Fractured Neck of Femur/Pinning Dynamic Hip Screw

[Abby73]

Hi Woodbutcher
Thanks for your message, and yes I agree about the pain, I’ve given birth 4 times, I thought was bad but nothing compares to the pain in a femur, my windowcleaner cheerfully remarked to me that ‘did I know that people can die from a broken femur’
Glad that was after I was out of hospital
I’m 10 weeks on so still early days for me as I’ve found out and now accepted, taking meds when needed, my expectations where ambitious to say the least and of course my age is against me, a moment of not looking where you’re going led to weeks of pain
How are after 10 months, I see you’ve had quite a lot of operations including one 4 days ago, hope you’re doing ok

 

[Abby73]

Well today have decided to sit in the sun and update this, I have come a long way from the first few awful days, and still have months to go but feeling more positive
I realised it was major surgery when the physio said to me on Monday that they would have had to prise apart my muscles etc to get the DHS in
So this week I have been back to bellringing, getting down the spiral narrow stone stairs was the hardest part and today I drove my dogs to the country park where I work to tell the manager I should be back on the rota in December, and saw lots of friends - bliss
I look back and wonder how I survived the early days but we humans are so resilient
Sitting outside being divebombed by ladybirds!

 

[mendogal]

Isn't it simply wonderful to feel that "normal life" is achievable?!?!

You still have some healing to do, so it's prudent to, for a while, alternate a more active day with a more restful day.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Sounds like things are slowly returning to normal & that’s the best part of this journey. And having a forum like Bonesmart that gives us a place to visit over the recovery period is invaluable. If it’s Day One after surgery or even one year later there’s advice and experiences that make us realize we are not alone on this journey even though some days that is how we feel. And even the best friends in the world cannot comprehend what we are going through after any joint replacement or surgery.

 

[Layla]

Love your update, Abby! it seems you're doing really well and getting back to the things you love.
It takes time, but it will get even better. More good times to come!
@Abby73

 

[Abby73]

12 weeks on, and have gone backwards again, I know my age is against me but I was so fit, now getting up and down stairs is painful again, and having to take painkillers again. 3 days ago I hit a traffic jam in the car and for around 20 minutes my bad leg was up and down with the clutch as we crawled really slowly, I’m wondering if that is why the pain is back, it’s only on movement not when sitting or standing still.
Apart from rest don’t know whether I should do the physio more, or less, and how best to manage this
All advice welcome

 

[myglasshalffull]

So sorry to hear you’ve had a setback. Could be your shifting in your vehicle or just about anything else. I’m not an expert on hip pinning but I’m guessing any surgery involves some time to heal & recuperate.
My only advice is ice & rest for a day & see if you feel better. I know I had some crazy ups and downs in recovery. Just when I thought I was ready to conquer the world a new bump in the road set me back. For me it was all about learning to listen to my body’s cues as well as the great advice here. Because I didn’t plan a hip replacement I had nothing to compare it to other than a few friends that had the surgery. But we are all so individual in recovery.
Some days I’d want to get a few things done but my hip wouldn’t cooperate so I rested, iced maybe heating pad for a couple of hours & then I’d bounce back. Definitely learned patience, something I was lacking!

 

[mendogal]

You haven't done damage, you've unwittingly joined the OverDid It Club (ODIC) thanks to the traffic jam. It's a soft tissue setback as we all experience.

You cannot work your way through this. Two or three days of rest and no exercise beyond short walks (gentle stretching only if its pain-free) and LOTS of ice and elevation - basically what you were doing at say week 3! - should see significant improvement.

