THR Lynne54's Recovery Thread

[Rhonda K]

Hmmmm. Thanks to both of you for sharing your experiences..I think that does it. I’m going to experiment and see what works better. I’m sure something is needed to prevent rolling over but does it have to be that monstrosity abduction thing? I know I used regular pillows for my first but just can’t remember at what week. And I also remember something would subconsciously prevent me from turning over and I never did unintentionally do it. We need good sleep so badly to help with healing and not only that but energy wise too..ok I’m heading over to Amazon now.

 

[Sohowarrior]

Rhonda, the most important thing is a peaceful sleep and rest. I think the pillow thing is to keep you from crossing your legs while sleeping. Don’t know about you but that was never a position for me. I’m with Subie on this. Do whatever you need to sleep but give the pillow a shot.

 

[Elf1]

@Lynne54 I'm sorry, I didn't mean to derail your thread answering Rhonda.

@Rhonda K I had heard about putting a pillow between your legs/ankles after THR. I remember asking in the hospital if they were going to out something there and they said if you want but never came back with anything. So I basically never used anything until later in recovery when I could lay in my side then I'd put a bed pillow between my knees to keep them from crossing center line.

I'm not a back sleeper so totally hated that part. I eventually found me a wedge type pillow that I put my pillows on so that my upper torso was lifted slightly. Took a lot of pressure off my lower back.

I did put lots of pillows on either side of me to kind of hold me in place. Remembered that from spine surgery when I had to lay on my side. Had pillows pushed up against my back and usually had one in front to hug. Pillows are a wonderful thing! Hoping you get some sleep, know its tough but it will get better. Until then nap whenever possible.

 

[Lynne54]

I use an ordinary bed pillow lengthways and put my legs either side and that seems to be relatively okay. Sometimes I move the pillow further down the bed so it is just between my ankles which is fine. I have tried laying on my operated side but it is not very comfortable. Maybe that is a good thing at this stage. I cannot wait until these restrictions are over.
I have seen various comments about not going beyond the 90 degree angle. Some say not to exceed this for six weeks, whereas others say 12 weeks. Any ideas as to what it should be please?
This also impacts on what type of chair to sit in. At the moment I am still using an NHS provided high back chair with arms, but would rather sit in my comfy leather armchair which is quite low and my knees would be higher than my hips.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Sohowarrior]

Do you have a follow up appointment with your surgeon? My Dr schedules an X-ray at the 6 week mark and a consult immediately after, his discharge instructions state that it’s possible restrictions may be lifted then. It’s going to depend on how the X-ray looks and of course how I am doing. I bought a fairly stiff cushion and I’m trying that out on a lower chair but I’m still not sitting with knees higher than hips.

 

[subie2021]

Just to make you feel better, at my 6 MONTH office visit, the OS warned me about not complying with the 90* restriction!
I've found a sacroiliac/coccyx cushion from amazon to be just the ticket for adjusting seating in my car and chairs/sofa. Mine is somewhat wedge shaped and keeps my hips higher than knees. Although I don't need it in the house any more, I still use it in the car because folding into low bucket seats isn't optimal for anyone's back or hips.

At my last office visit, my surgeon told me that the most dangerous part about low cushy seating is extricating yourself from it. No quick throwing all the upper body weight forward, and allowing the momentum to help get up. Use a slower more deliberate scooching sort of way to get to the edge of the seat. It's the forceful forward thrust that makes a dislocation risk.

As for restriction time frames, it's obvious that there is wide variance amongst surgeons. My guy is super conservative and it's been wearisome trying to comply. But overall, I'd much rather go slow than go too fast and get into a bad situation. It helped me to comply to realize that the OS has seen a lot more THRs than I have, and he's much better acquainted with the inside construction of my leg and pelvis than I am.
Small comfort, but any port in a storm, right?

