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THR Looking for input from those who are 1 yr+ post op

Thanks for your input, @MetEish! You're exactly right! I start feeling good and then push over that line of too much activity. (Knowing the balance of enough activity vs. too much is a hard one for me.) You're so much younger, so you're healing and recovering far more quickly than me, I'm sure. (I was told to expect short term recovery to be 3-6 months, and a full year or more for long term recovery.) Sometimes patience is difficult to maintain, that's for sure! :-)
 
@DizzyBlond I'm in the same place as you --:heehee: --can't imagine why! Never know when I've crossed the "too-much" line. PT is still trying to sort out my balance issues with both knee and hip replacements on the same side. Zinging and zipping still there but is made tolerable with Lyrica. Hoping time will be the cure :)
 
@DizzyBlond = So good to hear from you! Seems the better we become, the more we drift to "normal" living - things like preparing and giving a birthday party for one of the grands! I've begun to realize (granted, it's taken me quite awhile!!!) that I am no longer the spry 50y/o and even then, I would have felt exhausted after planning and giving a young ones party! Then, throw into the mix that we are.....ahem.....a 'few years older' AND have had major surgery within the last three months.....well.....there's your answer! I dare say we would have been pooped and tuckered WITHOUT the surgery!!! So, all in all, I'd say we are on still 'recovering' and on the right track.
I've discovered in the debris of this past week that I was being so protective of my 'investment' and yet have pushed myself beyond what I would have imagined. This hurricane named Matthew has uprooted my plans to 'rest up' calmly and serenely prior to our Disney World adventure in November. But, I've found out that I CAN do it! I've found myself once again taking an afternoon nap now and then, but that would have happened even without the surgery! ~ Here's hoping things keep improving......as the pay-off for what we have gone through. xxoo
 
@Chihuahuan - Jen, it's so good to know that I'm not alone in this dilemma of what to do, how long to do it, and when to stop! :-) I'm certain it's all just a part of the journey of recovery, and that given time, we'll work through it all and these days of healing (and for you, zinging and zapping) will be a distant memory!!! I'm so glad to hear the Lyrica is giving you a bit of relief!!

@Nana2-8 - Oh, my goodness - isn't it interesting to think back to our pre-op days and how closely we were in contact?! So great to hear from you, as well! You're so right - regular life is setting in as "normal" comes more and more into view! Hurray for the ability to even think about going shopping, running errands and enjoying life!!!!
And then comes a rough couple days! UGH! I was just telling my husband (as I was ranting with frustration about not being able to figure out why bad days come after I've had a string of good ones!) that on top of everything, I HAVE to remember that age factors into the equation! Thank you so much, Kathy, for holding up a "mirror" and reminding me that it was a BIG surgery, that healing is still taking place (and will continue for many months, as we've read so often!), and that I shouldn't be taken by surprise at the whatever a day might bring!
I've thought of you so often since the hurricane ripped your roof off! Goodness - talk about a non-restful situation!!! But you DID it!!!! I hope all is coming along as you get things patched up and put together, and that you'll have a few weeks to concentrate on resting and walking in preparation for Disney World! (I've got a son and family there right now, as a matter of fact!)
We're definitely on the mend, my friend, though it's slower than I'd prefer, and as often as I want to hit the "fast forward button," we're over the hump and on our way!!!!! Sending you much love!!
 
HI sweet lady!
With everything you did in one day, it makes sense that you'd feel it the next day. I remember ending up doing my walking every other day or else I would REALLY feel it if I walked every day. Another 90 days and you'll be square dancing at the O.K. Corral! xoxoxo
 
