :rotfl: It's interesting to discover those differences. No more hydrocodone, just acetaminophen, and tramadol when needed. I am so eager to get this behind me and get on with life, but patience has never been my strong suit. LOL. Working on that. My sister has been here with me this week so my daughter could go on her annual Fall vacation with her dad, and she has been a Godsend. She quotes the mantra to me as she bosses me around. Love my sissy!
 
You are so blessed to have family help!!! Good work on your part.
 
@heathersmom....so glad your sis is slowing you down....the hip recovery is different to the knee...doing more doesnt mean a better recovery for the hip. Do hope the groin pain goes soon for you...take it easy too! X


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Just got back from my second outing since surgery. Went to Joann's to look for yarn, then had lunch, then home. Nap time! I have decided that when I can get in and out of the car and bed without having to lift my leg with my hands, I will be well on the road to recovery. It already hurts less, but that's not good enough. :).
 
Staples are out, xray looks great! And...I can sleep on my side! Woohoo! Still a week or two out on returning to work and driving. I am in no hurry. I've had some pretty severe sciatic pain for a couple of days, doc said he had to move the nerve out of the way during surgery, so it's normal. Hydrocodone is down to prn, just on tramadol and acetaminophen. Having the staples out is a big relief. I can transition to a cane but I'm not comfortable with that just yet. No rush. I'm loving reading all the accounts of others' recoveries. (Oh, and I can hardly wait till the 90 degree restriction is lifted so I can shave my legs! :heehee:)
 
Oh dear. My hip is popping when I walk, when I swing my leg backward. I don't know if I've overdone it or if there is a problem or if it is normal. I will stay off of it until Monday, except for working Sun/Mon nights, and if it hasn't stooped, I'll call my OS. Anyone else had this experience?
 
Hi @heathersmom I've tagged @Josephine the Forum Nurse for you to see if she can offer any info on your popping hip, it definitely merits some attention so if Josephine doesn't get back to you in time definitely call your OS
You sound like you're doing great... I'm so with you on the shaving the legs thing; you just don't realize the things that dang 90 degree rule will affect:heehee: I actually got creative on that front last week and taped a disposable lady razor to a long handled wooden spoon with duct tape - it works spectacularly, it looks.... well it WORKS well:loll:
I am so jealous you can sleep on your side, I'm on 12 weeks of restrictions, the sleeping on my back thing is the one I can't wait to get rid of!
I've had the groin pain you describe since the beginning, when I had my staples out I told my OS and he said it was because I had been holding my leg in a slightly flexed position for years and the muscle needs stretching, so laying flat on your back does it (or he suggested half an hour a flat on your stomach) :bored: your PT may offer some other stretches
I have had really bad pain/discomfort in my Quads and some other muscles too, but that would seem to be from overdoing it (patience isn't MY strong suit either) so I've gritted my teeth and slowed down (a bit), regulated my medication and I also had a Physio in; she gave me acupuncture - about which I was very skeptical - she did the Quads, which worked brilliantly and immediately so I showed her where my groin was sore and she said it's my Pectineus (I think), very common to get pain there after Hip Replacement. I pointed out that it being common didn't make it hurt less, she put 4 acupuncture needles in it and I had the same instant relief... I'm a convert:loveshwr: I'm sure it would have got better on its own eventually once it was stretched, but as I said, patience and all that:snork:
Hope your "popping" issues sort themselves out and that the rest of your recovery is uneventful (I said to my hubby that in this game boring is GOOD):wink:
 
@heathersmom i had my surgery Oct 7. At about week three I experienced some popping in my op leg. I was a little worried like you. I saw my surgeon on Wednesday. He said that it was probably a tendon. He said it was normal to have some popping as the muscles and tendons were healing around the new prosthesis. If it continued or was painful, I am to call his office. I haven't had the popping since week 3. I am at week 4 going to week 5. I would call the docs office just to be sure and have peace of mind
 
My hip is popping when I walk
@heathersmom you're only 3 weeks out! This kind of thing is bound to happen while your muscles are still lax from the surgery. Just try to ignore it and carry on as usual. Above all, don't overdo exercise. Hips actually don't need much exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.
 
Thank you! It's a bit better today. I've not been really faithful with my exercises, I'm afraid. i can do most of them quite easily, and tend to forget to do them. The only one I absolutely cannot do is lift my leg when I'm lying down. It won't budge. But that will come with time.
 
The only one I absolutely cannot do is lift my leg when I'm lying down. It won't budge. But that will come with time.
What seems impossible one day is easy the next. Just rest and try again. You'll get there!
 
What Jaycey said is so right. It is amazing how strong we are. Each day gets better. The first three weeks are the toughest. Week 4 I have felt stronger than I have. There have been some bumps because of overdoing it. But we live and we learn.
 
Glad you are feeling better @heathersmom. Sometimes just to know others have experienced the same helps.
You will soon be able to lift that leg! Those muscles need to get going again and they do....in time! Won't be long & you will be doing all you want to do...x


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I'm halfway through my first night back at work (I work Sun/Mon midnights at our city jail, it's a very small office) and so far I am doing very well. Tomorrow may be another story! :heehee: When I get off at 0630 I will go home and ice my hip and rest, possibly until it's time to go to work again. The groin muscle is complaining again but I get up and walk (all 8 steps) around, that helps.
 
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