[THR] Over the first hill...ready for the rest

[kfisher119]

Right THR was yesterday. It was long arduous day. I reported the hospital at 9:30 as instructed but didn’t get into surgery until after 3. I was so stressed and impatient, had a couple of emotional breaks and by the time they came to get me I didn’t care what they were going to do to me...I just wanted the waiting to end. Was not into a room until about 7 pm so no PT yesterday and I’m still waiting for them this morning. I couldn’t really do much last night, every time they got me up I’d feel lightheaded. This morning I walked to the bathroom. YAY!!! I was not really prepared for the intensity of the bone pain so I relented and took the oxy. Hoping for a good session with PT this morning and that I’ll be home later today.

 

[Layla]

Welcome to Recovery! Congrats on your new hip.
I'm sorry you had to wait so long at a time of such high anxiety. Thankfully it's now behind you.
Good news the lightheadedness has passed and you're up walking and will soon be on your way home.

Make sure you're icing as it truly helps with pain. There is an article on ICE in the Recovery Guidelines below.
Stop back often, we'll be here to offer support and encouragement as you begin the journey.
Happy Saturday!

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for THRs​

6. Access to these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications
Wound Closure​

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask the at each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice. @kfisher119

 

[Jaycey]

Welcome to the other side! Easy does it! Take your pain medication around the clock as prescribed for now. You need the meds to get mobile.

 

[Eman85]

I'd say the intense pain you felt wasn't bone, they threw the bad bone away. I did the same thing with not taking the pain pills, not a smart idea. I went for a walk post surgery and when I got to the room I was in PAIN and sweating! The next morning right after breakfast I took my pain pills and had no problem doing the walk and easy PT of walking up stairs and such.

 

[DEL2019Sep-7]

Welcome and a BIG congratulations to you. You had a less than positive start and came through. It's tough to wait long hours for an impending surgery but you did it! I know about the pain med thing. I really don't like taking pills and wanted to do with as little as possible. Good intentions but the pain, after surgery meds wore off, was much more than I anticipated. Ended up with pain in the high thresholds and it took awhile to get it under control and for me to find the right "cocktail" to keep it at bay. I'm glad I did that as it made getting up, doing minimal hall walking, etc. going to bathroom, etc. soooo much better. Pride doesn't belong in the hospital!! LOL You won't regret taking them either. It's not forever and today they're your friend.

Take care, continued healing

 

[Debru4]

For some reason I also was surprised by how much my leg hurt once the spinal from surgery wore off. I think I had been looking forward to surgery so much as a result of the debilitating pain I'd had for so long that I really didn't think much about how I'd feel after it was done.

My surgery was at 3:30 and when I took my first walk that evening I felt no pain. They let me take another walk a couple hours later and the stinging pain in my thigh was awful---I didn't expect that at all. And a few days later, I was also taken aback by the knee pain, and the butt pain! And soon I learned that that is how hip replacement recovery goes----a lot of ups and downs, and new/unexpected pains popping up here and there. Things that happen as a result of the trauma of the surgery, some that are common to most hipsters, and others that hit one person differently than another.

And yet, even with the roller coaster---the surprise twinges and pains, it was clear to me within a few days that the hip replacement was a blessing, and even with pain, it was still better than what I had been dealing with before. The first few days.....not much fun at all. I did not have a good start, but by day 5, things turned around, and my recovery went very well!Here's hoping you are now home and things are going well!

 

[Calgal]

Meds meds meds!!! Just do it. Stay ahead of the pain monkey, even when you get home. There is plenty of time to wean off. You've made it to recovery land and your future is bright, trust us.

 

[Mojo333]

Glad to see you on the healing side.
First days are rough, no doubt, but all temporary.
Healing hugs coming your way

 

[swimmer77]

Congrats on the new hip! I can't say I had a lot of pain. It felt more like a lot of stiffness. Reading the materials that I was "prescribed" in my recovery thread really helped. There are no steadfast rules except what your body is telling you.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery so that you can get back to doing the things you love. Heck, I love just folding wash now without that pain in my hip. LOL

 

[kfisher119]

Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone! I was able to clear PT yesterday afternoon and got home around dinner time. My family scurried around me offering to help and I was able to mobilize around the first floor and get upstairs for bed. I was aware of pain and stiffness all night in spite of taking medication and around 3 I just had to move. Under normal circumstances I would NEVER wake my sleeping bear of a husband but he helped me out of bed without a grumble and I got to the bathroom. I was more than hour overdue for more meds at that point so I was hurting. We have a reclining chair in the bedroom and I moved to the chair, took some medicine and slept the rest of the night. So while very achy and uncomfortable, I consider it a successful night. I did get much needed rest. Today my sister arrives and will be with me the next 5 days. She’s a nurse who has worked most of her career in the ER and ICU. I will be in very capable hands and I know she’ll get me on a med schedule that works. Friends have made a meal schedule and food is being delivered the next four days. I’m very lucky in my support system. My biggest challenge is that we have a 4 month old golden retriever puppy. I’m glad I have lots of hands for puppy wrangling here.

