THR Magsmom’s recovery thread

Magsmom

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Hi all. I had a left THR on Sept 13 so exactly 2 weeks ago today. I think I’ve made decent progress but there are a couple of things I’d love some input on.
1) I’d pay money to be able to sit comfortably without my left butt cheek screaming. I know he had to cut through my glute etc but would love to know how others deal with this.
2)same for trying to sleep (back only w pillows betw my legs). Im having trouble sleeping in general and just can’t get comfortable. My lower back gets really really sore.

I’m elevating, icing, taking meds (though off the opioids - whew) and doing everything I’m supposed to. Walking as much as I can. But man, My muscles are so tight and strained. I’d use a foam roller but can’t move like that yet and dr said it was too soon for it.
I know these aren’t “mega” issues like many face but would love to know if anyone has any fairy dust to sprinkle here. Thanks!
 
This probably won’t be helpful, but just know that you are not alone. I am on Day 26 and am still struggling with sleep. I do think after the end of week 2 that every day seems just a little bit easier. Once I got my staples out I found that I could sleep on my side for short periods of time. That alone was very helpful. I’m counting the days until hopefully one day I will feel like myself again.
 
Welcome to THR recovery, it sounds like you have things that most of us have experienced and time is the only cure. I had the pain in the butt with both sides. I carry my wallet in my left rear pocket and it took long time before I could after THR. On my right I carry a handkerchief and it took even longer on that side to be able to stand that in my back pocket.
Getting comfortable and sleeping on my back were very tough. The only magic dust is time, it all gets better in time if you take it easy.
 
@Magsmom
Welcome to BoneSmart! :welome:
Sounds like you are having many of the ups and downs others have experienced.
Unfortunately the only fairy dust is time, time to heal, time to increase activity, time to get your life back.

Here are the Hip Recovery Guidelines, the articles are short and will not take long to read.

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
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 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 the 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 the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

 
Hello and welcome to recovery!
I dealt with a sensation that I’d describe more as an annoying discomfort, than pain and it felt like I was sitting on a golf ball. That lasted for the first few months, slowly easing over time. Not sure if you’re icing that area, if not, try as often as you can tolerate it and see if it brings any relief. Wishing you comfort and a great day! :)
@Magsmom
 
Thanks for the articles and suggestions. I’m icing frequently (incl my butt cheek ) and it has helped with some of the swelling. I never know from day to day what will be hurting - butt, groin and even my knee down to my ankle. But trying to be patient here. I overdid it yesterday and paid the price today so….lesson learned. But the good news was I got a solid 90 min nap this afternoon. Small win but I’ll take it.
My surgeon is a bit more cautious with me as I have lupus and battle flares of that incl inflammation, skin/hair issues , rashes, mouth sores etc etc. He has discussed extensively w my rheumatologist (who’s at the same hospital - a real plus) He’s told me to just do the exercises I was given in the hospital and just walk. As frequently as I’m comfortable. He wants everything to “settle down” before going into more rigorous PT, stretching etc and said he’ll clear me for it when I see him Oct 20.

I’ve been taking Mobic (7.5 mg once/day) and supplementing w Tylenol. But I haven’t found Mobic to be that effective. Anyone else ever use this? He said I could switch off to Naproxen and try that so will give it a shot tomorrow. (Also taking protonix for stomach too. They always give me that when taking nsaids). If I still get no improvement, he said he’ll think about a dosepak.

this THR marks my 8th orthopedic surgery in 2.5 years. I’ve had both shoulders done (one frozen needed a manip, other was a rotator cuff repair), a spinal decompression/fusion c5-c7, left TKR plus 2 manips on that within 5 mos of original surgery. The autoimmune stuff has made me an “exuberant” producer of scar tissue. At this point I have frequent flier miles at HSS in NY and a wing in my name . trying to laugh about it ……. But I’m a little tired of this bs

this forum is so helpful - esp to know we are not alone! Though it’s a lonely journey. My husband is the greatest but I can tell it wears on him so it’s good to have this grp to “talk” with.
Have a good (peaceful) night everyone…
 
@Magsmom, I have no words of wisdom but I just wanted to reach out to say you are magnificent. All those surgeries in such a compressed amount of time is startling. You have every reason to be impatient and frustrated. Each time I had my hips replaced I suffered greatly from psoas aggravation and tissue ache around the hip capsule. I found constant and routine icing to help alleviate the pain but more importantly help control inflammation and mitigate further swelling. I bought home from the hospital the long rectangular ice gel packs. I asked them to throw an extra ones into my discharge bag. I have a total of 4 and I just keep rotating them throughout the day. I use 2 at a time. I pretty much sit on one part of one and prop the other half around the incision are; the other I lay across the top of my leg covering the groin area. I even sleep with them.
Hopefully the Naproxen is helping if you decided to use it. My friend swears by it for pain relief.
Sending you thoughts of strength and recovered health!
 
