THR Oh my gosh, I think I am OK!

[sharonslp]

Hipgirl, are you still using any pain meds? Jo's cocktail might be very helpful for you. I found with my first hip that I needed to continue using meds for a full five months before I could taper off. My surgeon was very clear that healing continues for the first 18 months, so whatever pain you are experiencing now is probably just part and parcel of the huge trauma that this surgery is for our body. And as you say, when you have arthritis in many parts of your body, it becomes very hard to sort out what is recovery pain, what is referred pain, and what is just plain a brand new problem.

If walking without the cane hurts, use the cane. As for the incision, I am more than a year out on the first hip, and that incision still acts up now and again...out of nowhere it seems. Are you still icing? It would still be very useful for the incision pain.

So yes....rest, ice, elevate, and control pain. There's no magic date post-op when this regimen is no longer needed. There's a helpful article in the library...
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/pain-management-and-the-pain-chart.5349/

I'm not finding the article about Jo's cocktail, so I'm going to tag her to pop in here and mention it to you.
Josephine;

Sharon

 

[Josephine]

hipgirl, did you forget this?

surgeon said my femur bone was fractured and for that reason recovery would be longer.

as you had it done on April 16 that means you are a mere 15 weeks out which is nothing, still very very early days considering the fracture.

I am not sure if I am doing too much

Are you kidding me? When you put it in a list it reads like so
- a lot of puttering around the house,
- cleaning up
- cooking
- dusting
- laundry
- make bed
- wiping down in bathroom
- sweeping with one hand
- therapy

I hardly dare to ask what 'therapy' involves but I bet it's not spending about 6 hours a day resting!

Seriously, come on - you've not only had a hip replacement but a fracture as well, and you have an arthritic knee to cope with as well.

walk without the cane it hurts. Should I go back to my earlier exercises, the ones you do right after surgery?

Walking without a cane hurts because you're not ready for that. You had a fracture, remember? And the last thing you need right now is more exercise!

You know everyone said to me before my hip surgery, "you will have a brand new life"

Yes but, they were talking about a routine THR. Yours wasn't routine and didn't your surgeon warn you your recovery would take a long time?

I am so discouraged!!!! I just want to sit and cry or scream. I am sorry and feel ashamed as I know and keep telling myself there is so many people worse off than me, but someday that is not helping. I just feels like one step forward and two back and this knee is not making life easier.

What on earth are you ashamed of? Did you do this to yourself deliberately? Do you think you should still be the house mother regardless of your physical condition? Now I know you know those things are just stupid, aren't they?

The way to a better recovery is to do LESS not more. Your hip needs time to heal and recoup. I would like you right now to stop doing any housework of any kind. You can get yourself a cup of coffee or a snack and that's it! Let the family look after themselves AND YOU! You need it. You also need to read this The nurturing mother: how to let go and accept help. Never mind the dust bunnies, they are great little friends that tell you are looking after yourself!

I'd also like you to let me know all the activities you do in therapy, what, how much and how long.

 

[hipgirl]

hipgirl, did you forget this?as you had it done on April 16 that means you are a mere 15 weeks out which is nothing, still very very early days considering the fracture.
Are you kidding me? When you put it in a list it reads like so
- a lot of puttering around the house,
- cleaning up
- cooking
- dusting
- laundry
- make bed
- wiping down in bathroom
- sweeping with one hand
- therapy

I hardly dare to ask what 'therapy' involves but I bet it's not spending about 6 hours a day resting!

Seriously, come on - you've not only had a hip replacement but a fracture as well, and you have an arthritic knee to cope with as well.
Walking without a cane hurts because you're not ready for that. You had a fracture, remember? And the last thing you need right now is more exercise!
Yes but, they were talking about a routine THR. Yours wasn't routine and didn't your surgeon warn you your recovery would take a long time?What on earth are you ashamed of? Did you do this to yourself deliberately? Do you think you should still be the house mother regardless of your physical condition? Now I know you know those things are just stupid, aren't they?

The way to a better recovery is to do LESS not more. Your hip needs time to heal and recoup. I would like you right now to stop doing any housework of any kind. You can get yourself a cup of coffee or a snack and that's it! Let the family look after themselves AND YOU! You need it. You also need to read this The nurturing mother: how to let go and accept help. Never mind the dust bunnies, they are great little friends that tell you are looking after yourself!

I'd also like you to let me know all the activities you do in therapy, what, how much and how long.

