Driving

[cowboypilot52]

Hello again! Another question from me, if you please.

I had my left THR. How long do most people take before driving? I want to drive but I am having a little difficulty picking up my foot high enough to get in our Escape SUV, so I am hesitant to drive. I use my cane to pull it into the car when my wife drives.

The car is an automatic, so there isn't a clutch to bother with. I was going to ask the Physical Therapist this afternoon what he thought, but wondered what most other folks did.

Again, I love this forum!!

 

[Judles]

Hi Cowboy!!!! First of all, ask your OS,about this,,,,NOT your pt. You should wait til around 4 weeks for your left,,,& 6 for your right hip!
Then you should practice braking HARD in an empty parking lot! Of course you also should be on absolutely NO narcotic meds of any kind!
Sounds like you're doing great but don't overdo it!

 

[JudyS]

Hi Cowboypilot
Keep the questions coming.
I had my right hip replaced. At 4 weeks my home pt thought I should be able to drive so out to my car we went. I told her no way was I ready. So she saw that as you said about your left leg it was not a quick transition from brake to gas. It was very slow and a little painful.

So she told me to practice that motion in a chair. At my 6 week apt with my doc he was surprised that I was not driving yet. At that point I felt my hip was ready. About 2 days later I started driving , but kept it to short distances for a while.
Do make sure your doc says it is ok, something to do with potential trouble if an accident should occur.

I really enjoy staying out of the rat race for as long as I can so tend to delay the driving thing. I realize it is not possible for most people though.

I love this forum too.
Judy

 

[Jamie]

Well said, Judles and Judy!!!

Hi, Cowboy and welcome to the forum! Glad you are benefiting from the forum and we hope to hear more from you as you progress through recovery!!

 

[PRGal]

Judles is right, cowboy--it's your OS not your PT who should give you a release to drive. That said, with a "lefty" and an automatic, it's more about being narcotic-free and minding any 90-degree restrictions you may have.

I had a right THR (anterior, with zero restrictions), but didn't drive until after my 5-week post-op check, 'cause it took that long for the ole thigh muscles to be able to move my leg quickly & confidently!

 

[cowboypilot52]

Thanks everyone. I think that I can wait a while; I am jsut getting tired of my wife having to drive everywhere. She is being a great sport but I know that she is getting a little tired too. I did have a good PT session yesterday with some exercises that should really improve the strength of my left leg. Today is three weeks, to the day. Seems like a lot longer in some ways, and just yesterday in others. Walked a half mile this morning with the cane and my wife and felt good about it.

 

[UniformMan]

Cowboy,

I am right at 3 weeks also and began driving drug free yesterday, of course my wife was with me the entire time. My OS indicated that should be ok since it was a LHR and my reactions are pretty strong on my right side.

That being said, do not do what I did out walking. I did not pay attention to a curb that was slightly higher than normal and tripped, but thank God did not fall. I am nursing some muscle pain due to using the strength I had in my lower body to stay upright, but it is going to set me back a little as I work out the stiffness.

IT ONLY TOOK 1 SECOND FOR THIS SETBACK, BE CAREFUL!

Jim

 

[Judles]

TSK!!! TSK!!!! Boys with their toys!!

 

[UTdave]

Cowboy,

I'm probably not a good person to talk to due to my apparent disregard for law and order. The party line is no driving for 4 wks or so. But. . . . I started driving 2 wks after my right THR last time and started driving 1 week after discharge with this most recent left THR. If you're not on any narcotics (lortab, vicodin, percocet, oxy-anything) or "psuedonarcotic" (ultram) meds, I don't see the issue. My wife yells at me, but I just can't stand the way some of my family members drive! With an automatic transmission and a left hip operation, I just think, why not?

As far as getting in your car on the driver's side, place your non-operated foot underneath the operated foot and use it to lift your leg into the car (this helps getting into bed, also).

 

[JudyS]

Dave I am surprised you did not drive yourself home from the hospital!!!
Judy

 

[UTdave]

Ha! Well-aimed, Judy!

