THR Clairebella’s recovery journey

[Esmeralda]

Hi Clairebella
It sounds like you and I have a lot in common. I also had a TRH replacement on Wednesday, posterior approach and I'm in the UK ! I haven't yet started my recovery thread as I didn't really feel up to doing very much until now.

Re changing dressings, My first change of dressing happened in hospital on my day of discharge and then I was given 4 lots of waterproof dressings (I asked for extra) to use and was told that I would most probably need to change it every 3-5 days ( if it wasn't dirty earlier) until the clips were removed which is due to happen 14 days after the surgery. Unfortunately I have had to change my dressings every day so far due to wound leakage so I now have an appointment tomorrow back at the hospital to see the surgeon. How has your wound been sealed ?

 

[Clairebella]

Aww, we sure do have a lot in common! Nice to meet you!
I have 2 wounds as I had the Mako robot assisted replacement which means they stick probes into you! That would is steri stripped and fives with water proof dressing.
Main wound is stitched with dissolvable stitches and water proof dressing over. No would leakage as yet but quite severe bruising.

I think I hurt myself earlier today so help please everyone! I maybe twisted myself going from lying to sitting then standing and I felt a big tug of pain. Since then my thigh is more so painful and when I move my leg I keep getting the muscle pulls/spasms. It’s really freaking me up, I so worried that I’ve done damage.

 

[Hip4life]

@Clairebella I wouldn't worry too much. All those soft tissues are traumatized right now so many times just moving normally can feel like you've done something bad. Then it can be sore for a little bit. Just continue to take your pain meds and ice the area and it should improve. I had so much swelling in my leg that made it painful that first couple of weeks. I was always worried I had done something to hurt myself. If you can weight bear on your leg, then you probably haven't done anything to your new joint. If it continues to be a problem after a couple of days, you can always put a call in to your surgeon's office for some reassurance. Welcome to the healing side. Take it slow and easy and be patient and gentle with yourself. Blessings.

 

[Clairebella]

Thank you so much. That all makes sense. I can stand up and weight bare as normal but I do have increased pain on weighbearing but I think it’s the surrounding tissues/structures rather than the joint itself.

 

[Hippie Chick]

Every time I think I understand what is going on, something changes and I don’t. So glad you are sharing your progress.

 

[Clairebella]

Hello

It’s me again!
I’m worrying (as usual)

a) I appeared to have pulled a muscle across the top of my thigh when doing a twisting motion yesterday. That’s really painful and freaking me out.

b) The log leg. Can I say how my leg feels and see if this is normal. It feels like a tight pressure around the joint. It feels like that leg could almost be longer than the other even though the X-ray looks perfect. It feels thick and heavy and tight and not like my flesh and blood.

c) tingling nerve pain around buttock and back of thigh.

d) Knee pain and swelling and a weird bruise that’s spontaneously appeared at the back of my knee.

Help!

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Clairebella

These concerns and complaints are common with new hippies and is one of the reasons I was happy to have found Bonesmart when I was recovering.
My early posts were constant questions about "is this normal?"

a) I appeared to have pulled a muscle across the top of my thigh when doing a twisting motion yesterday. That’s really painful and freaking me out.

I'm sorry... yes, twisting is certainly something you want to avoid as that disturbed soft tissue is angry and needs lots of babying ... I don't think you could have done real damage... Ice, Ice, and see if it eases.
If not, you may want to check in with the doctor.

It feels like a tight pressure around the joint. It feels like that leg could almost be longer than the other even though the X-ray looks perfect. It feels thick and heavy and tight and not like my flesh and blood.

Yes, this is normal...I felt all these things.
Perceived leg length difference is a very common occurance.
Most new hippies experience this.
Check out this article on LLD

c) tingling nerve pain around buttock and back of thigh.

Also normal. when things begin to wake up there are many strange and uncomfortable twinges and sensations.

d) Knee pain and swelling and a weird bruise that’s spontaneously appeared at the back of my knee

This is also common... they often use your leg/ knee to leverage manipulation during surgery...
Keep doing ankle pumps when resting and ice your knee also!
Ice was my best friend.

*I merged your recovery recovery threads as we prefer to keep your history in one place.
I did change your thread title to reflect your concern.
Let me know if you want to change it.

Try not to stress, my new hippy pal.

These first weeks are rife with new and travelling niggles....
of course, you can always come here to get feedback from those who have been there and done that.
You will get there!

 

[Mojo333]

I also had a TRH replacement on Wednesday, posterior approach and I'm in the UK ! I haven't yet started my recovery thread as I didn't really feel up to doing very much until now.

Welcome to recovery @Esmeralda
If you want us to, we can start a recovery thread for you!

 

[Clairebella]

Thank you so much @Mojo333

You are so kind to take time to answer all my questions (as I slowly and increasingly freak out here!). All your responses and so reassuring. I shall try and chill and ice!

 

[Eman85]

You don't have to worry about your joint causing pain, it's metal and has no feeling. I would have thought the bone would have been a source of pain after the trauma of being cut off and the implant pounded in but it turns out that the major source of pain is soft tissue. At one time or another all of us have sat in the chair with the ice pack thinking we've done serious damage to the implant. The muscles and the rest of the soft tissue is so traumatized from the dislocation that it doesn't take much to hurt them. Rest and ice is the best remedy and as the pain subsides we realize it's the soft tissue and not damage to the implant.
When you think about what they do to us in order to perform this procedure it is amazing that it only takes months to heal. Not fun to think about but they actually forcibly dislocate our hip before putting in the new hip joint.

