THR Meralgia Parasthetica - any experience?

Thank for the supportive responses. Is my picture next to post op blues in the dictionary? I am all of the above. I am printing it out and bringing it to my OS visit with every item checked off. Everyone who calls is waiting for me to be so happy and relieved which I am and I tel them so but I also feel guilty talking about my negative emotions.

The Activities Progression is excellent. I didn't receive anything specific like that from my OS or in their rather large prep booklet. My first outside PT was way too aggressive and I hadn't found Bonesmart yet so I didn't know how much to do and I feel I overdid it which is the reason I am being so careful to find that happy medium this time around. The progression made me feel good that I am doing enough but not too much.

I guess I hadn't read all of the Bonesmart articles and thank you for reminding me. Now I have read all of them.

I feel so much better having read your responses.
 
:heehee: Good question!
I am no expert, but perhaps if you share a negative emotion, with those who are concerned about you, you can give them a chance to cheer you up, or a chance to tell you a story about when they felt the same way, and how they coped?
Of course you will find you have plenty of folks here who understand.
Good idea to bring it to your doctor, too.
Glad to hear you are doing enough but not too much at this stage in recovery.
 
Did too much on Sat by going to Trader Joe's. Oh well...lesson learned. Woke up crying this AM and feeling overwhelmed and feeling sorry for myself.

I'm so very sorry that you are feeling overwhelmed. I think we've all been there, and I hope tomorrow is better for you.

Now, I feel like this is going to be the rest of my life, one health problem after another and not having things the way I was them. This is difficult for me to accept. My poor husband is so supportive and is so encouraging but on days like today, I just want to hide.

You're healing and in transition. Although you feel it's going to be forever, it's just a "blip in the radar of life." You have a wonderful new grandchild on the way and it sounds like a caring and loving husband.

I want to be one of those happy-go-lucky recoverers who always positive but that's just not me right now I'm sorry to say.

Please try to be gentle with yourself and allow yourself to go through the emotions you are experiencing. Also, please know the the words you're seeing are constant reminders to myself as well. Thinking of you...
 
Sorry to hear its been tough going. Reminds me a lot of my first THR. And each time I advanced activity I felt physically worse, almost like 2 steps forward one step back. For me this time around the successful recipe has been for each hour of activity I must chill out and ice 2-3 hours.

I haven't been able to read well during either recovery. I rewatched the entire Downton Abbey series with THR #1 and with THR #2 Marvelous Mrs Maizel and Brideshead Revisited series were great distractions.
 
I hope I can get the 3 series you mentioned on Amazon or Netflix. For hip # 1, I watched all the seasons of the West Wing, Scandal and Designated Survivor as I missed entire seasons of them. I also watched Foyles War and a bunch of British period dramas. Comedies are hard to come by although I don't want to be laughing in the middle of the night when I can't sleep.

Last home PT session today. This time there are only 5. Won't see my OS for 1 week due to the holiday and will talk about outside PT. My OS has me signed up for a program called FORCE where they send you exercise videos every week and most of them seem very reasonable although I have to have my husband help me do them. I can't believe that some hippies are able to do any of them. I still have upper leg swelling especially around the incision and I can hardly lift my leg by myself at all. My upper leg muscles are sore as hell.

After everything I've read here and my negative experiences last time with hip [HASH=58]#1,[/HASH] I don't know if I even want to go for outside PT. ( found BS for hip #1 too late unfortunately) The home PT suggested only gait training since that is way off and has been for a year now because of the 2 hip replacements. Or can my husband help with that? Even though I like my new PT, I am afraid that he just can't stop himself from his "protocol". He's very positive and thinks he can cure anything.

Any thoughts?
 
My thoughts? You've had setbacks from overdoing and from PT, pretty much gives you the answer right there. You can research on this site or other sites for the very basic exercises for THR, all of which you can do at home as you feel the need to. I don't see what in the video would require someone's help. Also keeping within your comfort level without pushing or hurting yourself. MY OS's exact words, outside PT will hurt you.
I think it was @Mojo333 that said something about a carpenter sees everything as a nail and a PT sees everything as more exercises.
 
@ritabell Im hoping today is better for you. I had a THR on Nov. 5 and after about a week, I no longer felt the need to lift my leg into bed. But everyone's different and I had been working out before surgery so that probably helped. My surgeon did a posterior lateral approach, robotic assisted surgery. He had no issues with me sleeping on the non-op side as long as I had a pillow between my legs. I do a combo of back and side. I had the home health PT show me how to safely roll onto my side. Have you asked if you can sleep on your side?
 
