THR 2Kittens' Recovery Thread

[Celle]

As long as you wash, it doesn't matter if you don't shower.

It's probably safer to have a wash at the sink than it would be to try and climb into the bath without a transfer bench anyway.

 

[Layla]

Has anyone eight days out and still using a walker attempted a shower?

I did. Took the walker right into the shower with me for support. I felt a little wobbly for my first two showers and they were quickies. After getting out from the second shower, with water leaking out of the holes of the walker onto the floor, which hubs had to wipe up because I couldn’t, he said....Enough! Guess he told me.

Now the difference is, I was using a walk-in shower with only a slight step up and over to access. You will be raising your hip much higher. I know Amazon and some (online) retailers sell a wide platform non-slip shower step stool which normally adds around four inches of height, making it easier to access the bathtub or shower. It would take time to get one via the mail and I’m sure you want a shower soon. Something to consider though as you may appreciate the ease of it and as we’re aging some of these aids may come in handy one day.
Hope your night is a peaceful one.

 

[Eman85]

I was fortunate to have a walk in shower, if I had to step into a tub I don't think I would have tried it without a bench or a helper. My shower is small so falling down was almost impossible unless I fell out the door. I installed a suction mounted hand rail to the fiberglass shower wall. I was careful not to pivot in the shower, took small steps to turn. As far as deep hip pain that's all soft tissue, you don't have a hip that can make pain. The first 2 weeks are not pleasant and if you read posts from the members here you'll see how the majority of us have the same struggle. The ones that tell you about how simple and pain free they were I think have selective memory.

 

[Layla]

@Eman85 I know you would never recommend this if you didn’t feel it was safe and secure. I have to be honest, these frighten me. At some point you'd think the suction would loosen and release. Has this ever happened to you, Eman?

I‘d like to recommend an additional item that just came to mind. I’m going to ask if we can add it to our list of Recovery Aids. It’s a Bath Tub Grab Bar Safety Rail.
The Bath Tub Grab Bar installs over the edge of the bathtub with clamps for a secure fit. It includes rubber pads to protect the tubs surface from scratches and damage. May I suggest you look up “Bath Safety Aids” online and I’m sure it will direct you to various sites that sell these objects.

 

[2Kittens]

Another question:When did you all graduate from a walker to a cane and how was the transition? Scary? Successful? I have to go to my OS next Tuesday and don’t know if I’ll be ready, this is why I’m glad I have a PT as I would be clueless on my own.

 

[Eman85]

@Layla I guess everyone's results may vary. I bought it from Harbor Freight and it was actually recommended to me by the PT when I went to hip class. My shower has a smooth fiberglass surround and it was amazing how well it stuck and I could not move it and trust me I tried.

 

[FCBayern]

Another question:When did you all graduate from a walker to a cane and how was the transition?

I moved from the walker to the cane when I realized that (especially when I had a counter top or something else close ) That I was leaving the walker behind and just using a little counter top support. I continued to use the cane until the day I put it in a shopping cart, shopped, loaded my things, and drove away leaving the cane in the shopping cart! You will realize when it's time to move from one to another. No rush, much more important to make sure you don't fall!

 

[Hippielife]

Order a bath bench or chair . Makes bathing a lot easier For the next few weeks.

 

[2Kittens]

Another question:When did you all graduate from a walker to a cane and how was the transition?

I moved from the walker to the cane when I realized that (especially when I had a counter top or something else close ) That I was leaving the walker behind and just using a little counter top support. I continued to use the cane until the day I put it in a shopping cart, shopped, loaded my things, and drove away leaving the cane in the shopping cart! You will realize when it's time to move from one to another. No rush, much more important to make sure you don't fall!

How many days out from walker to cane and was it scary?

 

[Layla]

For me, it was about 11-12 days post op. I was a bit apprehensive initially. I believe I walked close to the wall as I practiced with the thought I’d have something to lean into and balance myself if necessary. I will add that I practiced too much on that first day walking circles through my living room and kitchen. I overdid it and was sore the next day, but rest and ice resolved that issue. I didn’t completely ditch the walker and recall using it for middle of the night bathroom runs for a few days longer...I think. How quickly we forget!

I like FCBayerns frame of reference that once you’re scaling counters for short distances and feeling secure in that, you may give the cane a try.

No need to hurry the process. Some transition early, some later. We all get there in our own time.

