THR Doopy's Recovery

doopy

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Well, guys, here I am! I'm home, but I have to confess to suffering from absolutely torrential depression, but I'm making myself post in an attempt to re-engage with the world again (and all of you lovely people out there in Bonesmart - land!).

Well, I guess it all went ok, but not as well as the first THR. My lovely surgeon, who had his hip replaced just after he did my TKR 18 months ago, tells me that you can't compare. He said that in terms of his work, he is more pleased with this second hip of mine, and also that he fully expects his own next THR not to go as smoothly. Interesting.

My first problem this time (& I don't know that I'd read anything about this on this site?) was that on Day 2 I suddenly started to get what felt like cramp in my operated-side buttock. It started to get worse, the nurses arrived to get me out of bed for the bathroom, and then the muscle spasms started - I was in screaming agony. Neither standing, sitting or lying received it - it was just mind-blowing. They gave me a lot of painkillers - a fast-acting codeine, then 2mg of Diazepam as a muscle-relaxant, but nothing was working and I was in a terrible state. The intense pain made me vomit. Finally they tried a Voltarol suppository , and very gradually it subsided. This was late at night, and eventually I fell into a sleep for 6.5 hours, the longest for me in years. I slept on and off for the next 24 hrs, and although the cramp returned for a few seconds on standing, it didn't "take", and all was well. The surgeon later told me it happens sometimes, and that it usually only carries on for days as opposed to weeks. Grim and scary, but thankfully resolved.

My next problem was a (predictable) resurgence of my old problem, atrial fibrillation, which is often seen post-op. Mine is long-standing, paroxysmal, and mostly self-resolving - I had a cardiac ablation which held it at bay for 2.5 years but it returned last year. Cue panic among the nurses, ECGs etc. It went, but kept returning on and off for 3 days, which is something that seriously depresses me (it is accompanied by a sense of impending doom, which conversely causes massive sudden euphoria as it resolves - very odd).

So my return home has been a bit fraught, but mostly emotionally, I'm afraid. The past 7 years since my first THR have been nothing but a catalogue of major health crises and surgeries, which have left me traumatised, scared & sad. However, no real pain, though the hip at the front of the thigh feels stiff and achey when I go to stand. I thought I felt something pop there when I struggled to get off the loo, but it doesn't seem any worse. At the moment, on Day 7, I'm down to just the occasional paracetamol, which I guess is good?

Oh, and I also developed an allergy to medical dressings since THR1, so the huge waterproof dressing is burning ad itching like mad, but this is round the edges, not where the scar is. I often develop blisters, so today I took an antihistamine, which has helped. The hospital just called to check on me, and the senior nurse agreed this was the thing to do. He also told me to simply rest - lie around wherever is comfortable (recliner!), and do a short walk, exercises (oops!), and walks to the bathroom & back - that's all.

So, sorry to ramble, but it's me trying to reach the world beyond my bed! Thanks for all the support and encouragement, sending the same back to all of you.x
 
:console2:
Oh my stars @doopy
Sounds like a really bumpy start....I'm sorry.
And add the afib Symptoms...and the anxiousness that comes with that, I dare say feeling out of sorts would be expected.
Glad to see you resting and I hope everything levels off very soon!:friends:
 
Aww, first off I am sending a warm virtual hug your way. :console2:Reading your post made me sad for you.
Recovery from major surgery is enough in itself, but yours has been challenging from the start. The muscle cramp sounds horrendous and had to be if it was intense enough to cause you to vomit, dear doopy. Thankfully that issue seems to have resolved.

It's understandable that the return of the atrial fibrillation, for days now, is unnerving especially given it's unpredictability, the discomfort and I imagine fear involved in the episodes and the exaggerated emotional response that seems to accompany these episodes. My heart goes out to you, truly.
Hopefully all settles to a dull roar soon and eventually resolves. I guess all you can do right now is get lots of rest and take each day as it comes. This could all look very different (for the better) in a couple weeks and my prayer will be that it is. We're here for you whenever you're in need of some encouragement so please don't hesitate reach out at any time. Wishing you lots of comfort and peace of mind as you begin the journey. Hugs
@doopy
 
Here are some guidelines you may find beneficial as you begin your healing journey!

