THR Aug. 17th for second THR

[58hippain]

I had surgery one day before you also still using a cane seems pretty standard. Not sure about your other question.

 

[Jaycey]

Would I lessen the pain by doing exercises?

Absolutely not. At only 3 weeks out you are very early in this year long process. Just relax and take it slow and steady.

At what point should I be concerned that I need a cane?

There is no time frame for walking unassisted. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[Spex10]

Judging by all the comments from other posters, excercises seem a really bad thing to do! They seem to lead to more swelling and pain. Take it easy. Let your traumatised tissues heal. Keep moving, walk regularly. Good luck.

 

[Eman85]

Week three sounds like you're doing just fine. My 2nd THR was different than my first in a lot of ways. The one way for me was I figured out that doing more didn't lessen the pain or speed up the recovery. It does the opposite and the bad part is it takes a day or more to feel it and by then you have really done the over did it. I iced for months, no harm no shame if it feels good do it. I had less pain with my first or so I remember, but that also led me to the post graduate school of over doing it and it was a doozie at 3 mos.

 

[WashingtonHiker]

Week three is done. I wish I had made more progress. Still need my cane. Still need my ice, Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Had less pain with my first THR. Can walk about 4 blocks. Can drive and am doing some things around the house.

A couple of questions - Just walking and not doing any exercises due to pain. Would I lessen the pain by doing exercises? At what point should I be concerned that I need a cane? Thanks!

Hi, I have still intermittently been using my cane and I am in week eight. I only use it when I go for a walk and go too far and really need it. I used it consistently up to week six. I'm still icing, using Tylenol and Meloxicam.
Week three is early days too. Hang in there. It should get better.

 

[chopper72]

Week four - ughh, seem stuck from week three - funtion is getting better but pain is 4-5. I should know better about patience but I just saw my wife make a miraculous recovery. She had a hip replacement a month before I did and she was walking two miles without a cane at two weeks. Then she would ice for 15 minutes and garden for two hours. I saw it with my own eyes. I had the same surgeon. At four weeks I can walk a few blocks. I can sit for about 30 minutes. I slept on my surgery side a couple of nights ago for to hours and woke up in pain that required narcotics. I am getting psychologically worn out from pain and worry that something is wrong. I have an appointment with a good physical therapist to get his opinion.

 

[Jaycey]

Do not compare your recovery to any other recovery. Literally every THR recovery is different - even on the same person. And as I remember week 4 was a real bummer. I call it the one month slump. It seems everything has stopped. But it hasn't. Lots of healing going on.

Maybe stop pressuring yourself and relax. Pushing through this recovery only results in frustration and set back.

And please don't let any PT push you. You are not in training - you are healing.

 

[Mixii]

@chopper72
Your wife is a warrior princess and her recovery is her own.
You are not your wife, nor anyone else. You are you. We are all unique individuals and though we may function more or less the same, we are all different and function uniquely.

Own your recovery. Seek medical opinion if that will ease your mind.
Meditate. If that sounds intimidating, find a breathwork app online, plug in your earbuds, and sit comfortably while you listen to relaxing sounds and focus on your breath.
FIVE minutes. You can do 5 minutes. You said this was wearing you out psychologically – breath work will help with that. (Studies...we have studies...) Tension and anxiety exacerbate pain.

The body has its reasons. If you listen, it will tell you what you need to know.
Recovery is a process, not a competition, not a race to the finish line. Try to relax into the process.

At nearly 3 weeks post-op I'm taking it slow. I can walk a couple blocks, and I use forearm crutches because I'm focussing on making my gait even. Yes, it's frustrating, but it took a lifetime to get to the state I was in and it's going to take time to readjust.

 

[chopper72]

I went to the physical therapist today. He found muscles that were extremely tight and he laid into them with fingers and elbows. It felt good as he was doing it and it increased my range of motion. He had me do some stretching, clams, minor squats, etc. to the point of muscle fatique. I felt great for a couple of hours but now my pain has spiked beyond Ibuprofen and Tylonol levels. Dang. Any thoughts?

 

[BBCG]

Oh, drat, Chopper72! You've joined the ODIC, the OverDidItClub! But, don't fret: we've most of us been there! It sounds to me that the good work the PT did may have had temporary positive benefits, but the overall reaction of your body was, "What the heck?!"

After a session of intense bodywork, I am usually advised to drink LOTS of water, to help move the lactic acid through my system that will get stirred up during such work. If I forget to do so, my body yells at me, too. You did too much, and so, now you know that was too much, so don't let him make so much stuff happen at one time next time. Explain your side effects to him, and just tell him you need to try to accomplish less in the single hour he has... that's what I'd do, and have done!

Hang in there, and if you can take more pain medication, maybe do so in this instance. But, just let it be a good lesson that your body has a rule to not do too much!

 

[58hippain]

Chopper I am at 4 weeks today and still using the cane. Don't stress I think you are right on schedule. Your recovery is your own, it will be faster then some and slower then others.

 

[Eman85]

My thoughts??? Don't go back to PT or let anyone touch or move you. That's my opinion and it's based on 2 THR's. Doing more doesn't make the recovery go any faster for the vast majority of us, your wife is the exception to the rule. I claim no professional training but I did learn the hard way about doing too much in THR recovery.

 

[FCBayern]

He had me do some stretching, clams, minor squats, etc. to the point of muscle fatique.

New hips really don't like or need clam shells and squats. The fact that your pain increased after PT is your baby hip telling you TOO MUCH! Walking is all you really need to recover from a THR, but if the massage helped maybe you could get PT to concentrate on that and leave out the exercises.

 

[chopper72]

Week Five and I made some progress. I am no longer watching the clock for my next dose of tylenol and ibuprofen. Still pretty sore and have given up walking a certain distance. I just try to do stuff around the house and garage. Using a cane and function of leg is improving. Can sit for about a half an hour before discomfort sets in. Not doing PT which went badly. I am resigned to a slow recovery.

Have a couple questions. Has anyone tried foam rolling sore muscles around the hip? Has anyone used one of those percussive massage guns on the sore muscles? Good idea or bad?

My worry question. How and when do you know if a hip surgery has to be revised? I am concerned that my leg is still so sore five weeks later. My x-ray looked fine.

Thanks!!

 

[Eman85]

Leg being sore at week 5 is pretty normal if you think about what has been done to your body. I tried a foam roller, felt good if someone hand rolled it. Getting down on the floor and sitting on the roller wasn't going to happen for me especially at week 5 with restrictions.
I'd put revisions and complications out of my mind, we all have those thoughts especially if we have pains. If the x-ray looks good it's probably good and your muscles are just sore.
Are you icing? No time limit on icing, if it feels good do it why be in pain? No 2 hips are the same even on the same body, I can attest to that. My right was a completely different recovery than my left.
Even though it's been a while since your PT episode damage done to your damaged muscles can take quite a while to get back to where they were. With my left I was a slow learner and an advanced student in the school of over doing. At 12 weeks I really rang the bell and it took 3 weeks to get back to where I was. Strained muscles don't like being worked. They go along with it until the next day or so and that's when the really let you know they didn't like it.

 

[chopper72]

I am at week six and going back to the doctor to see if I can get an answer. I cannot sit for more than 20-30 minutes before 6-7 pain sets in. It has been that way since the surgery. If I sit for an hour I will pay with pain that will continue. Has anybody else had this? Do surgeons ever say anything but "everything looks fine"? I continue to use a cane and am icing frequently. I am feeling a little desperate.
I have a nagging feeling something is not right.

 

[Layla]

I‘m sorry you’re dealing with pain and feelings of uncertainty. I felt that discomfort while sitting in a vehicle after about 30 minutes and that lasted for a few months. It was the
confinement of being stuck in one position without the ability to stretch or move. I’m assuming you’re feeling this way even at home. If so, I hope you find answers with your next visit to the surgeon. Please let us know how it goes…we’re here for support.
@chopper72

 

[Seanie2014]

You must have had anterior replacement because usually it’s six weeks with crutches posterior..

 

[Seanie2014]

Also I agree with everyone here you’re definitely overdoing it... luckily I’m very good at doing nothing and i only used paracetamol and I had relatively little or no pain after 2weeks but I spent a lot of time in bed or walking round the house.... you really are healing and only rest will accomplish that... sit as little as possible

 

[Magsmom]

Chopper72
Sounds like you made some progress though it may not feel it.

walking started out being uncomfortable for me and of course I thought I “have to push through the pain”. Nope. Not good this early (week 3 done for me tomorrow). So I did shorter walks but more frequently and it helped. First few steps are the hardest but when the blood gets moving, things ease up a bit. I don’t use my cane hardly at all now BUT take it w me everywhere just in case.

ice, elevating and resting in between is key. I’m also on Tylenol and Naproxen. I suspect I’ll be taking them for a while.

I find my knee &quad area get sore and tight so gently massaging it helps keep blood flow going.

I wish my progress was faster too - but our bodies tellus what they need. We just have to listen. I fought it for so long, trying to be the superhero - but ive finally surrendered since my way was not working. Let the process be the process. It does work. And this forum is so great to “unload” and share experiences. Makes me feel not alone in this. My husband is simply the best. He had bilateral TKR in 2016 and made a Superman recovery. So he knows what this is like. But I know he tired of hearing me talk, talk, talk about it. So I save it for bonesmart or other friends.

hang in there - it sounds like you’re getting there. I found comparing progress week to week works better for me than day to day.