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THR Better late than never

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FWIW, my PT came to see me in my office today, and she asked me why I didn't schedule a second appointment this week. I told her I can work or I can go to PT, but right now I don't have the energy to do both. She shook her head and said something like, "you're slowing down your recovery." I thought, well that's too bad, if I have a car accident because i'm driving while exhausted, that would be much much worse. Really, will a couple of weeks make a big difference? I'm doing some exercises at home. I don't know, I think we know our bodies pretty well--we all want to get well or we wouldn't have signed up for this surgery. Why all the pressure to meet some kind of crazy standard?
 
Wow, that's pretty bold to come to your office to scold you. I'm sure that your job is giving you plenty of PT in the way of walking, getting up and down etc. to keep your recovery on track. You'd think she gets a commission for it. You did the right thing Barb. I'm not going to formal PT, I walk, take stairs, do my exercises and I'm progressing very well without causing pain and exhaustion. You are right to feel that you know your body best, and don't need attitude from some uber-motivated PT.
 
BarbaraR
By the way What are you doing back at work so soon???? Personally I think that's crazy. But good for you, if you have the strength! If I went back to work that quickly I would be miserable and would make everyone else miserable around me.
My OS didn't prescribe PT until I was 8 weeks post op (as a matter of fact that was just yesterday). I'm glad he took this approach. If your OS wrote the order for PT, I would follow your doctors order and look out for your best interest. No one else will!
I'm walking about a mile now every day. We all need time to heal first. They told me walking is the most important exercise and I continue to do the initial exercises for flexibility they gave me in the hospital. I'm calling PT to set up my first appointment tomorrow and I'm suppose to go to PT twice a week for 6 weeks.
I'm not going back to work until the first week of April. I guess everybody has different ideas on when to return to work. I want to take my time and gradually get my strength back and then return to work. I would be exhausted too if I went back to work that quickly.
 
Hips really do very well with just living and walking. I was only in the hospital 2 1/2 days. Home for 2 weeks before I had in home PT twice a week for 6 weeks. And that was it folks! Never went to out patient. It is now 2 years 2 months post op and, if it were not for the forum, I would never think about my hip at all.
 
bottomshollow, i think i speak for everyone when I say that we are grateful that you have decided to stick around!

luluohio, you know, the surgeon said I could go back to work after 4 weeks, and I heard, you will feel perfectly fine in 4 weeks. (OK, so I was dumb. I think it would have been better for me to have waited another week or so. But fortunately, my staff is great, my schedule is light, and I've been able to rest every 4 hours or so--I even fell asleep for 10-15 minutes today. So I'll get through it.)

My surgeon's prescription for PT is 2-3 times per week. It's not happening. Not now anyway. I'm glad to know that others have made similar decisions and have turned out OK.
 
BarbaraR said:
@bottomshollow, i think i speak for everyone when I say that we are grateful that you have decided to stick around!
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[Bonesmart.org] Better late than never
Barbara, that's very nice of you to say. And I love being here and doing what I can.
 
BarbaraR
You are a super woman! I know I couldn't have done that. I'm getting pretty self centered now a days. I know I'm needed at work but I'm more focused on me and getting back on my feet.
Actually I have questions that I need answered, since I have not had PT since I had my surgery. I think it's important that I go to PT to get some answers. I also need to figure out what exercises I need to do and how to do them correctly at this stage of my recovery. Believe me if I went back to work at 4 wks I wouldn't have the energy to do both either.
I was 75% wb for the first 6 weeks and that put me behind a little, they thought I might have a fracture. So I'm coming from a different perspective. I guess everyone takes a little longer or shorter to heal. It seemed like centuries before I made any progress.
Take it easy and try to get some rest at home.
 
The first visit to PT was with the owner but the last time was with another therapist. I'm not sure if she's in training or if she's just starting out but her protocol wasn't the same. She had me doing more than I felt I was ready for and I should have remembered the mantra. She kept coaxing "you can do it, push through". I kept thinking the owner was going to take over at some point but that never happened. The last time I went to physical therapy before my surgery was at a larger facility. They scheduled their patients with the same therapist each time and they only worked with one patient at a time. The place I'm going to now seems to overlap their appointments where they are working on two to three patients at a time. If I were able to drive I would have gone back to the place I used to go to. I'm a little down on the whole PT business lately. We had been working on learning how to walk correctly. Obviously, walking will be discontinued. I am thinking about putting it off until I am cleared to walk.

@Josephine, I would really like to hear more regarding the uncemented devices when you have a chance. Thanks for the articles and your posts. You made some great points and I really appreciate your taking the time. :SUNsmile:

:thankyou:
Weezi
 
Weezi, I wonder how much experience your new PT place has with hip replacements. It sounds more like personal training, push through. I also think their mindset is that you're not doing anything at home so they have to exercise the heck out of you there. I have an uncemented device also, but my surgeon obviously has a different philosophy than yours because mine wanted me 100% weight bearing on the first day. Since you're not cleared to drive, maybe you can continue with home PT? (You may have to check with your insurance carrier.). I didn't think the home PT was great, but he did give me some helpful things to do, and because I was his only client, he could see when I was getting too tired and didn't push me.
 