Actually, I feel pretty strongly that you're impaired for a few days after anesthesia whether you think so or not! It's powerful stuff! I would probably steer anyone away from driving their first week after surgery just for that alone. I do think 4-6 wks is pretty excessive if you're feeling well, however. Lastly, we all are talking about pain pills and driving. The funny thing is (at least where I live) there are tons of people out driving around on chronic pain meds who are half awake all day and here we are worrying about our hips?

We need a cut and paste that we can use on different threads that says something like "everyone will have a little different experience, use your common sense and listen to your body" - seems to work a lot.

 

[Judles]

We really didn't think UT stood for ULTRA THICK,DAVE!

 

[cowboypilot52]

Great post Dave and funny. If my wife didn't drive as well as I think I do, I would probably want to drive more myself. I was able to (slowly) drag my foot in the car this morning, so it is getting stronger all the time. Prolly another week or so and I will be zipping me along. I hope.

And Uniform, great advice about losing it all in one second. My wife totally would agree with you if she saw the post, but she isn't here right now so I can show her. She is terrified that I am going to do something goofy and set myself back too. I can't help it...I love life and simply enjoy getting out! Yesterday, I was trying to smack a pine cone with my cane for my dog to chase(a little cane-polo, if you will) while we were walking and sorta swung a wee bit wild. I didn't even stumble but it scared her and she told me to settle down!

 

[Josephine]

You're so right about the anaesthetic taking it out of you. Many don't allow for that and think their 'blaagghhss' are all due to the surgery. Thing about the anaesthetic, whether general or spinal, is that your body spends hours motionless and totally relaxed which is abnormal. The longer the anaesthetic, the more the repercussions. Muscles lose tone, strength and vitality which all take days and even a few weeks to be restored.

 

[JudyS]

OK Cowboypilot
My first knee injury (although I am a hippy) was from playing pine cone soccer with my dog on a hike. It was my turn, I went to kick it and just missed, but was excited that i did not fall. Well same thing on my next try except I did fall and smashed my knee on a rock. Nice scar is still there, that was in 1981. Probably the scar tissue my doc just removed in a knee scope originated with that injury!!!
Had to limp quite a few miles to get off the mountain but fortunately it was a fire road and not a trail!!!
beware of those pine cones
Judy

 

[TBONE]

Atta boy Dave! When I get my BTHR on April 1, I will want to be driving at 3 weeks. Now whether I can drive is another question. My doc said if all goes well, I can go back to work at 2-4 weeks, depending on who does the driving, and that I'll be driving at 4 weeks. I hope that is so since I will need to get back to work. I own a small business so I really cannot afford to be away. I do have a home office and a good internet connection, though, and maybe if I can impose on others at home and at work to chauffeur me around.
I''ll be OK.
It is disappointing, but not surprising, that it takes so long to get back to an activity that is basically sedentary. However, last week, I had to react quickly to a driver in front of me to avoid a collision. I reacted, but I also hurt my hip and felt it for 2 days. So I'll be very careful and make sure to get doc's approval. I just hope it's only 4 weeks.
Tom

 

[Judles]

Ya gotta be so careful, T Bone! Those first few weeks especially! You will be HEALING! You will have something NEW & FOREIGN in your hip!
Not only that, but there are ENOUGH crazy drivers out there without you having to react to dangerous situations! I LOVE driving! The first few weeks I didn't even want to get INTO a car! Please be aware of it! We all want to maintain our independence !You just want to be SAFE!

 

[YoungM]

Wow, I'm surprised to hear how early some have drove and plan on driving. During my joint education class, the nurse advised that I can not drive nor get IN A CAR for 6 weeks! She said that the most common way to dislocate is from getting in and out of car. The only car ride should be my ride home from the hospital. Even though I will learn how to get in and out of car properly, the nurse was very insistent on this.

Thoughts?

 

[Judles]

YES! Melissa! We definitely have some macho men here! - would totally agree that you should wait! But You CAN go into a car! Safely of course!;)

 

[YoungM]

LOL -yes! Thanks, Judles.