THR 30 days and still recovering <
- Thread starter Marvin L
- Start date
Josephine, I realize you are busy, but when you can please ask me the questions, I’m happy to answer. Has anybody gotten any relief with Gabapentin , it’s some kind of nerve pill. How about methylprednisone 4 mg tablets the 5 day pack?
Today is day 17, hip is manageable, it’s my calf, ankle and foot. Still swollen and very painful when I wake up. First few steps are very difficult. And now my good leg, the calf is hurting. I’m nervous to start the steroids, because it suppresses the immune system and with the body trying to heal, that seems counter intuitive to me. Any advise or experiences, would be greatly appreciated.
Today is day 17, hip is manageable, it’s my calf, ankle and foot. Still swollen and very painful when I wake up. First few steps are very difficult. And now my good leg, the calf is hurting. I’m nervous to start the steroids, because it suppresses the immune system and with the body trying to heal, that seems counter intuitive to me. Any advise or experiences, would be greatly appreciated.
Mojo333
Former BoneSmart Staff Member
I will alert her using the @ sign
@Josephine
I'm sorry you are struggling...I didn't have as much trouble site the lower extremities as you are describing...hope Jo can help.
@Josephine
I'm sorry you are struggling...I didn't have as much trouble site the lower extremities as you are describing...hope Jo can help.
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
Here y'go then!
It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are
1. what approach did you have for your surgery? Anterior, posterior, lateral? You can look here to see the various types THR approaches or incisions
2. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).
3. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?
4. are you icing your painful area at all? If so, how often and for how long?
5. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?
6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and
7. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)
Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are
1. what approach did you have for your surgery? Anterior, posterior, lateral? You can look here to see the various types THR approaches or incisions
2. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).
3. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?
4. are you icing your painful area at all? If so, how often and for how long?
5. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?
6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and
7. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)
Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
1. mini posterior.
2. pain level 7
Today is the first day I feel a little better. My calf still hurts. Foot, ankle and calf are still swollen, but get a little better. Have some aches in hip area. Some groin pain.
3. Norco10 mg 1-2 every 4-6 hrs
Baclofen every 6 hrs 5mg. Does Baclofen help with my pains?
And will a steroid pack help with swelling.
I have script for them but I was going to see if I get any better over the weekend.
4. I ice a couple times during day and all night.
5. elevate every time I lay down about half of the day.
6. today took a 10 minute walk. Washed a small load of clothes, washed a small load of dishes. The exercises 2 times took a shower.
7. 3 times per day 5-10 reps each.
I do the leg swing forward and backward, tip toes.
Quad stretch, adductor swing standing position.
Toe back n forth, lying down.
Butt squeezes
knee push down into bed
knee extensions.
No PT yet. Start at 6 weeks
Thank so, so much!
2. pain level 7
Today is the first day I feel a little better. My calf still hurts. Foot, ankle and calf are still swollen, but get a little better. Have some aches in hip area. Some groin pain.
3. Norco10 mg 1-2 every 4-6 hrs
Baclofen every 6 hrs 5mg. Does Baclofen help with my pains?
And will a steroid pack help with swelling.
I have script for them but I was going to see if I get any better over the weekend.
4. I ice a couple times during day and all night.
5. elevate every time I lay down about half of the day.
6. today took a 10 minute walk. Washed a small load of clothes, washed a small load of dishes. The exercises 2 times took a shower.
7. 3 times per day 5-10 reps each.
I do the leg swing forward and backward, tip toes.
Quad stretch, adductor swing standing position.
Toe back n forth, lying down.
Butt squeezes
knee push down into bed
knee extensions.
No PT yet. Start at 6 weeks
Thank so, so much!
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
With these, I asked you to tell me how often and for how long are you doing these?
About 5-6 times per day. 30-60 minutes. At night, 1 hr. Sometimes I fall asleep then longer.
Today is a lot different than the previous 17 days. I slept a lot almost all day and today I have all kinds of energy with nothing to do. Is this normal? To be completely fatigued the last 17 days and today all wired up. Strange.
Today is a lot different than the previous 17 days. I slept a lot almost all day and today I have all kinds of energy with nothing to do. Is this normal? To be completely fatigued the last 17 days and today all wired up. Strange.
mainegirl1
graduate
I don't think strange. Check that you read the article here about Energy Drain.. Plus all that stuff you have been doing is PT. I think being a guy you might not think of it as PT. Your swelling has gone down and your body has devoted lots of energy to healing. It seems to be indicating now Mr Energy can be devoted to other things.
Here is the article and I hope it makes sense to you. At any rate it sounds like you are on the mend. So no despair. The not doing stuff is actually wearisome. I hope you can get out and find something to tinker with.. My hubby is replacing a deck....
he needs a snoopervisor..