Thank you for this!
I have 2 reusable cold paks and am getting 2 more today. (I had 4-5 but a bunch got lost in our recent move)

I’m trying to listen to myself and what I would say to others - take things just one day at a time and while we may not see improvement day to day, it can be seen as you look at it week to week.
BUT for today, iam just tired of waking up (after barely any real sleep) and have new areas hurt or flare up again. Grrrr!

I’m trying the Naproxen today for the inflammation. My nerve issue in my arm (mostly corrected by the spine surgery but not quiiiiiite 100%) has also flared up. I take gabapentin when it’s irritated but I’m on so many gd meds now, I’m loath to add another.

my lower back is so sore and tight from the attempts to sleep on my back, I’m trying a heating pad on that to try to relax it a bit. It’s kind of spasming. And yes, the muscle relaxer flexeril helps, but I feel like a walking pharmacy.

My father was a Marine in WWII and fought in the Pacific. He survived Guadalcanal and Pelelieu- shot, awarded a Purple Heart. He was a difficult man- remote, stoic, not a feeling sharer. But he instilled a work ethic and determination in me that sometimes helps on days that just suck. My friends have to remind me that how you feel is how you feel - and to lighten up on myself instead of just thinking I have to power through.
Argh thx for listening to that verbal dump. Always feels better to let it go - esp w others who understand!
 
On the pain, if you really are dissatisfied, then I would recommend you put a call into the surgeon's office asking for a possible change, reporting your pain. You'll get a nurse or PA most likely to get on the line or call you back. And they can make adjustments.

Just FYI: some surgeons don't like their patients to take Naproxen after surgery. Basically for any pain med at this point, you want to run it by your surgeon at this point. Just put in a call. T

Surgeons working with their anesthesiologists design these very specific cocktails designed to overall maximize pain relief and minimize the other risks (and there are lots of them). here are all kinds of issues that surgeons are taking into account when they prescribe pain meds. Add something to the cocktail and you might be throwing the cocktail out of balance. Ignore me if you've talked to your surgeon about this.
 
Yes thanks. Spoke to my surgeons NP this am and they said to stop the mobic and replace w naproxen. She also gave me a Rx for Robaxin for the muscle spasms in my lower back and groin area.

the naproxen seems to be more effective so far (only 1 day but fingers crossed). I supplement it w Tylenol as needed. Feel pretty confident I’m done with the opioids. They’re effective but the side effects (nausea, itching, constipation) are just hell.

I’m also trying a recliner for sleeping tonite as it seems a little better on the incision (posterior approach). I eased up a bit activity wise today and it helped. I was doing too much too fast - so today was a better one than the last 3-4. Here’s hoping I can string 2 together tomorrow…….
 
In your first post you mention "doing everything I'm supposed to". What is it that you're doing aside from resting and walking a little?
 
Eman85
I meant the handful of really basic exercises they gave me in the hospital ( like ankle pumps, glute squeezes, knee slides)

In looking back I now see I was going to fast with unrealistic expectations- even walking too much too soon. So I scaled it back too and feel better for the rest.
 
Sorry to hear of your struggles. I had THR on Sept 16. Sleeping has been a challenge for me too. You might try sleeping on your stomach sometimes. That works for me with a pillow at my ankles so that my legs are bent a little.
 
Magsmom, sleep has been a problem for me also. My surgeon's guidelines say back-sleeping only with that horrible foam thing with the velcro straps for months! But the home visit pt who works in the practice affiliated with the surgeon suggested using a pillow instead. Because crossing my legs isn't one of my habits, I found that sticking a thicker poufier pillow between my feet works well.
He also advised that I could try using a thinner pillow under my knees at night to take the pressure off my lower back. So I use a flat old one now and what a relief!
I place it more under my calves to barely under my knees instead of my normal way of under my thighs. This way it doesn't contract the hip flexors so much.
I've found that I do better day to day by doing a little less than I want/need rather than a little more. What's the sense of getting "ahead" for one day or one session, only to be sidelined entirely with troubles for days afterward?
Good luck going forward on this strange confusing journey :good-bad:
 
Hello Magsmom :wave: Happy Friday to you!
I know this isn’t your first time recovering from joint replacement, but something I found helpful that saved me from visiting the ODIC was the Activity Progression for THR from the Recovery Guidelines. I’ll leave it below in case you haven’t read through the articles yet.
Its only a rough guideline, some will excel and some will lag behind, but following it in the early weeks can help keep you from overdoing it.
I hope you have a great weekend! :SUNsmile:

@Magsmom
 
Hi Magsmom, Are you hydrating? I found making sure I drank lots of water daily really helped and yes take it really slowly as you’re very early days also considering all you’ve been through in a few years I’m surprised you’re able to be as active as you are
 
Hi Seanie2014

yes I try to hydrate as much as I can. I have a tendency to get uti’s but even worse, I had a kidney stone last year. Agony. At first they thought my appendix ruptured but it was a “small” stone that felt like a Boulder!! I even kept a picture of it when it finally passed (crazy, right?) Sooooo, I learned the hard way to drink drink drink and track my fluid intake on my Fitbit. Very Nerdy but it helps keep me on track. “You manage what you measure” was our old corporate saying. I drink a minimum of 70 ox per day. My dr said a good rule of thumb is at minimum to drink half your body weight in oz each day. I’m 130 lbs so my goal is a minimum of 65 oz per day. The key is to know where all the local restrooms are if I’m out of the house!

you’d think w the number of orthopedic surgeries I’ve had (this was #8 in 2.5 years) I’d be used to the ups and downs of recovery. But noooo, I guess the mind has a good sense of “blocking” when it needs to. And I try not to compare or benchmark this recovery to any of the others. But man, it’s hard not to do that sometimes.

the other thing that always amazes me is how I can go up and down within the course of just one day. Very roller coasterish. Usually ~5 pm is my witching hour and I really run out of gas. Today I felt like I was hit by a truck. Hip itself felt pretty good but my knee, quads and IT band are just sooo tight. I feel like they could pop.And my ankle is so sore too. I know Everything is connected but it’s just ironic to me that my new hip feels pretty good for just 3 weeks - it’s the other parts of my leg that are barking. So….lots of ice/elevation. Tylenol & Naproxen. No more oxycodone. Sleeping is still an issue - I start in the recliner as I can get a bit more comfortable. That lasts for 2-3 hours. When I wake up, my dog (who won’t leave my side), is snoring like a freight train. I mean LOUD! She’s a senior (10+) Lab/Great Dane and just gigantic (115 lbs). Sweet beyond belief but sounds like a truck. So I end up moving back into bed where I’ve finally been able to lay on my nonoperated side with 2 pillows betw my legs. Though it only lasts 15 min before I have to move again. I feel like all my sleep since coming home has been on the installment method. I would kill right now for a full (or close to it) nights sleep.
 
:wave:@Magsmom
I know Everything is connected but it’s just ironic to me that my new hip feels pretty good for just 3 weeks - it’s the other parts of my leg that are barking.
This is exactly my experience....everything else was so tight and sore, it took a bit before I realized my Hip Didn't Hurt.:unsure:
Your sleep schedule and your exasperation also mirror my experience.:groan:
Power naps in my recliner were finally what I resigned myself to ....it was definitely the last piece of my recovery puzzle to fall into place!
Hang in there friend...:friends:
 
Mojo33
Yes I’m trying not to get too anxious about the sleep stuff. So glad it’s not just me! I know rationally it’s not a problem for just me - I’ve done this too many times. But it really helps to know there are others who have the same issue and I’m not the only one!

I take a nap when I can and if I’m up in the middle of the night I try a crossword puzzle or just listen to a podcast or audiobook and keep the light low or off. I got into the habit for a while of rummaging through the kitchen for a snack……but have largely curtailed that.

yesterday my husband took me to the beach for a short visit. I’m lucky we’re only 10 min away. We walked just a few blocks on the boardwalk and then sat on a bench peoplewatching.It was gorgeous weather and the air, ocean and everything were perfect. Then I crashed when we got home. But it felt good to be out.
 
You are so right....In my case,
Reading recovery moans helped me feel not so lonely.
So glad you were able to get out and get some salt air.
Hope today is restful and happy:SUNsmile:
 

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