THR AllNat’s First THR (Righty's Road to Recovery)

[Layla]

Happy to hear it! Recovery is enough in itself. Dealing with nosebleeds in addition...no fun.
Happy Monday, I hope you have a great week, AllNat!
@AllNat

 

[AllNat]

According to my phone's calendar, I am now almost through week 6 after my total hip replacement, so I figured that it's a good time for an update.

I'm still using my walker for the most part, as I don't quite feel strong enough to rely on only a cane (I like having the option to pause and just hold onto my walker if I experience a moment of feeling tired). I suppose my experience on surgery day of falling in the hospital check-in area because my good leg twinged is in the back of my head, especially at a time when it's so critical not to fall. However, I am switching to my cane daily at home when I need to carry things with one hand, such as my coffee or food; that has helped increase my sense of Independence.

My incision site feels good, albeit a bit warm sometimes. I have taken only two extra strength Tylenols in the past week and a half. I usually have one session of icing before bed, to alleviate any discomfort from sitting or from lying in our recliner while watching TV in the evening. Other than that, I'm happy to say that I'm not really feeling any pain (I'll say "so far", because I'm superstitious).

I do feel like I'm getting stronger every day. I'm doing my physio exercises three times a day, and when I had my second physiotherapy appointment two Thursdays ago, the physiotherapist said that I had improved in all of the metrics that she is measuring.

My first follow-up appointment with my surgeon is this coming Wednesday morning. So far I was thinking of asking the following:

(1) I enjoyed doing aquafit as prehab for this surgery. Is hydrotherapy a good method of rehabilitating after a total hip replacement? When would I be able to resume aquafit?

(2) When can I resume driving?

(3) When can I resume the supplements that my post-surgical package said I should pause due to bleeding concerns (milk thistle, berberine, omega-3, turmeric)?

(4) The physiotherapist who initially assessed me in June said that my left hip also has bad osteoarthritis. When would it be time to get that hip replaced?

Are there any other questions that anyone would recommend I ask him?

Time to strap on the ice pack. I'm looking forward to another comfortable night of sleeping on the Lounge Doctor.

Goodnight!

 

[Legseleven]

Well done with your recovery, that’s a good set of questions for the appointment.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Thanks for the update. You are wise not to rush getting off walker and onto cane. The walker does give you a better sense of balance.
And practicing with the cane during the day is also a confidence booster.
Good list of questions, please let us know how it goes.

 

[benne68]

I'm still using my walker for the most part, as I don't quite feel strong enough to rely on only a cane

I used the walker when I left the house right for about 2 months post-op after my first THR. Like you, I was worried about falling. Working with the cane at home is a great idea.

Another way to help you regain balance and strength, is to focus on "heel-toe walking." Using the walker to do this is a great idea because it helps your avoid limping.

Heel-toe walking involves striking the ground with your heel first, then rolling through your heel to your toe, and pushing out of the step with your toe. Here is a visual

It's important to slow down and concentrate through the entire step. It can feel awkward at first, but with practice, will become more natural. After a week or two, you'll start to notice a difference and it will make it easier to shift to the cane when the time comes.

 

[Layla]

Hi there,
Since there are no hard fast rules, easing into the cane, as you are, is wise for as long as it takes to build your confidence. It sounds like you're making good progress with minimal discomfort. As for the warmth, this can go on for months, even up to a full year post op. The increased blood flow to the area results in the warmth. Swelling and redness are often experienced also. As healing progresses, the warmth, swelling and redness dissipate.

I wish you the best for your first follow up with your surgeon. You've assembled a good list of questions.
You can ask him to check your gait, if he doesn't ask, mine did. You might want to write your questions down because conversation can easily trail off, causing you to forget and end up with unanswered questions.
I hope you have a great week, AllNat!
@AllNat

 

[AllNat]

I used the walker when I left the house right for about 2 months post-op after my first THR. Like you, I was worried about falling. Working with the cane at home is a great idea.

I have two "crowd events" (a lacrosse game and a concert) coming up in the next two weekends, and I definitely feel like if I use my walker instead of just a cane I will have more visibility and people will take care not to jostle me.