Congrats on the great news @Marvin L !
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/energy-drain-for-thrs.12415/
Here is the article and I hope it makes sense to you. At any rate it sounds like you are on the mend. So no despair. The not doing stuff is actually wearisome. I hope you can get out and find something to tinker with.. My hubby is replacing a deck....
he needs a snoopervisor.. Congrats on the great news @Marvin L !
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/energy-drain-for-thrs.12415/
ForumUser
senior
Marvin,
You’re doing fine ... everyone is different!
My left THR was 14 May, my right THR was close to 20 yrs ago ... I’ll comment in a couple of things.
1. Ice and elevate - at the same time. Sofa or bed ... lay down, slip ice pack under edge of hip, knees elevated by couple of pillows. At your point, maybe 6-8 times a day for an hour. I separated the ice packs by a couple of layers of thin cloth ... underwear and cloth shorts.
2. Walk around inside house - I did this every cycle of the ice and elevate. 10 minutes or so each time. I walked a few blocks at days 10-14 and it was the wrong thing to do. It set me back.
3. You should have worn the TED socks all day long for the first week or two - at a minimum. If you have swelling, you should be wearing them ... for as long as it takes for the swelling to decrease. Consider not wearing at night only when the swelling is showing reduction.
4. Stop worrying about crutches vs cane vs walker. If you force movement from walker to them you are rushing it.
5. You may be overthinking the meds ... talk with doc and understand the why then execute the plan.
6. The 81 mg coated aspirin are to thin blood a bit ... this approach is the least significant. There are other options, and doc should connect the dots on this wrt swelling.
7. Everyone responds to pain differently. My approach was to always know there was an edge - i.e. to not be numb from the meds, but this is a fine line. If you have too much pain you won’t walk as much ...you have to recover and walking is important.
8. This is just my sense, but from what I hear and read, more men than women tend to overdo it ... most are able to dig their way out of being hardheaded, but they need to listen more.
I did way better when I chilled, iced and elevated OFTEN and for an hour each time, walked 5-10 minutes following each cycle of ice and elevate, did basic exercises you have described, made absolutely certain I didn’t do anything stupid enough to dislocate !
You’re doing fine ... everyone is different!
My left THR was 14 May, my right THR was close to 20 yrs ago ... I’ll comment in a couple of things.
1. Ice and elevate - at the same time. Sofa or bed ... lay down, slip ice pack under edge of hip, knees elevated by couple of pillows. At your point, maybe 6-8 times a day for an hour. I separated the ice packs by a couple of layers of thin cloth ... underwear and cloth shorts.
2. Walk around inside house - I did this every cycle of the ice and elevate. 10 minutes or so each time. I walked a few blocks at days 10-14 and it was the wrong thing to do. It set me back.
3. You should have worn the TED socks all day long for the first week or two - at a minimum. If you have swelling, you should be wearing them ... for as long as it takes for the swelling to decrease. Consider not wearing at night only when the swelling is showing reduction.
4. Stop worrying about crutches vs cane vs walker. If you force movement from walker to them you are rushing it.
5. You may be overthinking the meds ... talk with doc and understand the why then execute the plan.
6. The 81 mg coated aspirin are to thin blood a bit ... this approach is the least significant. There are other options, and doc should connect the dots on this wrt swelling.
7. Everyone responds to pain differently. My approach was to always know there was an edge - i.e. to not be numb from the meds, but this is a fine line. If you have too much pain you won’t walk as much ...you have to recover and walking is important.
8. This is just my sense, but from what I hear and read, more men than women tend to overdo it ... most are able to dig their way out of being hardheaded, but they need to listen more.
I did way better when I chilled, iced and elevated OFTEN and for an hour each time, walked 5-10 minutes following each cycle of ice and elevate, did basic exercises you have described, made absolutely certain I didn’t do anything stupid enough to dislocate !
Thank you, I will institute the icing protocol immediately. Thought I was getting better and when I get out of bed after napping for a couple of hours, when I get on my feet, it’s like pins and needles on my operated foot, from my toes to my ankle and a little on my good leg. Keep in mind, I do have significant swelling on my operated foot. It started with thigh, calf and foot. Now my thigh is back to normal but my calf, ankle, foot are still pretty swollen. Anybody experienced anything like this? Boy, this recovery is tough. Good news, my hip pain is manageable. I need to stay positive and thank God for his healing and his blessings.
ForumUser
senior
Marvin,
I’m not hearing you talk about the TED stockings ... are you wearing these?
I’m not hearing you talk about the TED stockings ... are you wearing these?
I’m not. Where do I get them? Do they help with the swelling. About 5 or 6 days after surgery I had a ultrasound looking for DVT, it was negative.
