8 months into healing

[Poppyfields]

Hi Liveringer and Kim22........I remember vividly the fear of that first shower too but oh the absolute bliss!!! Enjoy and don't worry you will be fine

I too was a 'walker' before the hip decided to fail on me....... first few weeks post surgery are a real roller coaster of emotions and difficulties but each little step is a step forward and to healing and being able to do things..... I had days where I wept with sheer frustration at my inability to do things post op but that all seems so long ago now. You never feel you are going to get off the crutches or drive the car or be able to sleep on the operated side or without the pillow between the knees or to be able to stop doing the exercises!!! ( KEEP doing the exercises as they will get you mobile) Or get down to your toes, to be able to put your shoes on or to bend or get down onto the floor........ it does come believe me.... when I look back the time went fairly quickly..... it is being positive and knowing life is going to get better So Kim22, you will be playing with your grandson and running around with him in the next few months and getting your walking boots on in the next few months. I did a three miler at about five months! Look forward to reading about your progress

 

[Poppet]

Hi there Poppyfields, nice to catch up with you, sounds like recovery is right on track for you.. Fantastic on the walking, I recall how much you enjoy it... Keep on keeping on

 

[clifford149]

Hi Poppyfields....I really related to your......keep doing the exercises.....life can feel so tedious
..don't sleep sleep...get up...exercise....eat....exercise.....watch TV.....walk......exercise....try and rest and the repetition continues....however the good news is you do get stronger...I am 5 weeks tomorrow yet its flown by.....

 

[Poppyfields]

Hi Clifford149....... yes it is tedious but necessary....... I have to say, hand on heart, the exercises drove me demented with the repetitions and so many times a day BUT they are vital in getting all the muscles working and strong and getting you back on your feet. My private physio added extra ( to strengthen buttock muscles on operated side) and have to say they corrected the slight list to one side I had once off crutches! I did them all, as prescribed, without fail.......... I tell everyone I know going in for hip replacement that they HAVE to stick to doing the exercises as it is those which will get you moving and back to normal....... so grit the teeth and persevere

 

[Kim22]

Hi Poppyfields As you have done so well I was just wondering which exercises you did especially the extra ones to strengthen the buttock ?

 

[Poppyfields]

Hi Kim22........ the one my physio gave me for the buttock is this:

Lie on un-operated side in a straight line, legs on top of one another, arms comfortably in front of you, pillow between knees to support. Slowly raise leg, keeping it straight and toes pointing forwards, to a point where it is a struggle, then slowly lower it. Do this fifteen times. Then turn over and do other side ( if possible!) It was a huge struggle to begin with ( I started this exercise at week five) and I could hardly raise the leg at all but it got easier. Could not do un-operated side for weeks as could not lie, with comfort, on operated side! Have to say this one really helped the buttock/muscles and stopped me listing to one side when walking! I did this morning and evening from week 5 until 10 months post op. Was doing so much swimming and walking by this point thought it pointless to continue.

The others are the general ones given by most hospitals......side swings, knees bent to the front, leg kicked out behind, rising on toes and lowering, stepping on and off one stair, lying flat and raising legs alternately, lying flat and moving leg as far as possible to the side, bent knees and raising lower back keeping head on bed or floor etc Am sure these must sound familiar

 

[clifford149]

Hi....I also do ...lay on tummy and do a straight leg lift......steps and stairs are good....+ the clam for gluteus medius + the bridge where you arch your back.....finally sit ups when seated on a suitably raised chair....and yes where ever possible keep your foot pointing up and so you tense and stretch the whole leg....

 

[Kim22]

Thank you Poppyfields I will try the side leg raises from 6 weeks which is when I have been advised to start lying on my side. As you say the others are ones I am already doing with the exception of straight leg raises but I will try them when I feel stronger. I think your advice of doing the exercises religiously is good advice and you have proved this by walking so well.

 

[Poppyfields]

Hi Kim22......... great to hear you are going to give it a whirl..... it was that one exercise, amongst all the others, which strengthened the buttock etc and made me walk tall and upright!!! Let me know how it goes.

