THR New hip in town

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I guess, based on my experience yesterday, I will need to hold off on the walking in my neighborhood for a bit longer.
I would not give up on the outside walking. Just do half as much as you think you can do and build up very gradually. It's still early days for you - what seem impossible one day will be easy on another.
 
@DizzyBlond- thank you for chiming in also! It makes me feel good to know others have experienced this. I so desperately want to walk more but can't drive anywhere to do that and really miss walking outside. Frustrating. I may just be stuck with walking the same semi- flat piece of road at the bottom of my street once I'm ready again. Everything else is too hilly. Funny thing is last week my PT said walking uphill would not be a problem yet today she said don't do it! Talk about mixed signals.

Today was not the best of days. Had a bit of a setback. After the painful walk on Tuesday, yesterday was a rest day. I did no exercises and only walked around the house. When I woke up this morning I felt good- very little pain and I was encouraged. I was looking forward to PT today. I took my meds in advance and went to PT. Started with my usual 6 mins on the Nu Step and bike and those felt great. Next up was some easy steps on the stair stepper ( the normal kind). I did 4 mins on my operated leg with no problem on Monday. One of the fellow PTs set me up on the machine today rather than my normal PT since she was busy with another patient. When I started exercising it was very difficult to get going- it seemed way harder. I asked the new PT if this was the same setting as I used on Monday. His response was " this is where you should be at this point" . Not wanting to be a quitter I muscled on through but my quad was so fatigued after that - my leg felt like lead. When I got off the machine I had a severe pain in my right groin. I just had to stand and catch my breath. My PT saw this and immediately came to my aid. She said that's enough exercise for today and took me to her table for stretching massage and heat. I have never had that much pain during PT ever. Later the fellow PT came by and said the stair stepper was set "one notch above" what it was on Monday. At least I know now it wasn't my imagination. After the massage all the pain in the quads was gone but that groin pain is still there now, 8 hours later. PT instructions are rest only til Monday- no home exercise and no walking outside. I'm disappointed but am listening to my body. It is obviously telling me that it needs more rest. And, when I do increase my activity I need to go more slowly.

I'm not going near the stair stepper any time soon!

I envy you having a treadmill. I had one for 11 years and used it 6 days a week all that time. I sold it 5 years ago when I downsized to a smaller house. It would be wonderful to have one now.


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@ Jaycey- that's a great idea to go halfway ! It won't amount to very much in terms of time (5 mins) but it will be better than nothing. I will try that after my weekend of rest. Thanks!


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Oh @jaymo, I am sorry to hear of the set back, but can commiserate. I fear overdoing and I fear not doing enough such a fine line we walk. I wish I lived near you. I can drive. I could take us to a nice park with a flat path we could walk and talk and get fresh air together.

My PT spent most of my time discussing the vp debate and the election. NO I don't want to talk about politics. If I have to I may switch appointments to someone else. He seems like he is good at what he does, but .......
 
@ouch- thank you for your kind words - you are such a dear! How nice it would be to walk together! I know you understand that fine line which I am trampling all over right now- I just can't seem to find the right amount of activity for my current state. That's the sweet spot we both are trying to find. With enough trial and error we will get there.

I look forward to PT but if I had to listen to political banter right now I think I would lose it. Any other topic will do, just not that , especially right now. Luckily my PT has 2 little ones so we talk about her kids and my grandson which is always fun.




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@jaymo - Aye, aye, aye..... :what:
I think what you experienced is one of the difficulties of PT. How many times have we read on BoneSmart that there is no "this is where you should be by now!"?!?!?! I experienced a few instances of confusion in PT, as well. By and large, my 6-week program was great, but there were a few times when I was getting different answers to the same questions by various members of the PT team which left me puzzled. I found my favorite machines - the NuStep, the upright bike, the quad stretcher, etc. (oh, doesn't it feel FABULOUS to be able to move like that again?!?) But some I avoided like the plague because they were murder on my glutes! I just didn't do them, remembering the things we've heard so many times on this forum - "If it hurts, don't do it... If it hurts you after you've done it, don't do it again!" (Of course, we know there's going to be some discomfort involved in the recovery process, but there's a difference between pain brought on by overdoing it, vs. the expected surgical pain.) For me, walking has been the best!! (Even if for a while it means 12 laps around the backyard to get my mile in!)

I, too, had to get rid of a treadmill due to moving to a smaller house, but because I have nowhere flat to walk right now except the backyard, I joined an inexpensive gym in town just so I could use the treadmill (even though I'd much rather be outside). I sat down with the personal trainer earlier this week to explain my surgery and limitations, so it will be interesting to see what sort of "program" he's cooked up for me when I meet with him on Monday. I have a feeling I'll be having to tell him that he's wanting me to do too much, too soon. The hardest part in balancing the right amount of activity vs. too much is that I often can't tell I've overdone it until the next day or so! (Except for the times, like yourself, I've overdone it to the point that the pain comes immediately! Yikes! Stair-steppers! Oh, my aching glutes!!! :nah:)

I guess the bottom line (hehe) is simply this; as difficult as it is now to figure out how much we can manage or how much is too much, no matter how frustrated we get when the bad day hits and we have a set-back and end up spending a day or 2 resting and icing, this too, shall pass! The number of good days increase, the pain lessens, and life gets more and more comfortable and normal! Hurray!!!!! Onward and upward we go!!!!
:loveshwr:
 
@DizzyBlond-thank you for your kind words. It helped a great deal while I was in the slump of my setback over the weekend.

I'm happy to report that the 3 days of exile, I mean total rest, were exactly what my hip and muscles needed. I woke this morning to no pain! I was so excited that I wanted to run right out the door and walk all over the neighborhood! Of course I settled for a stroll to my porch to enjoy the beautiful day- bright skies, sunshine, much cooler temps, and than God no more rain. I live in NC and we were visited by Hurricane Matthew. I live inland so it wasn't too bad here but about half of my family lives on the coast and the eye of the storm passed right over them. Luckily they are safe.

I went to PT and while I felt great I was also very protective of my hip and current condition. Nu step, bike and shuttle felt good today. Then it was time for the stair stepper and I was a bit fearful. They turn d it down to the lowest setting, only had me on for 3 mins this time and I went VERY slow and paid very close attention to my quad which I strained last Thursday. I was ready to stop at the first hint of pain. To my surprise there was no pain today just muscle fatigue and I was able to finish that and then several other exercises. Yay!! My right quad is extremely weak and will take a long time to regain function. My IT band is also very tight so PT did some massage there today. All in all in positive time in the gym which restored some of my confidence. That's the key for me, learning what my body is capable of today and rebuilding my confidence, especially after this setback.

The other great thing is after that PT session, I rested and iced, but I forgot my pain meds! I was sore but not in pain and it completely slipped my mind. I take that as a sign of healing. I'm very pleased with where I am right now. Hopefully I can stay on track.


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@Miss Muffet - I didn't mean to reroute jaymo's thread :unsure: - but what she experienced was so similar to what I remember going through, I just HAD to share! :-) I do hope you'll be up soon on the list to head into surgery! Sending much love across the big, blue ocean!! xox

@jaymo - Great news!!! I'm still finding at this point (12 weeks post-op) that when I've overdone it, a few days of ice and rest are all it takes to bring me right back up to speed! Setbacks are indeed unnerving, but as you said, seeing that you've not lost the progress you've made truly builds confidence! I'm so happy for you!!! :SUNsmile:
 
Another good day! Pain is so low that I forgot both daytime doses of Percocet. I did a short walk only 12 mins outside and I had some soreness but nothing like last week. Did my indoor walk for 15 mins in afternoon as well. I feel like I should be walking longer at each time but I need to build up the length of my walks gradually. Plus I'm trying to focus on my form- I find that if I don't pay close attention that dreaded limp returns.

Had a visit from a coworker today who I haven't seen since surgery ( exactly one month today) and the first thing he said was " Wow you look taller! You're standing straight ". I guess I had been hobbling around this year. He also remarked that he could tell by my expression that I was no longer in constant pain. Those closest to us see our pain and they get used to our conditions too. It feels good when you get that validation.