Weezi, All my PT was at the local hospital. My first visit was okay. My second was awful. I got home was in pain. By the time my 3rd one came I had to cancel because I was still in pain...muscle pain. I went yesterday, I had a different therapist and what a difference. I have been having lots of pain in my abductor muscles in my operated leg and she massaged my leg and made it feel so much better. I can tell the pain is coming back again so I will have to do some gentle stretches and massage similar to what she did. I'm limited to what I can do in PT because of the pain I get in my other hip joint. The best advice I got about PT was on here....it shouldn't hurt, if it does let your PT know and they should stop it.
 
sandybeach, did you go to a new physical therapist for that last visit or did you just luck out and get a different therapist at the same place? Either way it was so nice that the therapist massaged your leg. I know that pain well and I would have paid someone to massage my leg. I got a major work out today so I had to come home and continue icing it. At least the therapist finally admitted that we are limited with my therapy since I still can't put any weight on leg with new hip. I am almost 7 weeks post op and I feel ridiculous having to walk tip toe on right leg. I had surgery to get rid of a limp and now I've developed a new one since I'm not allowed to walk naturally. I haven't found anyone else that is 6 weeks post op with restrictions like this. Before my OS's assistant called my PT back they had me working on walking correctly with the walker. The assistant said I had to remain on touch down weight bearing so that ended the walking exercise. However that little bit of practice was all I needed. I can walk without my walker, without pain and without a limp! I use the walker most of the time but I've chosen not to limp. It's hard to go back once you've crossed the line in my opinion. Josephine was going to give me some information on uncemented devices but I haven't heard back from her. Ok, enough of my complaining. Other than that I think my physical therapy is ok. It's more of a work out with an ice pack for my hip at the end. If I'm not able to complete a set the therapist says "come on, give me four more good ones". Today I told her if I call it then I'm not going to do even one more. I wonder if I will ever be able to put on my socks and shoes without the sock helper. Even more, I would like to be able to paint my toe nails once again. What a treat that would be!
 
İ just want to comment here about the physio.
İ think one of the critical things is to differentiate between the muscle pain and the joint pain. Only the patient can difeerentiate it.
The muscles open up (sorry for my english) to the extent you force them, periodically of course, not overdoing it. As long as you dont overdo the exercises and there is no joint pain, it is fine, it heps the recovery.

Weezi
Hi Dear
İ am so sorry to read that you can not put weight on the new hip? Are you not allowed to put weight or do you have pain? Has there been any problem recently? İ may have missed your thread in the last week or so.
 
It's great to hear that you are doing well and you are. I think it's gets frustrating that it takes time to heal. You can walk without a limp that great news. That shows that your operated leg is getting strong. I went to the same place for PT just got a different therapist. Today I had PT again and got my original one and she was a lot better. I don't know if she finally read about my other leg or what but she didn't expect as much out of me. I walk with a limp. I hope that goes away through more PT or it might take the next operation to do it. My operated leg is weak so I have to do exercised to pump it up. I also have to remember that I am just a couple days over 3 weeks from surgery so I need to be patient.
sansabosa I agree with what you said, the joint pain shouldn't happen when you do PT but you should feel the stretch in the muscle so you do get results. Those muscles need to be worked so you can get stronger and limber things up at the same time.
 
sandybeach
What we all need is some patience and never giving up attitude.
İ realize that some of the exercises i had difficulty with at week 2-3 are peanuts at week 4...
 
sansabosa,
It's good to hear from you Selin! I am not having any problems or pain my OS just wants me to keep the weight off that hip until I go in for next appt. I don't know if he is just overly cautious or what. He didn't mention any issues as to why I need to wait so long. It's affecting my progress in PT because there's not much more they can do for me until I'm released. Did you have the anterior approach done? I thought that may be why you and BarbaraR aren't doing the leg lifts just yet.
 
Weezi
Hi dear,
İ had a lateroposterior approach. The OS had to enter from the side to take out he plate i had since 20 years. However i was allowed to put weight immmediately and i was more precautious compared to the PT and the OS. There were holes on the bone where the plate and screws were taken out, and i was kind of scared if i put my full weight, i may harm. Just a feeling...thankfully, all turned to be good so far.
Straight Leg lift (when lying on our back) is allowed after 4 weeks said my PT, probably not to put too much stress on the iliopsoas muscle that just sits on the head of the bone in the groin area. İf you stress it too much, it may get inflammed (tendinitis) and delay the normal healing process. Now i can do it though, just passed 4 weeks.
Keep well.
Selin
 
sansabosa,
Bless your heart Selin, you have had a lifetime of this but I am grateful for your knowledge. My PT has me doing straight leg lifts on my back and my stomach. Doing the lifts on my stomach proves to be the most difficult by far. I think you were wise to be cautious especially hearing so many different protocols from doctors and PT's. After all we are the ones who have to live with the end result. I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks for you. Time does seem to be passing quickly.
 
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