THR 2nd Hip Recovery

[Juliep]

I had a visit with OS yesterday to go over a few things. I explained to him that I had been having a real pain in the butt !! :th_heehee: and I do mean a pain. It's been getting to the point that when I stand up after sitting for awhile it just about takes me to the floor when I try to walk. I went for my monthly massage Monday and he worked the IT band very deep and then worked the Piriformis muscle quite the same. He said it felt locked up bad.

My OS wants me to do some exercises to help strengthen the area. (laying on my back, knees bent and pushing pelvis to the floor) is best way to describe. He also wants me to take muscle relaxer for bedtime to help relax everything. We will see how things go for next month and I'll see him again if no relief then we'll see what he suggests. It really is a pain !!!

My knees were next issue and he decided to do injections again and try it out. Didn't work well last time, but will give another try.

Thanks Alex for all your excerise/stretching help. You always have GREAT suggestions. You really should make a Pilates DVD for hip replacement recovery. I bet it would be a best seller. :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[Jaycey]

Aw Julie - that piriformis pain takes your breath away! I had a problem last year and man it was horrid.

The core stability exercises should help your lower back as well. I have been doing them for years. Did he give you the bridge exercise? Or maybe Alex suggested it?

Let us know how you get on. Hope things ease for you!

 

[NYLiz]

Julie,

I'm so sorry you are having such issues with pain. I'll be saying a prayer that the injections for the knees work this time.

As for your other pain, the exercise your OS told you about, 'Isometric Abdominal', and Bridging, the one Jaycee shows, are both exercises my PT has had me doing for 2 months now. They have helped with my lower back pain, but it took a couple of weeks of doing them regularly to make a difference.

Hang in there!

Liz

 

[nanamac]

Julie, I sure hope this pain goes away quickly for you. So disappointing to go thru so much and then end up with other problems, I know.

Well, at least it can be worked out. You are still pretty early into recovery. Hang in there and I'll be sending healing vibes and prayers your way. Take care Julie.

 

[Juliep]

As always Janet, thanks for your continued support when you have so much on your plate. The butt is starting to slowly ease up. :th_heehee:

 

[Juliep]

Thanks Liz and Jaycey. I'm now doing both exercises morning and night and taking the muscle relaxer in a.m. and xanax at night time and it seems to be relaxing that horrid piriformis pain. It really is a pain in the butt.

 

[DaveGM]

julie

I really hope the treatments and exercises work for you. It appears that the exercises are having a positive effect - I certainly hope so.

Hang in there, I know this must be tough for you especiaally as the knees are next on the agenda but you will surely get there in the end.

Best wishes

Dave

 

[hipmom]

Hope you're feeling better, Julie! Thinking of you :biggrin:

 

[Juliep]

Thanks Dave and Donna !! The muscle still not giving me the best relief, but I think with continued exercises and trying to relax it, I will get there.

The knees haven't had really relief yet from injections. I know it can take up to 14 days so will see.

The one thing I'm starting to get happy about is my right thigh is getting more feeling back. Those nerves are coming back more and more each week which I'm REALLY glad for. It's been almost 7 months so I figure by a year I'll be able to feel the entire leg again.

 

[The Cappuccino Kid]

Sorry you're going through this Julie. It's good that you're showing some signs of recovery though!

 

[Juliep]

Oh I sure wish things were better Cappy. The hips feel great !!! Yeah two things do and the things that got replaced. Go figure. Now it's the low back and knees. I was told last December that I had herniated discs at L3-L4 and I know that is very common. I have felt good with the low back until about a week ago and now can barely walk, sit or stand. I'm trying to do the exercises for lower back that I was taught last year and hoping that I get some relief. I just feel like I'm falling apart. The knees are a constant thing now.

Besides all of that, all is good. :biggrin: I've got to keep smiling....... Like I said though, the hips feel really the best they've ever felt. I do get some stiffness when I get up, but if it wouldn't be for that I would never know that I've had both replaced. That's amazing to be able to say that.

