THR not what I expected

[Constanze]

Did your doctor at that June appointment not address the heterotopic ossification? If so, what does he suggest? I can't believe they just ignore it. What kind of medical professionals are they? I'm still wishing you that you'll get better one day. This is unacceptable. Please carry on reporting on bonesmart.

 

[Mr.fun]

@Hip4life @Constanze I was prescribed nalroxen 3 a day for three months for HO. from my understanding most get some form of HO but it doesnt effect the patient. My xray shows 2 little dots. I am skeptical that it Is the HO causing the pain. I am waitng for a bone scan (june 12)and an MRI. surgeon keeps saying to be patient. How I feel now is not how I will feel forever. He assumes that I am a slow healer. He has sent me to his colleague for a second opinion. I laughed and said thats a little biased. Doctor responded that he wants me to be healthy and that he will send me to who ever I want to go see. Just give him the names and he will refer me. I dont think he has anything to hide and truly wants me to feel better. My surgeon has has a hip replacement 2 yrs ago. He can relate to all the zings and zaps we get from healing. I am still off work because my job is dangerous. I have gotten better but still I am not happy with where i should be at this point. Not to be insulting but it really is perspective over reality. if i was 70 using a walker before surgery and after surgery I can walk go up and down stairs,drive my car. pain at 3 most days maybe I would b happier. however i cant put shoes or socks on yet pain at a 3. this is unacceptable

 

[Constanze]

You're absolutely right. It's unacceptable. Keep on fighting for getting better!

 

[Mr.fun]

6 months yesterday.
I feel the pain is getting better. around a 2-4 on the pain scale. ROM still sucks. Hip flexor is still tight. I am still not able to put shoe or sock on OP side. Impingement feels like it is under the scar (anterior approach) when I bring knee to chest. Sit to stand maybe a bit better. Not as many stutter steps. easier to get in driver seat. If I get in passenger side I am unable to reach and close the door.
Off to my 2 stage bone scan 9am and noon. I see surgeon aug 17 for results and 6 month follow up. Im still waitng for MRI appointment

 

[Constanze]

Hi @Mr.fun , I'm happy to read an update from you, and that the pain is subsiding a little. I hope you'll get answers from your appoint in August and an MRI appointment, soon. Are you working again, yet?
Take care
Constanze

 

[Mr.fun]

Hi @Constanze
Im still off. I will be probably going back to work in the next month. Not by choice but money is getting squeezed from being off a lot longer. I see surgeon Aug 17th and will decide at that time. I am not at all happy with the out come of this hip so far. when I sit in the passenger seat of my car I cant even reach in the glove box to grab my sun glasses because of the impingement. I cant lean forward. Extremely frustrated!!

 

[Constanze]

Hi @Mr.fun. It seems such a shame. It looks as if they did mess up your OP, or could heterotopic ossification have such drastic effect such as not being able to put socks on or reaching your sun-glasses in the glove compartment of the car? I'm not familiar with heterotopic ossification. It seems very unusual. What do your physicians say? Let us know the result of your appointment on 17th. Best - Constanze

 

[Mr.fun]

@Constanze In my opinion the HO diagnoses is what he is tyring to use as an escape. I had impingement right out of surgery. I could not even lift my leg to walk into my walk in shower. It got better until it didn't at 5 weeks. Thats when I feel the hip flexor pain ramped up. Now I feel like the pain is a little better. But I am not doing anything but walking. Stretching and rubber bands to strengthen irritates it more. Its weird because if I sit in a chair, op leg straight on floor and lean forward no impingement as soon as I bend my knee, foot flat on floor (pinch pinch pinch). I should have breezed through this. Im 46 weigh 170 at 11% body fat. I workout 5-6 days a week. Surgeon says that doesnt matter your body doesn't like trauma. You're a slow healer. He says it will take me longer. in my mind I say its a year recovery. Thats what other hippies keep saying on here too but the other half of my brain says hip is messed up. Surgeon is either going to be my best friend in a year or punched in the nose for wasting a year of my life.

 

[Eman85]

With my right I could easily bend over and touch the floor as long as I kept my right leg straight. As soon as I bent the knee the pull at the bottom of my butt was terrible and I could not bend. I could not sit and reach my foot ye I could stand and if I kept my right leg straight I could tie my shoe. To this day I can feel tenderness in that spot with certain movements.

 

[Mr.fun]

@Eman85 interesting you say that. im guessing you had a posterior procedure. I had RTHR anterior and it feels like its jammed underneath the scar or just to the left of it. In the crease of leg. I can not lift my knee high enough to get my pants or shorts on.

 

[nasruddin]

The location of your impingement is interesting to me. I had anterior also & had the same problem of lifting the leg right after surgery. That was one of the few strength exercises I worked on, So I could go up & down steps & get in the shower. My ROM is good right now, not perfect, but not stressing it any further for a couple weeks. Also that feeling of fullness at the top of the incision/near attachment is gone.

I wonder if yr dr is right & your healing did take a faulty turn into HO. Just wondering out loud.

