THR I made it. At last!

[jojouk1983]

Hi all, I'm home and am popping to bed for a rest, ill post a decent update when i get on the laptop later x

 

[BarbaraR]

Welcome home to your warm bed and lots of ice. Let recovery begin!

 

[Josephine]

Fantastic! Another chick safely back in the pen!

 

[octopus]

Hi Jo

Congratulations! It's been a tough few days for you. I can identify. Low blood pressure kept me feeling like concrete and then sickness from the meds made life miserable. Finally out today. I can't get over the silence! So looking forward to not getting woken up after having just gone to sleep.

Best wishes
Diane

 

[Audball]

Diane I have a four year old who won't let me sleep. Enjoy it. Lol

Aud

 

[jojouk1983]

Hi All, thanks for the messages of support today is day 4 post op ive posted a pic of my wound in the badge of honour thread for those wanting to see it.

So my update is:

My un operated (good) leg at the top of my thigh (quite a large area) is numb, I am worried, my OS and the nurses dont seem to be worried but the feelings im getting are becoming worse. I did not have a spinal block so cant understand why my good leg is numb? i am getting nasty shooting pains that feel like someone stabbing my thigh from the inside out and when im in bed it feels hot inside but normal to touch it yet i cant feel it when i touch the skin and it hurts. its freaking me out a bit, is it possible that something has been damaged in my good leg whilst they opperated on my bad leg?

It's bad enough recovering from the hip op withouth this looming over me!

As for the new hip, the brusing has come out good and propper, its very stiff and still very sore, i do feel quite useless but i expected id feel like that as im a mum who usualy does everything, i am however sitting back and letting everyone else do the work, hubby has just set my computer up next to my spot on the sofa so i can have easier access to the internet (thank goodness!!)

My wound is still bleeding, is this ok? my dressing has been changed 3 times due to it bleeding, it seems to be worse after using the stairs and doing my exercises.

I am struggling with one of the exercises, the one where you slide your operated leg out i just cant do it, the nurse who came today suggested standing at the window sill and lifting leg out which i can do a bit of but feel like im straining my god leg far to much.

Last night i woke up and had rolled onto my good leg, the position i usualy sleep in, how can i stop myself doing this? i dont remember doing it!

any advice would be great Jo x

 

[jojouk1983]

Hi Jo

Congratulations! It's been a tough few days for you. I can identify. Low blood pressure kept me feeling like concrete and then sickness from the meds made life miserable. Finally out today. I can't get over the silence! So looking forward to not getting woken up after having just gone to sleep.

Best wishes
Diane

Woohoo your home thats great news how are you feeling now your back, have you got help in place? x

 

[jojouk1983]

Diane I have a four year old who won't let me sleep. Enjoy it. Lol

Aud

Snap, mine are 6 and 3 today has been hard as they are running round not being quiet i could have done with a quiet hour but it didnt happen, roll on monday for school when i can get peace and quiet lol x

 

[jojouk1983]

Welcome home to your warm bed and lots of ice. Let recovery begin!

Thanks Barbara x

 

[Anniepops]

Hi Jo, great to hear you are nice and settled at home now

You are obviously having a good deep sleep if you roll over and don't realise it. Do you have any restrictions? If you do it is best not to let your operated leg drop over your good leg onto the bed so I can only suggest you sleep with a pillow between your legs which may prevent you rolling but if you do it will be there hopefully to stop your operated leg dropping over the good one and onto the mattress.

Don't worry about the lying leg slide, it is still very early days and I couldn't do that one for ages, my leg was like lead and I thought I would never be able to do it but it will come.

The numbness also is probably bevause of the way they had you lying on the operating table and can last a few days.

I shall tag Jo so she can address you bleeding question Josephine;

Take care

Ann

 

[octopus]

Hi Jo

So sorry you are having other issues I hope you can get them sorted. That exercise (leg out to the side) is quite difficult for me too. I have another one that is impossible, op leg with rolled towel underneath knee, straighten leg, but then physio wants me to lift leg up off towel, yeah, that's not going to happen anytime soon! Just do what you can when you can,( from what I read here).

I'm staying a few weeks at my mums, which is great because I can't do anything. I had a period of maybe 15 mins of pure exhaustion this morning. Mum made me a piece of toast which I nibbled on, then my energy levels returned to the point where I could get up.

Best wishes
Diane

 

[jojouk1983]

Hi Ann,

I think it was a meds sleep lol, i did sleep for a 4 solid hours though which is the best so far so hoping for a bit longer tonight.

Ill try with the pillow between my legs and see if that helps.

