THR It's all over!!

[Elaine F.]

I would call your surgeon. Doesn't sound like enough medication for this early. And I agree, we haven't got a clue as this is a new experience for us. Coming on here and talking to other people who have been through this is the best medicine. I can tell you that once the initial week or two worth of pain is gone you start to forget it. Kinda like having a baby. Rest as much as you can. Every day is closer to pain free. Promise.

 

[pamac]

You sound much better @lexi-mai ! It's not just the UK where you are given a ticket home when you do the stairs. PT walked with me in the room day of surgery. Next day we walked down the hall once and did 4 stairs. Then OT demonstrated how to get in the car and the shower. They handed me a piece of paper with some excercises on it and sent me on my way! I feel like I'm doing fine and I guess they knew that would be the case, but I didn't. We will be fine! Have a great day.

 

[Josephine]

I would call your surgeon.

@Elaine F. in the UK, our GPs handle our pain meds post-op, not our surgeons.

@lexi-mai if you'll allow me, I'd like to ask you some questions and it would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. can you tell me the date of your surgery

2. what approach did you have for your surgery? Anterior, posterior, lateral? You can look here to see the various types THR approaches or incisions

3. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!

) Also don't forget to include other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness

4. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

5. how often are you icing your hip and for how long?

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. what kind of PT exercises and exercises at home are you doing? How much and how often?

Can you detail it like this

Exercises done at home: 3 sessions a day
Heel slides x10 (reps)
Strait leg raises x10
Steps x10

At PT
Squats x5 (reps) x2 (sets)
Wall slides x5 x2
Clamshells X5 x2

 

[Josephine]

I ventured down the road today just a short way and back

That's far too much for only 10 days out. Do read the articles Jaycey left for you. They contain important information.

we seem to get tipped out of hospital in the uk a bit to soon and left with lots of...what do I do now?...how long do I use the crutch for? and pain meds not working? and...and...so it goes on...once you have done the stairs in hospital that is the ticket to go!! bang goes and PT...just feel a bit alone in a boat

Well, that's what BoneSmart is for! Anything you want to ask will be answered, anything at all! So don't feel alone. We're all in your corner.

 

[lexi-mai]

hello Josephine, thanks for earlier post...shows how dum I am with the walking, I just thought I ought to be up and having walks around the walk down the road only actually was to the bottom of our garden which actually is quite small...I answer as best as I can the following...
1...I had the THR on 6th August

2...posterior approach

3...pain level would be in 5/6 braket

4...I have been prescribed paracetamol 500mg and ibuprofen 400mg... I take ibuprofen 400mg every four hours and I had some tramadol 50mg at home which I have taken in the evening before bed so I can get comfortable to sleep else my leg wants to move the whole time...haven't taken the paracetamol b'cos not sure when and quite honestly they gave me no plan of what I should do...I was on oxy..??codeine based tablet which sorted the pain but made me feel so sick and dizzy, so I came of that, then I was discharged...

5...icing leg is a bit spasmodic I have done it most days but probably one or twice max and had the cold on for half and or so.

6...not sure if your asking what is my activity level before op?? if so I would do most things of running the house and providing for the family needs...with difficulty I might just add...

7...exercises... ankle flexes on and off through the day ....lifting my leg up whist sitting on a chair and hold for five seconds would do this may be five times twice a day clenching buttocks a few times a day, the heel slides I haven't managed yet...

hope you can comment on the above...thanks in advance

 

[lexi-mai]

Hello anyone and everyone,

Can anyone tell me how long it is that I will have to sleep on my back?

My daughter says to me 'when last did you sleep'?

I always sleep on my left side and I have had my right hip done, just love to be able to sleep on my side...I wake up all night with the leg like a log and aching.

I understand that the can't fall down else dislocation is around the corner, so a pillow between the legs...

I just need you all to hold my hand and tell me...feel so useless not knowing.

thank you all

 

[Josephine]

1. I had the THR on 6th August

Jolly good - I got that right in your signature then!

3. pain level would be in 5/6 bracket

That's actually quite high for 1½ weeks out.

4. I have been prescribed paracetamol 500mg and ibuprofen 400mg. I take ibuprofen 400mg every four hours and I had some Tramadol 50mg at home which I have taken in the evening before bed so I can get comfortable to sleep else my leg wants to move the whole time. Haven't taken the paracetamol because not sure when and quite honestly they gave me no plan of what I should do. I was on oxy..??codeine based tablet which sorted the pain but made me feel so sick and dizzy, so I came of that, then I was discharged.

