THR One week post THR right side

[rugmankc]

@rugmankc Hi, I can't comment on most of your questions as I'm only coming up to 2 weeks post-op bilateral THR myself. However, you mentioned dark urine early on, I'm drinking significant amounts of fluid all the time and I'm still getting that issue, I suspect mine is due to the meds as opposed to the fluid volume, did yours ever clear up?

Sounds like you have a good handle on the recovery, long may it continue.

Urine color ok after water increase. But, I am on 2 iron pills a day. Maybe that was part of issue.

 

[rugmankc]

Sounds like you are doing great! Keep up the great recovery!
I actually tried my good side about 5 times last night. I could only last a few minutes, but see progress. I put two pillows between my knees and roll on the good side. Pillows are my best friends!

I am considering trying that, tired of sleeping only on my back. Just hesitant for obvious reasons. May consider going upstairs to our regular bed. Medical bed was just a place to stretch out during day so I didn't have to make too many trips up the steps early on. Worked great during my back surgery recovery.

 

[rugmankc]

I think your doing great!! I am 31/2 weeks post op and I was doing about the same as you at week two. I also was feeling more comfortable with the walker at that week as well.
I have to say my PT said I was well ahead of the game and so at week 3 I woke up, it was a Monday morning built up my confidence and grabbed that cane and off I went! I think you will see significant change at week 3.
I've been walking with the cane ever since sometimes I forget to grab it and then walk with no help at all!
Yes, the muscle groups will feel what I say when people ask they feel "sore and swollen" but I know if I keep at it and walk they will get strong again and the pain will subside.
You doing great!!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

I think you are right on week 3. I just kinda of feel it--

I will try the cane a little more.

 

[rugmankc]

Are you under any restrictions such as not past 90 degrees? If so, you should not be vacuuming or putting pants on without a reacher. You are only 2 weeks out of major surgery. Allow your body to heal and please don't worry about any chores at this point. Patience my friend!

No weight bearing limits and never go past 90 degrees. I can get each leg up just enough to put foot in leg hole without approaching the 90 mark. Chores are very easy/reachable and in slow motion, so to speak. Don't have any low energy, just the opposite a lot of times. Kinda went same way with back.

I will be interested to how my week 3 update post goes. Fingers crossed.

 

[Jaycey]

If you are under 90 degree restrictions pillow between legs if you are going to sleep on the non-op side. Easy does it on the chores. Lot of energy is used in PT. This doesn't necessarily show up the first time you try doing chores.

I too suffer from lower spine issues. Just go easy. Slow and steady. My first THR really aggravated my lower back. Second - not really a problem. Slow and steady!

 

[rugmankc]

I have been real happy with my lower back since surgery. Not sure why it hurt this morning, but gone now.

I did have lower back pain and what felt like SI Joint pain for quite some time prior to surgery. Wasn't sure if it was referred from hip. Didn't really get images of them since I knew hip needed done. So, was hoping the hip surgery would resolve all. At this point it seems it has. Hoping that once I am thru this recovery my back and hip will be much more usable than they have been for many years. I still have scoliosis issues in lower spine so will have long term lifting limits. But at my age it won't effect the things I need to do around the house and yard. Only the 50lb water softener salt bags. But, have family to help there.

 

[rugmankc]

End of week 3 and pain runs 1-3 on scale of 10. PT gives me new and more aggressive exercises each week. Next week is their last one to the house. Don't intend to go beyond that. Will take what they gave me and continue to do more sets. I don't do the exercises at the level they want. But, what I feel comfortable with. Like maybe only one set instead of 2 to 3. Still do the 20 reps within the set though. Will probably be off pain meds after this week. Am getting the Hurricane cane tomorrow and start weaning off walker. My 95 year old mother-in-law loves the one we got her when she fell and broke her hip. I use a cane when I get to top of steps and get the second walker we keep up there. No issues with that on short distances.

KcSweet1975, I know what you mean on the cane and not needing it. I have walked without any aid a few times. Just within a confined area and tables, counters nearby. Including wife. At this point I guess one gets anxious for faster recovery, "hurry up"

First Post Op went good. Hardware is well planted and I have a 1 mm leg length difference. DR said I won't notice that. He pressed down on my thigh very hard to test movement. From 7 years of limping, I guess I have a lot of work to do to get the full gait, posture back. Shortened muscles to be stretched back out. I see this taking months or more. Not buying into aggressive PT will resolve all that in a much shorter time. Going with moderate PT and pushing as I feel able to. Maybe wrong, but can adjust if I need to. Lovonox shots end tomorrow--

One question on leg length. It may be only 1mm by computer. But, visual is different. And I don't any swelling externally. When I stand straight up on bad leg the other one swings underneath with maybe 1/8 inch clearance, maybe less. When standing on good leg the bad one catches floor. Can not straighten out without raising up on good one. Hope this makes sense. PT thought maybe internal swelling was causing extra length in bad leg. Possible, I guess. Anyone have that issue when Dr says computer measurement shows a very acceptable offset. Not sure how that will impact my current Pt to get gait back.

