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NoviceGuy

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Jul 25, 2008
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Guys,

Had surgery on 08/13 and got home on 08/17, had some issues post
surgery. blood count dropped so had a unit of blood, and heart rate was
running high but after couple of days heart rate came back to almost
normal. mine was anterior approach.

1. Couldn't do PT because of high heart rate for first couple of days
2. Could barely walk on 3rd day, had lot of pain
3. had fever for first 3 days with avg 100 degrees
4. having pain in thigh, calf & ankle.
5. not able to sleep in the night because of some uneasyness.
6. now i feel much better and getting better everyday but still long way to
go

The ordeal i have gone thru is it normal??? or something unique to me???
Guys, please share your experiences and also please give suggestions.

Thanks for the support.
 
Novice Guy

I think each one of our experiences is unique to each of us!!!

I had my femur fracture in surgery
BP would get too low (I have hypertension)
Annoying nurse who told me she did not have time to get my meds straight
Vomiting all day 2 after surgery
Low blood count requireing transfusion on day after surgery
Blood bank said they could not find my donated blood
Took them all day and nite to find it
And yes, feeling better all the time!!!
Pain definately, but my doc told me that before hand!! He told me I would be glad I did it at about 3 months!!! I am almost there, but was glad a lot sooner!!

Hang in there
Judy
 
Welcome home, Young Guy!

As long as we're sharing horror stories (SPOILER ALERT: For those of you who haven't yet had surgery, you may want to stop reading here. Or not, your choice!):

I, too, had an anterior approach. Was given a spinal (not epidural), & la la land meds, but woke up before the end of surgery anyway - didn't freak b/c I knew someone else who woke up during his THR, & he was able to joke about it! They did put me back to sleep.
Puked most of the 1st day (a.m. surgery) & through liquid b-fast the next a.m. (Yes, I had TWO types of anti-nausea meds in my IV - not simultaneously, btw). MY 1st PT session ended abruptly when I needed to "bow to the porcelain god."
I ran a low fever for a couple days, & my BP was LOW
Had 2 nebulizer treatments that first day & night for my asthma.

By late morning the day after surgery (after they let me get a shower!), I felt more human, & caught up where I needed to be w/PT before I was discharged the next afternoon.

Hear me now, & believe me later: It DOES get better, but have the courage to speak up about your concerns & needs while you're waiting, 'cause "better" is a state that comes & goes for a while.

Hope my blathering makes sense.
Stay sane.
Joyce
 
Hello NoviceGuy! Well, yes, you had a bumpy ride but your story is not that unusual. Nothing to worry about, anyway.
 
I had two surgeries, 6 weeks apart. I am proof that no two surgeries are alike. The first one was so much easier. I ran a low grade fever, was in pain, had knee pain, etc. with first one. The second was so much worse. I ran a fever over and over again in the hospital. My surgical leg has had horrible cramps since the day after surgery. I have been very miserable.

I told my Dad yesterday that I change my mind and do not want the second one. He said simply "OK". LOL Thanks Dad.

This incision doesn't look as good as the last.

The bad part is I thought I would sail through this one having just gone through it. I think that made it worse. I have cried many times with this one.

Now everyone says that it take up to 6 months to heal from sugery and having two just 6 weeks apart is a lot on your body. I don't remember anyone saying that before my second one.

But hopefully I will get a little better each day, just like the last one.

Sandy
 
I'm interested in the anterior approach. From what I have read, the recovery is supposed to be so much easier on the patient. I tried to find a doctor in my vicinity that uses this approach but could not get any good recommendations on any of those surgeons. Listening to your experience, I'm glad I went with a surgeon that does the lateral approach. Do you think the approach has any thing to do with what you have experienced? Did the hospital have that special table? Thanks
 
Lateral is pretty much anterior as well. That's why it's often referred to as antero-lateral. Some are straighter incisions going down the side of the thigh, others are a bit curved and may be partially on the front. Either way, they are both regarded as more or less anterior.
 
Based on what i read about all the approaches i think anterior is the best
approach because it doesn't cut any muscles and because of this the
recovery is fast. again recovery from the surgery itself varies from person to
person and the experience i have gone thru doesn't mean everyone will face
that, actually am feeling better everyday and its just matter of couple of
weeks before i can walk with/without any or little assistance. i was told by 6
to 8 weeks i could drive and walk almost normally.
 
It actually cuts LESS muscles. No approach can avoid cutting at all. But the muscles that can be avoided are the big ones and even then they are split rather than cut. All muscles and groups of muscles have natural planes through which a pathway can be created which avoids actually dividing muscle fibres.
 
Hi NoviceGuy

The pain in your ankle, thigh and calf are probably just bruising. Mine took about three to four weeks to really come right.

I found the progress each day for the first two weeks was significant. Five weeks post op, I am finding each week significantly better than the previous one.

Regarding sleep - I also found this was an issue. Some well placed pillows and sedatives for the first ten days I was home did the trick.

I hope the rest of your recovery is going well.
 
Oops! My bad, NoviceGuy!

I hope the pain is easing. I still ice my operated hip/leg, & it's been 6 weeks since my surgery. I found sleeping with a pillow at my back as well as between my legs (side sleeper) helpful. Don't know what kind of restrictions you have, if any, though.

Joyce
 
Thanks all for the replies.
Tomorrow will be my 3 weeks since surgery, i feel great everyday my incision
is healing better actually the glue is almost peeling off and i could see a thin
pink line. Since mine was an anterior approach i don't have any restrictions i
can do anything as long as i don't feel any pain or discomfort. still the area
around the incision is little hard and when i try to walk without crutches i limp
and that could be because my muscles are still weak, i asked my PT and my
doctors PA to see if i have any LLD but they don't think i have any. Hopefully
in next few weeks i will walk limp free, am wondering by how many weeks one
could walk limp free? because after going thru the whole ordeal is to walk
limp free right!

Thanks all.
 
I am 12 weeks post .

I remember telling my doc at the 6 week apt that I can walk limp free if I take pain meds. I would limp without.
He gave me another prescription for percocet.
Unknown to me, I had been relying on my "good" side for so many years that my quad and glute muscles on the operated side are smaller . So it may take me quite a while to get them equal.
Judy
 
Hey Novice Guy,
I am at 7 months and have LLD by1/2inch. Kinda blew me away but that's what happened to me. I do have Scoliosis in the lower and upper spine so that is probably the culprit. I will have to have my other hip replaced down the line and I pray it will be corrected then. So until then, lifts in my shoes.

You are still in the healing mode. I would not worry for a long time about LLD. Your muscles are still trying to heal and your new hip is trying to adjust....Just Keep on getting better....Patty
 
Hey Novice Guy,

I had my second hip replacement in 8 weeks on Aug. 18. I am very happy to report that the second was better than the first. But, we are all different and Sandy (Eeyore) had a worse time with her second. You will get better every day; even if you have a day when you don't feel your best. Just hang in there and thanks for joining us.
 
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