Oxycodone. You don't need that if you have Tramadol. But you didn't say this had been prescribed for you, so are they left over from some other event or has your GP prescribed them? Because that's the best pain med.

You also need to have a schedule for your pain meds so I suggest you take Tramadol 50mgs and 2 paracetamol every 6 hours. You can take 2 Tramadol at night if pain tends to wake you up during the night. Also don't forget the 6hrs needs to be spread out evenly throughout the 24hrs, not just just squished into daylight hours! This means taking them 8am, 2pm, 8pm and 2am. Set your alarm for the 2am one if you have to.

Ibuprofen is actually an extremely mild pain killer so ineffective for post-surgery pain plus they have serious gastric side effects so I never recommend people to use them routinely.

5. icing leg is a bit spasmodic I have done it most days but probably one or twice max and had the cold on for half and or so.

You accomplish little or nothing in 30 minutes. Ice for at least 40-60mins and more than 4 times a day. Ice is nature's most effective pain killer. Remember in days gone by, before anaesthetics, they would lay patients in a stream before operating on them!

6. not sure if your asking what is my activity level before op??

Since surgery. Before is history!

Your exercises - my comments in bold
ankle flexes on and off through the day - that's good though you do know they're just the anticlot exercises and nothing to do with your hip? After about 4 weeks and asyour activity increases, you can stop them
lifting raises in chair 5secs x5, twice daily - okay but they're better done whilst laying on your bed. Otherwise they are half leg raises. And once you can do them, they don't really need to be done again.
clenching buttocks a few times a day - again, good
heel slides I haven't managed yet - don't bother with them. They are knee exercises, not hip!

Are these all you have been given? Are you having to to to physio eventually?

Can I offer you this bit of advice - hips actually don't need much 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.

So here's our reading - everybody gets a free copy of the recovery reading!

Here are the BoneSmart mantras ....
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

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
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

 

[Josephine]

@lexi-mai I just got through answering your replies to my questions when I find this new thread asking about sleeping on your back. We have a request/policy on here to ask member to have only one recovery thread. The reasons for this are that it
1. makes it easier for guests to read the continuous story of a member's recovery - the most important reason
2. avoids people duplicating and repeating things like links to articles
3. helps us to refresh on what you've had done and when, plus what advice was given previously
5. keeps all advice previously given on hand for the poster
6. makes it unnecessary for the member to keep repeating surgery details
7. just makes it easier for everyone all round!

Thank you very much!

Can anyone tell me how long it is that I will have to sleep on my back?

So to answer your question - you haven't mentioned any restrictions such as don't bend past 90 degrees which will make a difference to my reply.

1. if you have restrictions, then you cannot/should not try sleeping on your side until these have expired. Maybe 6, 8 or even 12 weeks - it depends upon the surgeon.
2. if you don't have restrictions, you can attempt it at about 4 weeks.

However, there are problems with this.
1. when a person lays on their back, their legs tend to roll inwards (internal rotation) which increases the risk of dislocation - like this

2. getting onto and off your back, increases that risk even further, hence the urge to be cautious about this.

A secondary "however"!
You can pre-empt this by getting a long pillow and placing it down your back, operated side up, thereby rolling ever so slightly onto the non-operated side. But do have another ordinary pillow - not too fat - between your legs to stop the upper leg rolling inwards - similar to this

However, this is only going to be for a few weeks, 6 at most, so please think twice before you start spending silly money on these special pillows. Much the same can be achieved by ordinary pillows and/or rolled up blankets or duvets.

 

[lexi-mai]

just had the staples out!!! all 25, not too bad, it was a big fear, now its behind me and it wasn't worth worrying about, it stung a bit on some of the staples that had skin that had heeled well, but the scar looks real good, so its thanks to the surgeon for that. The wound now feels that somebody has interred with it, just a little stingy, but I guess it will settle down.

 

[pamac]

Another milestone for you! I have disappearing stitches, but my first post op appt is tomorrow so looking forward to hearing how they think I'm doing. Hope everything else is progressing for you.

 

[lambo]

@lexi-mai

Congrats! I too had mine just last week so we are relatively on the same timeline. Just a quick tip, don't come out of the gate running. I did that by using a single crutch and have opted to use a second crutch here starting week 2. My physical therapist tells me that I need to continually listen to my hip and what it is telling me. He says this is not the same idea of "No pain, no gain" but rather a major trauma in which we need to constantly be minimizing pain felt. Anyway, I too am very stiff and just trying to move as much as possible.