 

[hipgirl]

Oh wow, Josephine you have completely opened my eyes...my family is very supportive and expects nothing from me, it was what I was expecting of myself and I am realizing now if I don't slow down my recovery will be even much much longer. For therapy, I stand holding on to a chair..bring knee up, bend leg up with foot going towards butt and bring leg out to side 20 to 30 reps at a time and then walk side ways starting with the surgical leg going first, I would do this going from kitchen door to patio doors and back, the length of my kitchen is about 17 feet, oh and standing in one spot doing a small march,I would do these two to three times a day and also practicing my walking without the cane up and down my hall and then sometimes a outside walk but just a short one. Not to mention shopping off and on and the chores I listed...oh my! Since coming off my pain meds from surgery I use the odd bit of tylenol or advil. My joints were doing pretty good until after surgery, someone told me that sometimes surgery can send you into a flare, not sure how true that is, so my rheumy has put me on plaquinil but I think I need to be back on a anti inflammatory daily, which I am calling my doctor back on. Thank you so much for opening my eyes, it is so appreciated xox

 

[hipgirl]

Hipgirl, are you still using any pain meds? Jo's cocktail might be very helpful for you. I found with my first hip that I needed to continue using meds for a full five months before I could taper off. My surgeon was very clear that healing continues for the first 18 months, so whatever pain you are experiencing now is probably just part and parcel of the huge trauma that this surgery is for our body. And as you say, when you have arthritis in many parts of your body, it becomes very hard to sort out what is recovery pain, what is referred pain, and what is just plain a brand new problem.

If walking without the cane hurts, use the cane. As for the incision, I am more than a year out on the first hip, and that incision still acts up now and again...out of nowhere it seems. Are you still icing? It would still be very useful for the incision pain.

So yes....rest, ice, elevate, and control pain. There's no magic date post-op when this regimen is no longer needed. There's a helpful article in the library...
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/pain-management-and-the-pain-chart.5349/

I'm not finding the article about Jo's cocktail, so I'm going to tag her to pop in here and mention it to you.
Josephine;

Sharon

Thank you so much Sharon for your input and for getting Josephine, she has certainly made me see the light xox

 

[Desiree]

Gosh Hipgirl, I know how you feel. Recovery IS hard, because it's unpredictable, so whine away... I get it.

I feel as though my recovery process is a roller coaster and there are great days, good days, mediocre days and downright crappy days. And I'm never quite sure what I'm going to get. Today is a particularly crappy day for me, so it feels like the world is caving in on me, but last Sunday was great and I felt great confidence in my recovery process.
So I try to ride this recovery wave as gracefully as I can, and I do that by making use of my resources... this board for support and comfort, meds for the bad days, rest, family, friends.
I think the trick is to expect change and uncertainty. To expect and know that there will be good days and bad days. To just know that it's a part of the journey and say, 'ok, this is what it is right now, and it will eventually get better, but right now, I just have to roll with what is, and support my body in its healing process as best as I can.'
Everything else feels counterproductive to me, and just makes me anxious and frustrated and sad (and the pain worse!).

Relief will come, eventually, your body is just needing more time, more rest, more ???? You know best.
Hope that tomorrow will be a much better day for you.
And remember, the rest of us are riding the wave with you, we get it, so don't worry about whining. We've all been there.

Be good to you.

 

[tashia]

Welcome to the forum. I didn't read all your posts but it does sound like you need to take a easy. I know its hard to do but your full recover is going to be harder if you don't. When I had my first knee done I didn't do it right and I am still having problem with it. If you start hurting, Please stop whatever you are doing. Take care of yourself, you are important. Tashia

 

[hipgirl]

Hi Anniepops, I have started to read through this posting but only got part way through...it may take me a while. However, I really need to chat with you, it seems from what I had read so far has been much like my recovery. I am four months post op, hip replaced due to arthritis, used walker for the first 6 weeks at 50% weight bearing, had a fractured femur bone. Had a pt come to our home for the first few weeks and at 3 months post op had a visit with my surgeons pt, he gave me additional exercises, besides walking I do side steps, walk sideways operated leg going first, side stretches op leg, stretch leg out straight up and back behind me while standing, lay on bed and do the crab as he calls it (bring knees up and let legs fall to side.) I still use a cane, can only walk very short distances without it, like about 12 feet at the most and sometimes have to stop, and with that I still limp, feel unstable and leg feels week. I still can not get off low things, still using a riser on my already taller toilet. I feel as though I am not doing enough to increase muscle but not sure what else to do safely and for at least the past month and half I don't feel any progress. I don't see the the surgeons pt for another 2 months. On top of this I have a flare in my knee on the non operated leg, which somedays is so painful. Sometimes when I walk Or do therapy I feel clicking, which from what I understand is due to muscle weakness and at times it feels like my knees are touching or almost while walking. I find myself always explaining why I am still using a cane to others. Somedays I don't feel like life is what I consider normal for what is normal for me, like I am in limbo still, I am so tired of using this cane, my shoulder kills laying on it at night and that's the side I have to sleep on, still can't sleep on my operated side. Could you please share with me, your ups and downs and how your doing now. I guess I am looking for reassurance and encouragement and know I am not alone
Hugs
Hipgirl aka Janet......THIS WAS A POST TO ANNIEPOPS BUT IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT I ADD IT TO MY THREAD!!!​

LTHR APRIL 16, 2012....Arthritis and Muscle Disease since age 6
LTKR JULY, 1997

 

[bottomshollow]

hipgirl, here is your thread. You can always find your threads and posts by going to your profile page and clicking on "Information" then scroll down and you will see where you can select all posts started by you or all thread started by you.