A great weekend to you!
@2Kittens

 

[2Kittens]

Good morning hip family
Unfortunately I think at 9 days post op I’m going to have to call my OS office and discuss meds, have been crying in pain since 6 am and finally took another dose Everything hurts and that was something else I’ve been wondering about..pain meds should feel like being tapered 2 weeks out, I feel in more pain now. PT is coming out and I feel like telling him no exercises as I’m in too much pain and he really hasn’t given me any and then I worry about not doing them because they give them to me for a reason..why am I not in gradually less pain? I feel like 2 weeks mark is barreling down on me and I’m not ready. Not to mention I’m scared of different meds if they help me with them and how they’ll make me feel. Please forgive me I don’t mean to complain.

 

[Layla]

Good Morning,
I’m sorry you’re struggling today. It may be too early for you to concern yourself with tapering off meds. Or, you may need to talk to your OS about adjusting your
meds / schedule.

Please don’t engage in PT today, in any way, shape or form. Consider stepping away from PT all together and I’m sure you’ll notice a difference once you get through this pain episode. More and more surgeons are not recommending PT following THR’s.
You don’t need PT for a hip replacement. Here is the BIG TIP from the Recovery Guidelines -
BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any 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.

why am I not in gradually less pain?

Most likely from overactivity, or PT. If you STOP and follow the guidance through the Activity Progression for THR, I’m betting you’ll notice a difference. Please give it some thought. You have nothing to lose, but pain. PT will be there IF you need them at a later date. https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/

Wishing you comfort and speedy relief.

 

[2Kittens]

Thank you! Yes I’m not really doing the exercise, yesterday I did some quad squeezes if you can call that exercises and I tried to do a little leg raise where you stand with the walker and lift your knee up and forget that, idk really what I’m doing wrong except I putter around the house a bit and do things I have to like fix my food etc and I know I’ve been taking a bit less meds than rx’d because like everyone else they make me feel a bit off which I really don’t like. I do take them regularly though.

 

[Sunnytimesahead]

Oh, 2Kittens, I "hear" your pain and frustration from how you are feeling today, and I'm so sorry you're experiencing a really tough day. Layla said it best that's it's probably due to overactivity or therapy. Even at 9 days out, your hip is so very early in the recovery process that even you standing at a counter for 10 minutes can throw it into evil pain mode.

Having gone through the therapy route for my knee replacement, it only brought more swelling and stiffness which resulted in my taking a day (sometimes more) to recover from each session. Please consider taking a break from therapy. I just had my preop today with my OS for my 12/15 surgery and his exact words is the BoneSmart mantra - elevate, ice, rest, few VERY basic exercises, walk occasionally for first 2 weeks. After that gradually increase walking and ADL's. He said he MIGHT order a few therapy sessions later if looks like my hip muscles need strengthening, otherwise NO therapy. Your soft tissues are still so traumatized that they need to heal.

You also mentioned a main worry is your pain meds. I know you're having a high level pain day today but have you noticed a few days/hours that the pain has been controlled? If not, then maybe a call to OS's staff can give you some different options to try even though you're hesitant to try something different.

Something tells me that you're not the type of person that enjoys being sidelined and restricted to being sitting/laying/resting. That is where being patient is going to really help you in order to get healed.

Please don't ever think you're complaining by stating how you feel physically and emotionally on BoneSmart. Chances are 99% of us have experienced the same feelings and we care.

 

[2Kittens]

Thank you Sunnytimesahead!!
I so appreciate the kindness being shown to me! I actually have been doing very very few of the exercises they sent me home with from the hospital even though my 0S does not believe in PT for hips. The only one I was trying to do was maybe squeeze my quads while lying down and lifting my leg in a marching fashion which I immediately knew wasn’t right for me which is ridiculous it’s just lifting my leg. As far as standing at the counter yes that’s exactly what I do because someone has to do it my husbands working and I have to fix myself something to eat I don’t know if it’s 10 minutes but I certainly a few times a day get up And fix myself something simple to eat and ambulate just a bit and maybe take my stick and pick up a few things or kick my surgery leg out and bend down and pick things up myself yes I probably know I probably shouldn’t do that but nobody else is here to do it while my husband is working. I guess I just have to take this day by day and I guess I’ll just have to call my OS office to see what they think about my meds and my PT is coming over today and I will tell him all of this he was not pushy at all but I would like his input on a few things such as how I walk, when to graduate from a walker I feel like I need help with these things and he has he did look at my meds list and help me with that so I need him to help me again.

