THR LTHR 03/22/2024

[Dorsey]

Two Week anniversary Officially under my belt in about 2 hours from now.
I have very little to complain about, in fact so little that I am not going to bother complaining, or talking about myself , but instead just give thanks to God & to all you caring and giving people on this site, & acknowledge those who are in need due to any problem in their recovery.
To everyone on this site who is enduring any sort of trouble in recovery, my heart yearns for you with each story I read, and I am earnestly praying for each of you to have complete deliverance from anything that currently has you at a standstill.
Remember that your standstill is not a falling back, it is only a temporary pause in your progressing forward .
Forward progress that I am confident you will resume.

Kind Regards & God Bless, Dorsey

 

[Dorsey]

Three week anniversary today !
Feeling confident walking around my house without the cane. but still taking the cane with me when I venture out.
My Physical therapist who I have yet to actually have a session with, (1st session will be on the 22nd), but who does not mind at all advising me on what I am doing at home, told me I did the right thing backing off any hip abduction moves when I told him that they seemed flare up my Lateral side which already had what I think is some light IT band pain going on down to my knee. The pain from doing the abductions however has been narrowly located right were I had regular flare ups , pre-surgery from what I believe was bursitis .
Emailed my doctor about it as well but he is off work this week so I will wait to hear back.
Everything I have read about it indicates that if you had a bursitis pre-replacement it will not just go away post-replacement .
It's with you for the duration.
Mine was never what I would call "severe" although at times it flared up enough to make me wince stepping up on stairs.
All in all in seems Like a small price to pay to be rid of the more constant pain from the bone on bone joint that I had.
I would love to know that I will be able at some point to target the lateral muscles which I'm sure became weak through the 4 to 5 years of pain without aggravating the bursitis, but I guess only time & my Dr will tell.

Kind Regards , Dorsey

 

[benne68]

Thanks for the update, @Dorsey!

Feeling confident walking around my house without the cane. but still taking the cane with me when I venture out.

Very wise! I carried my cane for about six weeks post-op, even when I didn't think I needed it. It's a signal to everyone else to give you space!

You mention IT band and bursitis issues. Here are a couple of articles that might be helpful:
ITB (ilio-tibial band) issues and treatments
Iliopsoas syndrome
Trochanteric Bursitis with THR

Please keep us posted!

 

[myglasshalffull]

I kept my cane by my bed long after I needed it for evening bathroom trips.
I have experienced bursitis on both sides of my hips off & on since surgery. I ice, alternate with heat & massage, seems to help & it goes away.

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary, Dorsey!
I hope you're doing well and you have a wonderful week!
@Dorsey

 

[Dorsey]

Happy One Month Anniversary, Dorsey!
I hope you're doing well and you have a wonderful week!
@Dorsey

Thank you Layla .
Still have the numbness as pain in the upper thigh but the area seems to be getting smaller each week
But all in all I am doing well and had my first PT appt. Monday and I am okay with them .

They checked all strength in leg in the different directions and the PT always asked to let him know if I felt any discomfort at all with any of the testing.
He said my muscle tone was good considering the surgery.
Then gave me some basic exercises to do,
No bands or ankle weights .
The only thing I heard from them that I disagreed with is they have you fill out a survey of what activities you enjoy which I let them know I like to golf , and they immediately said they were going to work with me to get me back out golfing as soon as possible .
What I will make clear to them in my next visit is the fact that for me it is not that important for me to push myself to do that right away, and that it is also a determination that will be made between me and my Dr, more so than between me and them.
I appreciate their confidence in my recovery but I am determined to go slow.
I have already set a pre-determined date in my mind for when I will give golf a try and it is not until 3 months from now if my Dr. says it's okay.
One new discovery I have made that was a bit of a surprise to me is that looking in a mirror now I have noticed that where I once had a very slight bowing to my leg , it actually looks straighter now.
I believe it has actually made my knee better as well .
I have read up on it and seen where they say that as the healing of the hip takes place over the first year that whatever slight change you see in alignment from the hip surgery will most often revert back to it's original position over time ?
It is a very slight change and it took me this long to notice it, I even had to pull out some pre-surgery photos of myself just to make sure it was not just my imagination . But the photos did confirm it for me.
Have you ever heard this being noticed by any others , I would be curious if they found it was just temporary and
reverted back as the healing took place over time?