 

[Clairebella]

but they actually forcibly dislocate our hip before putting in the new hip joint,.

How long are average timelines;
Time off crutches?
Time to drive?
Time till felt pain free walking???

I’ve been signed off work for 12 weeks as I’m a nurse, I’m hoping that’s enough time

 

[benne68]

How long are average timelines;

Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question because every hip is different and we all heal at our own rate.

In my case, I used a walker for 3 weeks post-op, then graduated to a cane, which I gave up at about 3 months. My surgeon cleared me to drive at my 6-week post-op appointment, but I wasn't comfortable enough to try it until 2 months out. I honestly don't remember when I could walk pain-free.

You might want to take a look at this article for some general guidelines:

Activity progression for THRs

For THRs. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are assessed in hospital as a means of assessing your fitness to be discharged home. Your domestic circumstances will be taken into account as in if you are living alone, etc. ADLs include: ~ Personal hygiene and grooming ~ Dressing and undressing ~...

bonesmart.org

 

[Gloucestergal65]

@Clairebella All sounds very familiar and like @Mojo333 I got a lot of reassurance from this site that what I was feeling was very common. Heaven help those who don’t find this forum.

 

[Clairebella]

It’s me again‍
With my ‘perceived leg length discrepancy’ I feel like when I stand I go into my bad habit of pre surgery of slumping to the left and putting all my weight on the left leg. This is due to pain also. When I stand even on both legs my operated leg feels painful and tight at top of thighs.

I also have noticed the more I am up and about, that I am getting an aching numb feeling in my calf and feet, a slight tingling in my groin/leg/feet. Is this just part of the ‘log leg’?? How long does that last???
As always thanks.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Your surgery was so recent I'd say anything you are feeling would be quite normal at this point in a recovery that can take up to one year for some of us.
Has your leg been measured to see if one is longer than the other?
If so you will prescribed orthotics for your shoes, but so early for you all might just settle in a few months.
Are you icing? This brings so much relief. Me and ice still get together.
I wish you the best.

 

[Eman85]

An exact timeline isn't possible as every hip is different, my 2 were different from each other. Major milestones are 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 mos and 1 year. Most all of us can remember seeing a certain marked improvement at those points in recovery.
I never used crutches, I used a walker and a cane or walking sticks. First weeks with walker then to the cane for a few weeks.
Pain pills are a factor with driving, also which leg and if you have a manual transmission or automatic. I drove at 2 weeks comfortably with my left, automatic transmission. My right I drove at about 3 weeks but very little as my legs reactions were a little slow on the brakes and it hurt in my butt.
Tingling and pains last as long as they want to, just part of the healing. 12 weeks is the normal return to work but don't be surprised if you're still fatigued or not 100%. At 3 mos with my left I had a major overdid and had to sit and ice a lot.

 

[djklaugh]

@Clairebella The log leg feeling can last for 2-3 weeks or longer - your leg went through a lot of trauma during the surgery and it takes time to get that healed up. And the tingles are nerves getting back to proper working order.
What is your activity schedule like these days? And are you still wearing shoes that you wore a lot before the surgery? If "yes" to the shoe question - look at the bottoms of your shoes. The wear pattern there is the old, limping, painful hip pattern. And that is NOT good for a new hip and might be contributing to your aches, pains, and sense that there's a leg length problem.

You are only a week out from having major surgery! Think of how long it took you to get to the point of needing this surgery .... it is going to take more time that you anticipated to get all the muscles, tendons, and other parts healed and back to working as they are supposed to.

 

[Clairebella]

@djklaugh thank you - I know just a week out but I’m such a worrier! I do need to try chill out a bit - my husband says it as well. I’ve still got the surgical blues, I’m so frustrated by being entirely reliant on people and needing crutches, I’m bored and lonely when on my own and so I overthink.
I’m going to get new trainers this weekend. I’ve been in slippers in the house though and the funny tight leg and sense of it being longer is the same. I’m pretty sure when I look in the mirror my waist looks different and if I lift my left heal up it evens out.

Is it the case that often most people do actually have a slight difference in length but it rectifies when the new hip ‘beds in’ ??

 

[Hippie Chick]

I can so understand your post- I eagerly wait for your answer. Tight leg is a great descriptor! My leg muscles will randomly clinch as well if I get startled from sleep. I tell myself that my leg is not longer it’s just due to that numb feeling. I cannot imagine trying to put on trainers- I took slides to the hospital. Thanks for sharing your questions as it helps!

 

[myglasshalffull]

I'm not your doctor but many that feel one leg is longer/shorter end up getting settled after awhile and then all is well. The blues are common, between surgery and independence being taken from you I feel for you, experienced the blues myself, would start sobbing for no reason, just feeling bad for myself. I was more mad at myself for falling (sliding on snow covered ice) than anything. I went outside to put something out and small dusting of snow was covering tiny patch of ice in driveway and guess who slid on ice and fractured their hip, I just felt so stupid!
Many here require the surgery due to health issue, pain, deterioration of the hip, my hip was just fine and I had no clue about hip replacement cause no time to educate myself and prepare. Thank goodness I found bonesmart!
Try and relax and let your body heal, I know easier said than done but I'm much older than you and I'm back doing everything I used to do, walking dogs, just going for walks, cleaning my house, etc. Not working, I did try going back to work but it backfired on me so my partner told me to just stay retired and he will take care of some more of the bills. Sounds good to me!
I wish you well.