 

[Eman85]

I had posterior FWIW, the tightness isn't near the scar, quite a bit below it. In my thread I tried to explain it, the feeling was as if there was a rope from my shoulder to just below my right butt cheek if I bent my knee the slightest bit. I could not force through it and I could not bend if my leg was bent. With my left I remember distinctly taking a shower just past 6 weeks and giving it a shot to reach my feet and I did but had a very odd sensation when I did and afterwards for some time. It was like I tore stitches in there or something.
No matter how routine this surgery is talked about or has become it is VERY INVASIVE. After all they actually remove our leg from our body, rotate it 90*, chop off the head of the femur and drive a railroad spike in, then ream the pelvis and in my case drive 2 screws into the pelvis and then put us back together and in my case no external stitches and my scar is a barely noticeable pink line. I'll take my muscle pains over the deep bone ache and lack of sleep I had and go on. I waited to have my surgeries for many reasons and one was to time it so I could never have to go back to work if I couldn't or didn't want to.

 

[nasruddin]

'll take my muscle pains over the deep bone ache and lack of sleep I had and go on.

Amen to that!

 

[Mr.fun]

@nasruddin are you able to put shoes and socks on your affected side???

 

[nasruddin]

Yes - got there in about a week - 10 days.

Not perfect - I can’t do a straight leg touch toes yet - not working on that stretch either
- I can reach ankles. Then I have to pick up the surgery side foot a bit for footwear.

 

[Debru4]

I just saw your latest posts and went back to read your whole story. I can only imagine how overwhelmed you must feel, especially given your age and fitness level.

Something I have noticed is how unpredictable recovery is---people who have both hips replaced report different experiences for each, even when done at the same time. Some people have pretty smooth sailing, and others can't seem to catch a break.

I am impressed with how you are staying on top of things, keeping track of progress/lack of progress, and not losing all sense of perspective. That's huge! I was glad to hear that you are on the waiting list for a 2nd opinion, and that additional tests were ordered. Hopefully whatever they find will come with options to address the myriad of issues you are dealing with. Hang in there......

 

[Mr.fun]

@Debru4
yes it is very frustrating going through surgery and not recovering properly. I see OS this thur (17) second opinion Nov 23. I am still searching for other surgeons to meet with. My pelvis on that side feels like the Implant has thrown it out of proper alignment. The NEW hip does not want to track the same. It starts to twist when I squat. My leg twist. If that makes sense. Pulls my weight to the right. After I sit it takes awhile after I walk to work its way back in place. If that makes sense. My right leg feels shorter as well. All these issues are new from surgery. This will take yrs to sort out now. I have informed the sergeon I am a walking billboard for his lousy work.
P.S I will alway post info/progress around the 8th of every month.

 

[Hip4life]

It does seem that the wheels of investigation are slow to turn, unfortunately. Best wishes for your appointment tomorrow. We'll be looking forward to your update.

 

[Elf1]

@Mr.fun sorry you're not recovering as quickly as hoped. Hoping your appointment tomorrow will give you and the surgeon some insight as to what is going on. It can be so frustrating trying to find answers. I had bursitis pretty much from the get go and that stuff hung around long after a year. Its good that you're going to get a second set of eyes to look at your case, they may see something your OS misses. Fingers crossed tomorrow goes well.

 

[Hippielife]

I think sometimes hip replacement surgery has the misconception that it‘s just a joint replacement in and out of surgery like the million dollar man. We are not robots we have human tissue ligaments muscle and nerves that require time to adjust and recover. Our bodies have been thru a tremendous trauma.

Most people do not realize the extent of how complicated it is removing bone, the whole hip ball joint while replacing with metal components and what it really encompass. Also the impact the implant component has in the femur joint, all these components are new to our bodies . The assault on the areas surrounding the new joints takes time to adjust and recover. Patience is important , it takes the body 8-10 months for short term healing that’s walking going about normal daily tasks. In some cases up to 12-16 months for long term healing , when there is little to no pain or adjustments. General body movements are back to normal.

Normal reaction and recovery to THR surgery is painful which includes nerves, tissue, tendons, muscle and swelling , to name a few. The new components need time to realign with our bodies. Some times many patients over think what they are experiencing and feeling. Mostly due to the surgeons inability to have a conversation to prepare patience ahead of time about the importance of totally explaining each recovery phase and process after THR. And there are many. This also sets the patients up for disappointment when they don’t feel they are healing fast enough and discover that they are coping with all types of pain and recovery issues. Not realizing that it is generally normal recovery after hip replacement phases and unaware of what they are experiencing is normal.

There are new signals that are sent to our brains which are delayed at first response while adjusting to the new hip and femur components. Walking helps train the brain to recognize the new function and reestablish new brain pathways . Also important to establish a good heel to toe walking gate during recovery.

Usually after 12 months most patients are glad they had THR surgery . The pain and recovery is long forgotten. Mobility and lifestyle has improved 100%. And life is accepting what we can change and knowing what we cannot one day at a time.