Klassy
graduate
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2018
- Messages
- 938
- Gender
- Female
- Country
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United Kingdom
7 months today! Just snatching a few moments from a busy day to update, so apologies for not checking in on anyone else’s thread. Thinking of you though, and hoping you are all doing well.
After about 3 months I stopped comparing my two hip recoveries because Hip 2 seemed to be doing worse, with a mega setback. But I recently happened to be looking through the thread and found that I had forgotten that Hip 1 also had a mega setback , some time after month 4. So it turns out Hip 2 is still the winner: it even had its setback earlier!
So let me compare where they are now. What I said back in July 2019:
I can, as before, walk well on level ground. I can also do hills. Lack of fitness is the biggest limitation to walking up hills, but I knew going into the second replacement that I was less fit than immediately before Hip 1. And having Covid about a month ago also made a dint in my progress. So getting puffed is understandable and will improve. Going down hills seems ok at the time but comes with after effects, as described in next paragraph.
I have been doing stairs alternating both up and down for some time. My right knee has been heroic throughout, my left a bit whiny. However, today I have pain in the right knee. It is in the kneecap when going up or down stairs. It feels like kneeling on a sharp object but with a bit of cushion in between, ie sharp soreness but not agony. I remember this as an intermittent problem from my 30s onwards. I am pretty sure I know the cause. We had a house guest (an old friend, fantastic to see her after a couple of years break) and took her walking on the Malvern hills, further than I knew was wise. But well worth it for the wonderful views. I knew my knees would complain afterwards. But I was surprised to get the grumbles from the right knee. I guess on reflection it makes sense, because I was relying on it all the time in order to spare the left.
The good news is that left knee only has a very mild case of the same discomfort. So I am using it as good leg for a change. It is probably good to balance out the workload anyway.
ROM same on both sides.
Stiffness all over? Still ticking that box. I accept that is how I am. I try to keep in slow gentle motion as much of the time as possible. Motion is the lotion, as someone on this forum said.
Life is even better!
After about 3 months I stopped comparing my two hip recoveries because Hip 2 seemed to be doing worse, with a mega setback. But I recently happened to be looking through the thread and found that I had forgotten that Hip 1 also had a mega setback , some time after month 4. So it turns out Hip 2 is still the winner: it even had its setback earlier!
So let me compare where they are now. What I said back in July 2019:
I never got the clicking sensation with Hip 2. I forget when it disappeared for Hip 1, but both hips are good now.Left hip is good. I still get a bit of that clicking sensation on occasion, but it isn’t particularly bothersome.
Left knee is fine for level walking. In this aspect I’m back to the standard of several years ago, before the OA pain started. So just in that regard, the op has paid off. I don’t think I am quite there yet with walking up or particularly down hill.
The left knee is still not doing stairs. I can alternate feet going up, if stairs are not too steep and there is a handrail. It is still strictly toddler style going downstairs. The right knee grumbles about the workload sometimes. I have had knee problems for 30 years so this may be nothing to do with the hip, but it is a limiting factor. I must admit to be very intermittent in doing my prescribed knee exercises - I need to make more effort.
Right hip continues pain free, touch wood, but rom is less than I now have on the new improved left.
I seem to be perpetually stiff all over. I don’t know if it is just what comes with age, rampaging OA (my finger joints for example are all lumpy, and I have to loosen them when I wake up each morning) or lifestyle. My lifestyle involves too much sitting in the car for long trips, and insane amounts of gardening.
This is all for the sake of keeping a record of progress, not in any way complaining. I am doing all the things I wanted to do and that had become restricted pre-op: ringing, gardening, walking. I sleep, sit, put on my socks etc without pain.
Life is good.
I can, as before, walk well on level ground. I can also do hills. Lack of fitness is the biggest limitation to walking up hills, but I knew going into the second replacement that I was less fit than immediately before Hip 1. And having Covid about a month ago also made a dint in my progress. So getting puffed is understandable and will improve. Going down hills seems ok at the time but comes with after effects, as described in next paragraph.
I have been doing stairs alternating both up and down for some time. My right knee has been heroic throughout, my left a bit whiny. However, today I have pain in the right knee. It is in the kneecap when going up or down stairs. It feels like kneeling on a sharp object but with a bit of cushion in between, ie sharp soreness but not agony. I remember this as an intermittent problem from my 30s onwards. I am pretty sure I know the cause. We had a house guest (an old friend, fantastic to see her after a couple of years break) and took her walking on the Malvern hills, further than I knew was wise. But well worth it for the wonderful views. I knew my knees would complain afterwards. But I was surprised to get the grumbles from the right knee. I guess on reflection it makes sense, because I was relying on it all the time in order to spare the left.
The good news is that left knee only has a very mild case of the same discomfort. So I am using it as good leg for a change. It is probably good to balance out the workload anyway.
ROM same on both sides.
Stiffness all over? Still ticking that box. I accept that is how I am. I try to keep in slow gentle motion as much of the time as possible. Motion is the lotion, as someone on this forum said.
Life is even better!