Kind Regards, Dorsey

 

[benne68]

it is not that important for me to push myself to do that right away, and that it is also a determination that will be made between me and my Dr, more so than between me and them.
... I am determined to go slow.

That's the perfect approach to a good recovery: slow and steady!

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Month Anniversary!
I hope you're having a good month and enjoying progress.
Let us know when you have time, we'd love to read an update.
A great rest of the month to you!
@Dorsey

 

[Dorsey]

Happy Two Month Anniversary!
I hope you're having a good month and enjoying progress.
Let us know when you have time, we'd love to read an update.
A great rest of the month to you!
@Dorsey

Thank you Layla for the kind note .
I feel I am progressing well, trying not to overplay the good hand I've have been delt .
Still having some come and go mild lateral soreness , which was there prior to surgery as well so I have learned to accept I am just going to add that to my list of things to remind me I'm not 34 anymore .
I know I had the bursitis prior to surgery but the IT band soreness down the side was a new twist .
I feel like the IT Band issue is starting to fade away, so if I can be done with that I will be content to deal with the bursitis which actually is not as bad as before the replacement .
I have set a timeline of 3 months to get back to one of my favorite recreational enjoyments of golfing .
My doctor actually looked at me like I was being overly cautious in waiting that long, but I would feel much better knowing that according to all the data I have read the bone growing onto the implant can actually be seen taking place at 3 months.
Besides the break from "recreating" has made me more aware of things I have been putting to the side that I need to tend to.
Oh, I took my first plane flight this past weekend, over 3 hours .
I was a little nervous about the possibility of blood clot at 2 months, but I made sure to get up and use the bathroom at least 3 times during the flight and each time I did I remained standing at the back of the plane for a good 10 - 15 minutes .
Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend coming up.
My Prayers continuing to be made for all on this website in the recovery process +
Kind Regards, Dorsey .

 

[Dorsey]

Still having some what I believe is IT Band pain flare after walking a good distance.
I was thinking about trying some stretching exercises for it but everything I look the stretching involves crossing the affected side leg over the uninvolved leg and applying force. All of which makes me nervous about trying since I am still just a little over 8 weeks out from surgery.
Has anybody had a similar occurrence of IT Band pain and did it go away on it's own ?
Again mine is not a constant case of pain, but just seems to come on in proportion to activity .
I just wonder is it best left alone for now or are there safe types of stretching I could give a try that someone else has seen or tried ?
I have mentioned it to my doctor and his first response was a cortisone shot , which I do not want.
Thank You & Kind Regards , Dorsey

 

[benne68]

I found massage helpful for my IT band issues. I see a massage therapist, who worked on it for me, but also showed me some things I could do myself at home. One of them is acupressure, as described in this article:

Acupressure massage

For some inflammatory conditions like ilo-tibial band syndrome, it is possible to get some relief by doing what a really good massage therapist or chiropractor would do which is this: Sit down and stretch out the affected leg. Make a tight fist of your hand and apply the finger knuckles to the...

bonesmart.org

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary, Dorsey!
I hope the pain you mentioned in your last post has eased.
Take good care!
@Dorsey

 

[Dorsey]

Happy Three Month Anniversary, Dorsey!
I hope the pain you mentioned in your last post has eased.
Take good care!
@Dorsey

Thanks Layla,
I did have side pain in the exact same area before the replacement so I am not to surprised that I have it now.
My own personal opinion is that it is a bursitis of a mild nature .
I really only have a sense of it flaring up after certain activities and I can only confirm that by applying pressure with a couple of fingers .
The affected area is about the size of a 50 cent piece.
I can certainly learn to live with it if this is all I ever feel from it, my main concern is if it got worse .
Thank You Again,
Dorsey

 

[Dorsey]

I have noticed that just when it feels like the numbness and nerve tingling in my upper thigh is just about gone and I do any targeted strengthening exercises of the quad muscle it triggers a flare up of the numbness and tingling all over.
Anybody else have this experience at 6 months out and how long did it continue, or has it continued for you ?
Thank You.