@Cynthia777 - Hi, my ever-encouraging CC! I've been meaning to message you! (Regular life is keeping me quite busy, which must mean recovery is indeed taking place, right? :-) ) Why did I assume that when I hit the 3 month mark, I'd be one of those "What hip surgery?" types? HA!!!! Before surgery, I figured I recover quickly, easily and with a minimum of fuss and muss - not the up-and-down journey this has been (and continues to be!) for me! I am SO ready for the next 90 days to pass so I can get myself down to that O.K. Corral and get those dancing shoes on! :heehee:
As I've struggled with the inevitable post-op challenges of just one hip, I've often thought of what it must've been like for you have 2 THRs in such close succession! I don't know how you did it, or how those who have bilateral THR handle it! Wow!
Sending you much love, dear friend, and pray all is well! <3
 
Oh how I know how busy life can get! Don't you dare worry about it sweet girl. I've often thanked The Good Lord for the remarkably easy recovery I had with my first THR, otherwise I probably would have worried myself sick anticipating the second one. These surgeries are all about just going with the flow day to day and sometimes even hour by hour. It's when we try and push the recovery that we end up paying for it. Hope you're doing well and remember...once you're through recovery, you'll look back and say, "Hmmm, that wasn't so bad." Our minds also have a way of healing themselves or is it that we just forget about it in our old age? :heehee: Hugs!
 
4 Month Post-Op Update....

Have you ever heard the saying, "Comparison is the thief of joy"? That's become an important phrase to me as I've passed the 3 month mark! I have to admit that I went into this surgery last July thinking mostly of being rid of the incapacitating pain of torn labral carilage, not giving much thought as to what recovery would require. I imagined myself a star patient, doing everything I was instructed to do, and in so doing, being able to get back to regular life in no time! Well, that's not quite how it unfolded for me. I celebrate every post of the person who says he or she is sailing through the recovery process and getting back to walking a mile within the first month, etc., but that just was not my case, and in the comparing, I can find myself losing the joy of what it feels like to be walking and living without pain! Posterior THR is just going to take longer as all those cut muscles and tendons heal - no getting around it!

The reality is that recovering from MAJOR surgery just didn't go as easily for me. It would be so easy to hear of television personalities back to work within 4 weeks of THR, and then think, "what in the world is wrong with me?" I'm now entering my 4th month of recovery, and I think I'm just going to be one of those whose body decides to take the full 6 months for short term recovery. I experienced a period of losing LOTS of hair, and then found out it's a condition called telogen effluvium - something typically seen two to three months after a major body stress, such as major surgery. Guess my body was letting me know, "Yep, you stressed me out BIG TIME!"

Being patient at this point is difficult, because I'm back to just about every aspect of regular life, but have some real fall-out if I push too hard. I'm walking several miles a day - sometimes even up to 5... But my foot will still swell on occasion, and muscles will feel stiff and tight if I sit too long. It's all a balancing act! Maybe because healing has come slowly for me, it's hard to comprehend how far I've actually come! (I think I need to go back to the beginning of my thread to remind myself of the real progress I've made!)

Just wanted to drop a little note for anyone who may not be among the fortunate ones able to walk out of the hospital and back into regular life in a short amount of time. If it's taking time, if you have 3 good days followed by 1 or 2 rough ones, please don't allow yourself to be discouraged. The kind words of wisdom I have received from so many on this forum are oft repeated in my head: Be kind to yourself, this has been a huge assault on your body! Be patient - it might even be an entire year before you're really feeling back to your old self!

So I take full advantage of the joy of a fully functioning hip joint with absolutely no pain. I put up with the tougher days when I've taken on too much and my body says, "HOLD IT, GIRL - I'M STILL RECOVERING!" And I thankfully embrace the joy of the ordinary aspects of life that I no longer have to even think about! I can just get up and go!!!!

Miss chatting with so many on here, but I think once we start feeling better, driving and back to work and all the other things that fill our lives, we often don't have the time to get on the board! (So, so happy to see that you're all done, @Miss Muffet!!! How often you've been in my thoughts and prayers!!!)

