THR Few questions about hip replacement

[Eman85]

Everyone is different but I drove at 2 weeks. With my left it was simple as all my left had to do was get in the car. With my right I could drive but it was uncomfortable to painful at times just the sitting and the way the car seat was uncomfortable. Biggest thing with the right is being able to quickly react if needed.

 

[Layla]

Hello and Happy One Month Anniversary!
The timeline for driving varies from surgeon to surgeon. I was released to drive at three weeks, but by choice waited until I was about four weeks post op. You may want to go for a practice drive to make sure you feel confident before hitting heavy traffic.
I practiced in a low traffic area first, to make sure I could hit the break with ease. I found sitting in the car for any length of time over about 30 mins very uncomfortable due to the inability to move or stretch freely. It slowly eased over time.
Drive safely!
@mariustpz

 

[TomT]

It sounds like you're healing well, be very careful not to over do it. Your hip might not let you know right away that you have over did it and it can be scary when you find yourself in pain suddenly. You could probably switch to a cane at this point if you don't like walking with one crutch. Don't forget the recovery from this surgery takes about a year, all you need to do is walk to rehab yourself

 

[mariustpz]

Thank you Layla.

I drove last night about 70km, I don't feel uncomfortable at all, I get more uncomfortable sitting in my desk chair than driving. I tried today to walk unaided like my surgeon told me, I still have a small limp but it gets better.
I don't think I over do it, I work for 2 3 hours at my desk and then I walk in my room for 4 5 minutes because it gets uncomfortable and daily I walk in my yard for 15 30 minutes in one crutch and unaided.
I see that I still have a little swelling around the surgery, is this normal after the weeks?

 

[Layla]

You’re welcome!
It seems sitting for any length of time early on can make us uncomfortable. Its good to hear driving was comfortable for you. We do advise using an assistive device for as long as you’re still limping. Try to concentrate on the heel-toe walking and you‘ll probably see the limp disappear. Swelling at this point is considered normal. My surgeon told me that some people experience swelling for months. Try icing when you’re sitting / lying around and see if it helps. Elevation also.

Jamie from Administration once explained that it’s our lymph system that rids the body of fluid (swelling). So you want to get the fluid to the lymph nodes in your torso area so your body can more quickly process it. The lymph system works rather slowly on it’s own and much more efficiently with the assistance of gravity. The fluid isn’t draining into the hips, but contained with the lymph system and moving to the torso and lymph nodes located there. This is where elevation works. Check out the article on elevate under Number Two in the Recovery Guidelines. I hope this helps.
@mariustpz

 

[mariustpz]

I had ice for 30 minutes and I just walked now with heel toe method, my girlfriend told me that the limp seems to be gone when I walk like this, it seems that I still have a limp if I try to walk faster tho.
I still feel the muscles weak in all my leg not only the hip, I guess that is because I had the spacer for couple months. But is getting better and better. At 6 weeks I'll go to make a x ray and see my doctor. I hope it's all good in there.
Thank you all for the advices and nice thoughts.

 

[mariustpz]

Hello again,

I took a blood test today and it seems like my CRP is 16 of maximum 5. Last week i had it 2.

Has anyone had this problem? I don't feel any pain or inflammation. I don't know why is that high.

 

[subie2021]

CRP measures inflammation, so maybe your high level is because you are in the inflammation stage of healing. Can you call your doctor and ask their opinion, and to make sure an infection isn't starting?

Stages of healing - hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, remodeling. In hemostasis, your body works to stop bleeding. In inflammation, you produce more white blood cells that cause chemical reactions that allow your blood to carry what's needed to begin healing to the injured site. Proliferation is when new connective tissue begins to grow. Remodeling is the last phase when all the temporary repairs your body has made for the injury is replaced by the correct permanent tissue.

Best wishes! Be well!

 

[mariustpz]

I messaged my doctor and I'm waiting for an answer.
This week I worked a few hours / day at my desk and I got uncomfortable, is it possible that by sitting I created inflammation? I
I feel good, no pain, no fever, nothing...

 

[Eman85]

It took some time for me but I found that walking slowly and short distances with good posture and not limping did me more good than trying to walk fast or for long periods of time.

 

[mariustpz]

I know, I try to walk slowly, sometimes I walk faster because in my mind I think I can do it.

