THR lotusbuds' recovery thread

Congratulations and the very best to you in your recovery.:wave:
 
Congrats! You made it! :welome:
We've been looking for you. Sorry you had a rough start. Can't wait to hear more.

Please read the Recovery Guidelines below. I believe you'll find the info beneficial as you begin healing.
Wishing you comfort and a peaceful day.

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website

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

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?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any 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.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice. @lotusbuds
 
Welcome to the other side! Get that ice and elevation going. You are on your way! :happydance:
 
Hi @lotusbuds. You are now a survivor! 2 nights is pretty good. Hope you have a bit of a handle on the pain now. And breathe.....
 
Glad you made it here and best of luck for your recovery :)
 
@lotusbuds
I hope you have got your pain under control now. The first few days aren't great but it's the beginning of your recovery.
Best wishes for a smooth ride
 
Yay!! I've been waiting for you to post and happy to see you home. I hope they got the pain meds sorted for you. Be sure to take them on schedule, even setting the alarm for them at night for the week or two. And ice, ice, ice!
:ice: :flwrysmile:
 
Glad you are home, but also that you took the extra time to figure out the pain management. Pain control is such a challenge.....too much, too little, the right kind, the wrong kind....etc. etc. The first 2-3 days after any surgery are always my worst days as I have so many drug allergies/intolerances that finding what will work is a nightmare. I think until that's figured out it's smart to stay there a couple days. My last 2 surgeries I came home very early---both times I had problems with pain/pain meds after I got home. I plan to stay longer, if allowed, after any future surgeries. Take care.:flwrysmile:
 
:hi: Sorry the first days were so intense...I had a short period where they didn't have it managed well..definitely rough time:sad:
It's nice to get home where you can work out how to get more comfortable and be able to take meds on time.
All temporary... and really will be with it in the end.
Healing hugs coming your way:roseshwr:
 
Stopping by to say Hi :hi:
Hoping today feels a little brighter than yesterday.
Early days can be rough but it's only temporary...thankfully!
Wishing you comfort and sending a hug. :friends:
@lotusbuds
 
Before the surgery you were getting worse and that would continue. After surgery you are getting better. There may be set backs but you are improving. I don't give my prosthetic right hip any thought unless I am at the airport. I am using this to help me with my new left hip.
 
Thank you everyone for your good wishes and support. I can feel myself getting better each day and yesterday was able to walk with my walker without any supervision to the bathroom 3 times. I have not needed the commode so far but I'm glad its there. I am on Day 4 without a bowel movement so that is a challenge waiting for it to happen. I will write much more when I am less tired from talking, walking in the house (small rambler) etc. I would like to share my experience in the hospital when I can.
Bye for now.
 
It’s so good to see you on the recovery side. You’ll find things that you once took for granted are now major milestones. - like getting in and out of bed by yourself :yes!:. You will see changes from one week to the next and that is nice. The important thing is to use ice, more ice and then more ice to keep the swelling down and keep,the pain under control. Then don’t try to rush things. You will recover but it takes time and a huge dose of patience. Sending happy healing wishes your way. :roseshwr:
 
Took me five days before I had a bowel movement. Started with a threatening gurgle and then the full monty. Great sense of relief afterwards. Do take the stool softeners if you have them as "all things will pass" - and hopefully smoothly :)
 
SurreyGirl almost made me toss my cookies :eeeuw: with her description above :heehee:

Hopefully you find relief soon. If you become desperate, try some Pumpkin Puree' with a little Cinnamon sprinkled on top. Supposedly it works, I've read it here before. It has to be solely Pumpkin Puree though, without any other ingredients in the can.
Wishing you comfort, hope today is a good day. :)
@lotusbuds
 
For my first hip replacement it was 8 days. You could say I was pretty desperate by then.
Second hip op they gave me a pessary on the 3rd day and it worked.
This time round I had 2 Senna tablets each evening and some lactulose and nothing yet
 
My surgery was Friday March 01 at 1:30 pm and its now 5 1/2 days with no stool. I take 4 Senna twice a day, Miralax twice a day eat yogurt, pumpkin puree with stewed prunes and cinnamon, lots of salads and still nothing. Today I added Milk of Magnesia. Have to go back to the surgeon's office tomorrow so he can look at the dressing as the home health nurse changed it as it was coming off and although not infected didn't look great. That is a drag as its a 30 minute drive there. On the other hand my pain level is at a 2 max. So happy I finally decided to have this surgery and grateful.
 
Hi @lotusbuds
Sorry you're struggling with constipation. Try not to think about it and keep doing what you're doing.
It will happen. Make sure you stay well hydrated.

Consider bringing an ice pack for the car ride tomorrow and if you have a small cooler, you could pack one for the drive home after the appointment. It may help with the drive and if nothing else, serve as a distraction of sorts. I'm happy to hear you're feeling grateful you had the surgery. Your gratitude will only increase as the weeks and months pass. It's all good!
Sweet dreams tonight.
 
Having someone in the OS’s office check your incision will be good and reassuring thatvall is well. I don’t think any incisions look good early on but that is only my opinion. Don’t forget to include lots of water along with all the other things you are taking. As Layla said, that is important. It sounds like overall you are doing great!
 

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