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THR I actually made it.

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My physical therapist enforces using my crutch or crutches until I can get a normal gait. I'm 4 weeks out and still have a limp. I know I'm not strong enough to go without my crutches out of the house. At home I use one crutch. If I'm going to be doing a lot of walking, I use both. I have been limping for years. It's very hard to get out of that habit. Thank goodness for my great PT's


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I have been focusing on not limping. Shorter steps and constant thought about heel to toe. Moving much slower but hopefully I can retrain my walk.
 
rans0m00 said:
I have been focusing on not limping. Shorter steps and constant thought about heel to toe. Moving much slower but hopefully I can retrain my walk.
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That's exactly how you do it @rans0m00 ! Focus on slow heel, toe walking. Well done!
 
If you have access to a treadmill, that can be an excellent tool for gait training. Just walk slowly, holding on to the handrails. Try to maintain a proper heel-toe gait, but also pay attention to what your torso is doing. It will give you an idea about whether you have equal stride length on both legs. Also, I've noticed that some people walk a little bit on a diagonal after THR. The treadmill can automatically help you overcome that.
 
Good job!!!! Way to go. It may take a while, but you'll get there. Our bodies can be retrained to a proper gait. And you'll feel ever so much better when you get there!
 
@alexthecat thanks for the treadmill idea. Next time I'm at the gym doing my cycling I will spend a little time on the treadmill trying it out.
 
Just an update. Moving along slowly but progress is being made. With adjusting my walking to prevent a limp it has caused some new aches and pains to pop up. On the good side I am walking limp free as far as I can tell.

Just another situation that slowing down is the right answer after a hip replacement. When they say it's a marathon and not a sprint... Its best to approach it with a marathon mentality. Prepare, focus, cut down your pace, and stay up on the nutrients while running. This fits so much of this surgery I just didn't see it till later.
 
We try to tell you---but sometimes experience is the only teacher. Glad you're getting with the program and making recovery easier on yourself even if it is a bit slower.
 
@bottomshollow I thought I had it but I would assume most people in the forums were not running marathons before the hip replacement so using the term it's a marathon not a sprint I just translated it to it will take a while and don't kill yourself trying to recover faster because it won't work. Not down to all the mental stuff of actually running a marathon.
 
Just a little follow up. So the week has been good. I have been back to normal activity during the day and overall nothing too crazy. I sit in a chair most of the day but go home almost ready for bed.

The biggest change I noticed is I can sit for extended period of time. Before the surgey I couldn't sit or stand for very long. On Tuesday it dawned on me I hadn't been out of my chair for two hours and I wasn't hurting from it. I just thought to myself that is pretty cool.

Beyond that I'm just in a slow part of the recovery. No big ah ha moments just little things.

Every other day I do a couple of miles on the stationary bike and everyday walk a mile. I'm still icing because it feels good.
 
Brings me back to putting on my own socks for the first time. You'd have thought I won the lottery. It was truly a humbling experience.
 
I'm still waiting for the putting on the socks clearance. I'm in sandals or Sketchers until then.


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@beachgal I was surprised how quick she released me to my own judgement. I has been nice but a little trial and error on my part. Just a lot of listening to my body and if it doesn't feel natural then don't think about it.
 
@rans0m00, glad to see you are making progress! I finally, this week, am walking nicely, limp-free. I even have found myself walking a bit fast down the hall at work - what a great feeling that was. I don't like to sit for a long time - I just don't like getting up and feeling stiff...so I try to get up and move around at least once an hour.

Keep up the good work!
 
@Chessie I understand that. My job is listening to people so sitting and active listening is pretty much a must. I actually prefer to pace when I'm talking or thinking but no luck.

I was moving fast but I found I limped when I walked fast. So I slowed it down and have been limp free for a bit but I'm slow.
 
@rans0m00 , sounds like you are doing great. Slowing down and paying attention to the detail works. Congrats on ditching the limp. A huge milestone!
 
@Jaycey it did feel really good when I started walking without a limp... I have been limping so long it was a pretty satisfying moment when I figured out how to do it without the limp. Also really nice when people tell me if it wasn't for the cane they wouldn't have known about my surgery.
 
Did you find that you were walking and the. Suddenly realized - hey, no limp... That's how it happened to me :)

Well done!
 
Congrats on everything!! Sounds like you've got life by the tail!

I'm still retraining my brain to trust that my new hip is not going to hurt like the old pain and that it can support me walking without a limp. It's coming. Just a process.


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