THR Hippity Hop to the Other Side

EditorER

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I had my right hip replaced two days ago. I was very apprehensive about this surgery because my left hip replacement 5.5 years ago left me with some collateral nerve and muscle damage. So far, so good with this one! I can do the quad sets and modified leg lifts—even in the recovery room. What a relief. It took me 8 weeks to do that last time.

I was surprised to have spinal anesthesia this time. It was very comfortable and so much easier to come out of. I had the option to stay awake and hear the saws and chisels—no thank you! I was instructed to speak up if I came to and heard anything. At one point, I did hear voices and noises and in my head, I emailed the anesthesiologist to ask him to put me back under. Three times I mentally sent the email, before realizing I should communicate by voice. :) He told me they were almost finished, had five minutes to go, and were putting glue on my leg. Then they transferred me to a gurney and wheeled me into recovery.

I felt fine in the recovery room. I did not have blood transfusions this time (had two last time), so my color was good and I felt clear-headed. They had given me some opioids in the spinal so I had good pain control. The wait for a room was long and the nurse gave me a little bit of fentanyl to hold me over. I instantly got woozy and she declared me a lightweight. I think I already knew that. Then she offered me apple juice and I was very thirsty so I took it. Big mistake. It upset my stomach terribly. By the time I was wheeled to my room—about three hours post op—I was vomiting. Nausea persisted throughout the evening and I sipped soup and tea for my dinner. And ate lots of saltines.

During the transfer from recovery to my hospital room (with a pretty garden view!) they stopped the gurney in the hall outside my room and had me use a walker to get to the bed. That, too, was unexpected. Last time, I didn’t walk until the next day and sobbed and sobbed from anxiety and emotion and anesthesia after-effects. This time I was calm and amazed that I could walk so early! I only tiptoed on my new hip though. Wasn’t ready to put the heel down.

I did not have much pain during the night (2-3 range) and I kept calling for the ice. Advocating for myself was another difference with surgery #2. I did not hesitate to use the nurse call button, but made sure to say please and thank you. It’s always hard to find a comfortable position for sleep, but I did manage to doze off and on.

The morning after I was up early, knowing the drill of blood draw, OT, PT, and surgeon visit. I was doing pretty well and just taking a bit of pain meds. Catheter came out and I made my second walk, to the bathroom. That was fairly painful, with all the stiffness in limbs that I held very still throughout the night. The OT, Pierre, was super sweet and helpful. I also had a sweet student PT, Natalie, who was very kind and soothing. She took me for a lap around the ward and we practiced the step. The lap was difficult, but I made it.

Everyone was so positive about how I was doing that they decided I should be discharged. I had expected to stay two nights, so I was surprised, and frankly, not ready to go. I didn’t have confidence that my husband could handle the transfers, etc. with the gentleness of the hospital staff. So I bargained that I stay through the afternoon and he could come in for some training after he finished teaching for the day.

I enjoyed the rest of the morning, texting and receiving calls, reading my emails, ordering my lunch, etc. Then the inevitable slump hit. I tried to take a nap and the position was so uncomfortable and painful (4, 5, 6). The nurse calculated the time between doses wrong and gave me my meds (NORCO) an hour later than she should have. Then PT showed up for another session and the training with my husband and the med had not kicked in yet. I made a lot of grunting, moaning sounds and held back tears. And yet, I was discharged. By the time I had real clothes on and the meds had kicked in, I was more comfortable with the idea.

It did feel good to be home and my husband took good care of me. He made homemade French Onion soup, which was delicious and nourishing. I settled on the chaise part of the sofa and we watched a favorite TV show. But I found getting up from the sofa difficult and decided to try sleeping in our bed. Again, the positions I tried were very uncomfortable and I quickly abandoned the bed for the recliner I bought on Craigslist a few weeks ago. To my delight, I could find a comfortable position there and it was easy to place the ice pack. I decided to spend the night there and chose to take the NORCO, Tramadol, and Celebrex at full doses so I would sleep. It worked fairly well. I am so grateful for the chair. My husband slept on the couch nearby and was able to help me get up to the bathroom once during the night and to bring fresh ice and tuck the blankets.

This morning, he helped me get ready for the day and then went to work. I am alone until home health comes mid-morning. So far, so good. I made sure my nest was ready.

I still have some nausea with meds and nibble on crackers every time I take them. My appetite is low, but I am eating small meals. Overall, everything is easier than the left hip surgery, and that is HUGE!

A 77-year-old acquaintance had hip replacement surgery with bone grafting, just like me, with the same surgeon, right before me. She was in the next room. We texted and called a few times. She was struggling with the top-of-the-chart pain (9-10) and felt miserable that she was not doing as well as I was. I reminded her that it is not a competition and every recovery is different. She has not had many medical procedures in her life and her expectations may have been different. Her pain got out of control early and was hard to rein in. I know a 40-year-old woman who had hip replacement a few weeks ago and she is pain free, traveling, playing with her kids on the playground, and back at work as a wedding florist. I make myself crazy looking at her Instagram feed. Comparisons are rarely helpful unless one keeps the spectrum of experience firmly in mind.

I hope the other mid-November Bone Smarties are doing well. My heart goes out to those whose surgeries were canceled. With all the preparation and anxiety that comes before surgery, it is good to be on the other side, even if that means dealing with pain, discomfort, and limited mobility. The progress curve is on the upswing!
 
:welome:
Welcome to Recovery! It seems you’re off to a good start and better off than your first time around. May it only get better and better.

Here are the Recovery Guidelines. I hope you have a peaceful Thursday! :)

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary

2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. Here is a week-by-week guide

6. Access to these pages on the website

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask the at each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Congrats @EditorER . So glad you are doing so well. I hope things continue to go smoothly for you. I've been given a new tentative date of 12/8 but I'm not going to get to excited about it. I won't believe it until I'm actually there at this point. I will be checking in on your progress!:happydance:
 
:hi:Great to hear you are of to a good start....
Congratulations on your new hip.:flwrysmile:
 
Had a good night—sleeping/dozing in the recliner and a good day. Did my exercises on my own for the first time and took a short walk outside to the condo garages and back. Did a little work project then rested most of the afternoon beside the fireplace. I went to the table after dinner (ate in my recliner) to play a game. I sat on a cushion and it was surprisingly comfortable. Got up 90 minutes later and was stiff but not sore—and very swollen. I got a compression stocking leftover from my left hip replacement and put it on and got back to elevating and icing. Have been taking half Norco tablets and tramadol and Celebrex. Pain is very well controlled. This is a breeze compared to my previous experience. I am so grateful. Many prayers were lifted on my behalf and I believe they are being answered.
 
@EditorER Sounds like you are off to a good start. But please limit your activity for now. Very early days for you. Walking around your home is plenty of activity at this stage.
 
Actually, thanking the hundreds of thousands of medical professionals, scientists, device engineers, systems engineers, nurses, doctors, therapists, developer representatives, and an education system supporting continued improvement is most appropriate.

Billions of hours of education, training and caring.
 
Happy Saturday! It’s good to read you had a good night and seem to be resting comfortably. May it only get better! :)
@EditorER

@ForumUser
My feelings are is that it’s not ours to judge who others choose to thank. It is most appropriate to thank whoever, you, as the patient choose to thank. Whether we’re sending “good thoughts” “best wishes” “healing vibes” or “prayers” it’s all acceptable here. For those who believe in a higher power, whatever that may be to them, if they feel thanks or praise goes there first, then that’s their choice to make, not ours.
.
 
So pleased for you @EditorER, sounds like a much better experience this time. But take care not to join the ODIC!

Very well said @Layla.
 
Agreed @Layla I obviously didn't read the response other than it takes a village including this forum!
 
“Actually, thanking the hundreds of thousands of medical professionals, scientists, device engineers, systems engineers, nurses, doctors, therapists, developer representatives, and an education system supporting continued improvement is most appropriate.

Billions of hours of education, training and caring.“

I absolutely am thankful for that. After a tough experience with my first hip replacement, I am overjoyed about continuous improvement, a skilled surgeon and his team, an easier recovery, and a supportive, loving community. I feel privileged to both give and receive support as we journey toward healthy bodies and improved lives. I wish all the very best.
 
Last edited:
I hope you are doing well on your healing journey.:hiking:
 
Thank you, @Parsley Sage. I took a break from this forum, but I have been thinking of you and hoping you get to have your surgery on December 8.

Today I graduated from walker to cane (indoors). FREEDOM! I am doing well and still overjoyed with how much quicker I am progressing with this posterior right hip replacement compared to the anterior left replacement I had five years ago. In fact, when the home PT gave me the wall squats exercise today, I found my right leg is already stronger than my left. My fear going into this surgery was the possibility of coming out with two weak legs and I feel more confident every day that is not going to be the case.

I have suffered some GI issues this past week which led me to give up narcotics on day 6. I’m doing fine with Celebrex, Tylenol, and ice. The Celebrex gives me a different sort of GI issue, so I am cutting back on that beginning today (day 11).

I do my home PT exercises twice a day, take a walk (walker) in my condo complex twice a day — enjoying the sunny 70-degree weather where I live in California—and spend a lot of time in my recliner reading, quilting, playing Words with Friends, and yes, online Christmas shopping. Before I went in for this surgery I reviewed my previous recovery thread and saw what I had listed I would do differently the next time around: take things slower, rest more, and take more time off work. That is exactly what I am doing!

I hope you are at peace and not in too much pain as you count down the days until surgery, It is going to be worth it!
 
I'm so glad your other leg is doing its job! Hopefully it will get stronger, too. You will do great. Take it slowly and have a restful weekend.
 
I am finding it difficult to sleep on my nerve-damaged side, because it is so sensitive and starts to burn after about 40 minutes. Any tips? I have considered icing there, too, but having ice on both sides of my body would be very chilling! Or looking for some sort of padding to put under that thigh? I usually resort to “rest breaks,” which involve my lying on my back for 30 minutes or so before turning back to my side. I don’t sleep while I am on my back and then I have to wake my husband to pack in the all the pillows again when I flip over.

I know this lingering nerve damage (5.5 years ago) is a complication blessedly few have had to deal with. I went into this second surgery aware that it would present challenges during my recovery.
 
Hi @EditorER,

Darn, I wish I could help you with that. I'm at 5 months and can't sleep on my surgical/nerve damaged side yet. Luckily my husband sleeps like a log so my constant shifting bothers me more than it bothers him.

Oddly, I find a little relief with a pillow between my legs, even for sleeping on the surgical side. I've also had some luck putting a pillow against my back so I can shift ever-so-slightly (but not totally) onto my back for breaks.

Sorry, that's all I've got. Rooting for you!
 
I usually resort to “rest breaks,” which involve my lying on my back for 30 minutes or so before turning back to my side. I don’t sleep while I am on my back and then I have to wake my husband to pack in the all the pillows again when I flip over.

By nature I’m not a back sleeper either, but given your issue, I wonder if what I did, would help you...My secret was pillows. Lots of pillows. I surrounded myself with them, almost like a fort. I took comfort in the ability to put one under an arm, plop a leg on one, use one wherever it made me relax and feel more comfortable. I’m sorry this is all I have to offer, but may be worth a try. Good luck! I hope you get some restorative rest soon.
 

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