THR Need help or advice

Witsend

new member
Joined
Jan 26, 2020
Messages
2
Age
68
Country
Canada Canada
Gender
Female
Hi, I am having to wait until September for a hip replacement, although I am on a waiting list. I have had one done already (2017) and recovered well, however this time I am not coping well at all. I am walking bone on bone and the pain has become intolerable with every step. I have become so very depressed and I wonder, how are you coping with the chronic pain?
 
I am sorry you have such a long wait. It is not easy with pain and it does take an emotional toll. I had a 6m wait for the last hip replacement and it was quite difficult. All I tried to do was focus on the date and keep looking at the countdown of weeks to get me through. I did try to baby my hip as much as possible to decrease the pain. Luckily I had retired after my last hip replacement so at least this time I did not have to keep going to work.

I hope you get called for a cancellation and can get this done earlier.
 
@Witsend I hope there is an opening on that wait list before September. If you are not already doing so, could you start using some of the post-op aids? For months before my first THR I was using a raised toilet seat, a sock helper, a cane and a reacher/grabber. They helped. Baby yourself as much as possible.
 
yes, I am doing all of that, I have aids for dressing and I am using a cane. I am going to try physio too. Pain is the most difficult to control and it really is getting me down.
 
I am going to try physio too.
Please don't try physio. At this stage it will do nothing except increase the pain. If you are bone on bone you need to baby that hip as much as possible.

Have you tried using a TENs machine? I had to wait 6 months for my first THR and a TENs did take the edge off the pain. But unfortunately there are no meds that address pre-op pain.

Here's an article from our Library: TENS machines for pain management
 
Bone on bone is painful and physio isn't going to do anything but make it hurt. The pain from inflammation I controlled with Aleve but you have to be careful with any prolonged use, consult your GP. For sleep I used an assortment of pillows to find the best position to prevent the bone on bone.
 
Hi Witsend.

Distractions are what have helped me. My wait wasn't as long as yours will be but it got mind numbing boring. Exploring streaming tv with a Roku was good for a few hours of distraction a day. I made a point of getting outside whenever possible. For me the fresh air makes a difference in my outlook.

This forum was/is a great source of information and being part of it has helped with all aspects of my THR.

I agree with the others about PT. All it did for me was cause pain and accelerate joint wear.

Welcome to the forum!
 
Hi witsend I’m also sorry to read you are in pain and depressed, I know just how you feel , I had struggled with chronic pain for 2.5 years especially the last 12 months i started off with Anti-inflammatory then Co-Codamol 30/ 500 , i then had oramorph which worked initially then after a while it lasted about 30 mins while in bed I would be in so much pain I just didn’t know what to do with myself I then went back to the doctors and said I’m struggling I need something stronger , as I Become resistant to meditation fairly quickly he then prescribed me pregabalin Teva 75mg it really worked for me it made it bearable so I could get some sleep and I was able to drop all other medications I probably could have managed on that if my hip hadn’t of locked every time I drove ,the pain was just Unbelievable I nearly passed out numerous times... September is a long time to wait hopefully you can find some sort of relief and you will be able to have a cancellation soon I have my fingers crossed kind wishes k
 
:wave: @Witsend and welcome to the forum, great place with a bunch of great people. Glad that you're using assistive devices as they are a great help. I was one of those that ice didn't help pre surgery, a total convert post surgery. :ice:
I used heat, have a couple of microwave cloth pads that I used and other times used the creams that have the menthol and such in them, just not with the heating pads. The heat didn't necessarily stop the pain but it was a soothing distraction.

Hope that you end up getting called in on a cancellation so you don't have to wait that long.
 
So sorry you have such a long wait ahead of you. I had to wait 4 months and thought that was bad enough! Yes, use all and any aids that help.. be kind to yourself.

Glad to have you join us on this forum.. I hope it helps you as much as it helped me and many others.
 
I think you’ve already received lots of good suggestions. I agree that physio is probably not a good idea. More than likely it will increase pain rather than lessen it. I used a cane prior to my surgery and that helped quite a bit. I also took Aleve. That worked well for me until just before my surgery and then it didn’t seem to help as much. If you haven’t done so already, you might call your OS’s office and ask about pain management. Tell them exactly what you are going through and maybe they can give you a suggestion. I suppose there might also be an outside chance they could move up your surgery although that is not very likely. Otherwise you need to find some distractions like working on a craft, lunch with a friend, calling old friends, binging on some of those series on tv, learn to knit or crochet, etc, etc. and stay off your feet as much as possible so you don’t have to deal with the pain as much. And don’t forget to post or vent here on the forum. There are lots of wonderful and supportive people on here who will always offer you encouragement. I wish you well.
 
Agree:
stay off your feet as much as possible so you don’t have to deal with the pain as much.
You can try a walker,or crutches to baby the joint, too. Simplify your life as much as possible. Paper plates, for example. Sit in a chair with one or two cushions, and not for long if sitting bothers your hip.
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,180
Messages
1,597,062
BoneSmarties
39,364
Latest member
All2Gd88
Recent bookmarks
0

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom