THR Discouraged about length of time it is taking me<

[Lancs Lass]

Thank you for trying to encourage me. But....you CAN walk without support. I can't. Just can't.

It will come with time. I thought I couldn't walk without support, until my physio psyched me up for it. Even if it is in your head, don't worry about not doing it until you are ready. I felt wobbly until I had come off the opiate and stronger meds. I tottered without support for a few metres in the hospital at 4 weeks, and now walk OK with one crutch. Even indoors I often use a crutch to walk. It gives me added support and confidence, and means I can pick things up from the floor using 'the golfers lunge' (bad leg stretched out behind me) and the crutch as a support. In the garden I definitely use at least one crutch as I don't want to trip,and don't want to forget I am not allowed to bend over from the waist, and start weeding from my 'gardeners reflex'. Its a very long haul and we have to remember we have had major surgery.

PS I also adjusted my crutch as I felt more confident, so that it was higher and I could stand up straighter. This helped a great deal in making me feel 'normal'
All the best,
Claire

 

[MCinCA]

Hi! I was just reading through this thread and have a couple of comments. My LTHR was in September. (My RTKR was in March, and that's a whole other story.)

For the hip I'll admit that I did progress rapidly from walker to cane to nothing. But here are some things I noticed along the way:

• You likely developed some adaptive/coping strategies for walking prior to your surgery. While these made sense before, these "bad habits" may be holding you back now. I was aware of many of them, but if you ask your PT to evaluate your "form" as you walk you may get some valuable pointers on things you can improve, likely standing up straighter
• My PT person always reminded me to stand up and pull in my stomach muscles before setting off. She also encouraged me to go slow and focus on eliminating the limp rather than going for speed. As I got better, we went faster
  
• I found that during the time I used the walker I quickly developed some bad habits, most particularly leaning forward and putting too much of my weight on the walker frame. This is part of why I abandoned it for the cane, so as not to reinforce those the bad habits
• You can also develop some bad habits with a cane, particularly if you are over-relying on it to take the weight off your recovery leg
• As someone else mentioned, your shoes will have wear patterns you developed during the years leading up to your surgery. That means you may not have a "neutral" platform for walking. Consider wearing a pair of newer shoes when you practice walking.

One thing I did that I feel helped with my recovery is that I would go into my kitchen where I have an aisle that allows me to hold onto the counter on both sides, and I would just stand, balancing on my operative leg, as long as I could with the other leg held slightly off the ground while resting my hands on the counter tops for support. Later, I bought a balance platform - flat on the bottom, curved on top semi-inflatable unit - and would balance on it to encourage those muscles that make all the small micro-balance adjustments.

Finally, let me just say that recovery is never linear. For a while it may seem one step forward, two steps back or two steps forward, one step back. But week over week you will have progress, even if it's slower than you'd like or slower than others on the forum.

Best of luck!

 

[Nana40]

thanks so much for taking the time to give me all those tips. I appreciate it!

 

[Nana40]

I am wondering how long it will take for my operated side - hip/leg - to be strong
Enough for me to stand on it -- with other leg not on floor - and not holding on to
Anything for balance. I am now 11 or 12 weeks (?) since surgery and that leg is still
Very weak.

 

[Nana40]

Does anyone else have butt pain on operated side. I think that it is the gluteus maximus muscle. And I am STILL unable to walk without a cane and STILL discouraged.

I also didn't put the symbol for THR and date of surgery which
Was 1/16/2017. Apology - can't figure it out....

 

[Jaycey]

@Nana40 I moved your post back to your recovery thread for you.

Are you still exercising? What is your activity level during the day? If you rest does the pain ease?

Your surgery date is showing in your signature. If you are using the site on a mobile phone you might not be able to see this.

 

[Nana40]

thanks for getting my post straightened out.
Yes I'm exercising - I have to - I can't walk properly without the cane. (I mean that I consider
walking every day as exercise).
I am walking every day and using a theraband/moving leg on operated side out to the side.
I pretty much feel that muscle in my butt all the time...much more so when walking.
I am still thinking that my leg/hip should be stronger by now. Yes, when I asked about it
before people were very encouraging but I really am wondering why in the world it is taking
so long. With the cane I walk perfectly. Without...like a duck. I'm concentrating on good posture
while I walk, and "heel, toe".....

 

[Nana40]

Well I cant get with it today - want to ask another question and cant figure out how I did it ....
How does a person find out if they have a very small LLD?
My daughter looked at me as I stood with good posture, back to her - she said it looks like
my right hip (NON operated) is little lower than the left. That leads me to believe I have LLD -
BUT since my Left hip was replaced, wouldn't the LEFT leg/hip/at the waist be lower??
I am sure this is not at all clear...what I'm trying to ask

 

[Clipper]

With the anterior approach, my OS intentionally increased my leg length to stretch the muscles which act sort of like rubber bands to help keep the joint in place. Sounds crazy, but true.

I had to have my LLD measured by a qualified PT. It was 2 cm (~ 3/4") and wasn't really noticeable by just looking at me. It was a big deal, and getting that taken care of had big impact on my life. My up / down - up / down gait was really annoying, not any more.

By the way, a lot of people (maybe most) do not have legs that are exactly the same length. A small difference probably is not a big deal. But if it is 1 inch instead of one tenth of an inch, it becomes a big deal.