My daughter and grandson also visited today. He's a big hugger right now so grandma took advantage of the cuddles. He also thought it was hilarious to "chase me " in his walker when I walked to the kitchen. Great fun.

The most difficult part of my recovery now is sleep deprivation. For the past week I have only been sleeping 4-5 hours. Some nights only 3 hours. And this sleep is not continuous. I typically finally fall asleep by 4 am and wake up every 20 mins the first couple of hours then wake up every hour after that. Not the most restful sleep. Most afternoons I can take a short nap but I'm really starting to drag around during the day. I will definitely ask the dr about that at my next visit in 2 weeks if I can make it that far.


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@jaymo - some pretty encouraging stuff here! Progress on the walking and even overlooking your meds. Yes that sleep dep is a real drain isn't it. If found it was rather like having jet lag - muzzy head, unable to concentrate and grumpy - (Mr M calls me a "Nazzbag" when I don't get my sleep). I wonder how comfortable you are in bed. I couldn't lie flat - didn't suit me at all (a mountain of pillows and slightly propped up worked better for me) Is it because you're experiencing pain? The hospital Doc said it was ok to take a herbal sleep aid now and then - I did resort to that when I really reached the point where my energy levels were drained. So, yes, is it worth ringing your GP and enquiring. I smiled about your friend saying you are taller. My Hubby said I used to walk like Groucho Marx! And oooohhh this grandson cuddles are magic and such a tonic I'm sure.
 
Hello all! 4 weeks and 3 days postoperative today. Yesterday was a really good day pain wise. For 3 days now I've forgotten my daytime doses of pain meds. I felt so good that I decided to color my own hair. This is something that I typically do myself at home and involves about an hour and a half of standing and then bending to wash hair in sink, and I was very careful to extend my operative leg back to adhere to precautions at all times. Felt good to get that done. However when I woke up today both of my thighs are very sore and tired. They feel very heavy and walking around the house is tiring me out very quickly. Did I overdo it? Ice is not helping much. Should I try heat? I just took one Percocet ( my script is 1-2 every 4 -6 hours).

Is this one of those things where I thought my body was ready and It wasn't? Frustrating in the sense that I feel so much better and want to advance my activity but get knocked back a bit when I try to do that.

As far was walking goes The activity progression article says walk 20 minutes at a time for weeks 5 and 6. The most I can walk right now is 15 mins at a time. Should I be concerned? Last week was 12 mins at a time. Should I try to extend by 3 mins next week? I'm concerned that I am not doing enough and it's going to take me longer than expected to get back to normal.

Also frustrating that folks see me walking so well inside that they think I'm way more recovered than I really am and are surprised that I can't go to a restaurant or movie for 2 hours. I'm very skeptical about low seating in restaurants and I get sore sore sitting in one position for an hour or longer and need to change positions every hour or so.

I'm probably not as positive as Usual as my sleep schedule is really off- last night I slept from 5-10 am. Not in pain just not sleepy til 5. I don't like sleeping into the beautiful day. Once the sun comes up I want to be out walking in that lovely sunshine.


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@jaymo You are at what I call the one month slump. The mind says "let's do it" and the body just isn't ready yet. Take heart - what seems impossible today will be easy in a very short space of time.

Please don't compare your progress to any other recovery. The article on activity progression is just a guide. Literally every THR is different - even on the same person. You are doing fine with your walking. Don't push.

And yes, sitting for any length of time is very challenging for any new hippie. This too shall pass.

BTW - how long are you icing? Don't use heat just yet. It's not recommended on your incision.
 
@Jaycey-I'm icing all day long- switching ice packs out every hour or so. I even take an ice pack to bed. The icing has been very helpful. Interestingly at my 2 week postoperative check my OS said to only ice for 15 mins at a time! He said that's all I should need- lol. I didn't pursue that discussion because I've been icing round the clock since surgery and didn't intend to change that. I just didn't know if heat would be helpful at this point but with your advice I will continue with the ice.

Thank you for validating the one month slump! It's kind of an in between no mans land where you're past the acute postop phase but still very much healing but your friends and family see you moving around so well they assume you're ready to resume life at full speed. It's hard to know what's too much to do! Some folks don't really understand how the 90 degree precautions affect activity when you leave the house for any length of time, primarily seating and toilets. I continue to need to remind my friends of this precaution and that my OS has ordered it for a full 90 days.