My next Post Op is 10 Sept. I would like to drive with my wife in car and and only have cane for minimal support, if needed at all. Dr said 4-6 weeks on driving and obviously off drugs. Will probably call him to ok the driving. Back to work at 8 weeks, hopefully. Just some goals, they may or may not happen.

 

[Buddhabear]

Sounds like you are doing great but at 5 weeks I just went through a minor set back last week and posted my experience here. Josephine gave me a nudge to reread the articles and there is one on activity progression. We really should be doing less than we think. It has been a beautiful summer in New England and all I want to do is get out in my garden. So for a while I'll just go sit in it!!
And Jaycee is right, hard as it is, leave the housework. I am consciously slowing down to just gentle exercise with my PT and walking. Might be further along if I hadn't pushed it last week.
And I felt better with the walker when I was where you are too, and I still use the cane.
I also still ice a lot.

 

[rugmankc]

Buddhabear, sorry about your setback. Hope you quickly recover. Yes, we are all different in how we will respond to PT. Lot of factors to consider. I am not saying no PT, but I feel we each know our bodies better than a PT. Not condemning them either. Mine have been very understanding and do not push if I feel a particular exercise may not get the 20 reps 3xday they want. I will still do them, just at my pace. The latest pains from the most recent, new exercises have been subsiding. So, I feel good with my personal pace. I still get stiff sitting in one chair too long, so try to move between the recliner, computer chair, and an occasional bed rest. My energy level is still very good.

I am also looking forward to the landscaping and getting the reciprocating saw back out and continuing my tree limbing.

Just got back from lunch with my wonderful wife at a nice sit down restaurant. All went well. Great to get out--

My only concern at this point, fingers crossed, is the leg length discrepancy. I think it will balance out to some degree.

 

[agileHippie]

@rugmankc so happy your recovery is going well. Don't fret now about LLD. You are very early on, and the tissues around the implant are still settling. Outward swelling (or lack of it) is not an indication of what is going on inside.

If your OS is happy, that's the best indication you can have at this point. You are still healing, so things are bound to settle over time.

 

[rugmankc]

Thanks agileHippie,

I am hoping for that, and yes he seems very happy with progress. Each day now I seem closer to just wanting to start walking. Know that is not happening yet, but nice to have the feeling. Hopefully the LLD as you call it will subside.

 

[agileHippie]

I was going to refer you to the post-op articles at the beginning of your thread, but it looks like you were inadvertently given the knee articles, not the hip articles.

Here is one about LLD:
broken link removed: https://bnesmart.org/forum/threads/leg-length-differential-lld.6173/

Maybe @Jaycey can pop back in and leave the hip articles for you to read in your spare time.

 

[rugmankc]

Thanks for link. I have read some articles on it. Will readdress with OS on the 10th.

 

[rugmankc]

Pt today and doing great. I am comfortable with Hurrycane and will ween myself off the walker this week. Doing more load bearing exercises.

 

[rugmankc]

Last in home PT today. One month post op will be this Monday. Today I walked fairly quickly around my court. With cane. Some of the steps I had cane off ground as in not using it. Also, walked up my steps to second floor, one step over the other as one would normally do. Only used rail, although not sure i needed it. Walker is no longer needed.
I expect maybe one to two weeks more on cane then off of it.

I have learned to ice right after these changes in exertion, increased activity as opposed to an hour or two later. It helps by days end. I would always put it off, a procrastinator.

My progress seems on average per my PT. So, for those of you just starting post op, I would hope for the same if not better.

 

[rugmankc]

Is there a positive, in-home test for subluxation. Not wanting to go to ER or make appt with OS yet. I have an appt 10 Sept already scheduled.

My progress thru week 3 was great. And, starting week 4 I was on the cane and walking a good clip with the cane which for a few steps at a time did not need to be touched to ground. . Was able to bear full weight on operated leg with minimal discomfort. Could walk short distances in a room with out cane, but not real stable. My PT I did at my pace and don't feel I overdid. Followed the 3 NO's.