 

[DaveGM]

julie

Sorry to hear that.

Have you and your surgeon yet decided on a date for the knees to be done?

It must be a real strain for you having come through the two hips to now have to face up to both knees.

However, as you say the hips are now the best part so when the knees are done everything should settle down.

Could the lower back pain be a consequence of walking differently?

I do hope things soon get sorted

Regards

Dave

 

[Juliep]

Thanks Dave and I guess I'll know more next week when I see him again. I don't think I'll be able to go more than a couple more months. The back could be from walking differently along with all the weird muscle issues I've had with butt, back and thigh. Alexthecat has been telling me of stretches to do and she's always right on the money with that stuff. My only issue is that some of the stretches that would help with the back and butt muscle I can't really do because the knees won't allow me.

I want this all completed soon so I can be on the road to full recovery and finally have a good year soon.

 

[nanamac]

Julie, I really do feel for you and wish I could help. One treatment that worked like a charm for me though was facet (block ?)injections. They were done in a pian clinic at the hospital, in the OR actually. The effects were immediate.

You are sedated and an injection is given while under a fluroscope so the anethsiologist/doctor can see exactly where he is injecting. They do a series of three over a few weeks time. It may be worth checking into.

I know, not another procedure :hate-shocked:. But, if they work, as they did for me, it is sooooo worth it. Just a suggestion...

 

[Juliep]

Thanks Janet !! I know if things don't improve I'll be looking into it for sure. I'm sure looking forward to a day not in pain. I try to keep it to myself and not complain, but come on now. It's hard for my boyfriend to sometimes understand as well. I was supposed to go to the wonderful Buc's game against the Panthers (good thing I didn't) but I told him I just couldn't. He asked again before leaving "are you sure you don't want to go". I had to tell him nicely one more time, "I can barely walk, much less stand for most of a day". NO I DON'T WANT TO GO. :DOH: I guess it was nice of him to keep asking, but come on now, you can see that I can barely move.

O.K. enough of the rants. That felt good though. :th_heehee:

 

[hipmom]

Rant away! Sorry to hear that you're having a hard time. Hope you find some relief soon.

 

[NYLiz]

O.K. enough of the rants. That felt good though. :th_heehee:

Hi Julie, I ditto what Hipmom said - Rant AWAY!!! I honestly believe until someone lives with daily pain for weeks, months or years on end, they really can't fully understand what it is like and the toll it takes on you both physically and mentally. That's one of many reasons why I think this forum is great, it provides an outlet to vent, rant, rave, cry, etc when no one else seems to get it.

You keep looking forward to the day you'll be pain free, it will come, even if the road to getting there is a little bumpy.

Take Care!

Liz

 

[Juliep]

Thanks both Donna and Liz !! I know Liz you have yours coming up right around the corner. You did really well with your first one so I'm hoping this one is the same with you. I'm sure you'll be glad as well when everything is done.

I agree about others just not understanding about daily chronic pain. I was driving to work this morning, of course in pain and thinking, It's been going right at one year that I have had pain everyday. Some people say, "I don't know how you do it everyday, I sure couldn't handle pain everyday". Well to me at this point, it's just there and it's something you deal with work around. If I curled up in a cocoon nothing would get done.

Thanks for listening to the rants and I know we all do it because we can do it here and we are all in the same boat. As long as the boat isn't sinking it's all good. :th_heehee:

 

[Oldknees]

Julie, so sorry to read about your constant pain. I have a feeling that once your knees are done, and your recovery is well underway, that your other pain points will likewise improve. Hang in there (what else can you do?) and best of luck, b

 

[Juliep]

I have the same feeling. I think until my knees get done, a lot of the other healing isn't happening. The lower back is so bad right now and I'm doing the most that I can do with stretching and low back exercises that I've had at P.T. last year and it's helping, but not all the way. I do go for my monthly massage on Monday so I will have him work on that and my Piriformis muscle again. I just can't do all the different exercises/stretches because my knees won't cooperate with it. One day at a time.................