 

[Layla]

Hello and Happy Anniversary, Abby! How is recovery going for you over the past several days? Hopefully the pain has eased and you're feeling better this week. Let us know when you have a minute. We're here for you.
Happy Wednesday!
@Abby73

 

[Abby73]

Hi All
3 months on, and still having problems, have changed my car to an automatic so I can get around easier, and was able to take myself to see the physio at hospital today
I am walking but still not easy, I told the physio this and also told him about the pain in my groin, I have not had a follow up since the surgery, so he said he is concerned about the pain in in the groin and also he said he expected me to be further on in my recovery
He is going to write a letter to my GP, and told me to arrange an appointment at the surgery
I am now a little worried, I already have a DEXA scan booked he said that will show if it’s a bone problem, but in the meantime carrying on as normal, I think I’d hoped to be doing a lot more by now

 

[benne68]

I'm sorry you are still struggling but 3 months is still only about 1/4 of the way through this year-long recovery. And many us experience groin pain as we recover from hip surgery.

Take a look through some of these threads:

Search results for query: groin pain

bonesmart.org

At almost 5 months THR, I still have episodes of groin pain but my physical therapist taught me a pressure-point technique that helps relieve it. Perhaps you could ask your physio for a suggestion.

 

[Jamie]

Sadly, a hip pinning like you have experienced can actually result in a more difficult recovery than a hip replacement. But it is important for you to get validation from your surgeon that everything is okay. Good for you and your therapist for being proactive about some appointments to make sure that’s the case.

 

[Layla]

Hi Abby,
I am sorry you're still facing challenges. Three months is still fairly early in the healing process.
It is good you've scheduled the appointment for the DEXA scan and a follow up with your OS. It is understandable that you have concerns if something doesn't feel right to you, but hopefully you'll receive some reassurance soon that the lingering pain can be coming from muscles, tendons or even in the way you're moving after surgery as you're healing. Best Wishes! Please keep us posted.
@Abby73

 

[Abby73]

Haven’t posted for a while, it’s 5 months since my femur repair, I think I expected to be walking better than I am, lots of discomfort and weakness still. My life has been totally turned around but not in a good way, I can do lots more, but the frustration is not being able to do more than a few hundred yards.
As expected it has had an effect on other joints back hips and shoulders, and it feels like my right leg is now shorter than the other one, I don’t know if that’s the norm.

 

[myglasshalffull]

So sorry to hear you aren’t feeling better. We all recover differently and at various rates. Have you contacted your OS office to let them know about your current issues?

 

[benne68]

Recovery can be so frustrating, @Abby73. It always takes longer that we expect. I still have occasional tweaks in my leg and back and my surgery was 7 months ago.

Are you doing any physio to help with the muscle weakness?

it feels like my right leg is now shorter than the other one,

May of us experience this after hip surgery. Often it is just perceived because of changes to the soft tissues. You might find this article helpful:
Leg length differential - LLD

 

[Layla]

I am sorry to read that you're struggling, Abby. Hang in there. Hopefully with sound guidance, more time and lots of patience, you'll notice progress over the next several months. Keep in touch, we're here for support if you need us.
@Abby73

 

[Jamie]

I do think if you haven’t met with your surgeon recently, you should try to get a consultation for an evaluation of how you’re doing. Hopefully an x-ray would be part of that so that it can be checked for proper healing. It may help just to have the reassurance that you’re doing okay. Healing from something like this does take more time that you might think.

Are you getting specific pain or other symptoms that are worrying you? It sounds like your problem is walking farther than a few hundred yards. What happens that causes you to stop? It’s possible that you need to use walking aids for this so you have a little more support to walk properly and start building strength.

 

[Hip4life]

@Abby73 I so agree about checking in with your surgeon. When my recovery was taking longer and beginning to encroach on the maximum time I could be off work, I went back to the surgeon. It helped to keep him in the loop and I got the support I needed from him. I may have become the "squeaky wheel" but it kept us moving forward toward an eventual resolution. It may be that nothing is wrong and all you need is more time but it sure would be worth getting it checked out. Keep us posted.

 

[Debru4]

Your comment about the ripple effect extending to other parts really resonated with me. This is one of the biggest challenges I think for me as I am aging, and staying on top of things to nip more serious issues in the bud takes a lot of detective work and energy. Checking in with your doctor sounds like a really good idea. Take care.