THR 7 weeks out and have questions.

[Eman85]

That's where I was pretty pleased with my OS program. He pretty much laid it out, prepared me for the length of recovery and warned me about the downsides. His recovery schedule was 6 weeks to function, 3 mos to normalcy and 1 year to full recovery.

 

[Mojo333]

My guess is that if you showed presurgery patients what occurred on the operating table there might be far fewer surgeries

Perhaps. I know I went into my surgery fairly blissfully naive...and perhaps dumb luck in being placed with an excellent surgeon as I did no research.

But even if I knew the specifics of post surgery pain, rehab of muscles and healing of soft tissue, I was getting old before my time, in chronic pain, and hadn't slept over an hour at a time for two years.
Worth every bit of the struggle to regain a healthy happy life.
I learned ...Patience...to do no harm...give my body time to heal, and think of where I would be without this surgery.
Very grateful double hippy!

 

[Calgal]

A little morsel to add into the thought process: Just because someone says you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should. . Take it easy. Everyone is different, but we've all just got one body and one life despite bionic advances. Happy healing!

 

[HipLondoner]

All operations cause pain and can have nasty complications. The reason that we agree to them is that they usually transform our life for the better. My OS was very laid back about the fact that I still had pain when I saw him after 8 weeks. When I told him that my pain went away when I moved around and walked, he said that 'a pain that goes away with exercise is a good pain'.

 

[Layla]

My guess is that if you showed presurgery patients what occurred on the operating table there might be far fewer surgeries.

True...yes. Then show the same people a futuristic view of themselves in a wheel chair prematurely because fear kept them from taking a chance on a brighter future.

 

[Elf1]

Just to add my two cents! Luckily there is this great place called Bone Smart! .

So happy that I stumbled upon these wonderful folks before my surgery as they helped me weigh the pros and cons of having the surgery, they held my virtual hand while I decided IF I was going to have the surgery and prepared me for what to expect.

Thank goodness for that as while my OS was great about answering any questions I had, he was pretty laid back about the whole surgery. The joint clinic that I was told I had to go to at the hospital was sorely lacking. I have let the head of their therapy department know my thoughts, have given them suggestions, etc. She seemed eager to make changes and appreciated my input.

The folks here gave me a very good idea of what to expect before, during and after surgery. Too bad a lot of folks don't find us, or in time. They also gave me the courage to kick a PT to the curb, without any regrets, after she was overzealous and hurt me.

 

[FCBayern]

I can't count the number of people I've told about this site. Anytime I hear someone is or may undergo a replacement I pass along info for Bone Smart. This site the moderators and all of the people have been a huge help to me through both knee and hip.

 

[chopper72]

I think I came to hip replacement a little different than most. My hip only hurt and hurt a lot if I tried to run or twist suddenly while playing tennis or pickleball. When I ticked it off it would hurt beyond the reach of OTC pain relievers. It did not hurt walking or going up or down steps. If I had been willing to give up tennis and pickleball I could have avoided hip replacement for some time, despite having advanced arthritis. The day before surgery I walked up 250 steps with no pain. So 8 weeks after surgery it hurts more than it did before surgery and I am more physically limited. I did the surgery so I could return to the sports I like. I am still uncertain but hoping it was a good idea. I appreciate everyone's comments and have learned much from all of you. Thanks!

 

[Going4fun]

Eight weeks is still early ... not just early ... extremely early .... I was like you ... I could walk and climb steps, but I wanted to run and dance ... recovery took longer than I wanted. I'm about to post a 16-month update ... I feel like I'm still getting stronger ...

Yes, a few (few!) people feel strong and active at 8 weeks, but the vast majority of us don't. I didn't come off the cane til about 8-9 weeks ... You're simply at that point in the "story" where you are heading through the tunnel, and you are thinking there is light ahead, you're hoping, but you sometimes fear ... maybe there is no light ahead. That can be a totally normal part of the process. To trust that the healing is taking place.

And there is a bit of a curse with having the surgery as we did. As my physical therapist said (I went to her at 6 months), most of her clients just want to walk without pain. I wanted to do a lot more ... The more active you want to be, in my PT's words, the more time it takes for the muscles to be able to get into shape ...

Hang in there. I was almost in a complete panic at 8 weeks (though I didn't always admit that on this board). Looking back, I feel like panicking at 8 weeks is so so so early.

