Bilateral THR Anteriors 15th June 2015 - my recovery

[Suzette]

Day 37 well its day 38 as it is now 2.00 am....again....
It seems the throb has subsiding a bit today, will see how it is tomorrow, don't want to jump the gun here!! oh it is tomorrow!!

I woke up at 7 am, hyperactive, as in I couldnt stop talking or walking about, not sure what that was about other than I had to take oromorph at 2 am ish, that gave me nightmares. I actually left the house and walked the dog round the block, and did some house work, well used the hand held dyson thing , and cooked tea and here I am some 18 hours later still awake! Weird. I am monitoring my steps on my new pedometer, just to see how many I do and what pain I get afterwards. So think I got it about right today. I hope.

I did try sitting on an office type chair and again didn' t last more than 10 min. Sat in car and had the same pain. I have now discovered what I think is causing some of the pain. Scar tissue/adhesions , as the anterior scars go across the crease at the top of the leg where it has the bend when sitting. Does that makes sense?

@Josephine please could you advise. The adhesions, worse on left incision, also same one had infection in, has a band that runs along the outer edge and is about an inch wide and feels thick and rigid. So when sitting this has to try and bend too, and it feels like a burning pain. I did find on here a thread @Jamie wrote, I think, about massage, but this was 5 yrs ago. Do you have any up to date tips since then, or just try the massage. I did have a go and it feel softer for a while. Will this hard band go on its own, as only 5 weeks in?

If I can't disperse this hard rigid band am concerned I will always find it tricky to sit for long periods.

Thanking you, and let's hope we all get some sleep sometime tonight x x

 

[donor]

@Suzette I am so sorry you had a crazy day after nightmares! !!! I hope tonight you are in a sweet blissful sleep and that damn pain is less....xo

 

[Suzette]

Hi @donor feel a bit stiff this morning woke up on my side, oooh my word that causes some pain in the hip area.

After yesterdays 'ants in my pants' day where I was truly very hyper, feel rather drained...cup of tea and more sleep I think.

How is your groin pain when you are sitting at work or driving ?

Please let us know how you got on at your appt today. Thinking of you and good luck xoxoxx

 

[Josephine]

Scar tissue/adhesions , as the anterior scars go across the crease at the top of the leg where it has the bend when sitting. Does that makes sense?

No sense whatsoever!

Can you tell me the exact site of your pain using this chart?
Please note the instructions in the smaller image

 

[Suzette]

Day 39 update and first check up...well why is it the time I don't want to wake up at 7 am The alarm goes off as I have an early hospital appointment. I put the bonesmart posters in places people with knee and hip replacements can see them. It's funny being in a orthopaedic hospital, that requires so much walking. I wait in waiting room, and get called through, I walk all the way down the corridor to be told I need an x ray. Walk all the way back up corridor in the lift, down another long corridor to the x ray dept and wait. Then have to convince the radiographer that I am not pregnant, after saying I have been sterilised post menopausal had to just say '...no sex for the last year due to bad hips...' that worked, then she said, as she walked off '....know how you feel...'

Back down long corridor, in lift wait in waiting room, get called, back down another long corridor and wait again, only to find out the surgeon is on holiday. Saw a physician instead, never met her before, but very nice.

X rays good, except to me the cups looked massive, so asked about impingement, as I knew about that, she sort of looked at me, bit taken a back. She reckons all ok there. Was interested in the left leg being good and the right leg agony, she said , ' Really? but you don't get much pain with an anterior..'. I said '... well that is not my experience it was pure hell for the first 2 weeks...' oh she said confused.

Then she twisted and bent my legs about and was a bit concerned that my left leg, when lying down, didn't bend up to my boobs, erm.....The right leg was worse. I thought they were quite bendy.......

The hardness under the scars, which makes it painful to sit, are fibrous muscle tissue, caused by the damage and stretching during the op. Told to massage , which am already doing. She said I need physio to loosen the muscles. Ooh no...

I Questioned dodgy blood results (WBC and Hb) from weeks ago, so off she went and came back with the 'fellow' who was there during the operation. He said no physio as the walking I have been doing has meant I can walk nicely with out sticks, I can now go swimming which may help with stretching muscles. Don't need to go back for 3 months unless I am worried. He confirmed all the aches and throbbing is normal and told me off for having high expectations after 2 hip ops, when I said I still go up stairs left leg first, so I told him that my high expectations were because I was told less pain quicker recovery with anterior........

Down another corridor for bloods, had life history from male phlebotomist, another long corridor, home after 1.5 miles of walking, glad I had my sticks. I do ache rather a lot and have slight groin pain ..so am trying heat rather than ice to see how that helps, and pain killers. .. nope, I am throbbing quite a bit in the bum area.

