Revision THR 9 days post op, new hip in and I feel good

[Josephine]

meatfree, I enlarged your font - size 2 I cannot read!

Glad you are doing so well.

 

[meatfree]

Hi everyone, haven't been able to type for a while as my arms and hands are so bad. Really down about this as my hip is great!!!!
7 weeks post-op now and my hip is feeling so good.
I can sleep on it now for quite a while with no pain.
I can walk round my apartment with no crutches.
I can walk my dog, with crutches.
I can walk for a good half hour, with no pain, could go further except for my arms.
I sleep sometimes but am restless due to my arms, not my hip.
My wound is healing really well and isn't half as tender as it was.
Can get up and down easier and my wound is not pulling.
Going to see about swimmung next week, not this week as the children are off school and i don't fancy getting a kick in my hip
Gona try a walking stick again see if I feel safe on it or them, might have to use two to balance my arms and wrists out.
I know I complain about my arms and hands but my hip feels amazing and I am so grateful to my second OS for listening to me and believing me that something wasn't right!!! Mr Phillips
Hope everyone is progressing well too and isn't life wonderful when you can walk without pain?
Take care all

 

[meatfree]

Sorry Josephine lol didn't think and I love your picture

 

[meatfree]

8 WEEKS POST-OP
Hi everyone, hope things are going well for you all.
Had to go to see my Doctor yesterday, still in pain with my arms and hands! Has put me on dyclofenic, 50mg 3 times daily.
However I am progressing well in other ways.
I managed to go see my Doctor 5 miles away on my local bus with my friend for company, was fine and I managed on one crutch.
I can walk with a stick now when I am out and about in my village.
I walk round my apartment with no stick and no limping.
I no longer take sleeping tablets, am still restless at night but that's due to my hands not my hip.
Can sleep even longer on my operated side.
The swelling at the top of my leg has really gone down in the last few weeks and it doesn't throb half as much as it used to.
Revisions are so much different to a fiirst time. I am really surprised how much longer it's taking me to progress. Found it frustrating at first reading how well people were getting on, walking , driving , working. I cannot imagine being able to drive or return to work for quite a while yet. My Surgeon told me I have to be patient, it could be 12-18mths before I get over this, so I am focusing on the New Year and how I am feeling then.
I have no pain in my hip unless I bang it which I try not to do!
My scar has healed amazingly, still a bit of swelling at the bottom of it but it's going down slowly.
It is also amazing what your body can take and how well it heals, my scar is a pink line already after just 8 weeks!
I know I still have to heal internally but it's looking good.
I hope to get of my crutch or stick asap, we have uneven pavements and roads here being a village so I am a bit wary of giving them up yet and they are protection when you go somewhere busy incase you get knocked.
Hope to go swimming asap too, am unable to at the moment because of my arms being so painful, DR told me to rest them as much as I can but hope it eases off soon as I really can't wait to get in the pool again.
Managed to take jake for his walk this morning with one stick, arms are hurting again but I have to get out in the fresh air sometimes. My friend will take him for the next one so I can rest them.
So all in all I am doing great, just taking each day as it comes now.
Going to focus on what I can do now and not what I can't.
Have a great day all

 

[millie4162]

Hi Meatfree
I am also 8 weeks post op today. Glad you are getting on so well. I find some days I am feeling fantastic and some days like a wet rag.
I would like to go swimming and would be interested in hearing how you get on
Take care

 

[meatfree]

OH wow the diclofenic upset my stomach sooooo badly and yes I ate before taking them.
Guess I will have to put up with the pain in my arms and hands and hope they improve when I get off my stick or crutch for good.
Can't understand why they are both hurting when i am only using the left crutch or stick now.
Am so frustrated with this as my hip is doing so well and I feel ready to walk a lot further but I can't stand the pain.
Am going to try and go for a swim next week and see if it helps.
How people stay on crutches for years I have no idea!

 

[millie4162]

Same here meatfree. I had to use a wheelchair for 6 weeks as my arms couldnt cope with the crutches. I have to use heat on my shoulders to ease them. Pain meds are sorting them at the mo. I cant take diclfenic as i have a stomach ulcer. Have found Glucosimine helps my joints especially my fingers.
Hope you get some sleep tonight

 

[meatfree]

Hi millie, sorry to hear you have had problems with your arms too. Am hoping every day I wake up that the pain willl be gone but no such luck, infact it's getting worse! My hands are so very swollen now it is agony to type too. I get shooting pains from my shoulder to my elbow and can't lift my arms. I only use a stick to go out now so don't understand why it is so bad. Maybe give the glucosimine a go like you, anything is worth trying.