 

[Eman85]

I guess only time will tell. Mine only hurt for 50 years, over 30 years ago I had a replacement in my hands at a surgeon's office. He laid it out very realistically so I waited.

 

[Mojo333]

It would be nice if we knew Exactly how long it takes to 'get over' the surgery trauma...different people were in different places before THR and being individuals, we will also walk different recovery roads.
I get that you are frustrated as you get through this, especially since you didnt feel as restricted beforehand.
Hang in there friend...and don't overdo and I bet this Spring will be Sweet.

 

[Elf1]

I get that you feel you could have gone longer without having had the hip replacement as you weren't feeling tons of pain. But, don't think your surgeon would have done the surgery if he didn't think you needed it.

And, while you weren't feeling tons of pain right then does not mean it wouldn't blow up and hit you smack in the face. When it decides to go there is no stopping it, short of surgery. Plus there is the chance that you could have blown the hip out during a game of tennis or pickleball. There's a couple of folks that have passed through here that had situations happen like that.

I blew mine off for the longest time, kept getting injections, trying to nurse it along but all of a sudden the pain just became unbearable. I don't wish that on anyone.

You're still very early on in this recovery, it takes a ton of patience, even for us non athletic folks. You're normally very active so being way less active is not easy for you and you may inadvertently being doing way more than you should. It really is a fine line between doing the right amount of walking/activity and joining the ODIC. Sorry you feel more pain now than before, please try to slow down, continue to ice, lots and know we're here to help you through.

 

[Layla]

Hello @chopper72
Patience is often hard to come by in recovery. You'll get there and one day realize you made the right decision. You're still very early into the healing process when you consider the controlled trauma your body endured. Please consider icing when you're in pain even at two months post op you'll still reap the benefits of reduced pain and swelling if you give it a dedicated try.
Have a nice Sunday and great week ahead!

 

[chopper72]

Pretty close to 10 weeks now. I have been making progress. I can walk a half mile before my hip starts barking at me. Then I rest 15 minutes and can walk another half mile with no repercussions. So while my distance has not increased, my recovery time has decreased. I have less, and often no pain in calf , thigh or groin. Most days I take two tylenol.

I have conceded to the time line my hip is dictating. I had hoped to be playing pickleball and tennis by now. I recently read that 6 months is a more likely expectation. I am thankful that my recovery is moving in a positive direction, however slow I may find that.

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @chopper72
Great update and good job for reassessing your recovery timeline expectations and listening to your body.

I have conceded to the time line my hip is dictating. I had hoped to be playing pickleball and tennis by now. I recently read that 6 months is a more likely expectation. I am thankful that my recovery is moving in a positive direction, however slow I may find that.

It does seem slow but I really think you will be proud that you are giving this hopefully forever hip and all the poor muscles and tendons involved in implanting the prosthesis plenty of time so that you don't end up suffering from self induced tendonitis or other concerns.

I know it's hard to resign yourself to be patient, but this time will pay off in a huge way.
Hopefully, spring and summer will be Sweet!

 

[chopper72]

That's the rub isn't it. You feel better so you do more. I rode my bike two days ago and am paying for it. The first 3-5 steps after sitting are very painful, not just stiff as they were before. I can't imagine I hurt anything biking as I took it easy. How long do you think this might take to resolve with rest and ice?

 

[Jaycey]

How long do you think this might take to resolve with rest and ice?

Afraid there isn't a straight answer to this question. Your hip is telling you that you did too much. Rest, ice, elevate and Tylenol if needed. Any new activity should be started gradually, slow building up to longer periods.

 

[Eman85]

Ain't this a blast!! It's more of a lesson in patience than most can imagine. With my left I was doing good at 6 weeks but at 3 mos I felt I was BACK! Took 1 day of strenuous chores to put me in the chair and on ice for 3 weeks!, just to get back to where I was.
On a bright note I did ask my OS about tennis, in his opinion doubles is doable if you take it easy.

 

[chopper72]

The biking didn't hurt while I was doing it but I am sure it was the range of motion when my new hip side was highest that did it. My first four steps when getting up remind me of my foolishness. Dang, my hip is weak and my cranium is thick!

 

[Mojo333]

My two biggest lessons learned when I was at your point in recovery.

1. It never hurts until we stop.
2. Just because because you can, doesn't mean you should.