 

[clifford149]

Hi Kim....you mention 6 weeks.....what restrictions were u given for 6 weeks...are you partial weight bearing?

 

[Kim22]

Hi Poppyfields I will definitely work on that exercise I have read on another thread that you had a holiday in Corfu at 11 weeks How did you cope with the flight and did you manage ok ? I would like ti book a summer holiday and fancy a Greek island but a lot of them are quite hilly.

 

[Vida]

Congrats on doing so well. I am very glad that the PT exercises are playing such an important part in your recovery. I religiously did those early exercises, but not all of them.. some hurt a lot more than others

I just wanted to point out that for those who find that PT is too much, or it pushes you into unreasonable pain, or if it isn't covered by insurance, that it isn't absolutely essential to a good result. I stopped physio pretty early on because it became too painful and have done extremely well nonetheless. I eventually discovered from my surgical notes that certain muscles were 'tenuous' going in because of my previous surgeries. Instead of doing sets of exercises that hurt, I started to use a stationary bike for ROM and have gradually increased my walking. You can achieve the same strengthening in your glutes (and help level out a perceived LLD) by using a cane as long as necessary, walking tall, engaging your core and clenching your buttocks. This ensures you focus on your gait. Start small and work up: it really, really helps. It is tiring at first but eventually you won't need the cane. I am now 5.5 months post surgery: I can easily walk 3 or 4 miles and have absolutely no detectable limp. That last part is amazing since I was told after surgery that I would always have a limp. My OS is very happy that he was wrong!

Best of all, I have not experienced any pain since giving up on PT and am now strong enough to return to the gym and do some strengthening and stretching that was impossible before. And I have more ROM than I have ever had in my life. I am not suggesting for one minute that people stop exercising and sit around. But if you listen to your body, avoid working out to the point of pain and do what feels right for you, you can achieve a really great result without obsessing unduly about leg lifts and clam shells.

 

[Kim22]

Hi Kim....you mention 6 weeks.....what restrictions were u given for 6 weeks...are you partial weight bearing?

My restrictions have been to only lie on my back until 6 weeks when I can lie on my operated side but I cannot sleep on the none operated side until 3 months.From 6 weeks I can sit on lower seats as long as I don't sit down to heavily but I need to hang on to the loo seats until about 3 months I can't cross my legs turn my operated leg inwards or swivel on my hip From 6 weeks I can start to reach forward and bend down to touch feet gradually a little at a time. I have been advised that I can swim (front crawl ) and use a stationary cycle from 6 weeks and use a road bike on the flat. I can drive from 6 weeks if I can know that I can do an emergency stop. I was given this advice on Monday by the senior physio who called to see me asI don't see my OS until I am about 10 weeks. She also measured my leg lengths which were equal thank goodness I felt more positive after her visit

I have been fully weight bearing since the check x ray on the day after surgery

 

[Kim22]

Hi Vida thanks for the information re. PT Did you use 1 or 2 canes for walking and working your glutes ?

 

[Vida]

Kim22 I graduated from crutches to cane only when I felt sufficiently stable-- about 7 or 8 weeks because I was on limited weight bearing for the first six. After chatting with some really great people here, I started to do what I call "mindful walking" with one cane. When I felt strong, I tried without the cane. But I went back to using it the minute I was tired or started to list/lean. I think that's very important. If you get used to walking with poor control, its much harder to correct your pelvis, which is naturally leaning one way after limping so long due to the arthritic pain. I still have to be aware of bringing shoulders back, sticking boobs out, pulling my tummy in and squeezing my buttocks. It isn't possible to do all the time, obviously but after a little while you get used to the feeling. Another thing I had to watch was not to throw my good leg around, which I didn't know I did. I practiced in the mall, by walking towards shop windows. Also, in my case I find I am more stable walking with my feet very slightly turned out. But not so much that I get a penguin gait! Then, when I had all that down, I had to start swinging my arms normally again. I was concentrating so hard that I was walking like a little toy soldier! It has taken me a good 8 weeks to master all this but it came in time and is so worth it. Hope my experience is a little helpful. Five months seems a long time but it isn't really in the scheme of things.