My swelling is slowly going down. My big problem now is if I have been laying down for a hour or more, when I get up to stand, my foot feels like pins n needles and some in my calf. After I walk for a while, it gets better but is still bothersome. It’s frustrating. Wed will be 3 weeks and my hip is doing well, just a little aching in hip and thigh. Pain meds knock it out. And I’m very tired. I had a burst of energy yesterday but it only lasted a few hours. Is the pins and needles, nerve damage?
My swelling is slowly going down. My big problem now is if I have been laying down for a hour or more, when I get up to stand, my foot feels like pins n needles and some in my calf. After I walk for a while, it gets better but is still bothersome. It’s frustrating. Wed will be 3 weeks and my hip is doing well, just a little aching in hip and thigh. Pain meds knock it out. And I’m very tired. I had a burst of energy yesterday but it only lasted a few hours. Is the pins and needles, nerve damage?
Mojo333
Former BoneSmart Staff Member
You can get the TEDS pretty much anywhere...certainly a medical supply center but local drugstore should have them too.
Could be a circulation issue aggravated by the swelling...are you icing your calves too?
I had pins and needles feeling but not that far down...but also my swelling was not that far down.
Make sure you are elevating properly..toes above nose... when reclining and doing some ankle pumps.
Could be a circulation issue aggravated by the swelling...are you icing your calves too?
I had pins and needles feeling but not that far down...but also my swelling was not that far down.
Make sure you are elevating properly..toes above nose... when reclining and doing some ankle pumps.
Last edited:
ForumUser
senior
Marvin,
I’m very surprised you weren’t discharged with them.
You wore them in the hospital, right?
My discharge instructions were to wear for as much as six weeks.
You will get professional advice, here, from others more qualified, b I was under the impression they are key to mitigating swelling.
I’m very surprised you weren’t discharged with them.
You wore them in the hospital, right?
My discharge instructions were to wear for as much as six weeks.
You will get professional advice, here, from others more qualified, b I was under the impression they are key to mitigating swelling.
SE Florida
post-grad
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That is correct @ForumUser and generally, most of us were discharged from the hospital with them. But I have read threads where they didn't receive them. I guess it depends on the OS and hospital. In Marvin's case, it sounds like he could definitely use them. Not a nurse or doctor here either, just going by reading and personal experience.
ceezee
graduate
Just my personal experience but I didn’t get them either at the hospital or to take home. At the hospital there was a compression device on each leg that kept constricting every minute or so. That was it. At home after a couple of days I got swelling in the operated leg but keeping them elevated, toes above nose, for most of the day and all through the night it only lasted a couple of days. I still do a lot of leg elevating though.
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I believe the blood clot protocol varies from surgeon to surgeon just as most everthying does. I'm sure your risk for DVT was assessed and your surgeon felt you weren't at risk. Call and ask if you need / want confirmation.
Marvin, my best suggestion is to familiarize yourself with the Recovery Guidelines. The information within
will address most all of your concerns. You can ask questions here and we'll address them to the best of our ability but you may also want to keep an ongoing list and check in with the office of your OS periodically for the reassurance you seem to need.
Please thoroughly read the articles below to begin with -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/ice-to-control-pain-and-swelling.5493/
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/pain-and-swelling-control-elevation-is-the-key.7602/
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/energy-drain-for-thrs.12415/
Hopefully today is a good day!
@MarvinL
Marvin, my best suggestion is to familiarize yourself with the Recovery Guidelines. The information within
will address most all of your concerns. You can ask questions here and we'll address them to the best of our ability but you may also want to keep an ongoing list and check in with the office of your OS periodically for the reassurance you seem to need.
Please thoroughly read the articles below to begin with -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/ice-to-control-pain-and-swelling.5493/
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/pain-and-swelling-control-elevation-is-the-key.7602/
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/energy-drain-for-thrs.12415/
Hopefully today is a good day!
@MarvinL
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
That would be about right at 2½ weeks.
Norco is good.
Baclofen is to relax the muscles so I don't think it's very appropriate as a pain med.
But overall, you are very undermedicated. So I suggest you take Tylenol 1,000mg 4 times a day at 6hrly intervals.
I know the FDA has ruled that 3,000mg acetaminophen is a safe maximum but that would be assuming that the patient is taking another medication that also contained it and thereby inadvertently take an overdose. Assuming that this is not the case, the maximum safe dosage per 24hrs 4,000mgs.
You accomplish little or nothing in 30 minutes. Ice for at least 40-60mins and more than 4 times a day.
Elevate while you are icing and according to the suggestions in here Elevation: the do's and dont's
That's okay
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.
And if you are concerned about refusing to do therapy, you need to read this Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?
You don't need them. More and more surgeons are inclining to the notion that they don't have the effect that's suggested. I certainly never wore them for either knee! TEDs Negative Research: Lancet 27th May 2009