I had pain in my left buttock that would cause me to sit for a while after walking 1/3 or 2/3 of a mile. After 5 or 10 minutes I could get up and continue walking. That pain has pretty much gone away for the last couple months but I notice it slightly once or twice a week but it's more of a short lived nuisance than a real 'stop walking' kind of pain. Based on my experience I would say your pain will also diminish over time.

Keep walking, have patience, and best of luck!

 

[MyAussieGirl]

Nana be I'm new to all this and not to bright on it all but just wanted to send you hugs and prayers I get pretty discouraged too

 

[Nana40]

Thank you for the nice words, Aussie Girl.

And thanks so much for telling me your experience, Clipper.

 

[Jaycey]

using a theraband/moving leg on operated side out to the side.

From my experience I would say this is probably what is causing your pain. Long ago Josephine advised against this type of exercise of a new hip. I would suggest you stop this exercise and see if rest eases this pain.

As we alway say - there is no timeframe for this recovery - no "should be" to any element of it.

A trained PT or podiatrist can measure to see if you have LLD.

 

[Josephine]

Does anyone else have butt pain on operated side.

Can you show me the site of this pain using this chart? (the smaller one is just for guidance)

I'd also like you to answer these questions.

It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are

1. what approach did you have for your surgery? Anterior, posterior, lateral? You can look here to see the various types THR approaches or incisions

2. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine)

3. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

4. are you icing your painful area at all? If so, how often and for how long?

5. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

 

[Nana40]

couldnt make the illustration work -- hurts at L2B/V (middle of left cheek - was left hip replaced.) Should mention that pain in butt is not constant but does happen while walking for exercise. Just a few steps (room to room) it doesn't happen.

1 incision - posterior
2 pain - 0
3 meds - I only use tylenol but not often. 500 mg
4 ice - no
5 elevate- no
6 activity -I am able to do all normal things at home.
7 no pt other than theraband at home - out to side - 10 times, 3xday

 

[Josephine]

couldn't make the illustration work

Really? What were you trying to make it do?

hurts at L2B/V
2 pain - 0

You just contradicted yourself! Either you have pain or you don't - which is it?

3 meds - I only use Tylenol but not often 500 mg

Well, I can tell you that one Tylenol is not an effective dose. You need to take 2 tablets - 1,000mgs.

6 activity -I am able to do all normal things at home.

Okay

7 no pt other than theraband at home - out to side - 10 times, 3xday

Why? You are 17 weeks post-op and it seems you are pretty active normally. The pain you have in your buttock is undoubtedly one called Piriformis syndrome and that exercise will greatly aggravate it. So my advice is that you stop doing it right now! 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.

 

[MyAussieGirl]

Nana40 I am sorry you're still in pain.... I too less so feel odd pains but try to ignore it... I tell myself it's stuff moving and waking up to healing Hugs and prayers

 

[Nana40]

It has been awhile since i've posted.....i am still having pain near incision area and 2 days ago my dr. told me that part of that pain is because i now have bursitis there. He had no solution...said that often they can put an injection in the bursa but because I have the new hip replacement he feels it is to risky as far as the possibility of an infection. I am very very tired of having pain. My leg is getting stronger. I am now not using the cane in the house - I have to concentrate and "make myself" walk "normally." If I just walk..it is a bit of a duck walk. I have to walk rather slowly as I'm making myself walk normally -- heel/toe. I take the cane when I walk outside but am just lightly touching it to the ground because - I have been using the cane so long that now my shoulder is hurting from me putting pressure on the cane. I just long for the day when nothing hurts and I can simply walk without thinking about it.

 

[Nana40]

I apologize - I am starting a new thread because I can't figure out how to add this onto the thread I started months ago.........
any suggestions about what to do about pain in butt on operated side when I walk? Also since day 1 I have had a tender/hurting area on the side of my thigh. Dr said "that is where I did all the work it will take time and walking" well...over 6 months now. My leg is much stronger but I still take the cane when I go out because I start hurting after walking a bit.

 

[Josephine]

I am starting a new thread because I can't figure out how to add this onto the thread I started months ago.........

How can I find my threads and posts?

any suggestions about what to do about pain in butt on operated side when I walk?

I gave you an answer to this in my previous post, sweetie

The pain you have in your buttock is undoubtedly one called Piriformis syndrome and that exercise will greatly aggravate it.

 

[Nana40]

I am starting a new thread because I dont think my current questions really go along with my original post. I can walk without using the cane. BUT I have left groin pain and pain in left butt. Also, My left leg just does not feel "strong." My ortho simply tells me to just keep walking, it takes time, and come back in 6 months. It seems to me that "just walking" simply is not strengthening my leg and I only get the pains when I walk. Well, the groin does hurt a little while sitting but nothing much. I walk rather slowly because of these things. WITH a cane I of course walk better but still have the two pains. ALSO, I have a very sore (achy) area on the outer side of my thigh, near the incision. I can't lie on my left side because that area will ache. When i touch it with any force, it hurts and I believe the area is "very firm". Extremely hard to describe. Seems that there is "something wrong in there." Ortho said "that is the area where I did all the work. It just takes time." I'm rather tired of hearing that. Any suggestions will certainly be appreciated. At this point I am REALLY very tired of people telling me "oh my 90 year old aunt had a hip replaced and it was very easy and she walks great with no limp."