THR 2 weeks post op and miserable

[Jamie]

Great. That dosage is a fairly mild one of the pain medication. So, if you find it's not doing the trick, you should contact your surgeon's office and tell him you still have pain. Sometimes they can either up the dose or supplement with a second medication for breakthrough pain. Glad to hear you're on the Colace....it really does work. Drink plenty of water as well!

 

[dianehelen]

Well I may have to take matters into my own hands. He was not to keen about letting me have the oxy instead of the hydro. He gave me rx for 40 pills. I have previous rx leftovers of the exact same thing from some dental work in January. I have 20 pills from the rx of 30. What would you say is an effective /safe dosage for me

 

[Jamie]

I would really not recommend that you take pills without the knowledge of your doctor. If your surgeon is having a problem giving you refills on this medication, you should try contacting your GP. They are usually a lot more understanding about the need for proper pain management that orthopedic surgeons. If that doesn't work, you might ask to try Tramadol. It is a non-opiate pain reliever that works well for a lot of folks. It can be taken with Tylenol where hydrocodone and percocet usually is not mixed with Tylenol because it already has acetaminophen in it.

It is important to keep the lines of communication open with your surgeon, though. If you still have pain, you need to tell him so and ask for help in getting it under control. Remember that lots of ice and elevation can help as well. It's amazing how effective the ice can be when you are hurting. You can apply ice any time during the day or night and you should do it whenever you are sitting or lying down. Just be sure to have a towel between the ice source and your skin so that you don't damage tissue.

 

[dianehelen]

ok thanks. ill ask about tramadol. that can be taken in addition to the oxy?

 

[Jamie]

No, tramadol would be prescribed in place of any other pain medications. But you can supplement it with 1000mg of Tylenol taken up to 4 times in 24 hours (assuming you are not taking any products or meds with acetaminophen in them).

 

[Butterfly]

About the PT -- I did almost none (except the ankle pumps and the butt squeezes). My doc says hips will take care of themselves (just like Josephine says -- she's always right, by the way). You still are very early on in recovery. At your stage, I was just putzing to the bathroom, kitchen, etc., and sometimes that would leave me feeling like I'd run a marathon.

I had the posterio-lateral approach. In my humble opinion, taking it easy at your point in recovery is the best way to go. Plenty of time to build strength later, after the tissues heal. I found that as time passed I would see recovery milestones all the time as I went along. Forget all that garbage people tell you about their aunt Hattie jumping right up from the operating table and doing the tango. It is NOT going to happen. Recovery is slow, but SO worth it. Keep taking your pain meds. Where are you getting those spasms after getting up and going to the bathroom? You do have an elevated toilet seat, right?

ALSO, my doc told me NOT to do those side leg lifts until much later on, if I did them at all. He said they are very iffy for the posterior approach. In the end, I just said NO to PT, and I am doing just fine with both hips. I think the worst thing a person can do is overdo it -- I learned this the hard way and ended up with piriformis spasms in my back (no fun at all) and sciatic nerve irritation, which set my recovery back about a month to get those settled down. All that because I was determined to do some laundry!

Rest and nap as much as you can. It WILL get better.

Peace and love to you.

 

[Poppet]

Hi @dianehelen, you might be interested to read the following articles..

The following is a link to an article which provides some approximate timeframes around the healing phases and processes and the relevant nutritional information for each phase.

Healing Phases & Nutrition

This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting, including one relating to bone health.

Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery

Disclaimer: The information on dietary factors, foods, and beverages contained in these articles does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, and interactions. It is not intended as medical advice for individual problems. Liability for individual actions or omissions based upon the contents of this article is expressly disclaimed. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of all medical conditions including the taking of supplements.

 

[dianehelen]

Wow! @Butterfly you post really hit home to me. Yes, walking to/from bathroom, a bit around house, but everyone keeps telling me I need to do more, but its just too painful and exhausting. I do have a raised commode, and I spend the bulk of my day in a power lift recliner. I have the pt scheduled for monday but the thought of cancelling her gives me a sense of relief. How many weeks were you until you started feeling some noticeable improvement. At this point it feels like ill never walk again without leaning on this walker. I did talk to my surgeons office and they confirmed they do not order pt for thr, so it must have been the hospital, seems like poor coordination to me. TThanks for your encouraging words .

 

[dianehelen]

Yand yet another question. I'm noticing since my staples were removed and replaced with Steri-strips, I'm noticing some drainage. Should I be concerned or is this somewhat normal?

 

[Josephine]

I'm getting intense deep gripping pain in the muscle

Can you tell me the exact site of your pain using this chart?
Please note the instructions in the smaller image

I'm noticing since my staples were removed and replaced with Steri-strips, I'm noticing some drainage

How much, what colour? Does it stain your clothes/dressings? If dressings, can you take a photo and post it?

 

[dianehelen]

el6f, fl5f, fl6f, mostly, for the muscle spasms, but hard to really isolate

drainage, kinda light brownish, yes staining house dress, current dressing is steri-strips, since staples removed Thursday

 

[Butterfly]

@dianehelen I see that Josephine is addressing your concerns about the drainage. I didn't have any drainage after they took the staples out, but Josephine will know exactly what to do, if anything.

