THR Hip Hip Hooray!

[Shoppingdiane03]

Thank you! I'm nearly 10w post-op now from bilateral simultaneous hip replacement. I can walk...which I couldn't do pre-op. I had a wheelchair that my husband had to wheel me in if I went anywhere out of the house. I used a walker in the house. I had my 8-week post-op appointment, but with a per-diem Orthopedist that is semi-retired. He was kind. He referred me to outpatient physical therapy and to podiatry for toe pain. I had the physical therapy appointment this past Monday. I still can't put my socks/shoes on without my Sock-assist. The physical therapist gave me a new set of exercises. He gave my pages with illustrations and an online physical therapy program with videos of the exercises. He said I'm very stiff & don't really have the range of motion yet that I should have. My thighs remain sore & swollen. My two incisions sting. He told me to massage my thighs & incisions to reduce scar tissue underneath
I'm due back to work on 08/26. I will see my surgeon on 08/23. I don't know if he'll give me anymore time off. I have pain when I sleep on my sides. I am doing the new exercises & hope they will help with range of motion, the swelling, soreness & stinging. I am hoping the section on Edema management is available soon on this website as well. When I see my surgeon, I will have been off 12 weeks. Is that pretty normal for bilateral hip replacement..
Same as for just one hip replacement or do they give longer for the bilateral?

 

[djklaugh]

@Shoppingdiane03 Given that you were using a wheel chair before this surgery, I'm guessing that the muscles and tendons around your hips ... and all down your legs and also probably in your back .... were seriously out of shape. So it is going to take more time to get them strengthened and back to working as they should. PT should help. I know for my recuperation it took nearly 4 months to get the left foot onto the right knee and 8 months to get the right foot onto the left knee! What I did (to stretch out my PT benefits) was go into see the PT gals every 2 weeks and I did the exercises they gave me diligently every day. Yes it was rather a slow process but it did work well for me.

As for sleeping on your side ... that does take time to feel comfortable. It varies from person to person. you can try putting a pillow between your knees to keep legs supported. The feeling of the incisions being swollen ... do mention that to your surgeon when you see him but it is probably quite normal.

What kind of work do you do? If you have to do lots of walking or strenuous physical work do contact your boss or Human Resources department about a phased return to work with some modifications in your job to help you ease back into things. Most places are very familiar with such requests and have protocols in place. You can also ask your surgeon to extend your time off. I can't really speak to that aspect as I was already retired when I had my BTHR.

It does get better .... just going to take more time for you to feel fully healed.

 

[Hippie Chick]

If you are not ready to fully perform your job, please tell your doctor that you need more time. My experience is once you are there- everyone thinks you are fine. I am on day four back and feel exhausted. I needed to go back when I did so that I save some sick days for other times I will need them. A phased return sounds beneficial if that is an option for you. Good luck!

 

[Layla]

Hi Diane,
Hippie Chick (above) shares a scenario we read about often here. Members return to work, they look fine, aren't limping and colleagues figure if they back, they're back, not realizing how long recovery really lasts.
here is an article on Phased Return to Work - PHASED RETURN TO WORK

Also, one you may not have read is the article on healing phases - Healing, how long does it take?

Continue icing for the pain and swelling, it should help. You can ice as often as you care to for as long as you want to. Icing for up to twenty minutes only is what most of us have heard or been advised to do following an injury. Following joint replacement, ice is a critical part of pain management and should be used not only on the joint, but any surrounding areas of discomfort for as often and as long as you're comfortable doing so, always placing fabric between your skin and the ice source. Icing helps bring relief from the soft tissue trauma and internal swelling. Icing is a great natural pain reliever and best of all, it's free. While some care providers do put a maximum time on icing, others suggest you ice as often as you see fit.

Icing after therapy, exercises, or prolonged activity that challenge ROM and endurance should help ease any discomfort, or preventively keep pain at bay. You may find relief through icing for weeks to months post op.

Thanks for sharing your healing journey with us, Diane. Happy Weekend!
@Shoppingdiane03

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary, Diane!
Hopefully you're feeling stronger and you're slowly getting back to life.
Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week!
@Shoppingdiane03

 

[Shoppingdiane03]

Thank you SOOOooo much! I saw my surgeon for my 12w post-op appointment. He says the issues I am having are all normal...that tissue recovery can take 12-18 months. He says I am doing fine for having bilateral hips replaced. He said to just keep going with physical therapy outpatient exercises. He did give me 4 more weeks off to focus on that, which I am happy about. He wants to see me again in 3 months (November) with X-rays. I am working with physical therapy. I have had 2 appointments so far. He says I am very stiff and should have more ROM. He is giving me specific exercises to address it. I am doing everything I can to help myself improve. Thank you for all the support!

 

[djklaugh]

@Shoppingdiane03 It is wonderful to hear you are doing well and progressing in your recuperation! One thing i did after my BTHR was to see PT folks every 2 weeks and do the exercises they gave me diligently between sessions - it stretched out my benefits and IMO was a gentler way to get strength and range of motion back. Might have taken longer time .... but it worked well for me.

As for ROM .... if you limped on deteriorating hips for a long time (it was about 3-4 years for me) then yes you are going to be stiff and it will take time to get all the muscles and tendons in your legs back to full appropriate working order! Just as an example .... I could walk and climb stairs OK (slowly but OK) right after surgery .... but it took about 4 months of PT to get left foot onto right knee and nearly 8 months to get right foot onto left knee. So don't worry too much about what PT guy said .... and does he have any experience working with someone who's had a BTHR??? If not see if there is someone who has had such experience!

 

[sportbrown]

I am 3 months post-op and unable to get my left sock on, so I guess we just have to keep working on these things.

 

[Shoppingdiane03]

Yes, it does take time. It took me about 4 months post-op to put my shoes/socks on w/o the sock assist device. I had my bilateral simultaneous hip replacements on 05/24/24...I am back to work part-time. The major problem i am having is numbness to both thighs from hip to knees...the front, side, & back of my thighs with terrible stinging, shooting pain. Both incisions sting underneath. I have back pain as well. My physical therapist says my hips are very stiff..I don't seem to have the range of motion I should, so he thinks the stiffness is aggravating my back. I have a pharmacist that has recommended vitamin B12 for the pain in my thighs, which she says is nerve pain.She gave me the option of taking Cymbalta for the pain. She says if the B12 is going to work, it will take months likely. My surgeon thought the increased pain was infection maybe..but thankfully turned out that it was not.However, I remain with the numbness & thigh pain. I am wondering if it will ever go away. I had the anterior approach for my hip replacements. I am wondering if anyone else has this pain? Tylenol, ibuprofen doesn't help. I am wondering if there's anything more i can do.