THR Mcane21's Recovery Thread

[CricketHip]

Hi Mccane
With my first THR on Lefty, I had a relatively easy time of things. Then along came Righty! I was still using a cane at 8 weeks and still had a limp. Both recoveries were normal, it just goes to show that each hip takes their own sweet time. We really can't push it along.. honest! We really can't.

It's still early days for you.. we are all different, but if you are pushing the exercises and activities then you most likely will slow down the progress.. I'm not sure that any of us found relief from pushing it too hard.
Would you consider some easy walking with a focus on your gait? Where you are making sure to walk starting on your heel, rolling forward onto the ball of your foot and push off with your toes?
At the stage of 6 to 9 weeks I made that my primary focus.
The stiffness didn't leave until much later. I am 7 months now.. a little over 7 months, and I noticed tonight, when walking the dog that my residual tightness seems to be gone. Was able to stride out with a long stride and felt nothing.
It'll come, it just takes quite a bit of patience.

 

[mcane21]

Atm just strengthening my quads and hamstrings with 15kg curls. Also elliptical, glute bridge raises 3x10, sit to stand 3x10, step ups 3x10.

 

[Eman85]

Are you doing any walking? I know a few people that had replacements, they weren't much on the walking but had PT, they also limp. With both of mine I did no PT and just walked and got rid of the limp early.

 

[mcane21]

Yeah I’m averaging about 6000 steps a day

 

[Mojo333]

Your muscles and tendons are tight and feel weak because they are injured from surgery trauma and are still healing and can't heal if you overstress them.
Could be a great way to inspire tendonitis which can take months to resolve.
Check out this video from our library

Tendinitis - an explanation

Nothing from me - just this neat little video!

bonesmart.org

Less is more...just walking are all those hips need now.
Strengthening and toning can come later.

 

[SurreyGirl]

Bridges, ah! Just be careful re your outer thigh muscles there. The clue is if you have problems re walking downstairs.

Re the limp, practice with the cane, keep your back upright and clench those buttock muscles and take small strides concentrating on heel and toe striking with the heel first. Get your physio to concentrate on your gait.

Be careful not to aggravate your muscles by too much exercise too soon (it took me a year for my badly wrenched muscles to recover - please don’t go there!)

6000 steps a day is great unless you are limping , in which case you are reinforcing bad habits.

Hope it all gets better and ice ice ice even at this stage in your recovery! Good luck.

 

[mcane21]

Jeepers. My professor says it’s ok to exercise with light weights, my physio has given me several exercises to do as well, I’m concerned about my limp. I realise my muscles are still in recovery mode that’s for sure. But I listen to my body and what the pros tell me. I feel as if my muscles yes are still
Recovering but need also not to have too much rest. The muscles need to fire for the leg to actually get to the stage where my walking becomes easy and back on track. I’ll be quite honest here. I’ll continue to keep performing what I am told and keep walking around the oval and focus on my gait. I really appreciate the responses from everyone! I just feel as if the exercises instructed to me will definitely give me good stead and I’ll be raring to go sooner than later. I know some of you say take it easy it’s a marathon. I understand this. But for me it’s a mental battle not to win the race in quick time, but to ensure the steps taken from the information from my docs have sunken in. My body is going through a heck of a lot of change and my mentality is also doing the same thing. Be strong out there and listen to your body.

 

[VSlowLife]

You may want to consider some trekking poles for outdoors. I found they really helped me walk taller before surgery.

 

[mcane21]

You may want to consider some trekking poles for outdoors. I found they really helped me walk taller before surgery.

Yeah sounds like a plan! I definitely have some and actually forgot about them. Awesome idea!

 

[Layla]

Be strong out there and listen to your body.

I agree with this statement. Let your body be your guide. It it hurts stop. If it doesn't feel right....don't do it.
Best wishes as you move forward. Happy Friday!

 

[SurreyGirl]

I used trekking poles too and they really helped!

 

[mcane21]

Coming up to 9 weeks. My physio says I’m tracking “pretty good”.....im becoming flatter each day now. I just want to get back to work and keep busier. I seem to be spending money on things that I don’t need. I know I’m better than this. I’ve put on around 3 kgs which doesn’t seem to be much but I feel just defeated. When in fact I’m getting better than what I was a month ago. This has easily been the hardest recovery of anything I have done, obviously because it was major surgery. I’m working darn hard at becoming stronger with a lot of rest involved. It’s just blooming frustrating to the point it’s affecting my mental health. Sorry I’m not all roses here. Just the truth

 

[VSlowLife]

I’ve put on around 3 kg’s which doesn’t seem to be much but I feel just defeated. When in fact I’m getting better than what I was a month ago.

Sorry you are feeling defeated, (perhaps blue)? It is typical to go through this phase from what I have read here at Bonesmart.

In my eyes, you have been successfully fueling all those tissues to healing properly and your bones to integrate into the implant. Your gait is improving, just not fast enough to prevent weight gain. I think it is tough because we lose some muscle mass in the healing phase and muscles burn calories. Now we have to slowly build that muscle up so it can go back to burning calories for us.

You do not seem to be complaining of pain, and that is a really good thing.

I put on a good 7 pounds or just a bit more than 3 Kg after surgery. You are not alone. I am drinking 32 ounces of water a day. I put it in a container and sip through out the day with just one powdered, flavored pedialyte pack. Maybe that helped me lose some of the swelling weight after surgery? I have no idea. It just makes the water taste slightly better.

I hope you are going to turn a corner soon.

 

[Eman85]

This has easily been the hardest recovery of anything I have done, obviously because it was major surgery. I’m working damn hard at becoming stronger with a lot of rest involved. It’s just bloody frustrating to the point it’s affecting my mental health. Sorry I’m not all roses here. Just the truth

No doubt about it being a hard recovery. I've had multiple ortho surgeries dating back to when I was a teen. I was well warned before my first THR and was prepared but still had the blues. For the 2nd you'd think that having been through it once already I would be totally prepared mentally, but it still got to me. The timeline seems crazy when you tell people 3 mos to almost back to full and still improving at 1 year plus. But I can say from experience that's fairly realistic and it keeps going on from there, I saw improvements past the 1 year mark and I can still strain it.

 

[mcane21]

Yeah it’s funny the information you read and other people’s experiences. But this has definitely knocked me flat. I’ll give it 2 more weeks and if this minor pain in the joint area hasn’t improved then I’ll be contacting my surgeon. It’s just a pain because I live interstate in a remote location. Hopefully this pain has gone by then.

 

[Eman85]

I'm past 3 mos, still have minor pain in the side of my hip. I'm not surprised or alarmed as it was the same with my left. Time is the only thing that seems to cure it.

 

[CricketHip]

Hi @mcane21 It's not unusual to experience some post op blues.. I think you are pretty much right on schedule with that. 9 weeks isn't that far into your recovery, I know you are aware of that, but when you are down in the dumps it all begins to pile up, doesn't it?
Many of us gained a bit of weight during the recovery, soon you will be more active and your increase in activity will take care of the extra pounds.
You are over the worst of things,, soon you will be smiling and enjoying using that hip more vigorously! It probably seems like it won't ever happen, but it does and one day you will notice that you are walking and doing other things while not thinking about the hip at all. Then you will walk around with a big silly grin on your face!
Keep the faith, it does get better..

 

[VSlowLife]

I’ll give it 2 more weeks and if this minor pain in the joint area hasn’t improved then I’ll be contacting my surgeon.

I am only day 20 and one thing I have learned to appreciate, is to really be careful with how much activity I do, which could upset the joint. It’s such a fine line, between trying to be a little more active, and not having increased pain, or having increased pain.

If I have increased pain I ice.

 

[Layla]

Hello and Happy Two Month Anniversary!

Patience...it will come. I'm guessing the younger you are, the more anxious you are to get rolling again. You're a pup at 37 so I'm sure you've got places to go and things to do making you feel impatient. The problem is you can't rush the healing process. Respect that your body is doing just as it should and in good time you'll be back to doing all the things you love and are missing. Go slow, one day at a time and you'll get there.
I hope you have a nice weekend!
@mcane21

 

[mcane21]

Hey all, update here. Still some stiff pain coming from the joint. I have been doing some really good rehab given from my physio. And yesterday I went for a 13km ride on the bike. Some days the joint feels unreal other days it feels like I’m heading nowhere. There’s no issues with the workload I’m doing because I am resting a lot still. Coming upto week 11 and still limping. And have another 3 weeks off work due to the limp. Pretty bloody frustrating when before the surgery I thought I would be smooth sailing by this time. Let’s hope in the next 2 weeks this pain has gone. Otherwise I’ll have to get the surgeon to have another look to make sure it’s all done good and proper. Hope everyone’s well and cruising along!