 

[gertie]

Welcome @kfisher119 It sounds like you have a great set up for recovery!

 

[Calgal]

To get your big ol' log leg out of bed without help, try using the belt from a bathrobe. I needed it getting out and into bed the first week or so. Really lets all your leg/hip muscles just concentrate on healing instead of working too hard!

 

[Elf1]

@kfisher119 sounds like you are doing relatively well at this point, welcome to the healing side, it does get better! You seem to definitely have a great support system and very lucky to have your own nurse. I'm sure your sis will take the best care of you. New puppy sounds like fun, something to distract you when having not so good a day and animals are really good at sensing when we're under the weather/injured. Have a great Sunday, sleep when you can, ice and elevate!

 

[Layla]

Hi,
It sounds like you're doing pretty well at home. Its definitely all hands on deck which must be comforting for you. Between hubs, your family, Nurse sister, and meal schedule arranged by friends, it seems you're in very capable and loving hands. A great way to start recovery. Stay in touch, I look forward to following your journey.
@kfisher119

 

[kfisher119]

I had a rough day today. It’s day 4 post op. I’m moving around a little better every day but today I went backward in pain level. PT at the hospital gave me a series of very simple exercises to do three times a day. I did one set Tuesday and had an increase in pain following the session. My surgeon had said “walking only, no pt” but I haven’t seen him post op so i’m not sure if that applies to this group of simple exercises. I did not do them yesterday but put in a call to his office that was not returned. This morning I was feeling noticeably better and could see my stride was opening up again. I did one session of the exercises and my condition crashed. Yesterday I was able to stay off the narcotics through the waking hours and that was my plan today. But, I ended up with significant pain from the incision but also in my hip, my knee, my inner thigh, and down the lateral side of my right shin. It’s an achy throbbing kind of pain. Has anyone experienced this? So i’ve taken 10 mg of medication. For me the narcotics settle the pain a bit but by no means eliminate it. Just wondering if my expectations are unrealistic.

 

[FayeL]

So sorry to hear of your rough day (and even sorrier to say how happy I was to read it and know I was not alone in my step backwards!) I am post op day 5 (R posterior THR) and 2 days ago, would have said "I got this thing- no problem!" Then yesterday morning- boom- thigh pain, butt pain and burning, groin pain - and I thought "What did I do wrong" "Did I get too cocky and try too much!" So I spent all day today on the recliner, discovering this wonderful online community (first time on today and first time joining anything like this!) and am so very comforted to know that all these aches, muscle pains, throbs and burns seem to be the rule, not the exception. I am also learning that there is a maddening diversity of advise about how much to do how soon- I received very little "official" guidance around what to do in the first phase of recovery (the first 3 weeks or so) from my surgeon and the hospital physio , who taught me how to get on and off the bed, walk with crutches and do stairs, gave me 4 bed exercises, 4 standing exercises (pretty straight forward stuff) and walking "as tolerated." May I ask what kind of guidance you received about how much you should be doing at this phase? Would love to hear!

 

[Eman85]

But, I ended up with significant pain from the incision but also in my hip, my knee, my inner thigh, and down the lateral side of my right shin. It’s an achy throbbing kind of pain. Has anyone experienced this? So i’ve taken 10 mg of medication. For me the narcotics settle the pain a bit but by no means eliminate it. Just wondering if my expectations are unrealistic.

Yes it's common, yes on the expectations too. There's plenty of guidelines and Layla always places them in everyone's recovery thread. Generally 6 weeks you see real improvement and 3 mos you're fully functional at 1 year you're close to full recovery but it still can be hurt and it still gets better.

 

[CricketHip]

I would back off on all of the recommended PT exercises, especially since your OS said to avoid them.
I had exercises recommended too, but other than the ones recommenced for helping circulation, I avoided.
Walking and normal ADL are enough, you aren't even a full week post op yet!
I suggest re-reading your recovery guidelines frequently to help you remain focused and avoiding the PT exercises this early in the healing process.
When I figured I was far enough in healing to do a bit of the exercises, I only did them once a day, certainly not three times daily.
It's also worrisome that you are already trying to go without your medication, it's really too soon for that, don't you think? It works much better if you stay on your schedule, you will then feel more of it's benefits and it will help you with your walking and keeping a good heel/toe gait.

Pain management and the pain chart​

Reminder:

"BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess."

You are very normal in what you're feeling. You just went through a very vigorous surgery, be kind to yourself.

 

[Layla]

Hi @kfisher119
I hope you're having a better day. Not only do I second CricketHips advice but I'd also try to use the Activity Progression for THR as a rough guideline to keep yourself from the ups and downs you're experiencing.
http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/
Let us know how you're doing when you have time. Until then....wishing you comfort!

 

[kfisher119]

Had a better day today. Walking with my walker is stronger and pain was manageable with Tylenol only. Thank you everyone who recommended slowing down. The activity progression guidelines seem pretty conservative but i’m Using the as a baseline from here on out. I think i’ll Know when I’m ready to push a little harder.