I'm worried about the crp level now.
It seems it is 1.66mg/dL and the interval range is 0.0 - 1.0. At the other lab I took it last week I had it 2.43mg/L and the interval range 0 - 5. One measure in dL and one in L.

It's weird that all my blood count are normal only the crp is slightly high.

I hope is nothing bad.

 

[benne68]

Hi @mariustpz My understanding is that CRP often becomes elevated following major surgery. You are still just a few weeks out from your THR, so this could be the cause. It everything else in your blood work is fine, it probably isn't something to worry about it. But do check with your own doctor so he/she can set your mind at ease.

 

[mariustpz]

Yes but is so weird that from 2 went to 16. I had something like this in the past with the spacer, went from 26 to 36 then to 12. It's a weird marker...

Today I'm feeling way better, I walk better, my muscles are regenerated, I slept like 10 hours to recover because last day when I got CRP tested I had only 3 hours of sleep.

 

[TomT]

I messaged my doctor and I'm waiting for an answer.
This week I worked a few hours / day at my desk and I got uncomfortable, is it possible that by sitting I created inflammation? I
I feel good, no pain, no fever, nothing...

Yes you will feel this in the initial months after surgery, sitting at a 90 degree angle will be painful, this will fade with time

 

[mariustpz]

Yes I know. That's why I thought it may affect the crp.

I took another blood test today.
CRP went down to 11mg/L from 16.

Going down is a good think, I think if I had something like infection it was growing until now...

 

[Hip4life]

Hopefully, your doctor will get back to you soon. Is the doctor getting the results of your tests sent to him? Sometimes certain test results can fluctuate quite a bit from day to day, week to week. Generally, trends over an appropriate amount of time are looked at. Also how does it fit in to the other tests and how you are feeling. Since those things seem to be good, I would try not to worry too much as you wait for your doctor’s advice.

 

[mariustpz]

Yes the doctor saw both tests and told me to make another blood test after two weeks from today. Didn't seem worried.
I feel good, I started walked totally unaided, I don't have a limp anymore if I walk more, if I stay on a chair for 30min or more when I walk I have a small limp at first steps.
The swelling is 80% gone also, i can move my leg very well and zero pain as well.

 

[mariustpz]

Hello everyone.

I'm 6 weeks and 3 days post-op.
I went to see my doctor 3 days ago and he told me that i am very well, he made a joke that people go to him when they feel bad, not like me when i'm that well and told me to go home because "i hit the road in vain" . He told me i can do whatever i want i no longer have restrictions.

I didn't make another blood test to see CRP but the doctor didn't seem to worry about it.
Also i'm back to normal walking, i no longer have a limp and when i sit at my desk i don't feel that unconfortable after i get up.

I'm like before the surgery, no pain, nothing, i don't feel that i have a "thing" inside my body, everything is normal.

 

[TomT]

Hello Mariustpz,

Very good news on your recovery. I'm honestly surprised your doctor would tell you no restrictions at 6 weeks after your surgery. If I were you I'd still take it very easy and try to follow the guidelines laid out by the mod team here. It's probably a good idea that you keep a cane with you even if you're not using it so much it lets people know to clear out of your way because the last thing you want right now is for someone to bump or trip into you causing you to fall. I'm glad you're pain free, it feels great to be able to be pain free. I myself had some bad arthritis that was really holding me back and now I'm much more active. If you're not familiar with a baseball player by the name of Bo Jackson I suggest you look up his story. After hip replacement he returned to pro sports , but because of all that activity he put on his hip replacement he's had to have it replaced more than a few times, so now you need to decide if you want to engage in the kind of activity that may wear our your joint or stick to non impact kind of stuff it's up to you. If you take care of your hip joint it can last your entire life

 

[Elf1]

@mariustpz that's awesome that your doc gave you the all clear. I do agree with @TomT about still taking it slowly and using a cane, especially in public. It is a heads up to others to give you space and can sure come in handy if you start getting tired. While you are way, way younger than I am you are still in recovery and it's really easy to overdo when you feel so good. Continue to pay attention to what your body is telling you and you should be good. Don't forget ice and elevation can still be used if you get to feeling achy or pain. Enjoy your new life!