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THR New hip for HipMomof3!

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HipMom, when it comes to making changes with pain meds, the trick is to make tiny tweaks at a time and see how it goes each time as you VERY gradually and slowly taper off. And Day 5 is way too early to taper off. Take your full allotment of meds on a very consistent schedule to get yourself comfortable. Somewhere around two to three weeks out, you could start cutting down (not out) the dosage of just one of your daily meds. If that goes well for a day or two, then try cutting down another dose. And so on. At some point you will find you can stretch the time between doses by half an hour, then an hour, eventually skipping it altogether. Somewhere between one to two months....or more....you will find you can get by with just tylenol....and anywhere from three to six months out, you can reach a happy stage of being pain-med free.

Be patient with yourself though. There's no rushing your body through this process, no matter how much your mind wants it to be done with.

Sharon
 
Glad you got some anti-nausea meds. I think you will find they make a big difference. Everything will balance when you start eating normally and moving around. Still early days!
 
Is it "normal" to not have enough muscle strength in my operated leg to get myself out of bed completely on my own, or to need someone to lift my leg in order to prop it up when I'm sitting? I am doing the few exercises PT sent me home with and I am getting better with them, but i guess I am a bit discouraged this morning.


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HipMomOf3 said:
Is it "normal" to not have enough muscle strength in my operated leg to get myself out of bed completely on my own, or to need someone to lift my leg in order to prop it up when I'm sitting?
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Totally normal. We call this log leg. It takes awhile for soft tissues and muscles to settle from all the trauma. Use a belt from a bathrobe to help you lift that leg for the next few days. And don't be too keen on all the exercising. Rest, ice and elevate to help get control of any swelling both external and internal.
 
@Jaycey - That makes sense. It's just such a weird sensation; I'm telling my leg to move and it's acting like it's on holiday :) Some of my leg muscles have started to feel very jittery/restless, like I need to go run around the block or something, yet I know that's not going to be happening for quite some time! LOL
 
HipMomOf3 said:
Some of my leg muscles have started to feel very jittery/restless
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Restless leg can mean you are under medicating. Be sure you are taking your pain meds as prescribed around the clock.
 
Day 7 Post Op - no more restless leg! I am getting up and walking about 5-10 minutes at a time, icing and elevating often because as soon as I am active in my leg, it begins to swell. I am not able to put all of my weight on my Right leg yet. Is that normal? When I try, my knee feels wobbly and my hip feels shaky. Pain is a lot more controlled though!


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Absolutely normal, hipmom. That leg you can't put weight on just had major carpentry work done a week ago. You do understand that it will be at least a full year until all the soft tissue has healed, right? Right now, you are barely starting the healing from the incision and your hip remodeling job. But several months from now when that's all old news, there will still be inflammation in soft tissue up and down the area. About five months from now you will think you are fully recovered because you walk without pain and your gait is normal. You won't be tired out from a normal day's activities. You will feel great in fact. That's a danger zone for many hippies because when you feel that good, it's so easy to cross the line into overdoing it territory.

If you swell and feel wobbly and shaky, that's your body saying SIT DOWN AND REST! Listen to your body.

Now go rest. :)

Sharon
 
HipMomOf3 said:
I am not able to put all of my weight on my Right leg yet. Is that normal?
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It's "normal" for you. There is no set group of symptoms with this recovery. Each and every recovery is different. You may have limped around awhile before your op so there may be weakness all around the joint. Things will settle and firm up around the area. Please don't worry. You are doing all the right stuff - following the tried and tested mantra. Well done!
 
I have my first Post-Op Checkup in the morning. Today was the best I've felt since the surgery. I'm excited about feeling better and a little stronger today. I took 3 naps, walked short distances, did my exercises, and iced/elevated a few times today. I'm looking forward to the appointment, but I'm also not sure what to expect. I'm hoping they will take an x-ray, would that be a normal thing to do 9 days post-op?


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How exciting for you!!!! I love reading through the recovery thread- yes normal for me at least - it seems we're about going the same speed- take it slow and steady- and rejoice in the good days! My problems have been more emotional than pain related lol. I think my doc said he will be doing an X-ray when I honor 2 weeks post op-


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@Jillians - It's nice to have some good days, it helps me to know what to look forward to :) I look forward to keeping up with your progress too! It's nice to have a place to come for encouragement and support from people that really know where you are coming from :)
 
...random question that just happens to be on my mind at 11:36pm - anyone else having trouble finding a comfortable sleeping position at night? I'm feeling better, which is awesome, but now I get restless leg (right only) at night and cannot stay comfortable on my back with pillows propping up my right leg (I elevate & ice at night). Any suggestions? I am not supposed to let my right leg cross my midline (I did NOT have the anterior approach - my incision is on the side of my hip). I am taking my pain medicine as prescribed and I even tried an extra pill tonight to see if that would help.


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Try sleeping on your non-op side with a pillow between your legs. You may not be able to stay in that position too long at first but try and lengthen the time gradually. Be sure and use a pillow to prevent that op leg from falling forward.
 
I slept propped up like Zelda. I found that very comfortable and less stressful for my lower back than trying to sleep while stretched out flat.
 
12 Days Post-Op. I am really loving this walking without pain thing! LOL I had my first post-op visit on Wednesday and things went well. They took x-rays of my hip. I have ceramic on ceramic hip replacement, which the doctor says has proven good results particularly in women and has the potential for 40+ years lifespan. Initially, the doctor wasn't going to prescribe any PT, but because I limped around for about 2 years before having surgery and had a lot of muscle atrophy, he thought it would be helpful, as long as they are not "too aggressive" with the therapy. He was very specific about if they did anything that caused any pain or discomfort, that I would tell them to stop and let him know so he could speak to them. He says it's been his experience that hips heal best with walking as the primary exercise :) Because my Psoas muscle on my right side (the side I had the THR) is about 50% smaller than the one on the left (this was seen on a previous MRI), he really felt like PT could be beneficial in getting my gait straightened out. The first PT visit was good, and very conservative in what they had me do. He said he would rather see me use the walker longer if it meant having proper form when I walked, than to limp around without the walker. I'm ready to be off of the walker, but I just cannot walk properly without it yet.
 
Sounds like a gem of a PT @HipMomOf3 ! He already recommends the BoneSmart way - walking is best.

Yes, stick with the walker until you are totally confident. A short time for a lifetime of pain free wandering.
 
I was outside walking some and I get so excited every time it hits me that I no longer have constant pain! I know most people on this forum know this, but living with a continuous undercurrent of pain has gradually changed me. It made it difficult to have patience with my children, I was quick to get angry, tired all the time, had no motivation to be around other people, and just a general apathetic attitude. I feel like now I can start to get my life back. My boys are excited about their mom being able to do more things with them & I am too :) I know my husband is looking forward to me being able to do the things I used to do - he has picked up my slack for so long (with no complaints), it will be nice for him to have some relief. It has really been encouraging to read others' journeys on this forum to see how things have changed for the better.
 
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