I'm 22, and becoming impatient w/ this new hip

[YoungGirl]

Well I'm a 22 year old woman, who of course has had a total hip replacement. I am 9 days PO, and becoming rather impatient! I hate these crutches, and an trying to advance to a cane ASAP; so I have begun to use 1 crutch around the house. I began driving on tuesday (my left leg is the operated one), and plan to return to work on Monday @ 11 days PO.
The operated leg is definately longer then the other is this normal????, and if so how long will this last?
I am looking forward to being able to walk more then a 1/2 mile w/o being in pain (which is something I havent been able to do for about 4 years!!)

I would love any advice (besides the normal, "be careful", "follow docs order", etc.)

Thanks

 

[AlaskanTKR]

YoungGirl -
Sounds like your hip and my knee were done at about the same time - I was 7/14. I am older than you - but still consider myself young - 42. I wish I could be down to one crutch around the house. ANd I truly wish I was driving - heck I can't even get past 65 flexion on my knee so I look like a total dork getting in and out of the truck. My husband had to go back up to work so it is just my 9 year old daughter and me home with 3 wonderful but huge dogs. I am fortunate and am a teacher so my 1st day back to work isn't till 8/13 and I should do fine buy then. I have no real advice for you only something that got me out of my own little pitty party yesterday on my way to PT. I was dredding PT becuase he really pushes the knee and it swells really fast and I loose flexion - ughhh. So... I was being a bit of a whiney baby - as we pulled into the lot we passed a gentleman I might suspect was a veteran - or maybe not - anyway he had a full artificial leg and he was walking down the street in the pouring rain. Then on the way into the building there was another gentleman in a suit on crtuches with his right pants leg pinned up - possibly an above the knee amputee. Needless to say I felt like a total baby - here I was whining about how sore I was - please... I realized how lucky I was to have my entire leg and had been given the opportunity to have a joint fixed/replaced under ideal circumstances and by my choice.

I am looking forward to walking pain free as well. I have resigned myself that it took several years to get this far screwed up that I can give myself at least 8 weeks b4 I get crazy about being painfree and back to normal - whatever that means in life.

God Luck - It sounds like you have made great progress in a very short time!
Marianne

 

[Josephine]

9 days! Phew! You ARE in a hurry! Nothing is ever going to heal that quickly so you best just get used to the idea. This op was MAJOR surgery and your body needs time to recover, heal and adjust. Rush it and things are not going to go according to plan.

Leg length
a disparity is very normal and is more often apparent than real. In other words, the anatomy of the hip and pelvis has been brought nearer to normal and if the affected hip had been raised by a titled pelvis or some such, then it will seem longer. Real disparity is not that uncommon either but your body should adjust to it over time.

Pain
½ a mile is a goodly amount to be walking so soon so be very happy with that. You seem to be making excellent progress. Otherwise, make sure you take adequate pain meds and adequate rest along with all these activities.

Return to work
I take it your doctor and/or OS has approved this plan? Otherwise I would have thought 11 days was rushing it somewhat. Your body still needs a lot of rest to enable the healing process to take place. Remember this - healing takes up a lot of energy and if you are using your energy up rushing around doing stuff then your body is not going to have what it needs to get the job done. IOW go easier on yourself!

Someone on here once very wisely pointed out that it didn't take us 2 weeks to get into the condition where we needed to have this drastic surgery so we shouldn't expect it to take 2 weeks to get better!

 

[sunshine]

Your funny, "I would take any advice but the normal". You don't want to hear normal but really you have to let your body heal, you can't control this end of it to much except by hearing the normal stuff!
Eight weeks isn't to long after waiting four years although I think we all want to throw away the walker, the crutches, and walk normal immediately. (sigh) It takes a little patience and work. So young girl have a good day and soon you will be back to the norm.

 

[Josephine]

Sunshine, she's 9 DAYS post op not weeks!

 

[JudyS]

Young Girl,

As far as the operated leg being longer. I was told by my doc that my legs were exactly the same length after surgery, but the operated one will feel longer . It felt inches longer, as the weeks go by it will not feel so long. I am 7 weeks post op today.

By your comment about not wanting the usual advice, do you mean you are not listening to your doc? Just curious about going back to work.
At 9 days post I had only walked from the bed downstairs, to the bathroom and to my chair.
I am very active and with pain meds mountain trail ran or hiked a lot up until the night before surgery.

So , bottom line at 1/2 mile you are doing awesome.

My suggestion is to llook at past threads posted by YOUNG GUY. I believe he is only 20 and has had a hip replacement recently

Judy

 

[sunshine]

Thanks Jo I meant to say 9 days.. Young girl, I forgot to mention about the longer leg , have your PT measure it if you want to know or your Doc. It happens to a lot of us and some nothing. Mine is 1/2 inch difference. If it continues to bother you you can always buy lifts for inside your shoes, they even have clear ones for sandals.

 

[westexas]

Young Girl,
I am 50 and it took 5 years to finally realize I had major hip problems. And yes, I am 5 months post-op and still have a LONG way to go to feel normal again. I know you are only 22 but you better realize the MAJOR surgery you just had and if you want that NEW HIP to last 25 plus years, I think you best slow down.....Goodluck with everything.... You do have your young age on your side....Patty

 

[ceci1957]

Young Girl, I agree with Josephine and Westtexas. I just knew I was going back to work at 3 weeks PO. I didn't make that because doc told me to not drive until 4 weeks, and I had TRHR. I went back to work 1/2 days at 4 weeks and then full time at 5 weeks with no one else in the office but me. That was this past week and today I'm exhausted. In addition I was working from home at 11 days PO and working off and on until I went back to work. I do remember Josephine telling me to let my body heal after a major surgery, but I was just too conscientious (or stupid!). I've told my mayor and part-time coworker that I'm taking 6 weeks off next time. I know you are much younger than me; but a major surgery takes time to recover, no matter what your age.

 

[YoungGuy]

I like the name!! :P

Young Girl, this is pretty much a 2 and a half week to 14 week Update list that i had posted on this great website.

First post i had (I think)

https://bonesmart.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1081&highlight=YoungGuy

https://bonesmart.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1217&highlight=YoungGuy

https://bonesmart.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1336&highlight=YoungGuy

https://bonesmart.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1568&highlight=YoungGuy


Then the good ol' Dealing with your recovery time thread :D.


https://bonesmart.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1356&highlight=YoungGuy


I hope you read everything, and understand even though you are young, you are not the only one.

It was a long ride on the road of pain, but everyone on this website has experienced it in some form, not just implying a hip replacement.

I need to check up on this forum alot more than i have been, but any questions you have...Feel free to message me, and i will answer anything to the best of my knowledge.

 

[JudyS]

Young Guy
I am so glad you saw this as I thought you were the perfect person to respond to Young Girl!!
i hope she is reading these
Judy

 

[kitkat14]

Oh my goodness Young Girl you have just had major surgery... relax. You really need to listen to what you are being told otherwise you could screw the whole thing up. I am trying to get info on how young replacements are done because of my niece and the reluctance of Dr's to do a replacement for her but I do know about them because I work in health care primarily with seniors and if you don't listen you can be far worse off. Get yourself some good books, music, DVD or invite your friends over but relax. The doctors aren't lying to you. You're bionic now ;) , you just have to let it work.