THR avascular necrosis after kidney transplant

While waiting for surgery on right hip I notice my left shoulder seems to exhibit more muscle strain, particularly while sleeping. Am i overly compensating the difficulty on my right side and causing muscle strain on my left side? I walk with a cane in my right hand. Since my avr has caused mobility problems I have been sleeping on my back to reduce pain. How can I put my upper body in balance?
 
Thanks for info. Will make adjustment.
 
If I can add that I went for years in denial with the last year near total incapacitation largely because I was the only support from my mother in dementia and had no time to look at cause of my own crippling inability…which I was firmly in denial about anyway!

but years before I used to hike, run etc and have always been very active.

so when i went into surgery I had degraded to crutches for weeks already. It had been years of pain. i was beyond collapsed hip to the fusing stage so pain had actually decreased …as the final stage is the fusion of the hip to thigh bone which paradoxically removes pain ….but shifts the pain to back and knee to take the knock on strain.

within weeks of my surgery I was back walking my normal fast paced walk…initially with walking stick in case of need. Six months and I long ago have increased my walk to several kilometers daily and in all respects am back to normal.

i gave up running a long time ago as percussion isnt good for aged bones anyway. Carrying weight in my back and hips also stopped me hiking and frankly I wont return to that either as I wont risk slips snd falls out in the wilds. At near 70 I am so happy to be able to walk happily along I am just pleased as damn punch to carry right on doing that…and swimming my heart out! I do not want to risk this huge freedom i now have.

so dont you worry about walking. You will be fine.

also…dont overdo amd dont go doing exercises you dont need just because someone adds them in. most of this board is filled with people overstraining, over exercising, overdoing snd causing problems for themselves. My philosophy is…if I didnt do it before, I dont need it after. There are tons of muscles! If I didnt use them before I dont need to worry about them after. Those I use seem to have some memory and know how to build themselves back up fast when I started to use them again.

i listened to the advice here that the hip heals itself, just give it a chance. I did. I had no PT. Didnt need it. I just walked, slowly at first, more cautiously and then finally went back to normal gait as confidence grew. I think at one month I was walking without stick but my gait was still odd from overcompensating. By second month my daughter noticed i sometimes did, sometimes didnt…waddle like a duck!….so i adjusted to when i didnt and all got sorted. I dont run…i walk fast! Like those people you see that do it as sport…damn fast walker!

enjoy life. Be cautious as you begin and do more every day of what you love.

also… not to beat my drum as I am so pleased with how my surgery went and the results…..if you can consider mako robotic option. It meant the doctor knew where to go, went in fast, minimised flesh bruising and manipulating…and i had a fast recovery.
 
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Thanks for sharing. You have given me great insight on what to expect. Not knowing makes you doubt that there will be a positive future. I realize even after surgery there will be constant worry that injury may happen to put one back into the same limited mobility. It has only been a few months since my diagnosis but you helped me realize how the progression Will feel. When symptoms began I thought they were due to a fall I took in December while hiking. I had an x ray taken to determine if a hip was broken but a v n was not diagnosed at that time. I was still very mobile so I thought I could just give it time to heal and the pain would eventually go away. And at times it did. Then my mobility started to fluctuate. My family doctor eventually sent me to a bone clinic and I finally received a diagnosis. So after waiting 2 months for surgery to be scheduled, i am beginning the process for pre surgery evaluation. And all of this is due to a pill - prednisone. I guess if my kidney transplant doctor had made me more aware of the possibilities I probably would have been more aggressive in finding answers earlier. But that time is over. I now have to deal with the problem at hand. Your sharing has made that better. Thanks.
 
Septic arthritis - concerned that I have it because it is prevalent with avn patients who were on prednisone with transplant. Anyone had this and what should I expect?
 
Hi @Eyak
I'm so sorry that the prednisone protocol that was used as likely just one of the immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection after your kidney transplant is the cause of your AVN and that your hip needs replacing ...thankfully bionic hips are really an amazing cure for bad hips.
I know you are nervous, and rightfully so, but regarding your other aches....I know when my hips were at their worst (not due to AVN, just good old end-stage OA) that I was experiencing full body aches, particularly in joint areas (shoulders, ankles, elbows, back) and I attribute to a hyped up immune response along with the bad posture / gait that comes along with bad hips.
Hard not to let our minds wonder...is it just my hips?

I know you are already dealing with one complication caused by your transplant, but please don't let your mind (and/or especially the frightening Dr. Google) while focusing on the symptoms cause you unnecessary stress.
Septic arthritis is an infection caused by either a bacterial or fungal infection, and your OS certainly will be doing bloodwork to check for infection.
A definitive test, even with blood markers that can be inconclusive, can be done by analyzing joint fluid.

Do Iet your OS help alleviate any concerns you have...
But I can tell you that my chronic inflammation and pain research before my hip diagnosis led me (on line) to all matter of horrid diagnoses including bone cancer:sad:
A bone scan showed this was thankfully not the case.

I hope all your concerns can be addressed so that you can go into surgery in a better place.
Hugs!
 
Thanks for sharing and the info. Will try to stay positive. Since not taking prednisone my pain has gone away and my mobility is better.
 
Glad you are getting some relief, which may make the prospect of surgery even harder to absorb...
You seem like someone who enjoys living and nature (Me too :yes:)
You sound like you have stayed positive through what I'm sure has been hard with a kidney transplant.
We are very lucky that we live in a time of amazing medical advancements.
Stress is terrible for our immure systems... So do try to get some outside therapy today.:SUNsmile:
 
Finally had my right hip replacement. Had to wait a couple of months to get stress test for surgery. Starting on my 4 th. Week of recovery. Had at home therapy for 3 weeks. Waiting to start therapy at clinic. I often read on these forum that therapy is really not needed and can be harmful. Therapy at home was fairly mild and centered on strength and flexibility. But I wonder if I should just cancel therapy at the center and just concentrate on walking. Some of the stretching did help with pain I had behind my knee. And the simple strength exercises did help with my walking and lifting my leg. But since I am going have to do this again on the other hip, I want to learn the right choices to make. I do ice, elevate, rest, and use pain medication. I had a hard time choosing what medication to take and when. I had hydrocodone, a muscle relaxer, and tylenol. I was given a prescribed aspirin but tried to avoid that due to my kidney function. Note- I did have the anterior approach and happy with the decision. Also truly appreciate all the guidelines that staff on this forum have shared.
 
It's really your choice about whether or not you continue with formal therapy. Some people like the discipline of having to go and do some exercising. You would need to be sure that whatever exercises are proposed, they do not result in any pain or more than mild discomfort and that you don't have significant pain or swelling afterwards.

It is true that walking is the best exercise for a new hip, and it works just as well for most people just to begin resuming normal activity slowly and walk in gradually increasing amounts over the next few months. Make the choice that feels right for you.
 
Eyak,
It might benefit you to try a session or two of PT before you decide to quit.
I had at home pt, then moved on to pt at a facility and found it beneficial.
The therapist checked for gait abnormalities and showed me how to correct them. There was work on balance and proprioception, which helped a lot in being able to move around in everyday activities. Having another set of eyes on my progress boosted confidence in recovery.
All the exercises were gentle and none of them caused pain, during or after sessions. Maybe my therapists knew about the BoneSmart philosophy on that :flwrysmile:
 
Thanks everyone for your input. Will give it a try. Take care.
 
You can also give the OneStep app a try. It is something you can do on your own or along with a local therapist and it's free to try for two weeks as a BoneSmartie. Plus, if you decide to continue with it, you will receive a discounted price for whichever plan you choose.
 

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