THR 4 months on and damage to soft tissue^

[Jammy]

Hi @PhilippaC , I was just checking to see how you are doing. I am feeling "grim" and just shared, ha! I appreciated your posts to my litany of complaints and want you to know you've made a difference by sharing your struggles. I too, feel that everything is an effort--a huge effort! I hope I improve. I'm almost at 12 weeks. From reading people's posts on here, it looks like it would be "normal" to feel better in a year. Well that stinks!

 

[PhilippaC]

I read about people getting constipated with the heavy duty pain killers. I stopped mine, di-hydracodeine , after 10 days, having consulted my GP, as the feeling of being bunged up was so uncomfortable. Also I didn't like the 'spaced out' feeling that came with them (I'm sensitive to drugs generally). I went on to just the paracetamol the hospital gave me to take home and they did the job of controlling the pain and I was no longer constipated which was a huge relief. It might be worth experimenting, in conjunction with your doctors advice, with the painkillers to see what works. I had constipation despite taking the stuff they gave me to prevent it.

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Month Anniversary, Philippa!
I hope you're doing well. Wishing you a lovely April and Spring 2023!
@PhilippaC

 

[PhilippaC]

Happy Two Month Anniversary, Philippa!
I hope you're doing well. Wishing you a lovely April and Spring 2023!
@PhilippaC

Aw...Thanks Layla. Yes Spring is here, finally. It's so nice to be able to be outside and watch the flowers coming out again. I've seen a butterly and the birds are tweeting like mad!

I'm doing a lot better now. The panic attacks have gone. I'm now in a bit of an in between stage which brings it's own challenges. Not feeling unwell and disabled any longer but still not able to do all of the things I would like to... but grateful that the worst is over. I still can feel a bit isolated but nothing like I did at the beginning.

My hip is almost pain free now and I can walk for about a mile. But I have to be careful not to overdo things. If I stand around for too long or try to walk longer it gets sore. I can walk around the house without any walking sticks and outside I still take one stick as my leg can get tired and sore all of a sudden. I still don't feel confident to get on and off a bus. I've still to go up and down flights of stairs and not looking forward to it really. I can do small ones ok. Up with the good and down with the bad has become a mantra! Driving is fine and I can now get in the car normally. I've not attempted a long journey and am happy just doing local things. It was great advice I got here.. to get a trolly at the supermarket and use it as support for walking in the early stages. I've done a fair amount of that as it has been cold and raining a lot.

I still take some ibuprofen from time to time, especially when I'm going to be doing more energetic things.

This hip has been very different to the previous one and I've had to learn to be patient as it is taking longer to heal. I was quite frightened at the beginning as the pattern was different ... fears of never being able to walk again, being permanently housebound etc came up and now looking back I can see they were senseless but a quite natural response all the same.

This forum has been so helpful... reading how others have coped, I've had lots of encouragement and some good advice and felt a lot less alone. Thank you all! And good luck with your recovery journeys.

 

[Gloucestergal65]

@PhilippaC I’m a month and a bit ahead of you and what you have written above totally resonates with my experience.
I find this site very reassuring (mostly).
I think when you speak to people who had the op two or three or more years ago, they look back with slightly rose-tinted glasses so it is good to hear from people at similar stages and to realise that a lot of what you are going through (which can be quite scary) is all quite common.

 

[Newhip_Pol]

Hi @PhilippaC & @Gloucestergal65,
I'm coming up for 12 weeks next Tuesday and can identify with much of what you say. Progress with this hip is definitely slower. I'm still struggling with stairs and practising step up - step down as suggested by PT (15 leading with one leg then 15 leading with the other) both at home and, thankfully, now in a local swimming pool. Determined to be fitter than I was before the op!

 

[PhilippaC]

I have had bursitis for a few months now. I don't feel I'm getting anywhere with the exercises and have plateaud at being in low level pain most of the time, painful and limping getting up and down from a chair and walking with or without a stick is always painful.. and pain and limping gets worse the longer I walk. I'm doing hydrotherapy every week which seems to help a bit. As far as exercising goes no one has really guided me as to how much is ok and how much it too much. They all hurt slightly. I recently saw a private physio who encouraged me to do lots of strengthening exercises.. No one has suggested rest and ice. If anything I think the exercises helped even so slightly but no longer do.
I saw my surgeon a couple of weeks ago and am due to have an injection into the bursae site, done by a guided scan by a radiologist. The surgeon informed me that whilst it can help many people , it can make it worse for some!
I was not in a lot of pain and walking pretty well most of the time before the op. He said that optimum recovery happens in the first 2 months post op doing the exercises given by the hospital. I was really unwell with nausea from the op for that time and didn't do them all the time. I am now in a much worse state than before the op and having to deal with this! And having to fight off the thought that it's not going to get better! I'm feeling stuck!

