[THR] AJinNH’s recovery RTHR

Thanks @anny for the arnica suggestion, I have some cream and it has helped. You made me laugh about your worst case scenario, sometimes I think we’re twins that were separated at birth, you sound just like me.
And this was one time that I was thankful for my extra ‘cushioning’.

Yes @Layla , thankful is right! It could have been so much worse. I’m also thankful to get that big worry over, not that I can’t fall again, but at least now I know that I can survive falling with little more that some scrapes and bruises. The soreness is a little less today and I’m still going ahead with my travel plans. Yay! I survived a fall.

@sequin98 I’m so glad that you survived your fall as well. I know that feeling of tripping but not knowing on what since surgery. So far it hasn’t made me fall, but I think in my case it’s that I’m still adjusting to the op leg being longer than it had been. Fortunately it seems to be happening less often, as is the perception that my op leg is longer than my left. Things are slowly evening out. I hope it does for you as well, and I hope we’ve both survived our first and last fall!

 

Happy 4th of July!

I graduated from PT yesterday (my call) I’m ready to move on. I have the option to pop in for brief visits for targeted massage/release treatments. I’m sure the psoas and tight hamstring will continue to be an issue for a while, but no need to prolong PT just for that. They’re very happy with my progress, me too.

Traveling was a breeze, no problems after the fall except for a lingering sore shoulder and lower back. Advil and Arnica cream got me through that and I was able to run, play and bake with my grandkids. My 2 1/2 yo granddaughter loves to bake with me, and I’m so impressed with her skills. I also managed to build a skyscraper with my grandson, and occasionally rebuild it after Lilly knocked it down.

We had so much fun and I felt so good (finally) that we rented a small apartment near our son so that we could fly out more often and stay longer. Woohoo!! We don’t want to miss these precious moments while we have the chance. Thank you THR for making this possible.

Recovery hasn’t been a straight line, but I’m definitely making progress. Hang in there newbies!

 

I hit the 4 month mark a couple of days ago. Things continue to improve. That funny feeling of leg length difference is pretty much gone. I still find I have to give myself a day off after exercising, but sometimes it’s okay two days in a row. I even did water aerobics again, only this time I stayed in the deep end and it was much better. I haven’t iced in a while. Last week I spent a lot of time in the car, and forget to bring ice with me, but it turned out fine and I felt that was an important turning point for me.

My biggest complaint lately is that I’m tossing about a bit more at night than I had been, I’m guessing that it’s because of my increased activity. It’s not terrible, just noticeable. Luckily I’ve been able to fall back to sleep. Funny thing is that I find myself on my back more often, as that position eventually is the most comfortable.

Good shoes and a long stride are two things I find very helpful. Also, I finally got rid of those elastic shoelaces and can comfortably tie my sneakers. Also stretching is hugely important to keep the aches at bay.

I’m getting there!

 

Hey there hippie friends, sorry I haven’t been by in a while, I’ve had a lot on my plate and when I have a few minutes to sit for a while I’ve been too tired to pick up my phone or sit at the computer. I’ve missed all of you, I hope that you’re having a fun summer and are staying healthy.

This week is 19 weeks post-op. My RTHR is healing nicely and I continue to see improvement. I spent the past few days in Chicago and did a lot of walking, got up over 14000 steps yesterday. Not a peep from my right hip!

However something new has suddenly emerged from my LEFT hip, leaving me feeling a bit like I was side-swiped. I’ve developed a pain high up on my left leg, inner thigh/groin area towards the back. It crops up after I’ve been walking for a while and can get bad enough to make me limp. This is the first time this has happened, my left side has been symptom free. I do have OA and bone spurs on that side as well, but not as bad as the right had been. A combo of Acetaminophen and ibuprofen take the edge off and allow me to sleep.

Could this be something other than a deterioration of my left hip? Please tell me it’s probably something else.

I see my PCP on Monday and will run this by her as well. Any thoughts or similar experiences?

 

Thanks @Jaycey and @SaraK not what I want to hear, but what I suspected. I will get it checked out, although I feel I’ve had enough radiation for a while.

I was hoping early in my postop recovery that relying on the left side to do all of the heavy lifting wasn’t putting it at risk of failing sooner.

Do you think looking at the X-rays from 6 weeks postop are good enough, or can it be significantly different 3 1/2 month’s later?

 

Oh @BeBe I’ve been thinking of you. We had our right hips replaced the same week in March, and you’ve already had the left replaced! I’m so glad to hear this one was easier. I really shouldn’t complain or let this get me down, it could be so much worse, I’m really blessed in so many ways. I’m also very grateful to have everyone on BS to consult and commiserate with as well. This just came out of the blue, not even a hint of trouble on the left, I’m still in a bit os shock.

Thank you all for your input, I’d still be in denial. Hopefully I can hold off for a awhile until my right recovers a bit more.