HIP RECOVERY GUIDELINES

As you begin healing, please keep in mind that each recovery is unique. While the BoneSmart philosophy successfully works for many, there will be exceptions. Between the recommendations found here, your surgeon's recovery protocol and any physical therapy you may engage in, the key is to find what works best for you.

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 these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

The recovery articles
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.
 
I had the rash around the dressing, got pretty annoying. OS told me to use Hydrocortisone cream and it stopped the itch and it cleared up. Ask your OS and see what they say.
 
Oh, what a rollercoaster!! (I'm still traumatised from the infection after my TKR 19 months ago). The allergy to the dressings got worse, and then the area got very red and the wound started oozing. The on-call doctor and Sister (it's a small private hospital) all felt that it was serous fluid and not cause for real concern, and the red allergy rash was probably causing all the angriness in the area. The end result was that I went back to the hospital on a daily basis for wound checking, with staff reporting to my surgeon when he wasn't there. They swabbed to grow cultures. In the end, after a week, my surgeon declared he was completely happy with the wound, and removed all the dressings, and said he wasn't worried about the culture results which were still not in, though I'm sure if an infection were reported they would act.
So I felt happy and reassured, but the next day the wound had oozed a little over night, and again last night, It's only a tiny bit from one end of the incision, and it is clear fluid, but then today i think i can see the tiniest pinhead of dried blood. Basically i am terrified, but logically, the dressing were removed at 14 days, when they were originally meant to be, and a wound that was oozing one day is not necessarily going to suddenly dry up totally just because the team have declared it ok. I have cleaned it with boiled water and re-covered the part that's causing the problem, but any reassurance would be most welcome. The redness is rapidly receding, the site isn't hot, the fluid is clear and not noxious, there is no pain. The actual hip is doing marvellously.
Also, although this is my 3rd joint replacement & I ought to remember, it is Day 16 and on any effort I feel very shaky and a bit faint - for example, I was just outside watering the garden for 15 mins with a hose, then sat in the sun, and felt dreadful until I got in and lay down. Is this normal? Am I expecting too much? I think my very extreme stress reaction isn't helping either!
 
I am sorry you're as stressed as you are. It sounds like you've had very thorough care at the hospital.
If it will make you feel better to check in with your care team at the hospital over your concerns, don't hesitate as there is nothing like peace of mind. These are the typical signs of infection:
Fever
Unusual or increasing pain
The incision is hot to the touch
A change in the size of the incision
A change in the odor of the discharge
A yellow or green discharge that is increasing
Redness or hardening of the surrounding area
Excessive bleeding that has soaked through the incision

If you're not experiencing any of the above and you just received reassurance from them a day or two ago, I don't know that you have anything to worry about.
on any effort I feel very shaky and a bit faint - for example, I was just outside watering the garden for 15 mins with a hose, then sat in the sun, and felt dreadful until I got in and lay down. Is this normal? Am I expecting too much? I think my very extreme stress reaction isn't helping either!

Stress doesn't help for sure, so try to relax, but you obviously did more than your body was ready to handle and the physical reaction is not surprising or alarming, only a warning to stop, or slow down.

Do watch it if you're alone. I'd hate to see you topple over and hurt yourself or end up back in the hospital for a revision. Go s-l-o-w.