 

[sistersinhim]

Hello @PhilippaC,
You'll notice that I have merged your two threads together as it's best if members in recovery only have one thread. We find it much easier for everyone.
This is because:

• That way, you have all your information in one place. This makes it easier for others to go back and review your history before providing advice.
• If you start new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
• Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. We won't miss your new question as, between us, the staff read all new posts each day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, tag a member of staff.
Tagging other members and answering tags

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts?

A helpful hint - Many members have found it useful to bookmark their thread so they don't lose it.

 

[Mojo333]

I'm sorry you are strugging with bursitis and frustrated with your recovery..

No one has suggested rest and ice.

That's unfortunate... Check out our article for bursitis

I saw my surgeon a couple of weeks ago and am due to have an injection into the bursae site, done by a guided scan by a radiologist.

Our Nurse Emeritus, Josephine recommended this for on-going bursitis (you may see this in the article)

He said that optimum recovery happens in the first 2 months post op doing the exercises given by the hospital.

I disagree...
The first 2 months should very much be about resting and icing and healing, and the only exercise needed is walking.

I recently saw a private physio who encouraged me to do lots of strengthening exercises..

What kind of exercises? What did he deem weak and needed strengthening?
I did some glute strengthening (after about 5 months) as my PT felt it was partly responsible for my gait issues and aches, but I did not have bursitis.
I had standup / startup glitches up to and over a year, so try not to dismay.

Also, be careful with the hydrotherapy...it's great that it is helping (I love the water) but it is easy to overdo.

Hopefully, the injection will provide relief and you can try to go slow and steady with any exercise to ascertain what is helping and what is hurting.

 

[PhilippaC]

Thanks everyone. here is an update. My leg is still pretty sore if I walk any distance, sore when getting up and down from a seat et. I was offered the scan guided injection into the hip and as I mentioned before the surgeon also said that it can sometimes make things worse. I was due to go next week to have it but have postponed it.

My leg is improving but it's very slow and some days it's easier than other. I am noticing that the hydrotherapy every week is helping. I am doing some muscle strengthening exercises at home as well and they seem to help to some extent. I can see that it is a fine tuning thing and I need to really listen to what my body is saying. There are different kinds of pain... some are healing and some are not. The aching ones of the muscles getting back into action as they are being stretched again after inaction and the sharp ones that say stop. That's the place where I still struggle. It sometimes feels like one step forward and two backwards .

I've decided to give it to the end of the year and if its still not sorted.... and that will then be be 12 months post op, I'll have the injection. I read that in any case the effect of the injection doesn't last very long. I'd be interested to hear of anyone else who has chosen to avoid the injection and if and how they did manage to get better without it. And also of anyone who it really helped and how?

I use diclofenac 2.3 gel on my leg in the morning and one 30 co-codomal to help get me out of the door! I can walk short distances without a stick and up to a mile with one. But it's never pain free.

 

[Eman85]

No one has suggested rest and ice.

What were the results of rest and ice?

He said that optimum recovery happens in the first 2 months post op doing the exercises given by the hospital.

I don't think many here will go along about that.

 

[Hippie Chick]

I had one injection pre-op. Not sure how much it helped. Found out same day that I had osteoarthritis. Having a name for the problem was nice. I took off the day after injection to get the biggest benefit from the injection. A chart or simple diary showing activity and pain level may help you to see a cause and effect relationship. Listen to your body. I hope you feel better soon!

 

[PhilippaC]

15th December 2023
Well, its almost a year since I had my 2nd hip replacement. It's still not great. I have now started swimming and going to the gym in an attempt to build up body strength. I have to say that after a few sessions my leg isn't any less sore but it does feel more stable. I haven't used a stick for quite a while now. I have noticed if I don't get any exercise for a few days, it deteriorates.
I am very disappointed with the operation results and I do now wonder if I will ever be able to go for a long walk and be pain free? Currently using ibuprofen and cocodomol and paracetamol but only on days that I want to be out and about. My life is limited and I have to think about where I am going and if I'll be able to get back home without being in serious pain.

 

[Gloucestergal65]

@PhilippaC - So sorry to hear that you are still struggling with pain after the operation. My OS and physios and friends who’ve had the same operation all say that improvements continue into the second year. I think we are all given the idea that we’ll be back to normal in a few months but the reality is that for many of us it takes a lot longer.
Have you seen your OS for the sign off. Mine was last week and they took an X-ray to check everything was still in position. It’s also a chance to talk about ongoing pain.
Good luck and I hope your next post will show that you have some improvement.