Day 11 , it's 2 AM and I'm not sleeping. Decided to take a mild tranquilizer. Had a busy day. I went to trader joe's which is my favorite small grocery store ( 5 aisles?) and was able to walk around the perimeter holding onto the grocery cart which was like a walker while my husband ran up/down the aisles getting supplies. It was fun but exhausting. I had the most difficulty getting in/out of the car even though I practiced it with my PT and remember from hip #1. Was gone not even an hour. It was my first adventure ut of the house. Iced when I got home on the sofa as I was exhausted. My friend brought lunch later in the day which was a distraction for an hour. Rested again afterward. Husband got take-out for dinner. All in all, it was a big day. Only took 1 oxycodone in the AM and felt uncomfortable but pain at about a 2-3. . Didn't want to take another oxy as I don't like the way I feel on them. Couldn't walk outside nearly as good as I have been in the house hallways.

Here's my questions/ concerns:
1. I spend most of my time resting on the sofa on propped up pillows for my head and legs. I'm not comfortable sitting at all for anything for than 10 minutes. I'm in an awkward position when I sit as well. I try to get up every 1-2 hours and walk down the hall a few times but worry that I am too sedentary. Any thoughts?

2. Now that my bandage is off, all I'm thinking about is my incision which has been closed with glue like hip #1. The nurse said it looks fine. I think it looks creepy. There's a big bulge under the incision which I remember from last time but I have no clue how long it lasts. Any idea? It is gone from hip #1. It also feels "funny" (medical term) when I move my leg. Feels like the implant/bone is right under that incision which I am sure it is. That whole area is sore and uncomfortable and the nurse said it's normal for the second week. Any thoughts? I don't see the OS until next week.

Trying to sleep now.
@ritabell aren’t you on home health for PT? If so, you do know there are restrictions under Medicare about what you can leave home for, right? I find it so frustrating to be on HH restrictions as I’m just tied to this house except for what they allow and grocery shopping isn’t one of those things. Although I will fess up that I can’t trust my husband to shop for groceries, so I went with him and rode around in the electric scooter as I directed him. I thought, how is it Medicare won’t allow grocery shopping? people need to eat to stay well! Anyway, my point is, not to point fingers at you, but just don’t overdo it. After my hysterectomy my doctor said go out for a walk but only do half of what you think you can do because you have to turn around and walk home. So take care!
 
I had no idea about the restrictions. It wasn't mentioned anywhere in my pre-op booklets /lesson or by anyone( OS, PT, Nurse etc) . I have been discharged from home health as of last Friday if that makes a difference. Trader Joe's is a very small store and I mainly went around the perimeter pointing to my husband like you did.

I am taking it easy, resting and icing most of the day with occasional walks up/down my hallway.

You're a week ahead of me. How are you doing with swelling and pain? I have a lump under my incision which bothers me. I had one for hip # 1 as well and that is totally gone , but right now the new incision looks rather ugly. and , because I had anterior, it is staring me in the face. I am sleeping on my back for 2 weeks with lots of pillows with much more success this time. Then I will switch to non-op side also with lots of pillows.
 
@ritabell morning! I’m doing quite well with swelling and pain. I haven’t taken any Tylenol except one over the weekend, for about a week now. I never did have a lot of swelling except in the area around the incision and upper thigh. I had a posterior lateral approach with about a 5” incision. I go in for my 3 week follow up today and have dressing removed by the PA. Won’t need one after that. I’ll be excited to lose these :censored: compression hose! And to shower without Press 'n Seal over the dressing.
I bet by next week you will see a difference. I graduated to a cane last week but can walk fine without it. I’m pretty amazed!
Rita, did your doctor emphasize the amount of protein needed to help heal after surgery? Research shows that healing takes a lot of calories and protein. They told me 60 grams per day! So I’m diligently working on that. When I don’t think I have met that goal I found a great Protein shake called Orgain clean protein. I got a case at Costco but you can also order it online. I got the chocolate fudge. Low in sugar, all organic and 20 g. Of protein. Also eat good healthy food as that improves the mood. Hope some of this might be of help
 
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@Harpcat
I am 2 weeks tomorrow and don't seem to be doing as well as you were a week ago?. You seem to be able to do more with less pain. Did you have any restrictions? I had the anterior approach and pain/swelling on the top front of my leg where the incision is, especially bending my leg while sitting and getting up. I have needed oxycodone during the way in order to make sure I am getting enough walking and resent taking it because I don't like the way I feel ( nauseous). I have tried just tylenol and I just have a miserable day and feel like I'm taking a step backward. My gait is better on pain meds but I'm not good walking with a cane and still prefer the walker. Hopefully , I will progress like you over the next week. I guess I'm impatient. I thought I did more, more quickly for hip #1 in march and that the anterior approach was going to have fewer restrictions and a faster outcome. Your approach seems to exemplify this.