I hope today is a peaceful one! :friends:
 
@Layla Hi, thank you for your reassurance - it's very kind, and good to hear! I need some common sense knocked into me! It's just having had one horrendous joint infection, it feels as if another is inevitable, which is ridiculous - my surgeon would never have operated if he was worried about that.
Thanks for worrying about me being alone - the only good thing to come out of the pandemic was the introduction of working online - husband is an A Level teacher (kids age 18), so he's able to teach from home, thank heavens.
And you are right about obviously doing "too much" - what might be fine for others, or for me on my earlier joint replacements is obviously not right for me at the moment, so I'm just resting. But the hip feels better and stronger every day, and a miracle to be pain-free at last!
Thank you for your support, xx
 
it is Day 16 and on any effort I feel very shaky and a bit faint - for example, I was just outside watering the garden for 15 mins with a hose, then sat in the sun, and felt dreadful until I got in and lay down.
This often happened to me during the first 5-6 weeks of recovery. e.g. I would be in the kitchen preparing a meal for 10-15 minutes, and just start to feel faint, shaky, and a little woozy. Sitting or laying down always made me feel better very quickly.

At first I thought maybe it was dehydration, which can cause low blood pressure, resulting in those symptoms. So I drank lots of water, but I'm not sure it made much difference. I'm guessing it was just my body's way of dealing with the physical trauma of the surgery and recovery. In time, it stopped happening. I'm now in my 8th week, and haven't had an episode for ~10 days.

Hoping you have a smooth recovery :)
 
it is Day 16 and on any effort I feel very shaky and a bit faint - for example, I was just outside watering the garden for 15 mins with a hose, then sat in the sun, and felt dreadful until I got in and lay down. Is this normal?
Fatigue is entirely normal at this early stage of recovery. You are not even a full month post-op, so your body is still working hard to repair itself from the trauma of surgery. Recovery takes all of your energy, which is why you fatigue so easily.

It may seem like you are doing "nothing," but your body's energy stores are busy doing things like making and restoring lost blood, repairing soft tissue damage, and beginning the process of producing the important building blocks to insuring proper bone growth into your new prosthesis so it can be solid and not loosen.

I found this illustration helpful: https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/energy-drain-for-thrs.12415/
 
it is Day 16 and on any effort I feel very shaky and a bit faint - for example, I was just outside watering the garden for 15 mins with a hose, then sat in the sun, and felt dreadful until I got in and lay down.
This often happened to me during the first 5-6 weeks of recovery. e.g. I would be in the kitchen preparing a meal for 10-15 minutes, and just start to feel faint, shaky, and a little woozy. Sitting or laying down always made me feel better very quickly.

At first I thought maybe it was dehydration, which can cause low blood pressure, resulting in those symptoms. So I drank lots of water, but I'm not sure it made much difference. I'm guessing it was just my body's way of dealing with the physical trauma of the surgery and recovery. In time, it stopped happening. I'm now in my 8th week, and haven't had an episode for ~10 days.

Hoping you have a smooth recovery :)
Thank you so much - that is really helpful to hear. Today is Day 27 and I walked up a big flight of stairs for a shower, pottered about whilst I was up there, then came back down, got dressed and put some washing on. After standing in the garden for about 15 mons (supervising non-gardening husband whilst he re-potted for me!), I suddenly felt just beyond it all, and came back to my recliner, exhausted.
This hip op has hit me far harder than my first, 7 years ago, but guess I'm 7 years older, and the 7years have seen multiple surgeries and illnesses, so i guess its to be expected.
I'm glad all is going well for you, and I'm grateful for your reassurance. x
 
I suddenly felt just beyond it all, and came back to my recliner, exhausted.
I experienced the same after my second THR. The exhausted feeling is just overwhelming.

The good news is that this will ease with time and patience. Every THR is different - even on the same person. Be good to yourself. Your body is spending all its energy on healing.
 
Yes, I think the older we get these surgeries hit us harder. I still need a nap periodically.
I traveled last week and the flight was fine but day after I returned I was exhausted.
I did some laundry and just relaxed the rest of the day.
I hope you start feeling stronger soon.
all my best.
 
I hope you're having a good week, doopy, you've enjoyed some restorative rest and you're feeling a bit more energized. If not, it will come soon.
Happy One Month Anniversary! Wishing you a beautiful weekend! :SUNsmile:
@doopy
 

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