THR Here I am

[sharonslp]

Joanna, you and I had the same surgery date. My pain has been well-managed by alternating vicodin and tramadol....every 3 to 4 hours or so. I am well aware of when I am pushing the edge too far. I can't stress enough how important it is to have adequate pain control, and what you are getting is not sufficient at all. I agree with Alex...ice and elevate in the meantime. Jo and Jamie will be along soon to make recommendations. Hope this gets straightened out for you quickly...there is no reason to be in such pain post-op.

Sharon

 

[Z15]

Joanna,

When the pain meds are right and you are able to manage, you can begin to move the hip (gently) and get the blood flowing and the healing started. When you are in pain you avoid some of the exact movements you need to do.

As everyone says...this is really major surgery...you need the right pain control.

Good luck,

Z

 

[Jaycey]

Joanna, for so early out you are way under medicated. I suggest you go see your GP and get something stronger that you can tolerate. Sounds like you don't have a problem with NSAIDs (ibuprofen). All I took post-op was Diclofenac (anti inflammatory) and paracetamol. I can tolerate the codiene meds either. Go see your GP. You need good pain control to get moving.

 

[Josephine]

re codeine: I am only small 54kgs and 5ft 2 they told me the doses they give in hospital would be the same for me or my husband who is double my weight and 6ft3 sounds wrong to me!

Oddly enough this is perfectly correct! 30-60mgs is the usual working dose and taken with 2 paracetamol (1,000mg) 30mg is often very effective.

and maybe I will try half a tablet tonight?

Well, you can but don't expect it to be very effective. Codeine is a very old analgesic and is usually tolerated well by most people. If you prefer to test it out, take it with the paracetamol.

 

[Jshepherd]

Thank everyone just had a moment as not had much sleep and finally dozed off to be woken up by my mother crashing around in the kitchen grrrrrrr Josephine to double check I should also have taken the Panadol with the codedine ? I didn't so haven't noticed any kind of relief, think I will take the Panadol now then, really want some sleep....

Finding it really hard with my babies especially my youngest one he's 16 months I cant pick him up for a cuddle or even bend down to give him one :( that's tough! my parents are looking after them For me, but I don't like being a hands off mummy!

 

[alexthecat]

I'll tag Jo again, so she'll see your question about Panadol. Josephine;

Joanna, everyone who has had this surgery has felt fed up with it at some point. It's okay to come here and unload, if that's what you need. Sometimes it helps to get it out and there's almost always someone here to visit with.

 

[Josephine]

That's what I said! "30-60mgs is the usual working dose and taken with 2 paracetamol (1,000mg) 30mg is often very effective"

 

[Jshepherd]

It's just over a week since the op, I have mixed feelings about it. Cross that there was a mix up with then me'Ds when I left and I was only on paracetamol and in considerable pain or three days until I sorted it out. I am surprized h ow much my knee hurts, very bruised at the back and sorest part of me. My hip feels ok, just all those very tight muscles on the outside, down the back are the worst and inside leg. I'm struggling with the side movement abductor exercise, but up and down is fine.

I'm worried that this is going to take longer to heal than I had thought and I'm concerned that after the next 5 weeks I fly home to no help with my little children and back to the shool run and caring for them by myself! Not sure I yet see much of a difference with the hip before and after., by it is early days. Surprized how much weight I can put on the operated leg, that's better than thought, sitting was awful to start with, now feeling better, although last night had a horrible experience. Was sitting for a while with my knee bent as after a while keeping it straight is not comfortable, tried to straighten it and couldn't in a lot of pain it up felt locked out argh though maybe it was my hip! Horrible moment managed to slowly move it through the pain and stand up, but scared me. Think it was just muscles..... Not nice.

I have also been falling asleep in the day time, all of a sudden whacked out and I really don't think I've one much at all, walking around the house, too rainy outside to go out. Mind you only getting 6 hours sleep at night.

All in all not sure yet.... See how things have progressed next week.

 

[bottomshollow]

Jshepherd; I have merged all your recovery threads into this one. Please keep everything about your recovery in this one thread. It is easier to respond to questions and concerns when all info is in one place.

Joanna, you have been a member since January. If you have been reading in the Library and the other posts here for any length of time, you should know by now that recovery takes time--at least 3 months to feel almost "normal". I am going to give you links to Library articles that should address some of what you are questioning here.
Pain management and the pain chart
How Long Does Healing Take ......
Chart representation of THR recovery
Energy Drain for THRs
Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Some suggestions for home physio (PT) and activity progress
This 90 degree rule and risk of dislocation

If you need additional info or help, please let us know. We care.

 

[Jshepherd]

Anyone else suffered knee pain. Mine hurts a lot, discovered bruising at the back of it and even with my meds it's sore, hard to bend and infact th only thing really causing me any problems.

 

[Debbie_joints]

Anyone else suffered knee pain. Mine hurts a lot, discovered bruising at the back of it and even with my meds it's sore, hard to bend and infact th only thing really causing me any problems.

Joanna, did you have the anterior hip replacement? If you did, that might be the answer to your knee hurting. I guess with that approach they use a special surgery table and people describe it as a torture table. It puts your body is some weird positions for the hip replacement. When I came to from surgery my back was killing me. I wasn't thinking of my hip pain at all, just back. It lasted for several days. So maybe during your surgery they had to pull you or position you a certain way. Just an idea. Hope you are feeling better soon.

 

[Anniepops]

Hi Joanna, knee pain and swelling is a very common issue for us hippies after surgery. Jo explained that during surgery the OS will sometimes grab the knee to twist the hip joint out of the socket hence the annoying after pain and swelling. I had it quite bad and it can last a good few weeks but It does subside eventually. You could try icing if the pain is quite intense. It's good to hear this is the only problem you are having.

Take care

Ann

 

[Andy097]

Joanna, I too had fairly severe knee pain following surgery; like you, it was worse than my post-op hip pain!

My pain only lasted a week and a half or so post-op and has now eased. I found the best way to dull the pain was through using a hot water bottle to sooth my knee pain as opposed to icing it. Logic tells me that some of my tendons had tightened so using heat seemed to loosen them off. I also wore a knee support (just a cheap fabric one from Boots) which made a noticeable difference and I would certainly recommend it!

Hope the pain eases soon, I've been there and it's not fun, but it will pass!

Andy

 

[Jamie]

You are just slightly over a week out from surgery and you're going to find yourself with lots of odd aches and pains as you go on through recovery. This is major surgery and it takes a toll on your body! I hope you are taking your pain medications on a regular schedule, icing and elevating your leg. This is important not only for surgical pain in your hip, but also for these other aches you get.

 

[Desiree]

Hi Joanna,
Had my right THR about a month before you and yes... I too experience knee pain on the operated side, that does, at times, feel quite intense. The OR nurse told me that the knee does take a bit of a beating as they first dislocate your hip and then later re-set the new hip, and she assured me that this pain would eventually subside. I've been using heat, like Andy097 and that helps.
My pain is at the back of the knee and on the outside of the knee. Like yours, it's hard to bend, but sloooooooowly getting better (I do aqua therapy religiously which helps). Since the knee pain has been waking me up at night, I talked to my Doc who is giving me a cortisone shot in that knee next week. I'll let you know if that worked for me (usually takes a couple of days for the shot to fully kick in).
Hang in there, Joanna, we'll get through this...

Take care of yourself!

 

[Josephine]

One thread for your recovery please?

 

[rider1960]

I've been through both hip replacements and am currently rehabbing the second. I'm 4 weeks out. I can tell you that with both hip replacement surgeries I felt COMPLETELY different at 5 or 6 weeks post op than at just one week post op. Really, you can't even compare the two. I was a fatigued blob at one week post op, sleeping all the time, kind of just existing. At 4 weeks, I'm just starting to get in the swing of things, although I'm slow at everything ... two more weeks and I bet I'll be zooming along pretty well--at least that's how things went last time, and this hip is similar so far.

I bet you will be able to do lots more Mommie type things when you fly home in a few weeks. It will be completely different than you feel now. Try to relax and trust that things will work out.

Dorothy

 

[Jshepherd]

Thanks everyone, a little update. Knee is feeling a lot less sore, hoorah! My hip is fine, leg easing up a bit can feel more movement, although need to do more exercises on it. Taking my dressing off later... Any tips? Feels a bit sore still no idea what it will be like under the dressing. My husband will be leaving after 3 weeks, 4 weeks and a bit after surgery and I am worrying about my littlest one and what I will do if he wakes in the night when only I am here and can I or how could I lift him out of his cot? Could I? I have my inlaws staying near by so they could put them to bed and poss get them up or at least we can wait upstairs until they get here in the morning.