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THR Double Hipster Club

@springs12, just a note of encouragement and hope. I had 2 “bone on bone” knees, my R leg was about 4 inches shorter than the L from the arthritic deterioration of the knees and I had horrible back pain for 4-5 years. I had sciatic symptoms and was certain the back pain was actually back pain from my back compensating for the abnormal gait. I had one knee replaced and the knee felt better but the back was still making me miserable. I had the second knee replaced about 4 months later and the knees were much better but the back was worse, I hadn’t thought it could get worse, but it was. I asked my surgeon if he could tell if it was my back with a physical exam and after the exam he told me he was quite certain it was my hip causing the pain. An X-ray confirmed “end stage osteoarthritis” of the hip and I got a new hip about 4 months after the second knee. My “back” pain was gone when I woke after the surgery and I’ve had just the post op discomfort since, and that is lessening daily. We’ll pray that your back pain is due to the L hip and that replacing it with a new model will resolve your pain. It sounds like you have done all you can to prepare your home and family for your convalescence. I’m in awe of your complete planning and preparations. I’ll be praying for you Thursday and hope to hear in an update that you are much more comfortable and looking forward to resuming your active life. Blessings
 
Best Wishes tomorrow!
Please let us know how you're doing once you're feeling up to it.
Wishing you lots of comfort, springs. :)
@springs12
 
Thank you so much, everyone!

@Layla Do I start a new thread, or can you just change my title to something like "Double Hipster Club"?

I am home. Scheduled for surgery at 7:00 am about 1 hour and 15 minutes away. Kids slept at grandparents yesterday and they got them off to school and picked up this afternoon. Friends are helping with Hip Hop and Cubscouts this evening, and the kids should have had an exhausting, long day too! Haha.

As for me, arrived at 545. (my favorite was that I started my period last night, four days early....the joys of being 45 I guess. Haha). Got all prepped and saw surgeon at 7:00 for a quick chat and then I was taken back and we got moving.

I woke up around 9:20, a little cold, but that was all. Everything was well managed, and I had the game ready ice machine already icing my hip. It was nice. I got up around one. No blood pressure issues this time. I walked down the hall and up and down 5 PT stairs. Much better mobility this time around. I think since my quad is not as bad and it seems like less nerve irritation, I am feeling the deep ache and throb where they sawed off my bone and hammered in a big metal stem. Haha. Game ready helps as do drugs. Haha. The PA stopped in and she said my hip was pretty gnarly and the labrum was really bad. I wholeheartedly believe that my car accident in 2020 either tore the labrum or worsened an already existing tear. Since I had mild dysplasia, it seemed like the right appeared more shallow, especially posteriorly. So, my left hip had been supporting me more my whole life. The labrum got shredded, and I lost my compensatory patterns and just declined. My muscles on my left were horrifically tight, but I couldn't stretch them due to my hypermobility. I was just too bendy. I assume it is going to take them awhile before they recognize they don't have to guard my hip so intensely anymore. I also feel when I walk, I don't dip down on the left each step (I'm stable now), and I can only assume this will help my right side that has been trying to heal, but has had to compensate a bit. The human body is pretty incredible!

We got home around 5 and I was ready to be out of the car, as was my hip. :-). All situated in bed and awaiting my next narcotic dose in 20 minutes. Haha.

So far so good. Let's hope it stays this way.
 
Hello and Welcome back to Recovery!
I changed your thread title, but to answer your question, it is up to you whether you want a separate thread this time around. You can keep posting on this thread and have all of your history in one place, or start a new thread, it is up to you.

Glad to read you're off to a good start. I hope you're able to get some sleep overnight.
Best Wishes as you continue down Recovery Road! Please stay in touch with regular updates so we're able to offer support and follow your healing journey.
@springs12
 
So today was interesting.