I don't think any of us have a clue what we are/were doing initially but I think the consensus is that our body has just gone through a major trauma and is now healing itself, hence being tired all the time. Elevate-Ice-Rest-PT and I think you are doing whats absolutely necessary. Oh, and posting on here. LOL.

I feel the same as you do and have been up and have been very down. I feel sorry for my wife but she is handling it like a champ, just as I would do for her and you for yours. I am right here with you in this, literally, and honestly it is nice knowing that there is someone basically on my same timeline.

 

[Legin]

Physio is spot on pt should be stretching but certainly not painful

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[AndyH99]

Congrats on passing another milestone on your recovery journey. From what I recall from a previous surgery you'll have a few days itching then it should settle down nicely.

Have a great recovery day.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Grumpyjoe]

You will find your own milestones. It took me a while to get on my side and still getting the pillows just right can be difficult. I do notice I can sleep on my belly again for short times. I can even roll onto the surgery side for just a bit now too. All healing goes on and how much we do depends on how much we try. I find it hardest to be comfortable in a chair. The more I sit the more discomfort I have. I now sleep mostly on my side but I do wake up to adjust pillows a lot. Keep positive because it only gets better.

 

[45goingon90]

I am happy to read your post, as I am 1 week out today and notice that I feel similar to you. It is definitely a roller coaster journey. And a hairy one at times! I hope you are getting the pain under control. The ice is truly my best friend, after I get through the first 10 min of freezing. You describing the achy thigh is spot on. Sometimes it makes me nauseous. Have you also experienced any night time anxiety? That is my biggest struggle the last couple of days. Wondering how you all handle this and if it gets better as we heal and get away from the pain. I hope you are having a great day. Prayers for you to heal quickly. And with lots less pain. ((Hugs)) pain can really stir up some crazy emotions. A big shout out to all of the care takers out there, I can't imagine how hard they find this job.

 

[lexi-mai]

Hello Pamac, hope your post op went ok, thanks for your post, we are doing well really although as the word above on one of the posts describes it to a 'T' and that is a 'roller-coaster ride!!! that does sum my experience, some days are better than others some nights able to sleep better than others...I guess I need to appreciate that it is a fairly traumatic time for the old leg bone!!!

 

[lexi-mai]

@lambo... thanks for your post, I do hope you are in good recovery, I can say its a bit up and down but 2 weeks down the line it is a little easier, I don't see the surgeon till the 30th September which seems a long time, to have to wait and no PT appointments only a leaflet of a few exercises to do!! not great really in the uk,,aftercare is so important...I appreciate your comment on listening to the 'hip'...it sure does tell me if I haven't got my leg straight, getting into bed just have to take it real careful.
It really is a roller-coaster of feelings, emotions, sleeping, pain...you name it, but it is a big invasion into the body...is it any wonder everything turns topsy turvey!!! it will pass as the weeks pass, as you say knowing someone else is having similar experiences is a comfort, else one could think 'is it only me' type head talk....
Trust you continue to do well Lambo...

 

[lexi-mai]

thanks AndyH99...the wound seems to be behaving!! a little stingy from time to time, considering what they have done its a miracle that its not painful..

 

[lexi-mai]

thanks Grumpyjoe...very encouraging to hear that you can sleep on your side, I tried it yesterday for a short while with the pillows between my legs...I am a side sleeper...it was nice to be in bed on my side!! but didn't go to sleep so back onto my back I rolled!! keeping positive is 'key' thanks a welcome message...in the big picture we all will be better off and able to have and live a fuller life...roll it on!!

 

[lexi-mai]

hello 45goingon90 thanks for your post...do hope you are doing well. Hairy journey yes I agree, getting the pain meds under control....such a picnic here, spoke to the docs and they suggested to take 100mg tramadol and 400mg ibuprofen four hourly...well I did that for a day an half and just about blew my brain...felt so detached and so nearly was sick...I'm afraid I stopped them...just couldn't cope...it took the bone ache away but left me feeling wretched, as to night time anxiety, I have had to get up and sit in a chair because the leg is so restless and needed to be in a different position, and all the emotions very low at times crying and my poor husband he has been so patient bless him... then the evening injection...not great ...have to have at least another two weeks of those...anti clot ones....

In the big picture I'm sure we will benefit...so keep trusting and praying and we will get what we need to get through..LOL..x