14 days post-op Newbie with questions!

[youngmom]

Hi everyone. I'm new! I had a LTHR 13 days ago. My recovery seems ok. I'm still on a walker and still taking pain meds. I am 38 years old and have a 1 1/2 year old and a 4 year old. Here's the problem. I'm on a complete pity party for myself. It's not depression, but I just want to be normal again. I was so active before and now I can't do anything-not even change my babies diaper.
I hope and pray that I don't have a limp when I am completely healed. I have a terrific OS and meet with him tomorrow for my follow-up. How many of you out there DON'T walk with a limp?
Also, will I ever be able to sit indian style again? I teach 2nd grade and that is the way I usually sit with the kids!
Will I be able to do lunges again? I must keep my figure- very important to me (shallow- I know).
I've heard some fantastic recovery stories on this forum and that has helped keep my spirits up a bit- thanks! :D

 

[TBONE]

Hi Youngmom--Congrats on the recent surgery. I can't answer all of your questions but I can say that I am 9-1/2 weeks post op from bilat THR and I have no limp at all. The early recovery days while you are still on a walker seems to me to be the toughest. I went to 2 canes on about day 7 or so. I didn't think I could do it but I did. Shortly thereafter, I went to 1 cane. Of course, we are all different. Now don't push yourself too much, but realize that when you get to 1 cane, life gets quite a bit better.
My recovery has been great but I do have some real flexibility issues. Of course, my flexibility problems stem from waiting too long to have my surgery done. If I had it to do over again, I would have had my surgery earlier.
You will be fine. You are very early in the recovery process and things will get much better soon.
Tom

 

[Josephine]

Can't improve much on that reply, youngmom, but can sympathise with your situation. Everyone feels like that at your stage. For kneesies it's even worse, trust me!

But you must expect this at only 2 weeks. As one wise man pointed out on here - oh, must have been almost a year ago - "It didn't take your hip 2 weeks to get into the condition where it needed to be replaced. What makes you think it will heal in only 2 weeks!" Wise words indeed.

We all spend ages struggling along with our ever deteriorating joints, have the operation and then expect it to be back to normal almost immediately.

What you really have to take on board is that your brief stay in hospital does not indicate the seriousness of the surgery you just had. Despite it, you have had MAJOR surgery and are now undergoing some MAJOR healing which can take weeks and months to complete. You'll get back a lot of your activity in a few weeks but that healing will continue, deep inside, for many weeks even after that. So you should be prepared to continue being kind to yourself, listen to your body and when it says 'I'm tired' take a break. When it says 'I'm shattered' have a good nap. Eat well, drink lots, take the pain meds - no medals for toughing it out! - and rest. Do what you need to inbetween but do all that also.

Finally, remember this one important element - THRs were designed to give you back your life. You'll get it! You just need to be patient and let yourself heal.

Oh yes - I almost forgot! Welcome to BoneSmart!

 

[Jamie]

Welcome, Youngmom....so happy you decided to join us here on BoneSmart. I'm from the knee side, but you will have responses from LOTS of hippies here soon. You'll find that almost every person is walking without a limp once the initial recovery stage is passed. I bet you will too! Right now, you are still VERY new to recovery, so give it some time.

 

[Peta]

Hi and welcome youngmom!

Jo and Jamie have said it all! But I just wanted to reassure you that you will most definitely achieve all your goals! You just have to be patient, and before you know it, it will happen!

I am almost 8 months post-op (will be getting my right side replaced soon) and I haven't had a limp for many, many months! If it wasn't for my right hip, I would be back to how I used to be years ago! Most days now, I honestly forget that I've had a hip replacement. And I'm sure you will be the same!

Heed all of Jo's good advice - she knows what she's talking about! :thmb:

P.S. As for maintaining your figure - I'm not going there! I lost mine years ago and I'm still looking for it...........!:pnc:

 

[Texas]

Hi and Welcome, Well part of my excercises for PT is lunges, works good for me....Gives me great bend. I also do not have the limp that I had for about 2 yrs. I did have to work at it but its fine. I can almost sit Indian style , still trying and will get there. We all go thru the, I want this now and will I be this same. I know I will be better than I was before, I can already walk better , stairs, etc and couldnt prior. Hang in there you are 14days...keep pushing at it you will be fine....I am only 9 weeks and feel better than I did before surgery, still lil ups and downs but its totally diff. there is a light at the end of the tunnel with this surgery...post anytime, we are all here for you.....Your kids will be happier that you will now be more active...