First (not so interesting): I noticed Saturday when I took off my Spica wrapped ace bandage that I had a pocket of fluid below the bandage. Not huge and more noticeable when standing. I figured it was fluid so I waited to call until today. I also suspected it's a hematoma, and I had my mom look today (she was a heart OR nurse for a long time). She said hematoma w/o my suggesting it. The PA called me back this evening and confirmed. Told me I am doing what I need to be doing. Ice, compression, rest, elevation, and watching my vitals and any signs of infection or drainage. All is well. She was glad I called to let them know.

Second. Oh my constipation. Last surgery, it all stayed liquid. No biggie. Stool softeners, Senna, milk of mag....it all just came out loose. This time, I got some out Friday night and nothing since. Took Senna w/docusate three nights leading up to surgery, continued after surgery, had a poo Friday night, but continued the stuff morning and night bc of the fentanyl and dilaudid used day of surgery. Last time I used Tramadol was Friday night and only took 2 total since home. Been drinking a lot. Water, that is. :-) Wholly Moly! I was ready to go this morning, but it did not want to come out. TMI, but I literally had a log blocking me. I had my parents come get my kids. I was in the bathroom for 1.5 hours. I kept showing signs of a vasovagal response so I would have to just relax and sit there very uncomfortably. When I would feel ready to correctly push (I've had pelvic dysfunction and have worked hard on correct pooping), I would breath in and gently push while exhaling. Sweat, drop in BP, lightheaded, stop, relax, repeat. I was seriously ready to call 911 bc I would have fainted walking to the car, but within 1/2 a second, it all came out. My muscles were exhausted. I'm sore. I had a shower, and then took a valium and napped. Took my Senna and stool softener tonight, have drank a ton today, including some electrolytes, and now I'm ending my day with a nice warm glass of prune juice. Hopefully today was the most excitement in my healing journey, and I can just keep on moving forward. Hoping to just stick with my ibuprofen, Tylenol, and muscle relaxants when needed.
 
Boy, @springs12
My skin was prickling with horror and empathy as I read your post... constipation was not something I had anticipated when I had my bilateral hip replacement but a week after surgery and still a No-Go for me.
I can't imagine sitting on the toilet for that long... and relaxing is hard to do.... with a fresh THR!
Hope all continues to "go" well, and the hematoma reabsorbs soon so you can really relax and heal.
 
@Mojo333 Thanks for your empathy. I did not sleep well last night, and I feel as though I am still recovering from yesterday. One Senna + docusate plus warm prune juice last night and this morning did the trick. I will just keep that up while my body normalizes, but I'm so grateful to not have a repeat of yesterday.

I noticed a bump under my bandage, which I am supposed to remove Thursday. No signs of infection, no drainage, etc, but I may need to call just to make them aware. I may be blessed with a small seroma in addition to my hematoma. Lucky me. I can't imagine doing two hips at once. You are a trooper.
 
This is too much adventure. I hope the rest of your recovery is a little less eventful.
 
Oh my! That was quite a tale you shared above. Thankfully you found relief!
I hope that never happens again this time around.
Best Wishes and Happy Thanksgiving! @springs12
 
@Hotchocolate Haha. I don't know if adventure would be the word I would use to describe it. Haha. Nice positive spin. I did crack a joke about it to my sister in law so the horror must be subsiding. I had no idea I would share something like that online, but in all honesty, it may help someone some day.

Today is not adventurous. Resting. Napping. Drinking fluids. Being merry. :) I did leave a message for the PA about the bump under my bandage, but since it's not draining and things remain calm, I am going to assume she will call, talk it over, and tell me to watch it.
 
@Layla Probably too much of a tale. haha. But, it was the reality of this surgery. All is well in my world so far today. :-).

Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
 
Day 11, and I am bored out of my mind. Haha. Sick of watching things. I could read, but my mind just doesn't feel up to it. Overall healing is great. Way more mobility with this hip than I had when my right was done back in June. Hematoma seems to be going down and incision is looking more healed than last week. My biggest complaint is that I think my left SI joint keeps getting stuck almost. The muscles on this side were so tight from holding me together that the SI joint always felt locked up. Now I think it is getting some movement and then almost jams. I believe this is temporary, but boy is it painful and sleeping on my back seems to make it worse. I see the PA on Friday for my two week check up so hopefully all is well!!!
 
