THR Anterior THR

[desertrat]

@goblue61 I didn't do any PT. They said just walking, like everyone on this forum says. I'm ready to do more now though. I didn't have the 90 degree restriction but I still need to find out a safe way to get off the floor. I read a description that said get on your hands and knees, use your hands pushing the floor to help straighten your legs and then straighten up, at least I think that's what it described. I think I could do that but want to wait until my boyfriend or someone is here to help me if I need it. That wouldn't work if you have a 90 degree restriction. I found some videos on YouTube but nothing specific for hip replacement.

@Layla The Total gym is a great tool - there's a lot of stuff on YouTube for it including hip replacement rehab, plus it comes with some DVDs. I found a belt for the inversion table that puts the weight on the top of your hips so it would be safe for THR. I'm not going to get it right away but might later. My chiro said he could just use the activator on me and he has patients with hip replacements. I have some scoliosis and my sacroiliac tends to get cockeyed so I kind of need the chiro. I messed up my back falling off horses when I was a teenager.

 

[Debru4]

Listening to everyone talk about their exercise equipment and plans is making me feel like a bit of a slacker!

Glad your visit went so well desertrat!

 

[desertrat]

Hi all, long story here. I've been doing well and going without the cane a lot. Friday I did some shopping and went to a couple of appointments and didn't use the cane hardly at all, though I did use a shopping cart for support for a good part of it. I walked a total of 5000 steps! My leg was tired but I felt fine.

Saturday I had plans to go to Tucson to a big bead show (the whole city is covered with gem shows and bead shows this week.) My friend and I go every year. I probably shouldn't have done so much walking Fri when I had plans for Sat but oh well.

So the bead show was at a casino and the main part was in a large ballroom with electrical cords across the floor everywhere, covered with some construction style cable cover/ramp things which people were tripping over right and left. That's right, I stumbled on one and fell down! I'm pretty sure I'm okay but it scared the heck out of me. I was not watching the floor closely enough (imagine that at a bead show) and didn't notice it. When I fell, about 5 people ran up and asked if I was okay. Some were venders and were quite upset - they'd been complaining about the covers and watching people stumble on them - said I wasn't the first person to fall. They helped me up and offered me a chair. I sat there for a few minutes and collected myself. My hip still worked and didn't hurt bad, though it was sore. I'd left my cane in the car and my friend I was with went and got it for me. I was already tired when I fell so that probably contributed. I took a 500mg tylenol and kept going with frequent sitting breaks (I'd been sitting frequently before I fell too.) I walked 5000 steps again! Surely if I broke something or did serious damage it would hurt more.

Today I'm sore but not bad and walked around the house a little without the cane. A lot of the soreness is probably from overdoing it. Today I'm taking it easy! I'll call my OS tomorrow and tell them what happened. That's my exciting week 8 story.

 

[Debru4]

Wow---that post had some serious highs and lows for sure! By 8 weeks I too was able to walk 5000 + steps, unassisted, so it sounds like you were doing great. I did try to be sure I took a day or so off in between.

It sounds like you were doing everything right, and it just was a fluke accident, especially since you were resting often. However, I can only imagine how freaked out you must have been, and how relieved to be able to get up and keep moving. Are you hurting more or less tonight? I hope your visit with your surgeon goes well, and they think you are OK. Be sure to keep us posted.

It is scary----I recall at my 6 week follow up I was worried about something and my surgeon said that it would be nearly impossible to mess it up unless I had a serious fall or huge impact on the implant/bone. I haven't had one, but let me tell you, every time I have a little stumble, my heart starts racing, fearing I am going to go down and do serious damage.

I have always been a bit clumsy...not really more so now, but I worry more about it. As a result of my previous back problems, my left ankle reflex doesn't function properly, and doesn't always automatically lift my foot up when it should...I have to be more aware to tell myself to pick it up sometimes. Now with the right hip replacement, I also have the other side of my body to think about.

I am grateful that I will have had 8 months to heal before I head out to do serious gardening or to hike on rocky, uneven surfaces this coming spring/summer.

 

[Mojo333]

Now you know the rules
No falling!
Scary is right. We work too hard to get this right but I have had two minor falls and some near misses at the beginning of my recovery and thankfully no bad damage done.
These new hips are pretty durable but I don't care to test them out that way either.
Hope today find you resting!

 

[Layla]

Happy Monday!
I imagine that fall was very scary for you. Thankfully you seem to be okay.
Hopefully you're feeling better this morning after resting on Sunday.
Wishing you a great week!
@desertrat

 

[desertrat]

Thanks for the concern, feeling better today. I'm taking another easy day to let my leg settle down. Walking some around the house without the cane. I called the OS and talked to his nurse assistant. She said if it was serious I would have trouble putting weight on it but she made a note of it.