Oh well....
 
@Harpcat

I'm glad you reminded me about the orgain which I did use last time but somehow in all my lists of things to do each day, I forgot to include this but will start today. I am a real list/chart person. I made a drug chart which I adhered to every day but should have also made a to-do chart, reminders during the day ( keeping track of how much icing, walking, protein, ankle pumps etc) I will make this today and these types of charts should be included in the big pre-op booklet the hospital gives out.

I heard bone broth was good for healing (it seems to be the latest thing) so I am sending my husband out to buy both the broth and orgain this AM. I'm mad at myself that I haven't been keeping rack to these things. Another lesson learned.
 
Good morning, @ritabell ! Everyone does heal differently. I do not know if it is the approach, the size of the incision, or just how our bodies react to such disruption of tissues and bones, which determines how we fair after surgery, or a combination. On Bonesmart they do say that each hip can be a different recovery.
Can you call your OS to let him know about your struggles and ask for suggestions?
 
I was taking 1000 mg twice a day so maybe that is not enough, so I will try that dose on a regular schedule for today and see what happens. I also suffer from "brain fog" on pain meds.

I really appreciate all of you helping me to work thru these issues. You would think I would be an expert from hip#1 just 6 months ago but, as you say, every hip is different and what worked last time has to be adjusted. There's a lot to manage in the recovery (**sleep,** meds, walking, icing, constipation, protein, pain, swelling, healing, constant worry) and I seem to get caught up in one thing every few days (for example last week it was constipation for 3 days preoccupying my time) so it's good to have sounding boards to force me to step back for a moment and see the whole picture. It can easily become overwhelming.
 
@ritabell Brain fog is common, so I understand the struggle. I have seen the advisors post a sample pain chart, that demonstrates how to plan for overlapping coverage of pain meds, so you always have something working in your system, since it takes a bit for medicine to start working , and then it has a gradual decline in the end, too.
Maybe try doing a pain chart schedule, and find some way to set an alarm, to stay on schedule?
Do not forget, you have had two major surgeries for your body to endure within 6 months. Be easy on yourself. You will get there.
I know icing is generally suggested for longer than 20 minutes. I am not sure how often that is recommended.
Regarding protein, I was taught a deck of cards, is equivalent to about a three ounce portion of meat, fish or poultry. Three ounces is about 21 grams of protein, so two servings in a day is 42. A cup of milk is 7 grams of protein, or 1 cup of yogurt, or most cheeses, and so is one egg. I think Greek Yogurt is much more than 7 grams of protein in a cup. These things are easy to google, or read on the packaging. Do you like boiled eggs? Not a bad snack for healing. Or peanut butter? Cheese and crackers?
If you have a good appetite, it is relatively easy to eat extra protein in an American diet.
 
I'd say the worst part of your post op blues is the propaganda from the 5 color brochures touting the quick pain free recovery due to approach. Really sad the way they blow this up and cause more problems for people during recovery.
Taking pain meds so you can force yourself to walk better or do PT becomes counterproductive. You mask the pain to do more damage so you have more pain to mask. Comparing your recovery to others on a daily timeline isn't good either.
 
@Eman85;

I try to get perspective on a weekly basis because it's impossible on a daily basis. I know I can't compare myself to others or even my last surgery but I would like to know what's been successful for others so I can adjust what I'm doing. That's why we're all here. I constantly question whether I'm doing too much or not enough since last time I did too much and hip #1 does seem like a blur. You seem to have a much more matter of fact approach to your recovery which works for you. I'm a worrywart and Type A personality and it's not an easy thing to control under the best of circumstances, no less being a double hippie so quickly.

I am working on the pain meds Forum User's suggestion for today.
 
I’m going to post my update in my THR Recovery thread as I saw the PA today for my 3 week follow up
 

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