:hi: @springs12
Recovery/Healing IS boooring.:bored:

I had a lot of SI issues prior to my op and it took some time to resolve...
Tight hip flexors also aggravate it and tightness is just a given these early days....
There are some stretches I did that helped, but I waited until 4-5 weeks before trying those...
I did try to "reach for the sky" when standing... all the necessary sitting and laying definitely doesn't help.

Hope you have a good, reassuring appointment Friday.
All temporary....
 
@Mojo333 May I ask what led to bilateral hip replacements for you? Given the time frame you were "young" for what used to be considered for hip replacements, however now, they are becoming more and more common in those much younger than myself. Kudos to you for doing two at once. I glanced through your recovery thread and saw you also had the anterior approach. Did you find one quad hurt more than the other? My first (right), my quad was KILLING me, however, heading into that surgery, my hip flexors at the bend in my leg were so tender and a mess. That hip also just felt less stable like it could slip out of place. My current (left) hip was much different heading in. I felt like this side has been a webbing of tightness from my back muscles to my TFL to my iliopsoas and QL. I can't explain it other than it was ridiculous. I have a small curve in my lower lumbar that I had in kindergarten (marked on my records), and I cant help but wonder if this side tightened up to a) protect this hip from the get go and b) compensate so much so I could walk and get through life. My quad this time around does not hurt that much. It's nice in comparison. But all those incredibly tightened muscles now have the freedom to not protect my hip joint so much AND they must be incredibly weak. This is why I know I have a journey of rehab ahead of me. Walking will help my hips for sure, but I have to train muscles that have never known what was right to begin with. My core and back need major strengthening (and my pelvic floor still needs rehab: I never got anywhere with PT for that because the root was my hips which has now been addressed).

I'm kind of rambling, but a) I am bored (haha), and b) I really find the stories behind the why fascinating. Example: bone on bone OA shouldn't happen by a young age unless there is a reason, and I like to understand reasons. My son has a suspected condition called MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) and had 5 safe foods when he was little. I was on my own in finding help bc Drs just said he'd grow out of it (most of these littles end up on feeding tubes, but not mine). I treated him through functional medicine and a specific immunologist. My story too was tough to figure out. I just got my nursing license (I was a school teacher), and I aim to become a functional nurse practitioner to help those who feel at a loss. I know I did. I wondered how my story relates to my son's, but I have learned that many with MCAS can also have Ehler's Danlos (EDS). I don't have EDS, but my OS has a huge population of patients with EDS. Crazy how life works out.
 
@springs12 The back stories of hip replacements (and other joints too) are fascinating! I'm sure Mojo333 will be along to answer your question when she can. Yes i was older and in the general age range for (at that time) hip replacement. For me arthritis gallops through my family ... my Dad, his Mom, both maternal grandparents, and several cousins as well. I'd known one hip was getting bad for several years - the right one hurt a lot - but the other one seemed OK. When I finally went to my regular doctor he took x-rays of both hips and referred me to my OS. When the OS walked into the office for my very first visit with him he said hip replacement was the only thing he could offer .... and I should do both at the same time! Well that shocked me. But he showed me the x-rays that had the right hip so bad it had fused to my pelvis (so practically zero range of motion) and the left one was bone-on-bone with deformation of the ball. So yes I opted to have the BTHR and am very glad I did!

And yes after surgery the right side was more difficult to rehab than the left - took about 4 months to get left foot onto right knee and nearly 8 months to get right foot onto left knee. And the muscles and tendons on the right side where sore and tender much longer than the ones on the left side. My PT gals were wonderful at having a gentle slow progression of exercises to get everything back to proper working order! I went in to see them about every 2 weeks and did the exercises they gave me diligently between visits.

Some surgeons do not like to do bilateral procedures - one person here years ago said probably because it's too much hard work. Me, I'm a bit more cynical and think it might have more to do with what insurance pays for hip replacements. But each surgeon defines his/her own practice :shrug: You will get to where you want to be and even if the process seems slow to you, next year when you look back on this time, you will probably see that in the grand scheme of things it really was not all that long. And yes the recuperation period can be boring!!! Have you checked out the Community section here? There are lots of "off topic" threads and also a big section of word games :)
 
djklaugh said:
one person here years ago said probably because it's too much hard work.
Click to expand...
I’d believe it, my bilateral procedure went by in an instant for me, but I’m told it took 4.5 hours for the people who were conscious. :) I can see a surgeon wanting to break that long afternoon up into two…

My surgeon said the main factor for doing the bilateral was me being (other than the hips!) in good enough health/fitness to get thru it. “I wouldn’t suggest it if I wasn’t confident you’d be successful” was more or less what he said. The first week or two with two log legs was real tough, but here on the other side I’m glad I got it over with all at once. Flip side is, I can’t even imagine going through even 1 hip at age 70+ like my mom. It was hard enough for a 50ish year old! Respect to everyone who is getting through it somehow.
 
@djklaugh Thanks so much for sharing your tale. Genetics are fascinating. My sister was treated for hip dysplasia when she was little, and when I was diagnosed I asked if there was a genetic component and my doctor said yes! Even with my son and his MCAS, I traced things back to his great-grandmother by talking with my mother-in-law, and I found commonalities between each generation from my child to my husband to his dad and then to his dad's mom.

I believe I am still in for quite the journey muscle-wise, especially from my back and abdominal muscles. I don't look forward to it, but I am grateful that I can have a strong foundation of having stable hips to help me get off to a fresh start!

I asked the nurse at my surgery center if my surgeon does bilaterals concurrently, and she had not seen him do it. I don't know if it is because he is a hip preservationist orthopedic surgeon. Maybe some preservationists do it, but I think my guy has a very thorough well researched program. He has his own PT who meets with patients prior to surgery and then 6 weeks after. At the 6-week appointment, the PT evaluates us to see if we would benefit from soft tissue work. They push for water walking in slow increments as well as no hip flexor strengthening. At the 2-week appointment, we see a PA who gives home PT exercises from weeks 2-4 and then 4-6. Water walking is pushed once the incision is healed.

It is so fascinating how different the healing can be for each hip. I also know insurance approved my right hip immediately in June, and this one they initially denied, but the surgeon did what was needed and it was then approved.

Mad props to you for doing both at once! I think that is amazing!
 
@cold_brew I read you are one of the simultaneous bilaterals. Kuddos to you! I can't imagine, but I also have so many muscles involved that are jacked up and were guarding my hips that I never felt the deep joint pain. My body is going to take some time to deal with all this.

Makes total sense that your surgeon would only do two at once on very fit people. They don't want poor outcomes so I can only assume they will recommend what they think is best. I get your stance on a 4.5 hour surgery, but I have a mindset that can even be short. My mom was a heart OR nurse, and she did multiple surgeries that could last up to 12 hours! I would assume surgeons all have their tolerance levels for surgery lengths. I think orthopedists are the engineers of the human body. :-)

I agree that I can't imagine doing this at 70 or even 80, but I anticipate a revision at some point. I hope for the best, but am realistically aware there could be more down the road. My 78-year-old neighbor just had his second hip replacement. Somehow I think people find the strength to do what they've gotta do. I was pretty devastated when I found out I was doing this in my 40s, but grateful there is hope for me to get my life back.
 
:wave:@springs12
I had horrific lower back pain and SI joint pain for the better part of 2 years.... and had every scan imaginable on my back.
I have always been very physical and my job as Food Bank director was
very labor intensive.
No disc issues... nothing they could find...
Almost all my pain manifested in my back and eventually led to sciatica .
Finally, a neurologist ordered a plain old hip Xray ...
behold ... Bone on bone OA both hips.
No history of joint issues in my family ....no spine issues either

I was mortified.
Double hips replaced at age 53!

Have no idea how I wore them out.
 
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