Hope everyone is well and getting stronger by the week! xoxoxox
 
Aren't you just the best, @DizzyBlond ? Has it really been 4 months for you and me? How fast the time has sped by! You are so right....NOT ONE of us should compare our recovery to others. Yes, we cheer each other on, give our own experiences, share the acts of patience, etc. but we each come into this with our own chemistry and exit with our own circumstances. You and I were each others 'champs' in encouragement...and hopefully still are...and am not sure I could have had the 'spirit' without you. You and @Cynthia777 held my hand all the way! Life has moved on, successfully, (Thank you Lord) and the pace has picked up. BUT, there are still those days (like today) that for the oddest of reasons, I feel like I am sitting on a 'rod' and the side of my hip "feels aware" and thus I am more careful and cautious. Why? I have no clue! As good as I have been feeling, my DH still keeps reminding me that I need to exercise......(since when is he the judge?) and yet he is the first to caution me, hold out his arm, point out precautions, hover, and over-all 'indulge' me.....while at the same time makes me feel like I should be out preparing for a marathon (not really!). We just returned from a week-long trip to DisneyWorld (granted, I did NOT do the parks......waiting for the excited report from my dolls at the end of the day) but I surely did my fair share of walking and keeping up. We were also there on business, so I needed to be up and ready and duly performing the 'corporate' duties during the day, plus every night.......and I am happy to report that I made it all with no effort what so ever! But, yes, at 4 months out, even tho the immediate recovery was remarkable, I join you in that I feel I am 'still recovering'. I attribute some of it to my age (it's always good for a cop-out!). But having successfully pulled off this past week, I feel the surgery was SO worth it......and if I died next week, I'd be a happy camper....tho my OS would feel cheated, I'm sure. ~~~ You, my dear friend, please stay in touch and keep us posted as to your progress. A reality check is needed and appreciated. You are in my prayers and thoughts now and as we journeyed thru this stage together. You will not be forgotten. We have a lot for which to be Thankful this season. Bless you. xxoo
 
Hello! :loveshwr: How lovely to hear from you and thank you for your warm wishes but oh so sorry that you're feeling so down about your recovery.

Both of my Ops were posterior and I understand they simply part the muscles refer than cut them. You're right about making comparisons, we are all warned about them on here, but I guess it's just human nature to wonder where we fit. I'd ignore TV personalites' fables (the cynical side of me reckons they've probably been paid for them) and as for getting back to work in 4 weeks well I'd no sooner do that than stick my elbow in my ear. I just don't see the point in raising unreal expectations in others - it can only cause disappointment and upset.

My personal experience was an initial buoyancy as a result of Hip#1 being over and done with, and relishing being rid of that pain, followed by a brief honeymoon period when the beast in Hip#2 hadn't quite bitten in hard. Then the rot set in as I gradually found it going downhill, fairly rapidly, so poor Hip#1 was then having to support Hip #2, which hampered it's smooth recovery. It is only now that I can really look forward (just over a week after the second THR) and start forming a proper assessment of the complete story.

My OS told me at my first follow-up appointment that the finer healing can take up to a year - but his wisest words were "Just listen to your body. It will speak to you".

The notion of walking up to 5 miles a day will, for me, be a far off dream, certainly where I sit at this moment. I didn't do one ounce of PT through my first recovery and don't have any intention of doing any (certainly in the first 6 weeks of this latest one) beyond following the BS mantras of gentle increased walking and then adding stretches, pool walking and Aqua Therapy before I embark on anything more strenuous. Believe me I am desperately keen to regain my fitness and drop some excess pounds, but I'm not 25 any more and I'm not Jane Fonda (and will not be going for the burn) So when you say you pay the price for pushing too hard I wonder if my OS would whisper in your ear that maybe a swollen foot is a sign that it wants you to rein back a little? And I, at 4 months, would also stiffen up after sitting too long.

I remember the advice given on here about the early stages of recuperation - that if we had an active day we should balance it out with an easier day as it allows the muscles time to settle down. rather than aggravate them further. Then we could gradually step it up. If I ever overdid walking my muscles would scream at me, so I was forced to rest them, and only by slowly increasing it did I make progress. If you were to keep a diary of activity and record any pain it could maybe help you build a picture of what level you are coping with - and then see how it can build over the next few months. I really picture you as someone pretty fit and active so I can imagine your frustration.

