A couple of little questions

[Steph]

Hi everyone, just a couple of little things. Firstly, for avery long time now a lot of my pain has been round my knee and in the front of my shin - along with the front thigh pain. My Dr says that the shin pain is probably all to do with my hip, but I feel so unsure somedays and wonder if my knee has failed as well. Has anyone else had shin pain with their hip probs? It sometimes affects the top of my foot as well.

Secondly, my consultant said that swimming is good, which is great cos I love being in the water, but he said to not do breast stroke - which is the only way I know how to swim . So my question is, has anyone ever been told any different or have I got to learn a whole new way of swimming at my age.....

Had my occupational health visit today, and they have fitted a raised loo seat :wahey: and are bringing me out a small ramp so I can get in and out of my front door easily as it is quite a high step.

13 days and counting down................

Thanks everyone

 

[kangaroo]

Can you use a kick board? After my surgery (3 weeks ago) I was told not to do breaststroke.
I had a ton of referred pain to the knee prior to surgery....none now

 

[Texas]

Hi Steph no it wont be long now...And you really will feel better. Sounds like you have everything almost ready. I havent had that pain but Im sure someone will post about it. Swimming is great, It helps alot with movement, makes me not as stiff. We will ck in before surgery make sure your doing ok. It will be fine, youll see. Kim

 

[Steph]

Thanks ladies - Kangaroo - not sure what you mean by a kick board? Is it one of those polystyrene things you hold onto and then kick with your back legs (probably not a good description...). Fingers crossed my lower leg pain will go then after surgery as yours has. I will definately get back in the water tho, even if it is just to walk about. I have just been reading your thread about your recovery and it sounds like you are doing so well especially with the bike and exercies - it is such good news to hear these things. Going to borrow an exercise bike off a friend, until such a time as I am brave enough to go out on my proper one again.

Kim, thanks for the support - it is good to know so many people have had such improvements to their lives. I was speaking to one of our readers at work today, she has had both hips done - ten years apart and said it was the best thing she ever had done. All these comments really add up and help.

 

[mdakota]

hey steph. i have alot of knee pain. i have alot of nerve pain down my legs. as my limp has gotten worse its taken a tole on my back and knees. two weeks ago i actually thought i might have stress fractured my left thigh above the knee because of all the stress i've been putting on it. i watch myself sometimes in a window as i'm walking up to one and can see why and where i'm putting stress. your right about the board. looks like a mini surf board. lol.

 

[DianeC]

Steph,

My pain radiates from my hip, down my thigh to just past my kneecap. My shin or calf doesn't hurt unless my sciatic nerve is acting up. I'm hoping it will be resolved after my surgery May 27.

Take care.

Diane

 

[Judles]

Steph & Rachel,,,,,I did the breast stroke 6 weeks after my RTHR....don't know why you are both restricted, It definitely helped strength build my stamina and endurance,in addition to my quads!

 

[DianeC]

Judles,

Did your OS use the posterior or anterior approach? According to some info I got at my OS's website, after an anterior approach they want patients to avoid turning the hip or leg out and spreading the leg outward. After the posterior approach, patients have to avoid turning the hip or leg inward.

It seems like breaststroke might be allowed for posterior, but not anterior patients?

Diane

 

[Judles]

Diane.....you're absolutely right! (Yep....I'm.
Posty!) In addition, I had staples, whereas many anteriors are glued!

 

[PRGal]

Steph, the no breast stroke advice is due no doubt to the frog kick, not the arms. So if you could flutter kick instead, you'd probably be OK. (I know, that might feel really weird!) And yes, a kick board is a rigid foam float you hang on to so your legs are what propel you through the water.

(Also, as an anterior myself, I can confirm that the vast majority usually have no restrictions or dislocation precautions at all.)

