THR My Left Hip story

Endlesswell

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Sep 20, 2020
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Hello all,
I had a left THR 9 days ago, my second THR in two years. I have nothing too terrible to report other than the shock and amazement of being sent home on the same day!! The last time around, I spent two nights in the hospital. My surgeon (who is the same) said that they have improved anesthesia and pain med protocols to enable an outpatient approach for people in my situation - presumably my age group - I’m 51. I have to say I was not too keen on being made to stand and walk within an hour post surgery! But I was definitely grateful to be home in my own bed later :). Covid silver linings: my husband and kids are all home all day long, so I have plenty of help.
It’s amazing what you can forget or put out of your mind in just two years time. I forgot just how tired and out of it I would feel at this point. I spent last week fighting headaches and night sweats on top of the pain, though I’m feeling a bit better now. The last two days I’ve been fighting general malaise which has not been helped by reading the news or checking the air quality in California. I’m a college teacher teaching from home this semester due to the pandemic and had planned to get back on to zoom this week with my students. But I feel like I need another week to feel less cloudy and more alert. Hoping I can start to feel semi normal again soon!
 
@Endlesswell ,
Welcome to BoneSmart, glad you joined us!

Sound like you are doing well with your new hip!

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.
 
Hi @Endlesswell and:welome:
So your right THR was in 2018? If you remember the date (month, year) we can add this to your signature to show your double hippy status!:dancy:
They may have had you home the same day but, as you know, this is a major surgery and the Energy Drain and Brain Fog are Real!!!:swoon:
I do hope you can take some more time before having to jump into the stress of work.
Love the double entendre of your username...college professor and now two new hips to go forward in life!....Endless Well is what we all hope for.:) :-) (:
Hope today is a nice and easy day.
Stay iced up and hope you are able to rest, as that's when the good healing happens.:ice:
 
Hello and Welcome! Thanks for joining us and congrats on your newest hip.

I’m a college teacher teaching from home this semester due to the pandemic and had planned to get back on to zoom this week with my students. But I feel like I need another week to feel less cloudy and more alert. Hoping I can start to feel semi normal again soon!

Wow, this is pretty ambitious. I hope you have the option to step away for awhile longer should it prove to be too much. I wish you all the best though! Please stay in touch and let us know how it goes for you.
 
Hello and congratulations on your shiny 2nd hip. It is funny how quickly we forget once we recover and get on with living our lives.

I found the brain fogginess and tiredness one of the harder things to overcome. I hope you can take some extra time before you return to work.
 
:wave: @Endlesswell welcome back to the recovery side and congrats on that brand new shiny hip to go with the other o one. Hope you can take a little more time off of work, even if it's remote. That energy drain can really hit hard and when you least expect it.
 
Thanks everyone! I decided to take another week off from teaching to give myself the space to heal and recuperate. It really does help to talk to others who have been and are currently going through this!

For some more dramatic news: my first surgery and recovery two years ago was going great until I dislocated my new hip while at a concert/picnic in my neighborhood park at Week 9. I didn’t think to bring chairs - just a blanket and a lovely basket full of gourmet food. I got down on the ground easily enough, but when I repositioned myself to get up, the joint slipped right out! An ambulance was called and drama ensued as crowds of people and my then 10 yr old son watched me screaming in pain and getting wheeled away. It was a truly horrible experience. :sad: Not to be outdone, 3 weeks later, I dislocated the thing AGAIN while sitting in my favorite easy chair and absentmindedly tucking my knees up to my chest . These are the dangers of being a relatively young, flexible, yoga loving joint replacement recipient! Obviously, I really didn’t completely understood the movement precautions and I can confidently say that I learned my lesson as both dislocations were the ABSOLUTE WORST pain of my life!!!

Needless to say, this will NOT be happening to me again as I am exceedingly aware of my position at all times. I plan on a slow, safe (possibly frustratingly so) recovery this time around!
 
Hi @Endlesswell and:welome:
So your right THR was in 2018? If you remember the date (month, year) we can add this to your signature to show your double hippy status!:dancy:
They may have had you home the same day but, as you know, this is a major surgery and the Energy Drain and Brain Fog are Real!!!:swoon:
I do hope you can take some more time before having to jump into the stress of work.
Love the double entendre of your username...college professor and now two new hips to go forward in life!....Endless Well is what we all hope for.:) :-) (:
Hope today is a nice and easy day.
Stay iced up and hope you are able to rest, as that's when the good healing happens.:ice:

My first THR (right side) was on May 30 2018. And yes, I’ve decided to take another week before I jump fully back into work!
 
Oh my stars...:flabber:
The description of your dislocations sound awful.
Hope righty is feeling nice and stable now?
I'll add your former surgery date to your signature.
Yes, slow and steady is best.
We want these hips to last forever!
 
Goodness, does that sound painful! And to have it in front of your young son, how horrible for both of you!
Glad to see you are taking another week off, There’s at least one perk to the virtual classes.
Congrats on attaining double hippie status. It wasn’t something we strive for but now we can enjoy pain free years ahead!
 
Its good to read you’re allowing yourself more time away from work. It seems you’re doing much better than the early days of headaches and night sweats. Hopefully your energy level improves at a steady pace.

I’m sorry to hear about those painful dislocations you suffered. How awful for you and your dear son to witness. Fingers crossed it’s all smooth sailing this time around.
Happy Tuesday, hope you have a lovely day. :SUNsmile:
@Endlesswell
 
Oh my stars...:flabber:
The description of your dislocations sound awful.
Hope righty is feeling nice and stable now?
I'll add your former surgery date to your signature.
Yes, slow and steady is best.
We want these hips to last forever!
Yes, my right hip feels just fine - no problems whatsoever after the last dislocation two years ago :)
 
I’m 12 days post-op and taking it slow. Glad that I postponed getting fully back into teaching until next week. Even that feels like a stretch but I feel badly for my students with whom I have only met face to face (sort of) once. The good news is that I will be able to talk with them from my bed or recliner. The bad news is that I will actually have to look presentable from the neck up! :loll:
As for the recovery, I am feeling a bit stronger - transitioned to the cane today. Brain fog is slightly better though it takes me a while to completely wake up - thinking it’s the gabapentin. I’m also still having throbbing pain that comes and goes, particularly in the groin area which is quite annoying, as well as down my leg to my knee. I had similar knee pain prior to surgery so fingers crossed that it will go away in time. Icing definitely helps and an occasional pain pill if absolutely necessary. I think my worst complaint at the moment is about the massive pileup of laundry and dishes at home, and the standoff between my husband and sons about chores!! :hairpulling:
 
Hope everything goes well next week when teaching. Sounds like you'll want to keep ice close by if you need it, they won't see it! I love the having to look presentable from the neck up. My sister in law was joking about that recently.

Hopefully the hubby and sons will come around and start helping to knock out the chores. Having had three sons around though I'm not sure dirty laundry or dishes will get to them. :oyvey: :heehee:
 
Happy One Month Anniversary!
The good news is that I will be able to talk with them from my bed or recliner. The bad news is that I will actually have to look presentable from the neck up! :loll:

This is funny! Sounds like what most news anchors are doing during these days of the pandemic I’ve viewed some funny pics of them filming from home, dressed business like on the top, wearing shorts, flip-flops, pj bottoms, leggings etc on the bottom. You’d fit right in.

I hope your return to work is going well and you’re feeling caught up at home. The pile up of messes at home during early recovery and the helpless / frustration from the inability to have things the way you want them has not left my memory. :heehee: I hope things are looking up in all areas of your life and you’re enjoying steady progress.
Have a great week!
 

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