I forgot to mention before, Tues-Thurs I walked the circumference of my yard (about 1400 feet) with Nordic trekking poles. It worked really well and I could stride out comfortably. I was able to build my stamina a little. I highly recommend that to anyone getting started building distance once they are ready.

 

[Mojo333]

Glad to hear you are feeling better!
Crisis averted...onward and upward!

 

[Debru4]

That's good news!

(Just curious---when you fell, what did you land on?)

 

[Layla]

Fantastic news...you're okay!
Glad you enjoyed your trek around the yard.
Another week and you'll be two months post op already. Time sure flies when we're having fun, lol
Enjoy the week!
@desertrat

 

[desertrat]

@Debru4 I fell forward because I stumbled and tripped over the cord cover. I landed kind of flat I think but somewhat on my right side (surgery side, yikes) on carpet - at least it wasn't hard floor. I don't remember exactly how I landed but it didn't seem real hard or jolting. I might have caught myself with my hands - my right shoulder was a little sore later. I sat up and thought I'm on the floor, how do I get up? But several people ran up and a couple of men helped me up.

 

[desertrat]

@Mojo333 so you fell twice early on?! That must have been upsetting. And you had bilateral, wow. How did you fall and land if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Mojo333]

Both times were due to extreme clumsiness...which I cannot attribute to my hips.
I was born with it.
Both times I tripped on something...first time I tripped on garden hose and managed to catch myself mostly with arms and skinned my hands on sidewalk.
Who left that stupid hose across the walkway!? Oops, it was me.

Second time my foot slipped out forward, landed hard on my behind.
That one scared hubby to death.
Me too.
But hips were good.
I also had a minor mishap tipping over my ATV at 6 months out, but we don't bring that up.
I really do try to be more mindful and cautious.
BTHR was real and it was fun but it wasn't real fun.
Don't want to mess up this good thing I've got going on.

 

[goblue61]

Desertrat, so good to hear your doing well after your fall. Although I have not had a fall, I have broken the 90 degree rule by mistake a couple times and got on my knee this past weekend looking for a screw that I dropped (pretty much got up exactly the way you mentioned in a previous post). Each time I worried briefly if I messed something up. I can only imagine your initial thought after your fall.

A few more days till your 2 month anniversary. Great to hear your doing so well.

 

[Debru4]

@Mojo333 --hate to say this but I am sooooo glad to know there is someone else with the clumsy gene who can't blame it on the new hip/s!

@desertrat--It sounds like your spill was as "good of a fall" as possible, in terms of actually being able to get up from it and walk away with your hip intact. Glad there were nice folks around to get you up....now that it's in the past, if you are like me, (and like @Mojo333 with her ATV mishap) this will eventually be a funny story to tell!

 

[Atkinson8]

Anterior,posterior it doesn't matter if they go through your bellybutton. Buy a whole chicken and take the leg off and put it back on. Sorry to be graphic but that's what they do to us, including cutting bone and hammering and screwing in parts.
I'd put the total gym on hold and follow the guidelines. Why screw up a major job like this because of impatience to do what?, prove you're healing a week faster?

I love this quote and it made me laugh out loud.
I’ve had 2 anterior replacements in 4 months. I do think overall physical health, weight, and general health are factors in determining whether or not anterior or posterior is the best approach. In the end, “ buy a whole chicken. . . .”. It just takes a long time to recover, but I trust we do.

 

[Eman85]

WOW! Falling is not good! The one fellow I know that dislocated accomplished the feat by falling in his front yard. I was very wary of where I walked especially the fist 6 weeks and still pay a lot more attention now then I ever did before.
Good point about using poles.,my OS didn't recommend a cane, he wanted us to use hiking poles. I used a walking stick, OK it's a broomstick, when I went walking down the road and back. Much easier for me then the cane.

 

[Hipdeedo]

Don't give the Desertrat too much grief about the gym thing.
Before my surgery I was in the gym regularly. If exercise has always been an important part of your life you can really miss it to the point of depression.
I know it will be several weeks before it get the green light on the regular workouts, so I've got plenty of time to whine about it more... and get my body ready for it.

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Month Anniversary!
I hope any ill effects from the fall are history.
Let us know how you're doing, we'd love to hear of your progress.
Have a great week!
@desertrat

 

[Mojo333]

yes, Happy 2 Month Hipversary.
Hope all is well with you and you are seeing improvement.
Hope the rest of your week is SWEET.