THR Day 11 post op

duke51690

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Hi everyone, fellow THR peeps. I am on day 11 of TRR recovery. My left thigh feels like a massive charlie horse & numb on left side.
My pain is ok overall. Today I was able to walk 1 mile without a walker or cane. I feel good about that based on everything that I have read.

My concern is how swollon my leg is. I am trying to elevate and ice, thinking maybe I should back off on my walking for a few days.
 
@duke51690 Welcome to BoneSmart! Walking one mile only 11 days out is pretty aggressive. Yes, I would back off all that the focus on the swelling. The discomfort you are feeling is due to that swelling.

How long are your icing sessions? Ice for 45 to 60 minutes several times per day.

What was the exact date of your surgery? We will put the information in your signature for you.

Meanwhile here is a bit of reading for you:

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
We are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for YOU.“ Your doctor(s), physiotherapist(s) and BoneSmart are here to help. But you have the final decision as to what approach you use.

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of this BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for THRs
6. Access these pages on the website

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Hi @duke51690
:welome: to Bonesmart where you will get lots of great advice and encouragement while you heal.

Can you confirm you had a Left THR and the exact date of your surgery? June 23rd?

We will add this information to your signature and add you to a recovery group so you can see members who have had surgery close to you and see how they are progressing.
Jaycey left you some great articles that can help you recover safely.
My left thigh feels like a massive charlie horse & numb on left side.
Did you have anterior approach?
I did and it felt like someone used my quads for punching bags. They tease the muscles aside to access the hip joint and they are traumatized and rightfully sore!
The numbness was quite prevalent for me too but, as months went by, the nerves found their way back (warning, you may feel some strange disconcerting zips and zaps as things normalize) and the patch of numbness got smaller and smaller.
All normal now.

Today I was able to walk 1 mile without a walker or cane. I feel good about that based on everything that I have read.
Well, good you can ....but not necessarily good you are.:unsure:

Using the assistive devices is not so much for necessity as it is to baby that still healing leg.
Pushing it too early can lead to self induced tendonitis and other issues that can take months to resolve.

Short walks and lots of rest....ice and elevation... are really all that is needed at this time.:ice:
Your patience muscle is the primary one you want to keep toned!
Hope today is an easy does it day.:SUNsmile:
 
While walking a mile at 11 days is commendable it's probably not a good idea. It took me some time, actually a whole THR recovery to learn how to do another THR recovery. One of the best lessons was that when it came to walking it wasn't about time, speed or distance it was about good form.
 
Thanks Eman,
I am at 2 weeks in and I am taking it easy today. My thigh feels like a giant charlie horse and left side of hip is numb. My surgery was an anterior.

I am working on my form with my physical therapist.
 
Would you possibly consider taking a couple weeks off to allow your hip to heal without aggravating it with exercises?

From what you've said above, it sounds like your surgery leg is inflamed with a lot of angry soft tissues.
1 mile walks sounds a bit excessive.

Wishing you the best and hope your thigh/hip begin feeling better soon.
 
I felt that way after 2 weeks too. Based on the advice from this forum and how I felt, I told myself week three was going to be a do over for week two and did the minimum as far as walking and exercise was basically just ankle pumps, heel slides and glute squeezes... :wink:
 
I understand it is just so boring to lie here all day! I have allowed myself short walks with the dog two short 20 min jaunts. I have to admit that I am knackered when I got in!
 
Please chill :ice:for real. You’re recovery protocol this far is quite ambitious. You want to do this right and it takes time. A full year, even longer for some. So please give yourself the TLC you need to recover from the controlled trauma your leg sustained.
Follow this loosely for success without setbacks -
http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/
A great rest of the week to you!
@duke51690

We created a signature for your June THR, just give us a number (day of the month) and we’ll edit accordingly. Thanks in advance. :) :-) (:
 
The date of my surgery was 6/21/22 and was an anterior surgery.
I think I need to slow down. I just don't want to do too little, balance right!
 
I did barely anything for 6 weeks. I was not in good shape before surgery. Waited 4 yrs mostly because they didn’t know it was my hip. I can say by doing nothing for 6 weeks I impressed the dr when I showed for my app. He didn’t have the high hopes for me so soon. I’m not saying to not do anything everyone is different. However I do think maybe go a bit slower and let yourself heal. Short walks etc. Maybe break your walk into a couple of short slow walks? Start with one short one and then add another short one. Take time to let yourself heal. It will happen.
 
Thank you Lyla,

I am 3 weeks in this Monday & I have accepted the fact that doing more isn't better.
I am walking daily between 1/2 and 1 mile broken down into 2-3 walks w no walker or cane.

My left thigh on the outside is almost completely numb and front of thigh feels like giant charlie horse.
 
Hi @duke51690
Gee, so many of us new hippies learn the hard way....I know I was a short term member of the O.D.I.C. (Overdid It Club)
The first six weeks after THR our bodies are recovering from great controlled bodily harm - soft tissue disrupted where retractors and the like have stretched out major muscles in an effort to provide access to the hip joint, blood loss, a new prosthesis which includes a titanium stem that is trying to fuse to our femur...and yes, walking is our best recovery exercise...Only not to Excess.
And if we overdo it, we really have to scale back to get back to where we should've been.
Just the finite amount of energy a body can produce must share priorities...so it is important to let the energy go to healing first.
The numbness you describe is disconcerting, (was for me) but is very common for anterior hippys and usually gets smaller in area and lessens in the following months... Months, not days.

Hope you are still icing a lot. It does get better, friend.:yes:
 
I am 7 weeks and definitely have numbness on the outside of both thighs. It doesn’t affect my movements at all so I never think about it. While I am sitting I will sometimes lightly run my fingers over the numb areas and they are very slowly shrinking in size. I also had anterior and OS told me ahead of surgery that I would probably have this numbness.
 
For the record my surgery date was 6/21/22
 
Today is exactly 4 weeks post surgery. I am improving daily. I slowed down a bit in week 3 back to 1-2 miles daily with not to much pain. My swollenness has gone down. I am still feeling substantial numbness on my left thigh and a lot of tightness but that is getting better as well.

Does anyone or has anyone gone swimmimg after 6 weeks that you know of?
 
Hi there, :wave:
Glad to read you’re doing well! Thanks for sharing an update.
I believe you will find a variety of responses to your question. For me, my surgeon advised no baths, pools, hot tubs or bodies of water until I was three months post op. He was pretty strict about it, but I followed his direction. While it certainly doesn’t hurt to hear what others were advised, please check with your surgeon’s office and follow
his / her advice. I hope you have a great week!
@duke51690
 
Also…if you type “swimming” into the Search at the top right of the page, all of the posts where it’s been mentioned will pop up and you can read some of them, if interested.
 
At my 6 weeks checkup, I was told no swimming until all scabs have completely fallen off. My left incision has been healed and scabless for weeks, but at nearly 9 weeks, my right incision still has scabs.

I like Layla’s doctor’s advice of 3 months. We don’t need any infections!
 

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