The last few days some things happened that may have set me back a bit. A couple of times I felt a sharp twinge in my thigh when turning my walk direction. Never happened before and didn't last. Last Wed I had the walk I described above around 3/4 of my court. Friday PT had me walk up and down steps without assistance although I had't really started that particular exercise yet. Thought that was too aggressive, but I did it fairly well. PT then before leaving did some manual stretches on my leg to measure range of motion compared to day one. Laying flat on bed he pulled operated leg out to side a good ways and with leg pulled in toward buttocks pulled my knee outward. None of these caused any severe pain and I felt good.

But, that evening and thru today I now get that sharp pain on occasion. More pain in hip joint and can not put as much weight on operated leg. Also, have pain down leg to foot occasionally. It is hard to separate these pains as I am still early in recovery and this may be a normal progression. They just don't feel right compared to earlier pains.

I have tried to sleep on good side a couple times with a pillow. But while sleeping it is hard to know if you did anything wrong. Never was awakened in pain while on side. I thought maybe the steps, but I have no weight bearing restrictions. And, have heard no popping noises. Although, I don't no if I would on a subluxation. And, no intense, short lived pain that may have been the subluxation. Don't see any significant increases in swelling.

Just wondering if anyone else experienced something like this. Am thinking maybe overworked hip and muscles got set back a bit. Or, a minor shift in ball that may have pushed on muscles, ligaments healing around it.

More depressing than anything else when things were moving along. I can still walk with or without cane and bear the weight. Just not as good as a week ago.

Taking a couple days of rest then mild PT on my own with easy walking. If no better in 3 days may get an Xray/CT.

 

[CricketHip]

Oh no! I can't give any answers but I can give you some sympathy and say that somewhere I read something by one of the BS moderators that it would be terribly painful if it were dislocated so I am guessing the same goes for subluxations. Especially since you can walk and bear some weight on it. sorry you had a set back..

 

[rugmankc]

Thanks Cricket

Yeah def not dislocated. On subluxation think it just moves partially out and back in. It may not hurt a lot but I think the healing muscles ligaments around the socket may be damaged and need to reheal. Swelling would be present. Not sure on all that. Lot of possibilities. If it gets no worse and seems to improve even slightly, I will wait till I see OS on 10th.

My Dr was very animate on the solidity of the implants. So hoping it was just too much too soon on a muscle, ligament etc. At 3 weeks I was doing light housework. Wasn't told I couldn't. Problem is when moving around you can lose sight of what the operated leg is doing and could move it incorrectly.

I still have mixed feelings on PT and think with us all being different in healing, it may be hard for them to know just how much to push.

It seems there is too many subtle ways to undo things. In this regard I found my back surgery recovery easier. Pain was much more. But, I was doing more and driving at four weeks. I do get impatient though and want things to move faster than they will.

So will back off PT stuff for a few days and get back to healing.

 

[Poppet]

@rugmankc - just dropping in to give you the following information to browse through.

The first is a link to an article which provides the science regarding the healing process beneath and around the implant and the approximate healing timeframes.

Healing Phases & Nutrition

This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting, including one relating to bone health.

Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery

This third link refers to my ongoing research..

nutritional-snippets-did-you-know

Feel free to tag me if you have any questions regarding nutrition.

 

[AndyH99]

@rugmankc Hi, I believe I've had experience of something close to the subluxation problem you are referring to. A couple of days after getting home from hospital I went sideways on my left hip, literally from upright to having my left leg giving way and my whole body weight hinged sideways, the wrong way, over the hip. The way I described it at the time was a near dislocation event as I felt everything flex inside my hip but somehow I caught myself before the horrendous pop occurred. After my wife and stepdaughter got me back in my chair with my offending hip ice packed & me suitably calmed we did phone the OS outpatient help line and were assured that whilst my experience may have been extremely painful if I had experienced a subluxation or full dislocation we wouldn't be having the phone call as I'd already be in the ambulance!

Drama aside, the pain around the IT band, hip flexors and thigh muscles was rather severe for a few days and I lived with ice packs in a comfy chair with both legs elevated ( bilateral btw), following that I had to be very careful with the left leg as it settled down again. Even now at the 4 week mark it feels like it's behind my other leg in progress and I have to take a little more care with certain movements.

I hope that description helps in some small way & that you're not going through the pain I did as I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Please don't take it the wrong way but I'm hoping you've just suffered from an over zealous PT and it will ease with some TLC. Good luck and I'd be really interested to know how things develop.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum