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THR 7 weeks out and have questions.

I am using a recumbent exercise bike and that seems to have enough support and I started with real short time and no tension and upped it in small amounts. The recumbent bike seems easier for the hip and I first got it because of my knees and also for exercise in winter as I live in the northeast.
 
12 weeks out and may need a pep talk. My doc told me I should be good by now. I can walk about 6 tenths of a mile then have to stop because of pain and stiffness. This has been unchanged for weeks, I sit for ten minutes then can walk again. I can do this for a couple of hours but my limit of using the hip is about 15 minutes. It doesn't hurt when I get off it. I am nowhere near playing pickleball which I hoped to do at 8 weeks. Will it ever get better?
 
Twelve weeks is still early. I started to exercise at 12 weeks ... got on recumbent bike ... did some elliptical ... body screamed ... leg screamed ... hip screamed ... backed off ... At about 6 months, i decided it was safe to consult a PT ... that definitely helped ... but also what helped: time ... there is no rule that says we should be able to exercise at 12 weeks.

Sounds like your tissue is still healing ... keep icing ... back off when you hurt. You'll get there ... But I get your frustration ... I read those stories of people exercising at 12 weeks and my hip wasn't on that path. You're still getting stronger.

I returned to work after three months ... slightly more ... and was so bummed when a coworker noticed me dragging my leg and limping. I thought I was past all of that. Nope.

You'll get there.
 
From your description it sounds like it's all muscle pain. I'd say some of your muscles just aren't ready yet. I had one set that wouldn't respond when I bent my knee and tried to put my socks and shoes on. I asked my OS and he told me to try heat. I used a heating pad and the hot tub and it's finally responding. I still have muscles that are sore and when I get up to walk I have soreness the first steps. With my left I had stutter step but this one is just sore. Every recovery is different and the equalizer is usually time. Having gone through this once I know it, but I still just want it to be over and I can get on with the things I want to do.
 
Chopper I don't have citations at my fingertips but when I smashed my acetabulum in December of '17 (which eventually led to my recent THR) they told me not to take them, and being the way I am, I wondered why and did some research.

The answer is, it's not a slam dunk either way. There are studies that say no and studies that say yes. There's no way for a lay person to differentiate, and Doctors themselves differ on it. My answer was moderation. Ibuprofen really works for me, so when I had "break out pain" I would go for them without hesitation but I made a point not to live on them. There's a mention of Celebrex above. One thing I know is don't mix Celebrex with other NSAIDs. That's not good.

I have arthritis kind of scattered through my body, one area is my hands, they've ached for years. I did some research on that and started taking Curcumin (Turmeric extract). I've been taking it at least 5 years now. If for some reason I miss it my hands start feeling like they're made of glass within a couple of days and get worse from there. When I do take it I don't even notice my hands, they're fine.

Take that for what you will, maybe read about it. Curcumin hasn't been enough to keep my hips from hurting, but my surgeon told me that my hip was "really bad- worst 10% at least" (and he got to see it close up!) and I was going for longish walks (1.5 mi.) daily and working out pretty much every day right up to the surgery, so maybe the Curcumin helped me, I can't prove it but I suspect it.

Anyways, sorry to ramble, good luck.
 
I am at 15 weeks. Doing okay. Can walk more than a mile before my hip gets sore. The day before my surgery I walked over two miles and up a couple of hundred steps so I am still not back to where I was. Having no pain most of the time and don't take anything. I am recovering from soreness much faster and have no groin pain or pain in my knee which I had pre-surgery. Tried to play pickleball and played two games before I had to stop from soreness and a pronounced limp but there was no residual pain from that. So I am still waiting for hip nirvana.
 
Glad to see you gave Pickleball a shot. I've been walking almost every day, as long as it's a paved sidewalk or path I can go for miles. I've been hiking and the hills and and roughness get to the outside of my thigh, it's still going to be a while before it's done with the hurting.
 
Hi chopper,, well your update does show progress. It's just not along the timeline that you had hoped for. For my most recent THR, I found the most improvement after about 5 and a half months.
You are getting there.
 
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Eman85 - Glad to see you are doing well with your new hip! You have been a great help to me and I thank you for it. I live up in snow country so flat surfaces are hard to find for me but like you I can make do with a Superwalmart.
 
Weather can be a problem as far as getting to walk in recovery. I own land but none of it is flat so I have to be careful. I've over done it on my own property because of the terrain. Ironically it's snowing here as I type this but none of it is sticking. Doesn't matter, they've cancelled school and I bet the stores are out of bread and milk! It's been a extremely warm winter here and the biggest problem we've had is heavy rains and flooding. Our weekend outings lately have consisted of traveling to towns that have a nice walking trail. Walking in circles at the local parks track or up and down our small Main St. has gotten old.
 
I am 7 months out and playing pickelball and walking to my hearts content. Thank you all for the good advice about being patient. I was a relatively slow healer it seems but I am happy with where I am at now. This a a terrific site.

I may need my right side done in the future. Has anyone had good results with minimally invasive THR?
 
Hi there :wave:
Thanks for your kind words in regard to BoneSmart. We appreciate you taking the time to update. It seems you’re doing remarkably well. I’m happy for you. :)

I didn’t experience minimally invasive surgery, but many have and I’m sure some will stop by to share their opinions with you. Stick with us and we’ll be with you if / when you need your right hip replaced.

I hope you have a wonderful Summer!
@chopper72
 
chopper72 said:
Has anyone had good results with minimally invasive THR?
Click to expand...
A bit of marketing hype I am afraid @chopper72 . There is nothing minimally invasive about the actual procedure. You may have a very small incision depending on how the surgeon performs. But hip replacement is the same no matter what approach your surgeon uses.

I am so happy to hear you are getting on with life again Well done! We will be here for you when it's time for the second round!
 
Awesome report. It is wonderful to enjoy life again without pain and do the things one enjoys. I am right there with you after my last hip replacement which was 11/13/19.
 
@chopper72 What a good update! Interestingly, more and more members talk about returning to pickleball.. it must be a fun sport.. maybe I should look around my area and see if it's offered anywhere.
I did the anterior approach and with my first hip I felt like the recovery was pretty straight forward, then with my most recent THR, same surgeon, same approach and it was a much slower recovery.

Hopefully the other hip won't need be be addressed for a while longer and lets you enjoy your activities.. :)
 
Sounds like it's working out well. I had the same surgeon and same approach for both of my THR's. My left had pins so it was expected to have extra work. With my right my OS found a surprise of a bone cyst that he had to address while in there. Kind of glad he did posterior and had plenty of room and visibility. The one thing interesting was in many ways they were different in the recovery, kept it interesting!
 
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