Thank you for the visual of the heel-toe gait. Looking at those images, I do think that I'm not quite doing it right yet. I think I am keeping my legs straighter than they should be during my stride; I don't think I have the "soft knees" shown in the IC and LR steps. I'll definitely try to practise this.

The walker does give you a better sense of balance.

I definitely agree. I wonder whether the fact that I still have bad osteoarthritis in my left hip is affecting my gait when using the cane. I definitely occasionally feel pain on the left side, which I did not notice before my surgery because the pain on my right side was so much worse.

You've assembled a good list of questions.
You can ask him to check your gait, if he doesn't ask, mine did. You might want to write your questions down because conversation can easily trail off, causing you to forget and end up with unanswered questions.

Thanks! I'll add this to my list of questions. I have been assembling them in a notes app because a question will come to me at any time of day or night and I know that I will forget it if I don't immediately note it down.

I appreciate all of this great feedback. This site has been so helpful! I mention it whenever I am chatting with someone who mentions having hip or knee problems.

 

[benne68]

This site has been so helpful! I mention it whenever I am chatting with someone who mentions having hip or knee problems.

Thank you for helping to spread the word! That's exactly what this community is all about -- helping one another on the journey!

 

[Layla]

We're certainly grateful for your kind words, your appreciation of the forum and willingness to share the site with others. Thanks so much, AllNat!
Enjoy your upcoming Lacrosse weekends!
@AllNat

 

[AllNat]

I'm currently in the waiting area and have mentioned this site to at least two people so far.

 

[benne68]

Let us know how your appointment goes!

 

[AllNat]

Last week was quite eventful.

On Sunday, my husband and I visited my mum for the first time since my surgery; she was so happy to see me up and about.

On Wednesday, I had my first follow-up appointment with my OS. X-rays were taken from a few angles, and I got the opportunity to ask him my list of questions. Dr. Kuzyk said that I can now sleep on my side and removed the 90° restriction. He also said that I can drive now, once I am comfortable and strong enough to manoeuvre my right leg easily to operate the pedals safely; I'm not quite there yet. I am now allowed to go into a pool happydance, and he gave me a prescription for aqua therapy so that my insurance will cover it. This week I'm going to investigate which physio clinics in my area offer this therapy. We also touched on my left hip, and he said that we would discuss doing a THR for it at my next follow-up appointment at the end of June.

On Thursday I had my third physio appointment. Once again, I showed improvement on the metrics that she is following: how close I can bring my knee to my chest when lying down; how far to the side she can extend my leg when I'm lying down (abduction); how quickly I can get up out of a chair, walk a few feet and turn around, and sit back down in the chair; and how quickly I can climb up a few stairs, turn around, and climb back down. She gave me a few new exercises, this time to help with strengthening: clamshells while lying on my left side; bridge-into-clamshell with a band around my knees; gentle straight-leg raises while lying on my left side (she was impressed that I was able to do that one and said that most patients she sees are not able to do that at my stage; I'll give credit to the aquafit that I did in my prehab); sit-to-stand while holding a light weight in each hand; and step-ups onto a low step. I had not taken any pain meds before the appointment because I wanted to be able to feel whether she was going to manoeuvre me in any way that would cause me pain. I came home sore after the appointment and took two extra strength Tylenols, which helped me greatly. I iced and took a couple more Tylenols before bed and was fine when I woke up the next morning, so I'm optimistic that these exercises are going to help me get stronger.

On Friday, I had my first non-shopping outing. We went to watch our Toronto Rock box lacrosse team play Game 1 of the National Lacrosse League championship (they won!!). That involved a drive of roughly 45 minutes each way (my longest trip so far), sitting at the tailgate party (so nice to see so many of our friends for the first time since the end of March!), and walking from the parking lot to the arena. We were seated in the accessible seats, since our usual season seats are up a long flight of stairs; the accessible seat was a typical cushioned stacking chair, which was made more comfortable by the Kabooti cushion that we brought from home. I brought my walker, which I had in front of my chair during the game and found very comfortable to rest my arms on. In fact, I was so comfortable that I found myself chair-dancing to some of the songs that were played during the game! I was sore by the time we got back to the car at the end of the game, but I had brought some meds with me just in case, and I took a couple of extra strength Tylenols when we got into the car. I started to feel better by the time we got home, I slept well, and I rested yesterday.