 

[sharonslp]

Oh good, Hipgirl. Now I remember reading all this. It's so helpful to see it all in context. Jo had responded to you back on July 23rd. So looking back at that post, have you been able to get yourself resting significantly more? And what are you doing for pain relief? You mention your rheumatologist and plaquenil, so I am inferring from that that you have some auto-immune issues besides osteoarthritis. That does complicate things, doesn't it? Did you get back on an anti-inflammatory, and has it helped at all? Have you been able to see any progress in the month since the 7/23 posting? Do you want Jo tagged again?

Sharon

 

[hipgirl]

Hi Sharon, yes the doctor put me on plaquinil, however I have spent much of my life taking control drugs and most times felt better off them. I am searching other more natural ways. The rheumy said I have rheumatoid arthritis and did have a muscle disease that is in remission but has left its remnants which is muscle weakness especially the top part of my legs, like I could never get down on a floor or sit and soak in a bath tub, normal for me and now he has told me I have osteoporosis which really frightened me. I take advil and tylenol as needed. The hip doesn't give me a great deal of pain, just I tiny bit of discomfort off and on, my opposite knee is the trouble maker. I had my left knee done 15 years ago and bounced back so quick, I guess I was expecting the same with my hip but it is what it is, at least I'm not in agony with it anymore.
Thank you Sharon

 

[Anniepops]

Hiya Janet, I see Judy has kindly copied your post onto here, your own thread too. Its good to keep everything together during our recoveries. Hope you have worked out how to find your own thread now

I am sorry to hear you are feeling a bit despondent, this recovery business can really be difficult can't it. You have had quite a rough time of it what with your fracture etc and so your recovery is going to take somewhat longer than the average. Four months is still quite early out and I wasn't very far along at four months comared to some others but I just continued with the home PT hoping for an improvement. It does sometimes feel as if the exercses arn't doing much but I do believe that even the most gentle exercise can only benefit us so it would be good if you can do a little every day, only what feels comfortable and nothing which causes you pain. It's very good that your hip isn't causing you pain any more.

I used two crutches until about four months then one crutch for a good few weeks after if you need it then you need it. It has nothing at all to do with anyone else whether you use a stick or not. If people mentioned it to me I would say my operation was more complex than a standard hip replacement which meant a longer recovery. That usually shut them up

Have you tried icing your sore knee? That might help. My knees knock together when I walk and that is because of my left one turning inwards still. I'm hoping strengthening exercises might correct this.

I sincerly hope you improve at a nice steady rate.Someone is always here to support you and answer any if your concerns.

Take care

Ann

 

[Poppet]

Sorry you are having a rough trot Janet, recovery is one step forward two back .. I do hope you can reverse that saying soon.

Hope your knee is feeling better

 

[VThereandnow]

On July 23rd, after hearing from Josephine, you said you "saw the light" . Not to be funny but that really was only a month ago. I know it is difficult to accept the pace of our healing ( believe me, I have struggled with it too ) and that sometimes it seems we are making no progress. The hip is the core of your body. So many things are affected and involved when trying to recover. ...and you had the additional fracture to boot. Is it possible to try any water therapy? There was a point for me that there were only certain excercises I could do because the hip was too weak and those did not seem to be moving me forward. Getting in the water felt so supportive and yet actually helped strengthen my hip enough to do other land things.

Ah, the embarrassment of the cane. It is so darn silly yet I KNOW it well. My surgery was in March and I can now walk about 5 or 6 blks before using my cane and don't use it at home anymore, but just today, this very day, I met a neighbor ( we are newer in the area) and I felt the need to say something about my surgery so she knew why I was using the cane. After I walked away I thought " what is wrong with me?". Obviously I would not be using it if I didn't need it and the same goes for you. There is no shame in it, it is our own warped thinking my friend would you (or I) judge someone else? Enough said

Look at my signature. It is just not the end. Take it easy on your self. As a wise woman (Cardie) told me, you can't shame yourself into getting better quicker. ...and another friend of mine told me, if you keep living in the things you cannot do, you will be living in a constant state of misery. Hang in there and I will surely be sending you some peaceful healing energy
Cathy

 

[Poppet]

Tell yourself it is a marathon, not a sprint - slow and steady wins the race... Jo always says that hips have a way of working out for themselves.. You will get there, best to not have too high an expectation from the start.

I always thought:

90% recovered by 12 months
100% recovered by 18 months.. so at 9 months, I am still only 50% recovered..

helps me not to get too discouraged when I have a little set back or a sore muscle pops up out of no where!