I was feeling much stronger at about 3 weeks, but my surgeon insisted I keep on using the walker (I really couldn't have gotten around without it), and since I had the second hip done 4 weeks after the first, my recovery lasted longer than most. Just before the second hip, I felt good enough to go get my hair trimmed and my toenails trimmed (no way could I trim my toenails myself).

After the second hip on October 28, which was more complicated than the first according to the doc, I was getting around very well (still with the walker) on Thanksgiving and was able to go over to my son's house for Thanksgiving and did very well. Then a couple weeks after that I tried to do too much and ended up with that piriformis thing from overdoing, and that flattened me again. My doc let me lose the walker (how I hated that walker!) about Jan 20th and I went to one cane. But, remember I had had both hips done and didn't really have a "good" leg, so he made me stay with the walker longer so I didn't risk falling and screwing everything up. I had also been pretty much totally incapacitated with pain for months before the surgeries.

I am doing fine now with walking, though still a little clunky sometimes. I do keep a cane in my car "just in case." and I have one at home for the same reason. I've recently began going to the Y and doing some simple exercises there and using some of the machines, too.

Looking back, though for a while I felt I'd never get rid of that dreaded walker, it was all SO worth it. To be rid of that awful unrelenting pain is just the most wonderful feeling imaginable and now I can get around and do pretty much what I want. Vacuuming and anything with a similar push/pull motion still is very hard for me, but I suspect that's because of the arthritis in my back, not my hips.

The dreaded walker presently is in my little office room, and unfolded clean clothes are draped over it.

You'll get through this and will be SO glad you did it.

Peace and love to you.

 

[dianehelen]

Thanks @Butterfly for your honest and detailed information. Wow you had a 2nd thr just a month after the first one? you are one tough cookie. With how hard a time I'm having with this I can't see ever doing to other one. it's just too hard. I'm trying to get myself up to walk a few times a day, but the other thing sorta working against me is some pain from an old injury from a broken fibula, very near the knee, on the surgery side. So im working with surgery healing pain and old arthritis pain. But on a sorta maybe good note, last night, getting into bed, the gripping muscle spasms seemed much less. So begins another long day on Recovery Road

 

[Liveringer]

@dianehelen Please don't write-off surgery just yet. You are in such early stages of your recovery. Your muscles are just angry, they will settle done given half a chance. I understand you are in pain because of it which I am sure makes your days very long. I am hoping within a couple weeks yours too will settle down. Keep up with medication, elevation, icing (lots of it) and rest. Here's to continued recovery!

 

[Josephine]

So around this area then, yes?

I think that confirms what I said in a previous post- you're just doing far too much!

 

[Josephine]

With how hard a time I'm having with this I can't see ever doing to other one. it's just too hard.

THR is only hard if you make it so. Do you not remember me telling you previously that hips 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 these sore spots and aches and pains. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

 

[dianehelen]

Umm I Don't think I could be doing much less, unless I was wearing depends. I wake up, 7am, pee, walker my way to my lift chair. Hubby brings me icepack, coffee and a few crackers so I can take my pain meds, takes care of dogs. By around 11, I get up, walker to bathroom, then back to chair, sit. Hubby wakes back up around noon, brings me some food. Sit a few more hours, bathroom, hope for bm, back to chair. Maybe mid afternoon one short walk around house then back to chair. Hubby brings me dinner. Another short walk, another bathroom trip, and eventually to bed. How can I possibly do any less? I've cancelled PT. Dr office says I need to walk more, but I'm trying to take this at a pace that causes the least pain.

 

[Butterfly]

Sounds like you're about where you should be at not quite 3 weeks out. Remember, this was MAJOR orthopedic surgery. Your hip has been cut open, dislocated, sawed off, and a big spike pounded down into your femur, a cup installed in your acetabulum, and God kows what all else -- not to mention the anesthetic "insult" to your system, blood loss and whatever drugs you've taken. It takes a while to recover from all that. It really does! As so many on here have said "it's a marathon, not a sprint." You just have to let your body heal from all it has been through.

Patience is one of the most important tools I had to learn from all this. Treat your new hip with kind gentleness now and it will serve you well for many, many years.

PS: I'm no "tough cookie" -- I'm the queen of the chickenhearts. I just had no choice than to have them both done if I wanted any quality of life at all, and I just decided to get it all over with, rather than dragging it out forever. Now I can walk again and lead a pretty normal life. Worth every minute of the process!!!

Peace and love to you.

 

[Josephine]

drainage, kinda light brownish, yes staining house dress, current dressing is steri-strips, since staples removed Thursday

Is it possible for you to get a photo of your wound to post here?

Also, is your wound area hot (I don't mean just warm) or discoloured? Do you have pain anywhere other than where you have indicated here?

 

[dianehelen]

@Butterfly thank you once again for your very honest and real encouragement. I'm trying that patience thing
@Josephine i cant really get a picture of the incision, but its not hot, just still pretty numb/swolen. i think (hope) the drainage is slowing, so keeping a good thought.

Also on a good note, the dreaded muscle gripping spasms seemed to have eased off considerably.

Now if only walking would get a bit easier..

i think going into this i had unrealistic time frames and expedtations based on some thing s my surgeon said combined with some others progress ive read here and other places. My recovery timetable is unique to me and will take more time than others.

So i embark on another day in my progress and keep hoping to get to a day where i can see and feel some noticeable progress in walking.