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THR Chocolatine's New Hip

I'm glad the xrays are ok and that you can focus on positive milestones during this setback.

SI joint flare up sounds likely. Walking short distances as tolerated, especially if you can focus on good smooth step transitions, will likely be good. And if it's a flare up of a chronic SI condition, it might appreciate heat more than ice.
 
I hope you’re doing better. Just getting up off the floor was probably a lot of muscle strain. Moving a little at least should help with any new swelling.
 
I think a big positive is that you can manage stairs so well which I would say your hip is solid.

I'm progressively improving pain free and no issues with mobility but stairs are still causing an ache in the soft tissue around my hip.I can feel every step up on my operated side. It's my last hurdle.

Usually no news on your x ray is good, if there was a major problem they'd ring you I'm sure.

I hope you feel better soon.:kittykiss:
 
Thank you all- the supportive messages really help. At this point, I think I can safely assume there was nothing glaring in the x-rays. My main worry was that I somehow shifted the cup or pushed the implant further into my femur.

I picked up a copy of my x-rays, so I could add them to my collection. I looked at them yesterday, but I am not good at deciphering x-rays unless something is blatantly obvious. How can you tell if the bone has grown around the implant?

I had a better night last night. I think it's because I stayed on my back for most of the time. Before my fall, I was having some bursitis-type pain on the side of my hip. It was just starting to resolve when I fell- I probably aggravated it again. I love to sleep on my side, but the tendons do feel like they are being stretched when I am in that position.

I was able to do a longer walk with my friend yesterday. It was sunny and I wore a short coat and sneakers- in February! So fun to chat with her. I did not have an increase in pain afterwards, though I did ice just in case.

@Goma At the end of my final session, the PT gave me instructions for doing step-ups. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I probably do 50 reps a day on our stairs... You are doing so well- I am sure you'll be over your last hurdle soon.
 
I haven't updated my thread much lately, but I hit a big milestone yesterday and I want to record it for posterity.

Two of my kids are on spring break, and we decided to go to the art museum in the city. We walked to the bus stop, changed from the bus to the train, then to the subway. Tons of stairs, ramps, curbs, etc. We spent hours in the museum browsing the galleries, then walked a few blocks to a restaurant to have lunch. Then back on the metro to head home.

When I got home, I checked my pedometer app and discovered that I had logged 10,000 steps for the first time in years! I used my cane, but I had no pain, no huge fatigue. I did have to tell my teens to slow down a couple of times, but that's par for the course. I was so thrilled!

I have been slowly adding steps over the past few weeks- running errands on foot, etc. I have found that the more I walk, the better I feel. I still felt great when I got up this morning. Hoping that the slow increase allows me to avoid the ODIC.

My number one hope before the surgery was that it would allow me to enjoy walking again. After yesterday, I feel more confident that my hope is becoming a reality.
 
Oh my goodness!!!
:wowspring: :loveshwr:

As one who really hoped for longer walks after my knees I totally relate to this!!! Here's to a lifetime of such wonderful outings!!!!
 
My recovery has really been a roller coaster with no sense of timing. After my 10k step day of triumph, I went back to my usual activities plus a shorter daily walk with my cane. No pain, no trouble sleeping, no need for medication.

I woke up with an achy hip on Sat- I thought it was the rain- and I am now on day three of pain. I have been resting, icing and taking Tylenol, but nothing seems that helpful. It's not huge pain, but it's semi-constant.

The pain seems to shift, but it's either at the top of my glute, in the groin, front of hip just at the crease or at the side of my hip. If I press on the side of my hip just behind the joint, it's tender. Seems like at least some of this is bursitis. But would that still ache/burn at rest? I did not do anything unusual last week, and I did not overdo it on my walks.

I would be less concerned about this if I was not scheduled for gallbladder surgery in a few days. Do I know how to time things or what? They only gave me 10 days notice, and I was feeling great about my hip when they called.

I already have some anxiety about another surgery, and my mind keeps going to infection worries with this pain. I need this surgery, and I don't want to delay it because of anxiety.

Just needed to vent. I am really hoping tomorrow is better.

.
 
Just read your previous post about your day out and how well things were going and then found the next one. Sorry to hear you’re in pain and facing another operation albeit not connected.
The ups and downs.
Good luck and I’ll look out for you again on the other side.
 
@Chocolatine you seem to be doing well overall other than that pain that you think might be bursitis. It could very well be, I had bouts of it and it just seems to bounce around locations, come, go, come back, etc. From my experience mine did also hurt when at rest. Had the burning/aching/tearing kind of feeling quite often.