Feel happy, with progress from doing nothing much, but am still going to be very very careful not to over do the walking and eventually the swimming. Still want to go to chiropractor to help with some areas, and have decided I will not be going back to work after 7 weeks, as want to get this fibrous tissue softened out and muscles stretched a bit, as it is limiting some movements and it's really uncomfortable, and not good when sitting, which mean's driving will be painful too. Then will go back part time.

Ooh I drove to my GP to collect script for dihydrocodeine, which seems control the throb, but next week will try Co Codamol at lunch times and drop the dihydrocodeine to see how things go throb wise.

Hope you all manage to sleep sometime during the night. I am wide awake as usual and will try very hard not to go on Amazon or Ebay again, I seem to have spent loads on stuff that I felt I needed. I have turned into a compulsive shopper for stuff ...., that must be whats meant by retail therapy

Xx

 

[Suzette]

Hi @Josephine, my incision goes straight through where the star is on the smaller diagram, in the crease of the leg, CR2F, down to DR2F , up to B2RF. So where the incision is on both sides of my legs, there is rock hard band, near enough directly under neath the incision. The left side the hardest and wider.

So when sitting the hardness is in the crease of the upper leg at the CR2F area. It's that stiff and hard, it's painful to sit longer than about 10 min.

They said at the ROH today, that I need to massage the area to soften up the hard muscles fibers. I asked about adhesions, she said they weren't. (?? Wouldnt that still be an adhesion)...I am already massaging the area, but it's a little tender so I have to be careful

Hope that makes more sense

 

[lalo]

@Suzette
I'm laughing, I thought I was the only one that was compulsively buying stuff from Amazon during recovery.
I have been a good customer for years but since my accident in Feb there isn't a week that goes by where I don't but something, whether I need it or not

 

[Suzette]

Me too, and today I accidently bought a Dyson handheld vacuum. I just had to have it because it was on offer......My kids wanted to know why I did it, when we already have one. ..but erm because it's more powerful I said . Also now have 2 pedometers. That keeps me quiet as I now keep comparing steps on each one to check they match. ..They don't.
Oh well never mind, it's good fun though

 

[Dashinghippie]

@Suzette - I just bought 3 more blu-ray movies on Amazon today. retail therapy - it's the best kind (after chocolate), no?

I know exactly what you're referring to when you describe your 'adhesion' pain in the band of muscle just under and around your scar area on the upper thigh. I have that too and describe it here and to local folks as me feeling like the 'michelin man' (pumped up) in that same area - both legs. Mine's a bit better again this week, but definitely still there and still sometimes cause for grrrrr...

I suggest regular light stretching, and I do 2 kinds for it:
1. lay on your back on table or bed and let lower legs dangle from the edge at the knee...keep your hips straight and you should feel a gentle tug on the scar areas. move feet further under the table/bed to increase the stretch slightly.
2. I do this one while watching TV (I just was doing it before checking in here) - kneel in front of an ottoman (so you have a nice soft surface from which to easily munch on your chosen food therapy), shins on ground, body very upright with hips straight vertical, gently stretching that scar area. thrust hips gently forward to slightly increase the stretch as you warm up.

That and warm massage, maybe even with lotion.

Also, I think I added earlier that last week, week 3 for me, I switched from icing the swollen leg & thigh areas to just warming the sore thigh areas. I also stopped using the compression socks last week.

Hope your soreness drops off quickly from this point...but keep gently working all your parts. Our bodies do *not* like to be static, especially when healing.

go get'em!

 

[Sullivand]

@Suzette
I have just caught up on your thread and LOL at your description of your doctor appt and all of the schlepping around you had to do~ and convincing them you weren't pregnant!
You have been so sweet checking in on my thread I was overdue to check on you! I am sorry that your expectations for recovery are slower than you thought~ you are right that anterior approach is really promoted for faster healing~ it has its own challenges as does posterior. I have had both on my left hip! As I read through your thread~ it seems to me all of your pain is normal post op recovery and my reaction was ~ dear Suzette~ take pain meds~ and as I would read further on~ you finally would! You are still early in your healing~ I too had hyper days where I didn't know what to do! I was sore lying down or sitting down and walking felt best but what the heck you can't walk all day! That feeling will pass shortly.
As for returning to work take all of the time you are allowed! Healing slow and steady means no set backs! I hope I remember my own advice!