Thanks so much for the info- I'm off to get a fresh ice pack!


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Interestingly at my 2 week postoperative check my OS said to only ice for 15 mins at a time! He said that's all I should need- lol.
Wow - 15 minutes doesn't do anything! Glad you are icing around the clock. I really found it helped.

I hear you about friends and family. It's really frustrating. Most people who have not gone through THR think is just like having your toenails clipped - NOT! Pre-planning everything so you don't get caught out is hard work. But the good news is it's a short space of time for a lifetime without hip pain.
 
Also frustrating that folks see me walking so well inside that they think I'm way more recovered than I really am
Quite agree with Jaycey. I've read that a few times on here. The response is that you've had an operation and come home to recover (not you're all sorted out as soon as you leave hospital) They'll only understand when they've had a THR (which is why BS is where I come for support as we Smarties all hold hands)
Nicely healing scar and you doing your best does not equal a fully recovered THR. If anyone has any trouble understanding you could always show them the YouTube clips or describe what you've had done (all that carpentry and embroidery :scare:).
I also found sitting for any length of time uncomfortable. I could manage a brief trip out after a while to, say, the garden centre for a coffee (taking a small cushion to raise me up a bit on the seat) Couldn't manage a trip to the cinema, or any lengthy car journey. You just stiffen up (and miss your ice packs :ice:)
And I also think Jaycey's comments about everyone healing at different speeds is true. If you compare your progress you may get upset.
I'd recommend making daily brief notes about what you can and cannot do. I did and that way I could look back and see that that I was actually progressing over time (and useful for my second hip experience as a bit of a measure, so I feel in touch with reality :type: :reading:. You're doing okay :thumb:
 
@ Miss Muffet- as usual you and Jaycee are spot on with your words of wisdom. I'm so fortunate to benefit from your experience and your very helpful input- thank you. The Bone Smart family has been so supportive throughout this entire experience and I'm grateful.

I'm excited to say that I will be 5 weeks postop tomorrow- yay!! Based on your advice earlier today and I think I read a similar note from you weeks ago, I've been keeping a journal, jotting down accomplishments and first ( first time I did x with my new hip). By focusing on that I can see little bits of progress and not compare myself to others progress. It helps to look at things that way, it's more positive, as in "wow I can do that" rather than worrisome as in "shouldn't I be able to do that at this point?" . And by focusing on the progress I am building up confidence too. That's a big part of recovery, I'm constantly wondering if my hip is ready to do this or that. I think that was holding me back in some respects.

Today I went for a lovely 18 minute walk outside with my daughter and grandson. It was beautiful today, sunny and warm,and as I'm typing this it has just dawned on me that I was never able to do that before because I was in so much pain. Never went for a walk with them outside in 11 months since he was born. I am incredible thankful to my surgeon that I can enjoy a something so simple like that. Now I hopefully can look forward to many more walks like that and then more playing and running around as he gets older - that was one of my main motivations for having this surgery. I usually take care of him a lot but he's been a sweet little baby and it involved holding rocking, feeding and bathing. Now that he's getting older I want to ready for more!

Today I also took a second 18 minute walk in the evening. No pain at all during these walks but muscle fatigue in quads and general fatigue due to being out of shape! I've got some work to do in that department but it will come in time. I also went to the drug store and picked up a few items - that was my first outing to any kind of store in 5 weeks. Felt good to do something so normal. In between all of this was rest and ice ice ice...ahh.

I'm also consistently needing pain meds during the day or even at night for that matter. Now the only time I take them is before PT to make sure I can work as hard as possible. My incision is a bit tender from rubbing against clothing. Not red or warm just sore. I wore a pair of jeans for the first time e after surgery on Sunday - they fit differently and literally rubbed the incision the wrong way. Back to exercise pants after that.

And finally I got the green light from OS to resume my sleep med since I don't take narcotics at night any more. I'm looking forward to a good nights sleep!


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Just re read my post. I meant to say I'm consistently missing my pain meds during the day and at night at this point.


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