THR Hip replacement March 22

[Deni444]

It was a good couple of weeks post surgery before I could handle a telephone call with people. I definitely didn't want visitors. I can't really explain it but the thought just made my head hurt... Like it was just far too much effort. More like how you'd feel looking at a great big hill to climb after running a marathon. The thought exhausted me.

I think it may have been a simple case of post surgery mental fatigue. I couldn't watch anything and enjoy it either. I had a load of box sets lined up but didn't watch any.

 

[Layla]

I had a load of box sets lined up but didn't watch any.

Haha!
I couldn't even concentrate on getting through the Recovery Guidelines...for a few weeks! Very poor concentration. I'd start over and over again, then just give up. Poor memory also. Definitely short term brain fog!
I read that the inflammatory response can actually affect the brain, leading to decreased focus. I don't know about you, but I'd ask my husband the same questions more than once. Once he reminded me I became nervous to ask him anything wondering if I already had. Also, I wondered why I didn't remember asking, or what he told me. It felt a little frightening, thankfully it slowly faded over a few weeks.

 

[myglasshalffull]

I remember my PT guy in hospital telling me “ in 30 days you will be doing everything you were doing prior to surgery.”
Sounded great to me. I remember leaving the hospital with that hope in my mind & telling my partner.
And then…it didn’t happen. Not for lack of trying!
I think I was about 12 days post op when I found BoneSmart.
Hallelujah!
I’m not crazy, lazy, or incapable of doing stuff. I just had my hip replaced after a traumatic fall, going on vacation & ending up in a hospital 1700 miles from home.
(I only went on vacation cause XRay said I only had a bruised hip). But on vacation after 4 days I could no longer walk & I was in excruciating pain.
So I had to take the big patience pill here & just read bonesmart everyday! I was in recovery with a few others that were posting here at the time & it was wonderful to have the camaraderie of other “ newbies “ as well as the support of the veterans here.
And there have been several hippies here that have had those remarkable recoveries that only lasted 4 weeks.
But most of us take longer.
So if you are a newbie we are here & I can tell you it does get better. To the loyal staff & us veterans of hip surgery we are here to support you & tell our stories & experiences & what worked or didn’t work for us. We are all individuals & what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for all.
Keep the faith.

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Month Anniversary, IndigoKnee!
I hope you're doing well and continue to enjoy steady progress. Thank you for sharing your recovery with all.
Have a great Thursday and weekend!
@IndigoKnee

 

[IndigoKnee]

@Layla
Thanks Layla, actually a bit of a traumatic day! I had an appointment with the physio as I wanted to check that the amount of pain I have in my hip, groin and knee is to be expected after 2 months especially as I have barely 60* bend in the knee of the operated leg. She was concerned that possibly there was a fracture of the old knee prothesis caused during the hip surgery or post operative fractures around the new hip prothesis. I was dispatched off to the hospital for X-rays with warnings of not to eat in case of surgery! I am very relieved to say all looks well and the Dr I saw at the hospital thinks it is still soft tissue trauma from the displaced and fractured femur and subsequent hip replacement. He has suggested upping my pain relief so that I can walk and indeed rest more comfortably. I must say I was very scared at the thought of further surgery!

 

[Jamie]

It's good news that there is no apparent problem with your knee prosthesis. Having only 60 degrees of flexion, though, might be at least part of the problem causing the hip pain you're experiencing as it would make it difficult for you to achieve a proper gait with your new hip. Has there been any diagnosis of why your knee is not fully flexing?

 

[IndigoKnee]

The lack of knee flexion is indeed making me walk awkwardly.
The Dr today thought that the knee was still suffering after being manipulated during the hip surgery and he said that although the knee prosthesis is now over two years old it is still recovering and didn’t like being traumatised. There is a fair bit if swelling round the knee but no excessive heat or signs of infection or inflammation. I'm due to see someone on the surgeons team next Tuesday which is a planned post surgery check up.

 

[Jamie]

This sounds like a good plan. What the surgeon says makes sense. The manipulation during a joint replacement is pretty intense. When you talk with them on Tuesday, have a discussion about your knee and the possibility of some treatment (therapy or a Manipulation Under Anesthesia) that might help you get past 60 degrees. If the surgeon’s team member thinks either of those options would help you, I’d do it so that you have the opportunity to walk with a more normal gait.