 

[copsham]

So what do we call it "Post op retail therapy syndrome"? Lots of us are at it. @lalo @Suzette @Dashinghippie in my early days post op I accidentally bought a pack of six strings that go on your glasses around your neck I thought I was buying one, not one pack of 6. I bought 10 big bags of epsoms salt rather than one small one. I ordered a book that I already had but had not read. I did stop when I got more mobile with my hip. In the last month, being incapacitated by broken foot, my "Post op retails therapy syndrome" has returned. I saw my statement yesterday and it is full of loads items for £1.99, £2.99. £1.00 etc could be worse. I could be buying vacuum cleaners etc. LOL

 

[lalo]

@Suzette @copsham
I also bought a pack of strings that go around eyeglasses .
I also bought a 3 pack of reading glasses and pulled one of the 3 for use
I bent the frame on the one pair and need to replace it but have misplaced the other two
So I hate to do it but I'm going to have order another pair

 

[Suzette]

Hi @copsham that's so funny as my bank statement also has loads of £2.99 etc then I progressed up, until the dyson,(£299.00 free postage) I have vacuum buying justification...its got the long attachment thing and motorised brush attachments, I have to have this as part of my recovery as the big vacuum is too heavy and my other dyson keeps cutting out and has no Long tube thingy...therefore I can now do a bit of vacuuming as it is light and well balanced..

@Dashinghippie thanks for those stretches, I have seen those somewhere before, I will give them go as the thigh muscles and adhesion things, really do need stretching, and hospital also said to do it too, as the muscles will get even tighter. I have 3 months to do this on my own at my own speed, then if the muscles and scarring is still tight, they will send me to physio. I have also been massaging the incision area using coconut oil, and the area really does soften up and the hardness subsides. It's back again in the morning but not quite so hard.

Enjoy your dvds

@Sullivand thanks for your message , yes the hyper days, very strange, I just could not sit still, and now I have the new Dyson hand held, I can vacuum while aimlessly walking about. It was funny though, I couldn't stop talking either! and if no one around I would talk to the dog instead

I am taking my meds and this morning, they really are needed, I am very very stiff and quite sore from the 1.5 mile hike around the hospital. Still at least my muscles had a work out ..but oooh they hurt after!!

I am sure you will follow your own advice when back school, you just have to keep reminding yourself every morning that you have had the infection and then the revision, not that long ago really, and to always ask if you need help with any thing, and stop when the ache starts...now I have to do the same thing as I too forget, when feeling good xx

@lalo, thats just funny and now you are free to buy more glasses too ...I bet you order something else whilst you are looking around....

@donor I hope your groin pain is easing after the injection. Thinking about you and wishing we could have nice coffee and chat and moan

plan for today is a bit if this.... ....see you all later x x x

 

[Josephine]

The hardness under the scars, which makes it painful to sit, are fibrous muscle tissue, caused by the damage and stretching during the op. Told to massage , which am already doing. She said I need physio to loosen the muscles. Ooh no...

my incision goes straight through where the star is on the smaller diagram, in the crease of the leg, CR2F, down to DR2F , up to B2RF. So where the incision is on both sides of my legs, there is rock hard band, near enough directly underneath the incision.

This hardness "under the scars" is your operation wound! You're only 6 weeks out. That will stay there for months yet and it doesn't need massage or physio or anything else.

Co Codamol at lunch times and drop the dihydrocodeine to see how things go throb wise.

just a point - co-codamol and dihydrocodeine are roughly equivalent in strength and effectiveness.

 

[Suzette]

Hi josephine, wont worry too much about the hard band then , just hope the bit in the leg crease loosens up a bit as desk siting is going to be a problem.

Ah didnt realise cocodamol and dihydrocodeine and paracetamol had similar strengths etc

Thanks

 

[Sullivand]

@Suzette
I have the same spot in my anterior scar but I have noticed at 5 months ( first surgery) it is loosening up. Part of it is still numb from nerves being cut but it is getting better as Josephine mentioned. I still feel the nerves zapping and I know that means healing. Hang in there and embrace relaxing during your recovery~ I worried way too much!

 

[Suzette]

Oh thanks @Sullivand, thats good to know. I have the zapping and itching diwn the outside of my thighs , does feel rather weird!!

 

[Dashinghippie]

my nerve re-activation sometimes feels like a small roach running across my scar and down the outer side of my leg.
GROSS!
;)

 

[Suzette]

@Josephine or @Jaycey. .woke this morning to mouth ulcers and a boil, ON MY FACE, looks horrid, hurts, and glands up under chin. May be a daft question, as think I know I should go to Dr to get antibiotics. But is this sort of thing, boils, something a new hippy should be aware of re infection in hip?

@Poppet I am taking vitamins and minerals as I still have no appetite at all, also a protein drink, if I really haven't done well on the eating. I do not drink protein as a replacement for food though, and am trying to ensure chicken and steak are in my diet...

I am not diabetic, although my 'sugars' levels went up to 14 a couple of days after op, whilst in hosp

any help much appreciated

 

[Suzette]

Wow, I feel for the first time; after 2 days of normal ish pre op activity; a complete total energy drain, exhausted with eyes drooping. Have never felt it like this before, so am going to sleep , mm mm dont think Sunday roast will be coming up later, unless someone else cooks it ....