THR 15 year old has first new hip

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Krista, I laughed out loud when I saw your post as we tried to get him to use that exact walker. His grandmother was visiting us from Maine and she uses one. She wanted to leave it for him to use and replace hers when she got home but being the stubborn prideful teen he is he absolutely refused. It would have been the perfect solution but what can you do, as being 16 now he knows all things and Dad is an idiot.

As far as the backpack goes its not so much the books as thankfully they use digital books and an IPad for most of his classes. But they expect him to keep these ridiculous huge binders full of class notes. We are going to significantly lighten his load by consolidating and eliminating as much as he can which should help some.

His recovery has been a real day to day thing. Thursday he's barely able to get there and is utterly sore and miserable. Yesterday much better, even able to go out to dinner with just cane and fished a little in back yard, even took few steps without walker or cane. Then slept poorly and is sore and fatigued today.

We need to figure out how to best manage his pain meds at this point. We have been trying to stop the oxycodone, which obviously contributes to his pain levels going up and down. We have been experimenting with substituting the narcotics with Tylenol PM (which is just 500mg Tylenol + 25 mg Benadryl). Seemed to help a little the first night but now with his increased activities it just wasn't enough to let him sleep through the night last night so now because he was asking for it I let him take an oxycodone and go back to bed. I know everyone is different but I hoped he wouldn't need the narcotics at this point. Maybe we go back to letting him take it at bedtime to help him sleep until he is able to walk unassisted in a few more weeks. Hopefully that wont make him too lethargic to get through his day.
 
I know it's concerning having your son on meds but it does sound like he needs his pain more controlled at night. I agree with your strategy - try it for a few more weeks and see how he does. It's a balancing act sometimes!
 
Hi Tbatt9. Sorry for the delay in reply.
Happy to hear Matthew is doing well enough to be back at school as heart breaking as it is. I can relate completely. Maya finally started school in late August after 15 months of being at home. The panic that hit me as I drove away from the school was nearly unbearable. These kids are way stronger and more resilient than we give them credit for. I have shared all the same concerns as you. Sleepless nights, worrying about every little thing that comes up that didn't previously cross your mind... Fortunately, with time, devotion and a lot of prayers, things begin to return to a somewhat normal state.
If I can pay forward some of the help and support I got from this forum, I'm happy to do so. Please let me know if I can answer any questions.
Thoughts and prayers to you.
 
Update on Matthew. Its been about 7 weeks since the second hip and he has been off the walker and using a quad cane for couple weeks. He seems like he will be off the cane in another week or so. He has been able to use stairs although he hasn't had to much.

He only takes a couple Tylenol at bedtime and again when he gets up now. This past weekend he was able to get back in the pool at a hotel we stayed at over the weekend. Walking long distances is still slow and makes him sore but the nerve pain in the foot seems to be getting better.

He does have some trouble sleeping in that he tries to keep a pillow between his legs but when it shifts when he turns on his side the left (most recent hip) leg falls over the right. This doesn't wake him but when he gets up he is very sore on that left side.

Overall it seems like he may have turned a corner. He is eager to ditch the cane and get back to going fishing and to his schools football games on Friday nights. School is hard but he's doing the work and is nearly caught up from all the time he missed. I am very proud of how strong he has been and how he has dealt with all this. While I am still paranoid and watch him like a hawk for any sign of a setback or issue I have to say so far so good as of late.

I do have a couple questions for the community. Matthew has asked me a couple times recently, "How long until it feels so normal that I might forget these aren't my real hips"? Not sure what to tell him.

He also wants to know if he should get some physical therapy to help him with his gait as he has never walked without some degree of a waddle and he wants to be able to "walk normal". Is that needed or a good idea or will it just happen for him in due time as he gets stronger?

Once again I can't thank all of you enough for helping us get through all this. This community has been a huge blessing for me and my family.
 
@tbatt9 While I don't know yet when it will be that I am not aware of the hip implant I do know that for each knee it was about a year. In my case I have found the hip as challenging as the knee. PT has been very helpful to improve balance and strength while dealing with a THR on top of a TKR on the same side. I have an excellent physical therapist so shop around and interview folks --mine is highly experienced in rehab and sports therapy.
 
Matthew has asked me a couple times recently, "How long until it feels so normal that I might forget these aren't my real hips"? Not sure what to tell him.
How nice to hear from you again, tbatt. And overall, good news about Matthew. As for how long, you can tell him it can be as long as a whole year before he wakes up one morning and the first thing he thinks about isn't his new hips!
He also wants to know if he should get some physical therapy to help him with his gait as he has never walked without some degree of a waddle and he wants to be able to "walk normal". Is that needed or a good idea or will it just happen for him in due time as he gets stronger?
7 weeks might be a bit soon for that as the tissues are still rather delicate and he could end up with tendinitis of various kinds which will be most unfortunate as they can be difficult to resolve. However, in another few months - say 6 or 8 - he could well benefit from some gait training from a therapist who is expert at this kind of thing.

Good luck to you both and God bless you
 
@tbatt9 Hi Bilateral Jim here. I used the exerstrider poles once i got away from the walker. It was perfectly normal for me to walk the very first time. I knew if i used any type of cane it would not help my stride. It seems they would work well when he has his backpack on. Just an idea for him plus they're fun to use! Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the replies. Special thanks also to Josephine for all your expert guidance and encouragement. You helped me tremendously as I was freaking out over every little thing my son was going through.

I will be likely posting less often now that thank God he seems to have come thru the worst of the recovery but I will plan on putting in an update down the road a ways so others who may find this thread helpful can see the rest of Matthew's story.

Thanks to all again and God bless you for all you do to help people get thru all this.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
@tbatt9 So glad things are going well for Matthew! Please do keep us updated when you get a chance. You and your son will always be a part of this BoneSmart family.
 
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