 

[youngmom]

Wow! Thanks everyone for the positive replies! I just had some major PT and am feeling like I could go out dancing with my high heels on.:hehe: Oh, that's another question. Surely I'll be able to wear high heels again, huh?
Feeling better thanks!

 

[HopAlong]

Good question Youngmom! I am at 3 months post-op LTHR, and I still limp, but if I concentrate on walking straight I can. If I sit too long the limp is more, if I walk a lot it improves.
I thought I stopped limping, but then I walked in Target dept store, and saw myself walking in on the TV monitor they have, and noticed that i was limping still.

Hop

 

[Josephine]

Wow! Thanks everyone for the positive replies! I just had some major PT and am feeling like I could go out dancing with my high heels on.:hehe: Oh, that's another question. Surely I'll be able to wear high heels again, huh?
Feeling better thanks!

Heels within reason. I think the surgeon might be a bit cagey about ultra high heels.

 

[Catwoman]

I had my appointment with my OS today and wrote a list of questions but forgot to ask about the heels. I'm getting bored of wearing flat shoes and hope to get back into some of my heels at some point in the future. I'm only 5 foot tall so it would mean a lot to me.

 

[PRGal]

If you wore heels before (gracefully :hehe, there shouldn't be any reason why you can't wear them again--that's what my OS told me. (Well, except for the "gracefully" part--as a guy, he truly wouldn't have a clue!)

Once you're comfortably walking again & are confident in your balance, give it a try, upping heel height gradually. I'm with Jo--tottering around in 4+-inch skyscrapers is probably not a good idea--but at 8 months out, I wear 2.5" to 3" heels daily without a second thought. And I'm no young mom, but a grandmother! :thmb:

 

[Josephine]

I once posted something like this to demonstrate a strict no-no!

 

[Jamie]

Whoa....I don't think I would have EVER done those even when I was a youngster!!! That looks uncomfortable and dangerous even WITH good knees and hips.

 

[kangaroo]

Hi young mom,
I too am a slightly older young mum of 5 children. Please be kind to yourself....you are only 2 weeks into this process. At 2 weeks many of us were still on walkers, (I was still in hospital!) this is a process, so rather than thinking about high heels and walking with a limp, just think about doing the exercises that your pt has given you and allow yourself to rest...and recuperate, and allow your family to nurture you and care for you...its actually their privelidge and honour to do this and it requires a lot of humility on our part....both of these things are important lessons for them and us....

By all means dream about what you will be able to do, in time, but don't expect that you can do them yet, lets face it you can't learn to walk without a limp until you can walk without a walker.....and that takes time, and patience and having your head in the right place....
Please don't panic about your future, just concentrate on today.....tomorrow will take care of itself.....and remember those beautiful children (both yours and your lucky school students) need you to focus on today, not next week....the most important, the best thing you can do for your children is to look after yourself....don't worry about the rest
You will get your life back and more. Today, I kicked a ball (with my operated leg) for the first time in years. Life gets better every day, there are so many things that I can do now that I couldn't do before!
Go well and baby steps
Rachel

 

[JudyS]

Hi Young Mom
I am 52, mom of 4. I feel young!!! Anyway I love my new hip. No pain, I can do anything. I can't tell you when I stopped limping as my hip is 1 year old now. I think by about 4 or 4 1/2 months I did not even know I had a new hip. The anesthesia takes apx 6 weeks to get out of your system so first you have to deal with that. Seems long at this point, trust me you will be totally back to normal and not even know there is anything different in there.
I'll try to write more later, I've got to get in the shower and get to pt. Don't worry it is for my back!!!
WElcome:p
judy

 

[Judles]

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!,,, Great paperweights, Jo!!!

 

[aussie]

I'd get a nose bleed wearing those Jo, but I might crack the 5' mark in them.

 

[Josephine]

Tell you what, folks - those kinds of shoes keep the orthopods in work with bunions, claw toes, metatarsalgia and Morton's neuromas!! Keep the chiropodists/podiatrists in work as well! It's all good for someone!

Think if I tried to wear them, I'd just topple flat on my face!