Is the area red, inflamed or warm? Do you have time to do a quick check in with your surgical team, even if by phone, prior to your gallbladder surgery? They might be able to put your mind at ease if you explain what you're feeling. I'd give it a shot.

Wishing you the best on your upcoming gallbladder surgery. I've had it done myself and recovery wasn't too terribly bad. It will probably be a piece of cake after having a THR. :friends:
 
@Elf1 I have been doing so well- I am really kind of surprised by this. I don't have any redness or warmth. I might have a little swelling on the side of my hip, but nothing major. I slept well last night for the first time in days, which is encouraging. I think bursitis is the most likely answer for the pain.

I would love to be able to chat with someone in the ortho department about this, but they have proven to be impossible to contact with questions or concerns. I would be very unlikely to get any real answers before the surgery anyway, I guess.

Glad to hear your gallbladder surgery went so well- that's reassuring. Not looking forward to sleeping on my back again though!
 
@Chocolatine just checking in to see how you're doing and if you've had your gallbladder surgery yet?
 
Elf1 said:
@Chocolatine just checking in to see how you're doing and if you've had your gallbladder surgery yet?
Click to expand...
Thanks for checking in! I did have my gallbladder out. The surgery was very fast (like 25 mins), and the recovery has been smooth so far. I was shocked when I saw how small my incisions are- quite a big change from the huge one on my hip!

I saw the orthopedic surgeon today to get some feedback on my continuing hip pain. He had me get a series of x-rays before the appointment, much more comprehensive than the ones I got right after the fall. He was not able to see anything amiss on them. I was glad everything was in place.

He was adamant that he did not want to order blood tests to check my CRP and ESR. He is not worried about infection, and if it comes back elevated, he "will be obligated to do an aspiration which could cause an infection." I don't know how to feel about that. I was hoping to rule it out, but I get what he is saying about opening up a can of worms.

At this point, he said it could be a muscle tear, could be tendonitis, could be muscle weakness. He thinks that PT is definitely necessary. He also thinks I may be in a vicious circle of inactivity causing weakness and tightness, then causing pain and back to inactivity. If I look through my posts here and other notes, I can see that I seem to have cycles of pain/relief lasting 2-3 weeks each.

He had me try to balance on my right leg, which I really could not do at all. He manipulated my leg all over the place to see what elicited pain. I am pretty sore right now.

I have a follow-up with him in 2 months. I am hoping that my gallbladder recovery will let me be more active soon. I'd like to consult with a PT at least once before the consult.

So that's my lengthy update. Thanks again for asking.
 
Chocolatine said:
If I look through my posts here and other notes, I can see that I seem to have cycles of pain/relief lasting 2-3 weeks each.
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That description sounds a lot like this little illustration we have showing how recovery from a joint replacement usually goes:

rollercoasterexample-gif.74641



I'm sure it's been hard dealing with other health issues that get in the way of recovery, so I'm sure you are glad that gallbladder is gone.

Slow and steady! We are here for support whenever it's needed.
 
@benne68 A roller coaster is an apt description! I am so glad to be able to keep a diary of sorts on here. It's been so helpful to be able to look back at my own words and all the helpful advice from you all.

I am so glad the gallbladder is gone! I am starting to feel like my warranty expired when I turned 50 though...
 
@Chocolatine happy to hear your recovery from the gallbladder surgery is going well. I think we all kind of feel at times like our warranty is expiring. Of course I had mine out in my mid 30s so not sure what that says about my warranty! :heehee:

On the matter of hip pain are you still icing when you have pain? Or have you tried a heating pad or something along those lines. If its bursitis it can come and go. I know that one only too well. My Kindle is being wonky with me today but I'll try to pull the article about bursitis and add it in another post.
 
bonesmart.org

Trochanteric Bursitis with THR

To explain about bursas - they are a natural little sac made by a) an extrusion of the joint lining (synovial membrane) in any joint or b) a natural pocket over a bony prominence. The little folds need to be there to allow for movement much like you need pleats in a blouse so it doesn't stop you...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org

This may be helpful for you.
 
Elf1 said:
On the matter of hip pain are you still icing when you have pain? Or have you tried a heating pad or something along those lines.
Click to expand...

Icing does not seem to help as much at this point. I noticed that sometimes the joint felt stiffer after I iced, so I haven't done it for a while. I do have a heating pad- not sure why I haven't tried it yet. It will be snowy tomorrow, so a perfect time to try some heat.

Did you ever have imaging done to diagnose the bursitis, or do they usually just rely on symptoms? Did you also have pain at the front of the hip, or only at the side?

Thanks for the article- I will read it
 
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