 

[Rhonda K]

I used a pillow between my legs last night instead of the foam abduction horrible thing. I was much more comfortable but still couldn’t sleep well. It’s just the sleeping on the back that is my problem. I hope my head can learn to deal with it at some point. Lynne I have a gel filled cushion I use to boost me up if sitting on anything that might be lower than I like. I still keep my op leg out in front when lowering myself down and use my arms to do this as slowly as possible If the chair has arms. If not I use the table if there is one. These restrictions are hard to live with for sure And I think 12 weeks is really what we’re looking at. Especially bending over to pick something up..I used the ”golfer’s reach” my first time. Where you swing your op leg towards the back and then you can bend down and pick up things, but I think my leg needs to be a little stronger than it is now..Wish we could fast forward a couple months….

 

[Eman85]

I had the restrictions for 6 weeks and all though it's an annoyance in the long run it will pay off. The idea behind it is not to put any strain on the joint in the direction we were dislocated as that would be the weak point. By adhering to them it gives those muscles a chance to recover. Has nothing to do with the joint itself. After I understood the why of the restrictions it made more sense and made it something I was aware of past the 6 weeks to put less strain on the muscles and less risk of dislocating which doesn't sound like anything I wanted to experience.

 

[Sohowarrior]

I’m loving the golfer’s reach! As long as I am careful to brace myself with the opposite hand I’m finding it a godsend and actually easier to use than the grabber, which I am not using at all.
Question about dislocation, keeping in mind that I am only doing what I have been permitted to do. I understand that this is something to be avoided at all costs! But isn’t the overall incident rate extremely low, and much lower as surgical techniques have improved? There is a difference in my mind between being cautious and fearful. I don’t want to get myself in a situation where I find my body holding back because I’m overly afraid of something that is not likely going to happen as long as I don’t push the boundaries. Does any of that make sense? Also, my report on the lower chair experiment is somewhat like Subie. I’m using a fairly stiff seat cushion and tried a back pillow but found I did not need it since I was not leaning forward, the chair has a barely discernible tilt back. I’m also scooching my butt forward to get up and using the arms on the chair for support so I’m not throwing my weight forward to stand. Using the ottoman for my legs and elevating them with pillows. Just a bit of variety from dining chair and it feels fine. Our sofa is way to deep and low for me to tackle that yet.

 

[Eman85]

@Sohowarrior funny thing about it, no 2 of us are the same. There was someone recently that dislocated while sitting and couldn't really say how they did it. it seems some might have a higher risk, but how do you know?

 

[Lynne54]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Golfer's reach I have been using for the past few years so that's not too much of a problem as i can take my operated leg off the ground and i try and keep my back/leg as straight as possible, whilst hanging onto something for a bit if support. Good suggestion about a wedge type pillow for use in my car thank you. I have sat in my car to start it up but have not got it out of the garage yet. My knees are definitely higher than my hips and I cannot get the seat to tilt as such.
Yes it's better to be safe than sorry. Pain is diminishing and at times I feel i can do more than I should be at this stage, and I am pretty certain I may have bent over beyond 90 degrees without realising it. The swelling in my foot and leg has returned though.
I have a follow up with the surgeon on 10th May and I will see what he has to say.
Thank you everyone.

 

[Layla]

may have bent over beyond 90 degrees without realising it.

I wouldn’t worry about this since it sounds like there was no ill effect. I’m not suggesting you throw caution to the wind, but there are members that had zero restrictions. I was one. I was only cautioned to move thoughtfully and slowly and if anything caused pain, STOP.

Check out the Activity Progression for THR again from the Recovery Guidelines and you may realize you’re comfortable where you’re at, or decide to increase your activity somewhat. https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/
Hope you’re having a good day!

 

[Lynne54]

My hip has decided to start playing up the past few days, so I am back to ice and elevation. I am not sure what has triggered it, although I do now manage without a crutch when at home, and I am carrying on with things quite easily. Last night my other hip was very painful so I hope it was just a one off. I will have to keep an eye on it.
I am still sleeping on my back but backache tends to wake me in the early hours. That is the time for a cuppa, walk around the house, and back to bed if I can. All in all things are so much better than they were a few weeks ago.

Tomorrow will mark 6 weeks post surgery, so at least I am half way through the restrictions, which is good.

 

[Sohowarrior]

may have bent over beyond 90 degrees without realising it.

I wouldn’t worry about this since it sounds like there was no ill effect. I’m not suggesting you throw caution to the wind, but there are members that had zero restrictions. I was one. I was only cautioned to move thoughtfully and slowly and if anything caused pain, STOP.

Check out the Activity Progression for THR again from the Recovery Guidelines and you may realize you’re comfortable where you’re at, or decide to increase your activity somewhat. https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/
Hope you’re having a good day!

Lynne, I am being extremely careful about following the usual restrictions, my surgeon generally clears his patients after 6 weeks if xray looks good and he is happy at consult immediately after xray. I have inadvertently violated a couple of precautions, basically because I forgot . I bent over to touch my toes! And I realized at one point I was seated with ankles crossed. Nothing bad happened, fortunately. I’m not planning on making a habit of these things until I get an all clear, but I am not going to beat myself up if I make another mistake. And I have moved into some lower chairs at home, being careful to keep knees lower than hips, it’s been fine and nice to sit on something other than my bed or a dining chair. And I’m going to try driving a short distance this weekend and see how that goes.
Did some upper body stuff this morning, someone here suggested doing dips with the walker, loved that (husband supervised). Was a good mood booster and a distraction from thinking about my hip. Lifted some light weights and used resistance bands. Nothing crazy but was nice to break a little sweat and get my heart rate up a bit. Anyway, that’s working for me and keeps me from the dreaded blues!

 

[Layla]

Happy Six Weeks, Lynne!
I’m sorry your hip is acting up, I’m sure the ice and elevation will help. Possibly your other hip is just a bit sore, or fatigued if you’re still favoring your new one at all. Glad to hear you’re seeing the progress you’ve made. You’ll get there!
@Lynne54

 

[Klassy]

Happy 6 week anniversary! I think these unexplained aches are just part of the recovery process. It sounds like you are doing all the right things.

Like you, I found when waking in the middle of the night, while still having to sleep on my back, that it is best to get up and move and do something. No point lying there feeling uncomfortable. Now that I am sleeping in my normal side position it’s only my bladder that disturbs me, and I can wake up, go to the loo and go straight back to sleep. But that only came with the side sleeping. It may not be too long now before you are comfortably side sleeping too.

It’s good to hear you say how much better things are than a few weeks ago. And it will get so much better still, even if there may be a few little setbacks along the way.

 

[Lynne54]

My appointment with the surgeon this week was cancelled unfortunately, but has been rescheduled for next week. I have some questions for him but thought that if I post them here, someone may be able to advise.

I have been walking more recently, plus driving. I have developed quite sharp intermittent groin pain, and also pain in the outside of my hip. I am hoping that it may just be due to overdoing things, or maybe walkingi correctly....

Can anyone relate to feeling their replacement hip? Sometimes it is quite noticeable and feels like a golf ball, or could this be something else such as swelling of some kind?

Otherwise I am still using ice, lots of pillows, etc but maybe I am now a member of the overdid it club.

 

[hhhooray]

Hi Lynne. I'm 5 weeks now and my tfl (small muscle on the side between the leg bone and hip bone) and gluteus medius have been sorer and tighter from the increased walking. I still have groin soreness and tightness but not sharp pain. My sane feeling is that it's all soft tissue/muscle stuff from years of compensation for the bad hip and post-op trauma, however the hypochondriac side of me worries it's a problem with the bones healing around the implants... lolol. Like you i have questions and I see my OS on the 23rd. I can't say that I feel the implants except when I first started doing standing leg abductions at which point I thought I could feel the ball bearing movement and it made me giggle.

 

[Elf1]

@Lynne54 it could be pain from overdoing, how you're getting in and out of the car, and improper gait. Are you still icing and elevating? You're still doing a lot of healing.

I don't really remember feeling my replacement and I'm under the impression that due to its placement you can't actually feel it. I may be wrong but swear I was told that. Exactly where are you getting this golf ball feeling? I know folks have said it feels like they're sitting on a golf ball. Good thing is that does eventually go away.

 

[Layla]

I'm under the impression that due to its placement you can't actually feel it. I may be wrong but swear I was told that

Josephine, BoneSmart‘s Nurse Emeritus, commented on this more than once I believe.
She maintains we can not feel the implant any more than you can feel fillings in your teeth.