9 weeks post-op
My hip is fantastic no problems at all, healing well and no pain. Still have to observe the 90degree rule for another 3 weeks and then no bending to the ankle or floor for another 3-6mths. The problems with my arms are spoiling the enjoyment of my wonderful new hip .
I would like to try driving too as my hip feels so well but that is impossible while my hands and arms are like this.
Ah well such is life

 

[Poppet]

Hi meatfree

Did you have a walker or do you have one? If so, I would suggest you revert to a walker for a while.. I know this is not what you want to here, but you are suffering so much with the crutches.. I hurt for you

 

[meatfree]

Hi all, still no improvement in my arms and hands, this is really getting me down, had 7yrs of pain from my hip and now this!
No i haven't got a walker poppet, i would try anything to stop this pain.
10 weeks post-op already, my word time has flown, my hip is still amazing, no pain at all, no pain killers needed.
Want to go swimming but my arms are holding me back.
Doctor told me to rest them but it's not good for my hip to just sit around all day.
Dr also said i might have to have physio and see if it helps.
My friend takes jake for me at alternate times so i can't rest a bit.
Still using a stick outside as i am still limping a bit and don't feel safe enough to go without yet.
Managed to go 9 miles on the bus and did a bit of xmas shopping and had lunch out,with a friend.
It was so nice to get out.
Am worried the crutches have caused arthritis in my arms and hands and they are damaged for good, i really hope not.
Sorry for moaning everyone but am so frustrated as my hip is no problem now.
Just 2 more weeks and i can bend over the knee and a few more months and i can bend to the floor, my sock aid and shoe horn have been a godsend. And the grabber, best money spent ever.

 

[sharonslp]

Meatfree, I had a terrible time with elbow and shoulder pain after my first THR, but not from using crutches. I finally realized I had to cut way back on computer use for a while. That brought the pain levels down significantly. Then I discovered some exercises that helped me a lot. (Of course I had to use google to find the exercises....it's hard to give up the internet entirely!!) Look up the name Tanno Spanos on youtube, and watch his video on shoulder pain. That one exercise....bringing hands together and then raising arms above my head and bringing them out to the side...I could feel instant relief. After several weeks of doing that exercise frequently throughout the day, the pain was pretty well gone. If you are in so much pain now that you can't do the exercises, take some anti-inflammatories for a few days to help. You may not need them for the hip, but it sounds like you need them for the shoulders.

Here's the video with the exercise that helped me:

When you say you're using a stick outside, do you mean a crutch or a cane? A cane would be a lot less painful than a crutch, I think. But I agree with Poppet. A walker would give your poor shoulders some real relief. But I am wondering why you are still limping if you have no pain. Perhaps you need some PT to assist you with your walking gait. It is so important to get the walking gait limp-free...it may be purely habitual now and you need to break that habit.

10 weeks is still very early in the recovery process. If your limp is due to stiffness, soreness, aching....those are all forms of pain. And with your shoulder....does sound like you need pain relief one way or another. The combo of ibuprofen and tylenol is what Jo usually recommends. I think I'll tag her on this too.

Josephine

Sharon

 

[meatfree]

Hi all, had a good nights sleep for the first time for ages last night. Have been taking ibuprofen 400mgs(after food) 3 times a day(cannot take the diclofenic) and rested my arms as much as possible, they actually feel better today, though my hands are still swollen.
I have left the computer alone for a few days too.
My good friend takes my dog twice a day now and i take him inbetween so i can rest.
Thanks for the info sharon but i really cannot raise my arms at the moment but will look for it when i am able to do a bit more.
I can't use a cane it just hurts my fingers(they are swollen too) so i have had to go back to my crutch. Wish i could give the crutch up but im just not ready, im ok without it inside but i dont feel safe outside without it.
Maybe i am in the habit of limpng now but my surgeon said i might have a permanent limp,maybe i need to go and see about some physio on my arms and hands and about the limp.
I don't feel as if i have any pain coming from my hip now, infact it feels as good as new, it has healed amazingly and i feel so lucky that the revision has worked out so well.
Thanks for the help everyone, its nice to have somewhere to moan as thats all i seem to do lately and im fedup of it but i just want my arms and hands to heal and be normal again!!! (some may say thats not possible hehe)
Going to sign off now as typing doesn't help so better go, sweet dreams everyone or have a great day depending on your time zone. Lesley x

 

[Poppet]

Hi Lesley

Here is a thought... what about using Nordic Walking poles, which are extremely light weight titanium. You can get the ones that have a wrist strap that you actually put your hand through, sort of like a glove, but it takes the weight off your hand.

Tag me if you want more information

 

[meatfree]

Hi everyone haven't been online for ages have not been well lucky me has developed lupus now!!!! Doctor reckons it's due to the trauma of having surgery twice so close and strong medications. Was on strong iv antiibiotics for 18 days and had a antibiotic spacer in my hip too. Was wondering why my hands, arms, shoulders, chest etc were so painful. My hip revision is great though, am feeling a lot better in that respect. I have healed up really well can bend now and can dry my feet and cut my own toe nails and get my socks on and off. I hope you are all doing ok that had your ops at the same time. I hope they get this lupus under control soon as it is wrecking my life. T he sunshine is wonderful though will cheers me up

 

[Jaycey]

Gosh meatfree - so sorry to hear about your lupus. As if you don't have enough to deal with! But sounds that hip is doing very well though. Well done! Good luck on the lupus! Please keep us updated!