 

[Layla]

I am sorry you're struggling at this point with the level of pain you described. Thankfully all looked well on the xray. I hope you're able to rest comfortably until you see someone on your surgeons team in five days. Hopefully icing will help with the swelling around your knee. Wishing you comfort, IndigoKnee. Please keep us posted.
@IndigoKnee

 

[Deni444]

Sending big hugs I hope it calms down soon for you. It sounds promising that the surgeon thought it was an understandable reaction to surgery manipulation. If so it hopefully will improve with time. Not too long to wait to get it checked out. I haven't had a knee replacement but I certainly understand what inflammation can do to a knee. My opposite knee still hasn't regained full flexion since surgery. I assume it will because it was OK prior to surgery. It just reacted really badly to surgery and it wasn't even the side being operated on. I had a really bad shoulder on the opposite side too. Just saying all this to highlight how much trauma your knee would have experienced.

Keep us posted

 

[Coddfish]

Re our discussion on @Deni444 ‘s thread, these are the poles I have. They are excellent.

Administrative note: There are a number of walking poles offered by different companies, each with slightly different features. The benefit for these particular poles is that they are safer because you are not strapped in to the handle.

 

[IndigoKnee]

Admin: just to correct this. These are not Nordic pole. I have three sets of Nordic Poles and the reason I was looking into alternatives (and @Coddfish kindly recommended the ones she uses) is that with Nordic poles your hand is strapped into them, potentially dangerous if you fall. I have now ordered some rehab poles, not from the company above but from another UK company who also work with physiotherapists.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Early on in my recovery I thought about purchasing something like this instead of using a cane. Seemed like it would give much more stability.
I never did purchase but saw a woman on the beach couple years ago using them & we got to chatting & she had back surgery & was using them for her stability.

 

[IndigoKnee]

@myglasshalffull I have used Nordic poles for about 10years after my Dr suggested them and they are excellent, especially for walking where I live on rough coast paths. They give more stability than a single hiking pole and encourage you to walk more upright. I've ordered some rehab poles which are not strapped on like Nordic poles and have a larger foot. I may go back to the Nordic ones once properly recovered. Ha! I initially typed probably instead or properly.

 

[Deni444]

@IndigoKnee Thanks for clarifying the difference. I hadn't picked up on the difference between walking poles and rehabilitation poles. I think the walking poles come in all kinds of styles and look like the rehabilitation poles. Useful to know there is a difference!

I did a search and found the poles above on the UK Arthritis Foundation site. They do claim to be designed specifically for rehabilitation and for both indoor and outdoor use.

 

[IndigoKnee]

@Deni444 If you have normal walking/hiking pole you will probably be fine with them, perhaps just get larger 'feet' for them. It’s just my Nordic poles I'm a bit wary of at the moment because of being strapped into them and they have small angled 'speed' feet. Where I live is very uneven, little lanes with poor surfaces and no pavement, so for the moment I'm carrying on with crutches but might try the new rehab poles when they arrive.

 

[Coddfish]

Dear admins, please can you correct the update you made to my entry of the Activator poles. They are NOT Nordic Poles. They are rehab and mobility poles.

 

[Coddfish]

On the subject of rehab/mobility poles, I bought them after my first hip replacement. I didn’t buy them as a transition step from crutches, as I had by then come completely off all walking aids. I bought them as a method of increasing pace and distance of walking, in order to build my fitness up before I returned to running. With hindsight I realised they could have worked for the transition step too. I became very dependent on them in the weeks / months before my recent surgery too - a multitude of uses!

Is anyone is thinking of using them, do beware that if you travel by air with them, they tend to get assumed to be fitness equipment rather than mobility aids. It’s therefore best to pack them in your suitcase and put them in the hold (they do collapse).

 

[IndigoKnee]

@Coddfish I used mine as well as a fitness aid, though initially they were suggested by my GP to help with my knee. Hopefully at some stage I will agin be using them for speed and not just stability……

 

[Jamie]

Admin: just to correct this. These are not Nordic pole. I have three sets of Nordic Poles and the reason I was looking into alternatives (and @Coddfish kindly recommended the ones she uses) is that with Nordic poles your hand is strapped into them, potentially dangerous if you fall. I have now ordered some rehab poles, not from the company above but from another UK company who also work with physiotherapists.

Thanks for the clarification. You’re right that subtle differences like you describe can make all the difference in the world. I’ve modified the administrative note to reflect the benefit of this particular type of walking poles.