Today our lacrosse team plays Game 2 in Halifax. My husband and our friends are getting together for a watch party, which I was hoping to join as well. However, the restaurant is not fully accessible. Although there are no stairs to enter, the washrooms are down a long flight of stairs in the restaurant's basement, and there are no stalls with grab bars. Fortunately the game will be televised, so I will enjoy it from home. Go, Rock, go!!

 

[Layla]

Great update AllNat!
Lots of positives and progress. You're doing great. Keep up the good work and stay in touch.
@AllNat

 

[AllNat]

Yesterday was a big day. I did research on hydrotherapy and made an appointment for my first session on Monday.

I was also comfortable enough to sleep on my side for the first time (even my right side), so I told my hubby that he was welcome to move back to our bed after spending all of the post-surgery time in our guest bedroom.

Huzzah!!

 

[benne68]

Congratulations to 2 big milestones! You are well on your way.

 

[Layla]

I'll bet hubs is happy he's back in his regular bed and you're happy to begin hydrotherapy and sleep on your side. Place a pillow between your legs to help keep your hips level. I still use a pillow while on my side 9 yrs post op. Side sleeping is my preference and I was so happy when I was able to comfortably sleep in that position again.
Have a great weekend and enjoy your first session in the water on Monday! Let us know how it goes.
@AllNat

 

[myglasshalffull]

Great news. The water is so comforting during recovery (or anytime actually).
I love being weightless in a pool or ocean it’s so soothing.
I’ve never done hydrotherapy so I’ll be very interested to hear how it goes. Keep us posted.

 

[AllNat]

My first session of hydrotherapy yesterday was great. I was assessed by a physiotherapist "on land," so to speak, and we discussed my goals. I said I would like more flexibility, stability, and strength. She explained how the hydrotherapy will go: A customized program of exercises will be created for me, printed out, and laminated so it doesn't get wet. The sessions will be 1 hour in the pool, during which time I will do those exercises under the watchful eye of a physiotherapist, who will make sure that I am using the proper form for those exercises. There may be more than one client in the pool at the same time, but we will each be doing our own particular set of exercises (i.e., not the same exercises, unlike an aquafit class).

Then we went for a mini-session in the pool, where the temperature of the water was a balmy 95°F (quite a bit warmer than the pool where I did my prehab aquafit classes, which had a temperature of about 88°F). The first thing the physiotherapist had me do was walk down the centre of the pool from one end to the other (which I estimate was about a total of 45 to 50 feet), raising my knees high and landing in a heel-toe gait; it was such an amazing feeling to be walking with no walking aides, no limp, and no risk of falling! A few of the other exercises she had me do I recognized because they were the ones that my my post-op physiotherapist has had me doing daily on land, but I could feel the greater range of motion that I was able to achieve while doing those exercises in the water.

One exercise that I've been finding difficult to do on land so far is stepping up and down, alternating the leading foot. There was a step in the pool, and I found this exercise easier to do in the water. When I had done 20 reps on that step, she had me move to the steps that are used to climb in and out of the pool, which are higher than the step I had just exercised on, and I was able to manage the step up/step down on that higher step as well.

Overall, I was happy with this introduction to hydrotherapy and am very optimistic that I will be able to make great improvements in my rehab.

One final note about progress that I've made on land: I have been using a TheraBand ball in an exercise that I've been doing to try to bring my knee closer to my chest while lying down on the bed; since a few days ago I've been able to bring my right leg up onto the top of the ball without needing my leg lifter. A small victory, but a very encouraging one.

 

[Layla]

Wonderful news as you're getting close to your two month anniversary!
Glad you love the hydrotherapy. It certainly helps when therapy is enjoyable. Congrats on the improvement using the TheraBand ball. Your week is off to a great start, enjoy it!
@AllNat

 

[myglasshalffull]

Great update. Sounds like hydrotherapy is way to go!