 

[2Kittens]

An update my PT said I should go ahead and take the prescribed pain med and the prescribed dosage as that’s what my OS office would say so I am trying. And I am doing less today however I’m still having sharp pains in my muscles of course one goes often on in my calf I really doubt it’s a blood clot although of course that kind of stuff is worrying it just feels kind of like a very tight muscle that won’t go away and it hurts. And he saw me tear up and he says I will be OK I will see the other side of this but I am a complicated case which of course I already knew because of the way my muscles reacted before the hip surgery and now after. I really envy people that didn’t have that issue.

 

[Layla]

Good Morning,
While it makes perfect sense that you should be taking meds as prescribed, especially given the pain you describe, your PT should not be your contact for questions regarding meds, but your surgeons office instead. A phone call to the office should garner a response from your surgeons care team within a reasonable time frame.

And I am doing less today however I’m still having sharp pains in my muscles

Doing “less” is clearly not a working for you. You need to stop all exercising. If you continue to push yourself and engage in PT, especially while in pain, you will not only stall your progress, but also potentially develop chronic pain issues. I can’t emphasize enough that you really need to give it a break.

And he saw me tear up and he says I will be OK

Unfortunately I think at 9 days post op I’m going to have to call my OS office and discuss meds, have been crying in pain since 6 am

This is sad, unfortunate and would likely stop if you would step away from any exercises and PT. Please give this serious consideration over the weekend.

lifting my leg in a marching fashion which I immediately knew wasn’t right for me which is ridiculous it’s just lifting my leg.

Marching can cause generalized tendinitis particularly in quads, glutes and hamstrings.
Here is an article worth reading -

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy

You will have noticed there is a significant opinion here about the potential hazards of PT. You may feel that your therapists are experts and know what you should be doing. However, over the last several years I've been here, I have observed that the more intensive the regimen of exercising...

bonesmart.org

Also, I am not sure if you’ve read through the Activity Progression for THR in the Recovery Guidelines and mentioned in two previous posts here. If you haven’t read through it yet, please do. I truly believe if you begin to follow it, stop the exercising and PT your tears will dry up and you’ll notice a positive difference.

I’m still having sharp pains in my muscles of course one goes often on in my calf I really doubt it’s a blood clot

I‘d advise you talk to your surgeons office about this...not your PT.

I hope you have a nice weekend and notice a decrease in pain over the next couple days
@2Kittens

 

[Layla]

I actually have been doing very very few of the exercises they sent me home with from the hospital even though my 0S does not believe in PT for hips.

Here is your permission to stop the madness, lose the pain and move toward a brighter future!

 

[Merrytaylor]

I’m going through something similar. 10 days or so out. PT came yesterday, new exercises, urged me to cut down on the hydrocodone. I skipped my evening dose, woke up at 1 am in severe pain. I got up, could hardly move and took a pain pill. Now I don’t know if this was because of skipping a dose or exercises. Still hurts more than usual this am. and I’ve taken another pain pill much earlier than I usually do.

 

[2Kittens]

I really haven’t done any PT just tried once or twice and didn’t really tell him that when he told me about lifting my leg slightly marching I told him this is how I am and I don’t want to do it as an exercise and he understood muscles are literally seized up and how bad they were before my surgery. And I don’t intend on doing any either I think he got that and I’m just using him to help gauge how I walk he did the raise the walker up and to help me with things like that but not PT exercises. My muscles have always been overreactive and boy are they doing it now. Upping the pain meds did help but I woke up at 3:30 last night crying in pain again and it wasn’t from PT because I haven’t done any of the last couple days in any of it that I have done have been minimal and maybe 3 days at most and really no “sets”. I think this is from the surgery and any PT will just add to it.
I decided to use one of the muscle relaxers Flexeril that they gave me. My doctor RX’d me that along time ago for fibromyalgia and since I don’t take like taking drugs I stopped taking it as I didn’t really like it but it definitely made a difference in my leg pain and helped me sleep this morning.
I am wondering how long I am going to have to take that if and if my muscles will ever really relax or if they are going to take a long time to...Anyone have to take that in the first two weeks and it helped them? I will give a call Monday to my physicians office and tell them what I am doing and about the MR at least right now helping the most.
Again all of your comments help immensely and are so encouraging, I really would be lost as, like so many, I went into this eyes shut and not knowing how brutal it really can be especially with muscles like mine.