Wishing you so much luck and don't give up on your body:friends:

Just hope you feel that the overall experience was beneficial and that you so get back to where you want to be. (ME too!) :hiking:
 
Robin, @DizzyBlond thank you so much for this. I almost came on here the other day to whine that my recovery seems to have stalled. It was sooooo amazning in the beginning, that now I am not where I thought I would be. I am still having pain, and frankly its not that much different than the pain I had before. Its muscular and yet similar. After cooking dinner last night, I was soooo sore. Going up and down stairs can still be a struggle and I feel like I'm lumbering around and limping a lot. BUT I am only 9 weeks tomorrow, so maybe its all normal.

I think I'm feeling more pressure because my knee replacement is in 3 weeks, and I feel like I won't be able to do what I need to do to prepare and get the family ready for me to be out of commission again. Oh shoot. I just realized I'm late for my joint class. i'm so glad to hear from you and grateful for the reality check!
 
@DizzyBlond i so appreciated this post because though I'm only a little over a well out from LTHR, I am feeling low and trying not to. I don't have immediate relief like some of the people I read about. I think part is muscle involvement and strain prior to surgery. But, I know it's early, and I'm still awaiting being amazed if possible!! But I expected to be a stellar recoverer because I usually am. Actually, save for knee and shin pain, some mild nausea and post op blues, I feel im well off. If you see the other posts, the knee/ shin pain was part of the miracle pain I wanted gone. But, I can't compare to others' recovery one way or the other. I think you wrote a lovely piece that captures this extremely well. As far from overdoing, I am far from that!! Following docs orders for mild stretching exercise as he says PT in the first few weeks has not shown to increase healing. And, as you, I've read that on here too. So thank you for posting your feelings as you have helped me, though early in the game, to put this in perspective more. Hope you have a wonderful day, and wishing you and all stronger daily!! Yeah, what's up with he celebrities- haha!! :good-bad:
 
I think we all plateau at various points in our recoveries. That brings on the blues and we worry that we'll not pick back up again. It's not always a smooth curve and I can vouch for the contrast I'm already finding between my first and second Ops. Keep the faith :angel:
 
@DizzyBlond So good to hear from you! Thanks for your post. It is a great reminder for us that are almost to have our surgery, that we need to adjust our expectations and give ourselves lots of time to recover. Hang in there! :thumb:
 
@DizzyBlond- it's so good to hear from you! I appreciate your post and can identify with so much of what you said. You never know when your words are going to have a special meaning when you post, and they did for me today. Like you I u I feel like I'm in a bit of a slump or plateau. At 9 weeks out, I've been walking the same distance for 2 full weeks normally I can increase every a bit every 5 days or so, but when I tried last week I got really sore, so I backed off. Right now I can walk about a mile and a third before my muscles fatigue and I start limping. Still swollen on my backside, stir sore in the butt. Muscle pain still there. So I keep on trying, reminding myself that each new day holds hope that I will be able to go a bit further. My gait still has a long way to go as well. And the fatigue is still there too.

One of my strengths has been a positive attitude, but that's challenging when I feel like I'm not making progress. I remind myself that it's still early days and not to be too hard on myself. I'm also running into people who think I'm fully recovered now and just don't get that our recovery takes a full year if not longer! I started back to work this week and many of my coworkers think I should be back to normal right now. Luckily I'm able to work from home so that helps a lot. I'm trying to ease back into work part time.

At any rate you are so right about not comparing ourselves to others, listening to our bodies, and being patient in our recovery. I frequently remind myself of your wise words in one of your older posts: "our hips are in charge of our recovery not us". And it is so true. We can push and "will" our new hips and muscles to get on with it but it's going to happen in its own time. But it's hard to be at peace with that reality when we want to be further along in our recovery than we are. And when I get really frustrated I just think about how miserable I was before surgery. I will take this plateau over that any day!

