Bilateral THR Nearly 3 weeks in

[Brownie42]

Hi i’m day 3 after bilateral THR & just starting to feel a bit more with it. Had catheter removed today & managed to walk the corridor & back with crutches. Can get myself out of bed but can’t get my legs back into the bed. Im on morphine, paracetamol, ibuprofen & anti sickness drugs which are all helping but the thing that is worrying me the most is this Burning pain on outside of both thighs, it literally feels like someone has poured acid over them also have large sections of numbness on thighs. has anyone else had this & can offer any advice? xx

 

[Schaargi]

@Brownie42

Oh! I had the burning pain and it was awful!!! It's your angry nerves.

I had my surgery on Nov. 2 and the burning started late in the day on the 3rd. It was unbearable for about 3 days, and then it started to calm down. It's almost gone now-- I get little twinges as though it is going to start up, but it fizzles out.

The dead leg is informally called "log leg." That is your angry nerves, too, but these nerves have gone on strike. Lots of people use some kind of strap to lift their legs. I squeezed my legs together to lift them onto the bed together. Whatever works.

I hope this helps. It's temporary.

 

[Brownie42]

Thank you @Schaargi I was starting to panic as none of the medication seems to help with it. Glad you are recovering well. Did you have the anterior approach & how are you coping now?

 

[Schaargi]

Hi @Brownie42

I, too, panicked at the burning until @Mojo333 wrote and said she had had it. What a relief! I couldn't imagine what it could be and I had never felt anything like that, except the time I was pulling something out of the oven and burned my arm on the oven shelf. And my surgeon wasn't concerned. Ack! Glad I could help your worry.

It makes sense that it is nerves; that's why the drugs don't help. I've heard shingles described like this. I'm getting my shingles shot as soon as possible.

Yes, I had the anterior approach for both my surgeries. Two different surgeons, though, with slightly different philosophies.

I'm doing remarkably well with this THR. My first one was really rough, and I'm relieved that things are going well this time. I feel strong (considering the major surgery), my previous stabbing hip pain is gone, and my meds seem to be adequately controlling the surgery pain. What more could I ask for?

I hope your burning nerves go away soon and your log leg wakes up. I ended up just laughing at my leg that wouldn't follow instructions from my brain. (Well, laughing once I realized it wasn't permanent)

Hang in there!!!

 

[Going4fun]

You can tell your surgeon about the pain ... definitely do not under-complain (as many of us do) about the pain. Pain is no help in recovering from hip replacement.

 

[djklaugh]

@Brownie42 Welcome to BoneSmart And congratulations on being our newest member of the Bilateral hip club! Oh the odd things that happen after joint replacement that no one warns you about ... like "log legs" and burning awakening nerves. One thing that helped with the "log leg" sensation is to elevate the legs toes above nose and apply ice packs to both hips. It's just normal swelling from the surgeries and takes a week or two to subside.

One of the things I remember was that one leg ( my right) got looking black and blue like a bruise about a week or so after the surgery. But it did not hurt like a bruise. According to my surgeon it was just the relatively small amount of blood that seeped during surgery plus he did the right hip first then I got flipped over so he could do the left one. So right leg was gravitationally down for the length of the second hip replacement so blood pooled. Thankfully it reabsorbed quickly and the discoloration disappeared in a day or two. But it did freak me out!

Best of luck to you on this exciting journey. I am very glad I did the BTHR path!!

 

[Jaycey]

@Brownie42 Welcome to the other side! Deb has already given you some good advice. I'm going to tag my other bilateral colleague @Mojo333 to come here and chat.

Here are your recovery guidelines:

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
We are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for YOU.“ Your doctor(s), physiotherapist(s) and BoneSmart are here to help. But you have the final decision as to what approach you use.

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​

elevate​

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 this BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for THRs
6. Access these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Closure​

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 a 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 history before providing advice.

 

[Mojo333]

@Brownie42
Our new "Both at Once!?!" double hippy friend.

I shared with Schaargi that I too was quite surprised and worried when I felt the pain you described... and left her this post. (Click on link)

It was very intense for the first week, and as djklaugh said, Ice is our Bestest Friend.
All Temporary became my mantra and Bonesmart was my go to for getting reassurance and great advice from those who know.

This is the tough part so only do what you must and let your body regroup and heal.
Stay hydrated and I hope you are taking stool softeners so you can stave off constipation.
You've probably already figured out a bathroom trip is a journey these early days.

Hard to wrap your head around now, I know, but all of this recovery struggle is so worth the end result.

I am back to my life, better than ever, and without the horrid hip pain and limited range of motion making me feel old and tired all the time.

Keep the faith - All Temporary!
Healing hugs coming your way.

 

[Brownie42]

It’s so great to hear other people’s journeys & to
know things will get better I still have the burning sensation & numbness on both thighs & finding it very difficult to sleep. Ice is definitely helping! Ive managed to get myself back into the bed now without any help & really hoping that i’ll be able to go home tomorrow though i still haven’t managed to walk up the stairs in the hospital & also yet to open my bowels even though i’ve been having daily laxatives & prune juice Hoping today will bring good things

 

[Mojo333]

The numbness stuck around for quite some time....I had almost convinced myself it was collateral damage from the surgery.
The area that was numb got smaller over the course of the first 6 months and was minimal by a year.
All normal now.

Hope you get home tomorrow.... easier to get comfy.

 

[Brownie42]

Wednesday will be my 3 week anniversary from having a Bilateral THR & i feel I’ve not made much progress. I’m managing a short walk around the house & taking the stairs a couple of times a day but still feel very weak & suffering with terrible throbbing pains in my thighs, calf’s & lower back. i’m also still getting the burning sensations in my thighs. I don’t want to lie in bed all day but after being up for a couple of hours i feel exhausted & very uncomfortable trying to sit in a chair for more than 30 minutes. I really thought as i’m reasonably young (45) i would of made much more progress by now. unfortunately i also caught Covid from my teenage daughter last week which has given me a dreadful cough, sore throat & headache which i’ve yet to shift
I think i’m starting to get cabin fever & frustrated that i’m not able to do more!

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Brownie42
I certainly remember how cabin fever and the post-op blues hit me hard at about the one month mark.

And then for to you to have to deal with Covid you poor thing. I'm sure you DO feel exhausted.

You certainly need to keep your short walks going, stairs only as necessary, as tightness does set in with a lot of laying in bed.

Honestly, I lived in a recliner for the first month so I can be up in a common area with legs elevated and icing lots and since most of my other chairs weren't comfortable for long.

Your body is doing dual purpose healing duty with the post surgery trauma and illness, so I am sure that the Energy Drain is really hard.

All Temporary became my mantra, and it WILL get better.

You might want to go back over your recovery articles we left you... I know my brain was so foggy for the first weeks and I couldn't really absorb any of it.
They can be reassuring, especially the articles on Energy Drain and Postop Blues.

When weather permits, try to find some outside walking time, preferably on even terrain.
Short drives can also help distract and make you feel part of the world again.

Sending healing Mojo your way... hang in there, my double hippy friend.
All Temporary.

 

[Jockette]

By the way, I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

Best wishes on your continuing recovery!

 

[Layla]

unfortunately i also caught Covid from my teenage daughter last week which has given me a dreadful cough, sore throat & headache which i’ve yet to shift

Oh my…I’m so sorry. You’re not only healing from bilateral hip replacement, but now this. I certainly hope it eases soon. Please keep us posted.

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Month Anniversary!
I hope your recovery is going well and you’re enjoying steady progress.
We’d love to hear from you when you have time. Wishing you a wonderful New Year!
@Brownie42