 

[JudyS]

I was a posterior and allowed to swim at 3 weeks post. The breaststroke being my favorite, that is what I did. I could certainly see where it would risk dislocation, so I tried to be careful. I had no problems and got a great range of motion from swimming.
I also did a lot of the side stroke and backstroke. Not until the end did I get comfortable with the freestyle or crawl. I say end as then I had knee and spine surgery and have not got back to the pool yet!!
judy

 

[kangaroo]

My doctor said i was restriction free (anterior) ...its the physios who panic about this. My dr reckons that the only way Id dislocate would be to forcefully rip the bone out with a "bone hook". A vivid description, the reality of which I choose to avoid!
The PT is the one who is putting restrictions in place and the only one that they are concerned with is placing my foot backwards (and thus stretching the tissue at the point of the scar) ....
As for swimming strokes, the hospital nursing unit manager said not to go to public pools....due to infection risks....has anyone else heard of this?

The kickboard is as others describe....hold onto it and keeping your knees straight kick from the hips. Also you can get a "noodle"...a foam cylinder about 4 foot long and about 5 inches in diameter.....put it under your arms, behind your back and take your feet off the pool floor and kick, or cycle or just float around and relax......then put it under your foot and allow it to give some resistance as you lift your leg up and down in the water (just keep in mind your 90 degrees), try lifting your leg in front of you, or in circles (watch the midline)...the noodle is really useful and a provides variety to the old walking in the water....
Rachel

 

[aussie]

Hi Steph,

Swimming is great, but I found I went at it too hard in the beginning and I ended up getting a sore thigh, just like it was pre op. I had a few days off and it was back to being great.

I was also told not to do the frog kick, the PT said just about anything else in water was fine, just no frog kick.

Best wishes to you.

 

[Josephine]

I (posterior) had staples, whereas many anteriors are glued!

:pzld: Indeed, Judles? And how did you work that out? :hehe:


No, pet - it's nothing to do with the incision .... it's purely to do with the surgeon's preference!! :p

 

[PRGal]

the hospital nursing unit manager said not to go to public pools....due to infection risks....has anyone else heard of this?
Rachel

My OS just said not to sit in bath, hot tub or pool for 2 weeks post op, though showers allowed immediately (he routinely glues rather than staples). There's certainly more potential for creepy critters:euw: in a public pool, though most are so chlorinated, you feel like you're in a bleach bath!

 

[Josephine]

I kinda gave up on public pools when a pool engineer reminded me that chlorine is odourless. That smell only occurs when it comes into contact with uric acid ..... in other words - urine!

 

[Judles]

JO!!!!WHOOPS!!! Mea culpa!!! THAT's why YOU are the MOTHER HEN and I'm a lowly Super Grad!!! Thanks for setting me straight (she says with purple face!!!).

 

[Josephine]

Oh surgeons have a lot to answer for, Judles. No worries!

 

[Steph]

Wow, I go to work for a day and finds loads of really useful replies when I get home. Fantastic stuff - thanks everyone.

My only option for swimming is unfortunately a public pool - it is a wee bit too chilly to swim in the sea at the moment and it is too far away. I shall just have to hope I cannot smell the chlorine - or wait until I am healed up enough to avoid the risk of infections.

Thanks to you all about the kick boards - and I have used the foam tubes before when I used to go to Aqua Aerobics, they are very supportive so I will definately use one of those. So it will be breast stroke eventually with the front end and kicking with the rear, - it will take a bit of getting used to but I am sure I will get there.

My incision is going to be from my buttock forward across the side of my leg and down - so I am assuming that is a posterior approach??

Also thanks about the info regarding the lower leg pain. It is reassuring to know that other people have the same symptoms - hopefully the pains will go after the op. I had quite a lot of driving to do today at work and tonight I am paying for sitting in one position for so long - the hip joint is particularly horrible and then the knee gives out when I put any pressure on the leg - hey, ho. 12 days and counting.........

Thank you all again - I am so pleased to have found this site - you are all so supportive. :gphg:

 

[Josephine]

Well, we love a good support group - think we must all have been scaffolding in a previous existance!

And you are correct - that is a posterior incision.