Sending you hugs!




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Well, here I am at 5 1/2 months out, and wondering how many of my "last summer THRs" might still be hanging around the forum! I'd so love to hear how everyone is doing, and Happy New Year to all of you! Now onto my dilemma!

I'm wondering if anyone is as confused as I am at this point, and hoping someone will hop on to give me a point in a possible right direction!

Interestingly, on my 5 month post-op anniversary date, I thought, "Wow! I have felt SO good for the past week! I'm really on my way back to normalcy!" And then came the incredible busyness of the holidays. So much shopping, entertaining, and the muscular discomfort (I'm guessing muscular, though I'm reading of people dealing with tendonitis, etc, and wonder where mine's originating) began to rear its ugly head. Since Christmas I've had varying degrees of discomfort. After a few good days last week, I decided that maybe what I needed was some more movement, so headed back to the gym. It feels SO good while I'm on the treadmill and upright bike, so it's impossible to know when I should stop. Being impatient, I push, and so 1 week ago I did 50 mins on treadmill and bike... 2 days later, lots of discomfort in thigh, buttock, etc. Now it just seems to want to hang on. Sigh....

Now that I'm able to be about regular life, now that my surgery seems to everyone else to have been so long ago, I'm getting all sorts of "helpful" advice from people - "You should exercise even if you're in discomfort. Your muscles are just tight." (REALLY?) "You shouldn't do ANYthing!" (Well, that's not quite feasible, as I'm back to work.) To stretch or not to stretch? THAT is the question!!! And at this point, is ice still the answer??? I'm finding that heat actually feels more comforting and soothing, but then I get concerned that the hot packs will somehow cause swelling, whereas ice packs wouldn't, etc, etc, etc!!!! :bricks:

I'm driving myself crazy trying to figure out if it's normal to have set-backs at almost 6 months post-op, and what is the best treatment WHEN things get sore and uncomfortable. Should anyone have any thoughts, I'd LOVE to hear them! This forum has been my sanity for the past half-year... I'm hoping some of you wiser "hipsters" can give me some perspective! Thanks in advance!!!!
 
Hi @DizzyBlond . Last summer, I started having muscular pain in the new hip after exercising. I knew right away that it was overuse. My second hip was starting to roar with arthritis. It was easy to recognize the difference when you able to compare them, but I wouldn't wish that on you. I would say rest it for a few days. When I have had tendinitis, I have had to go without exercise for a while.
I do love ice packs.
I hope things are better for you soon.
 
I have always been active and have had quite a few purple hips during my life. I fell on Nov 30 and broke my left hip, it was replaced on Dec 1. I had two weeks of IP Rehab and just finished in-home therapy. I will start OP therapy on Monday. I just joined this group and find the information very helpful (since I overused my leg yesterday and am hurting today, I will put an icepack on my aching leg as soon as I finish this post). Question (I am 5'11") - I am considering getting counter-height chairs for the kitchen - has anyone found this helpful?
 
Counter high chairs are more comfortable. They have the high chairs at my Surgeons office and my physical therapy waiting area. @marjie , I just noticed you are Toms River, I am in Voorhees. Are you enjoying this snow day? I am not going out until I won't slip!
 
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Welcome, @marjie! So sorry you had such a bad fall that you ended up in the hospital and coming home with a brand new hip! :-( I would absolutely agree with Sheri - counter height seating is FAR more comfortable in the early days of post-op. You'll be keeping your hip well above knee level without having to even think about it, if you're needing to watch hip precautions. I even switched to an SUV, where I can just slip into the driver's seat, which is right at hip level.

@Medfordart - Thanks so much for your input, Sheri! To know that you were still dealing with tenderness and discomfort on occasion some months after surgery helps to put my mind at ease. I've probably said this with every post, but I keep thinking healing from this big surgery should be straightforward and on a steadily, increasing process of simply getting better, better, better. It's just not the case, is it!? :umm:
 
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