The DR said the numbness is probably down to the operating table to so maybe it is that, i think i just need to ride it out for a few days and hope the feeling returns.

Thanks for taggin josephine

Also i could swear my operated leg is now longer than my normal leg, before it was shorter is it because of the swelling maybe?

Jo x

 

[jojouk1983]

Hi Jo

So sorry you are having other issues I hope you can get them sorted. That exercise (leg out to the side) is quite difficult for me too. I have another one that is impossible, op leg with rolled towel underneath knee, straighten leg, but then physio wants me to lift leg up off towel, yeah, that's not going to happen anytime soon! Just do what you can when you can,( from what I read here).

I'm staying a few weeks at my mums, which is great because I can't do anything. I had a period of maybe 15 mins of pure exhaustion this morning. Mum made me a piece of toast which I nibbled on, then my energy levels returned to the point where I could get up.

Best wishes
Diane

The towel excersise is ok but ive not been asked to lift it off the towel (yet) lol im feeling drained in the day especialy round 4-5pm i get a real drain then perk up, im trying to not to go to bed to early to give me more chance of sleeping through.

it was great getting home and having a propper cooked meal i must say and its been nice having some visitors, I am wondering when the time will come that i can start doing more, and i cant wait for when i lose the crutches but im also not going to push it i dont want to hinder my recovery at all. keep me posted on how your getting on x

 

[Audball]

Jo, the numbness and swelling threw me off at first. My operated leg was still numb for about 4 days, still have some swelling at the scar but it's getting better. Another few weeks and all this swelling tingling and discomfort will be forgotten. XXX I promise...(fingers crossed behind my back.) lol

 

[Anniepops]

The longer operated leg happens to many of us Jo. Absolutely nothing to worry about there, it should settle down to its correct length in a while, it may take a few weeks though.

 

[jojouk1983]

Jo, the numbness and swelling threw me off at first. My operated leg was still numb for about 4 days, still have some swelling at the scar but it's getting better. Another few weeks and all this swelling tingling and discomfort will be forgotten. XXX I promise...(fingers crossed behind my back.) lol

ok, ill hang in there a bit longer and hope the numbness people off x

 

[jojouk1983]

The longer operated leg happens to many of us Jo. Absolutely nothing to worry about there, it should settle down to its correct length in a while, it may take a few weeks though.

Phew!! i can deal with a few weeks as long as it does, thanks for replying x

 

[jojouk1983]

Day 5 post op, had a terrible night sleep, so unconfortable! pain in both legs but id taken my meds for the day so had to put up with it. i hope nights like that are few and far between! Oh well Happy Mothers day to all the mummies out there xx

 

[Poppet]

Hi Jo, try a heat pack on your in-operated leg, see if you can get some circulation going and perhaps get hubby to give it a gentle massage..

Are you elevating and icing?

What meds are you taking and what dosage protocol ?

Hope you are having a better night

 

[Josephine]

My unoperatedleg at the top of my thigh (quite a large area) is numb - I did not have a spinal block so cant understand why my good leg is numb? i am getting nasty shooting pains that feel like someone stabbing my thigh from the inside out and when I'm in bed it feels hot inside but normal to touch it yet i cant feel it when i touch the skin and it hurts.

Did you have a posterior or side incision? Because that would mean you would be on your side for the duration of the surgery. You made a comment earlier about them 'removing extra bone' which would seem to imply that your surgery took longer than the usual hour or so. In which case, it would be quite possible that your symptoms are caused by pressure from laying on your side. At this stage of your recovery, such symptoms are not at all uncommon.

My wound is still bleeding, is this ok? my dressing has been changed 3 times due to it bleeding, it seems to be worse after using the stairs and doing my exercises.

I take it you have no wound drain? If so, it is very common for there to be a lot of oozing or drainage. It's not actually bleeding, it's just free fluid that needs to find its way out. In time, the amount will reduce to the amount that can safely be reabsorbed by the body. Don't worry about it. The fluid has already left your circulatory system so isn't a problem from that point of view either.

I am struggling with one of the exercises, the one where you slide your operated leg out i just cant do it, the nurse who came today suggested standing at the window sill and lifting leg out which i can do a bit of but feel like im straining my god leg far to much.

Then don't do it! It's far too early to be attempting it anyway. And cruel of them them to even make you try. It might be another week or even two before you can do this exercise but there's no rush. You muscles and tissues are freshly cut right now. Don't do anything that causes pain. In any case, mostly hips have a way of working out their own salvation. once you are about 4 weeks out and can start taking walks outside (weather permitting!) your muscle strength and functionality will soon return.


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
Activity progression for THRs
Home physio (PT)
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds