THR Gazelle's A-Z - Anterior Hip Replacement Recovery Thread

[gazelle7777]

Day 3, October 3, 2014--- Feeling Great!

Feel great this morning. I slept so good last night... combination of pain meds and just being exhausted I think!. It amazes me that I am able to get around just fine, I have very little pain. I am using one crutch... really do not need the walker at all.. and I have moved about with no crutch already most of the time. I am steady and stable and able to put full weight on my operated side no problems. Am able to do everything I could do before.... even up and down the stairs to let the dog in and out with no problem.

I do not know if my recovery is normal for this type of hip surgery or exceptional. I know I have tissue healing to do and need to take it easy, but, honestly, if I did not have the bandage on the front of my hip, other that a bit of stiffness... I would not know I had major surgery just a day or so ago! This is SO much easier thus far than my double knee recovery. Maybe this information will let others looking forward to the same surgery have fewer fears....

I am catching up on my emails, and then going to go back to bed... raise my leg and ice... I really do not want to, but, I guess I am suppose to rest.. Good excuse to be lazy ! LOL! It is just so strange how good I feel so early in my recovery!

Lets hope this continues Will update again tomorrow morning... Best to everyone and thanks so much for all the thoughtful posts everyone has sent me Joan

 

[new knee in June]

@gazelle7777
You are doing Awesome I am so Happy you have no pain
Home, Go Slow, You are now a leader for all the other "Hippies"just like
You were on the Knee forums.
Thinking of you on your recovery
Love,
Diana ( A hug for Lola )

 

[Jaycey]

@gazelle7777 wow -you are blazing through this process. Do take it easy! Lots of healing going on! Many hippies try and do to much too early and experience a setback. You are not being lazy - you are in recovery.

 

[hopefulm]

What great news! So glad to hear how well you are doing, and hope everything progresses as smoothly going forward. Your experience is really helping to allay my fears. Thank you.

 

[gazelle7777]

Jaycee you are so right... going to bed right now... see you tomorrow! Oh - Hopefulm... please just feel good about this surgery.. you are going to do great!

 

[gazelle7777]

DAY 4, OCTOBER 3, 2014

Feeling quite good this morning! Yesterday afternoon and evening I was pretty stiff and sore... over did it some... hard not to when I feel like I should be keeping busy. I have to tell my self to rest! I have my ice pack on as I sit here typing. It does feel good! When I lay on my bed, I also use a soft block I purchased on Amazon that elevates my legs to help with swelling. So far I have no swelling thank goodness!

I am taking a Oxycodone every 4 hours and plan to do that through the weekend... Then maybe stretch out to every 6 hours next week and eventually every to 8 hours if needed after that. Plan to go to just Tylenol eventually... I am doing 1000 mgs of Tylenol twice a day now also. And one aspirin morning and night for blood thinning. The pain is minimal with the oxycodone. I do not know how I would feel if I were not taking it.

I am sleeping well surprisingly! With my double knee replacement I was unable to sleep at all... for about 6 months!! The pain was so bad at night. Just a whole different situation with knee surgery... much more pain and stiffness than this anterior hip surgery.

I am staying regular with lots of fiber and some Senna. Nothing worse than the plumbing being all backed up to make you feel miserable. I think being on a lower dose Oxycodone also may be why I am not having issues with regularity.

I am pretty much just using one crutch to get about the house. I have a walker, but really do not need it like I did with my knee replacement. I can walk without the crutch, but, it is a bit more painful as the crutch seems to help take off some of the weight on my left leg. My Physical Therapy does not start until October 20th. I do not know if by then I will be needing a crutch.. maybe just a cane?? I should be healing up pretty well by October 20th to begin doing more exercises. I would like to ride my exercise bike but no one told me when I could start that.... if anyone has any idea please let me know!

Today I plan to mostly rest, other than small chores. I will take a shower today. I can take off my bandage of on Sunday. Curious as to how long my scar is.

That is my update for today! Things are going well. Joan

 

[Jaycey]

I would like to ride my exercise bike but no one told me when I could start that.... if anyone has any idea please let me know!

When is your follow up appointment with your surgeon? Typically you should wait for that.

I think it is very easy to over do once you are home. I have been up and down the stairs 4X time since I got home and only actually lying down for about an hour. I too am sore and get very stiff if I stay in one place too long.

Took a show this AM - you will be in heaven! No chores now - wait a few days!

 

[Carriemay60]

@gazelle7777 You are doing well! It is great that you are sleeping well and walking without much discomfort. Don't forget that the walker and crutches can help you with a normal gait though. I think the exercise bike is considered physio so I wouldn't use it until you have cleared. Good to hear you are resting, even if you don't really don't want to but I am sure the rest & ice you are doing now will pay off in the long run. I was told my Oxycodone was only effective for 4 hours (325mg). The way I cut that down was not to spread doses further apart but to cut to one every two hours (so I always had something peaking), then one every 3 hours and 1 every 4 hours. If I really need another one once or twice a day, I am good to take it. The only advice I had that this was ok was a couple of RN's in my family, but it works for me.

 

[gazelle7777]

Thankyou Jaycee and Carrie! I go to my follow up in about 10 days and will discuss when I can bike. Wait until then before doing anything. Great idea on cutting back on meds Carrie. I hate being on them.. I always feel a bit stomach upset when I take them even with food... but, I know they are keeping me comfortable... now I am going back to bed. So tired this morning Thanks ever so much for your input Joan

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

Sounds like you are doing great @gazelle...... Good news. I personally stayed with one crutch until I had no pain or limp..... And I walk perfectly now. For the sake of a few weeks it's not worth taking a chance....personally I would wait until after your OS appointment to try that bike!! Hope your recovery continues well xxx


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart®

 

[AnnieABC]

Wow! You are doing just great! Such an inspiration for those of us facing surgery! Praying that your recovery continues on this path.

 

[hzootz]

to @gazelle7777 and @Jaycey : Great news from you both. Hope you continue well and helping to inspire all of us waiting for our surgery.

 

[new knee in June]

@gazelle7777
In case I am not on line Tomorrow.... Happy 16 month Kneeversary....Oct. 4, 2013
Keep on keeping On....
Thinking of you,
Diana

 

[new knee in June]

2014

 

[Jamie]

Gazelle....do allow yourself plenty of snooze and rest time. Remember that your body is recovering from the anesthetic as well as the surgery and being tired is part of the deal. That feeling is your body telling you it needs the rest. You're doing well and that can be a mixed blessing. As Jaycey mentioned, when you start feeling so good it's very easy to overdo things. Slow and steady!

 

[gazelle7777]

@gazelle7777
In case I am not on line Tomorrow.... Happy 16 month Kneeversary....Oct. 4, 2013
Keep on keeping On....
Thinking of you,
Diana

I forgot all about my knee anniversary!! LOL! With all this hip business I have forgotten about my wonderful knees! Joan

 

[gazelle7777]

Day 5....October 4, 2014

Good Morning Bone Smart friends. Good day today. Slept well last night, walked out to mail box with my crutches-- felt just fine. No pain other than a bit of discomfort down front leg muscle.( Probably stretched during surgery.) I continue with the every 4 hour pain meds and Tylenol... will see next week how I am doing maybe cut back to every 6 hours. I really have not had bad pain( any pain???) the entire experience thus far... even just out of surgery I was comfortable. I have had NO bruising at all... with my knees I was black and blue everywhere! I am putting on my socks quite well already with no need of using the sock assister I purchased... Just going to rest most of the day and get up occasionally to walk about some for the circulation. Jamie you are so right that I tend to overdo it as I feel so well. I know my incision needs to mend and to over do it is not helping that.

I want to share with everyone the BEST icepack I have ever used and especially wonderful for wrapping the hip in nice coolness! You can wear it standing, walking about and laying down. I put a thin dish towel under it so it does not lay right on my leg, and that also helps it not slip or move about. I wear it over my pajama bottoms and it is plenty cold with the removable cold pack. Take care everyone until tomorrow! Have a great weekend my friends. Joan
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[hopefulm]

Wow, so happy to hear how well you are doing! And appreciate the ice pack tip.

You are giving me hope for a great outcome. Take care, take it easy and heal!

Mary

 

[bottomshollow]

@gazelle7777, you are now an

! Behave yourself and don't overdo---you know you'll regret it if you do.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[Poppet]

@gazelle7777 you are doing very well, but this is still early days in your healing process. You have had major complex surgery and slow and steady is the name of the game this early in recovery. Please check out this article, it really provides the perspective of the healing under the incision..

Slow and steady and remembering that recovery from a joint replacement can be a marathon and not a sprint gives one permission to recover in one's own timeframe

The following is a link to an article which provides the current science regarding the healing beneath and around the implant and approximate timeframes for the healing phases and processes and the relevant nutritional information for each phase.

Healing Phases & Nutrition

This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting, including one relating to bone health.

Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery

This third link refers to my ongoing research..

nutrional-snippets