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THR Pain In Posterior

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Hi Jon, I'm 10 weeks out now and still use a cane. Today I walked 3/4 mile home from the gym with the cane in my hand to work on my gait and balance. I will still use it this week on the stairs (200-300 to and from home via subway), but will work on transitioning off by week 12. I was told by the PA to keep it with me for a while after that in case I'm tired at the end of the day; mine folds up.

Good luck with the shopping; I'm impressed you enjoy it and I'm sure if your wife benefits greatly from your good taste! :)
 
Hi Jon, hope you enjoyed you shopping trip, my Hubby also enjoys shopping but I am not keen on him going as he throws everything into the trolley and it costs us a fortune :groan:

All i can suggest with the dizziness is try to remember to get up very slowly, I had a little bit of 'the loopies' as I call them post op but it only lasted a few weeks
 
9 weeks gone now, and possibly like many others at this stage, I wonder if i have made any improvement since week 7. Well I think that the "broken glass" feeling in the bum seems to have lessened, but I am still unable to sleep or even lie on my op. side at night. Definitely not the time to try and walk without a stick (crutch) but Tracy has given me confidence that this doesn't come quickly. For Annies information, the "loopies" seemed to have eased off a fare bit, I am not quite as dizzy when I sit up as I was. On the bright side, I don't have any aches or pains in the op. side when driving, but getting into and out of the car is a bit of a faffle, as I am following the PTs booklets instructions. Glad I am not a member of the distaff, as I'd certainly be showing off my "unmentionables" when doing that.:). Still, I think God that my condition is not nearly as bad as a lot of members of the forum. It puts my bellyaching into perspective.
 
Hi Jon....... great to read about your progress.....everyone is different but you are getting there in your own time and healing space.

I was off crutches totally week 5 but perhaps younger than you? Did not drive until week 8 and did not feel great the first week and was nervous..... since then have never looked back and now driving at least twice a week to my daughters a 45 min drive away to help her with the small children :)

Have only just (nearly week 14) begun to lie on the operated side for about half an hour or so with some discomfort but keep doing it as know it is good for operated hip........still spend vast amounts of time on my back ( growing to like this sleeping position!) and my other side with two pillows between my knees.

Have absolutely no pain or discomfort in my daily life and find myself doing things I perhaps should not...... that is how comfortable it all is!

Wishing you well on your journey :)
 
Par for the course, Jon. Two steps forward and one step back, and that will likely continue for the whole first year or so. You are just barely over two months post-op....still very early in the healing process. I could not sleep on my op side for even a few minutes until after 6 months or so. Being stuck on your back is awful, I know. That's the part I'm most dreading next week when I get my second hip done.

From here on out though, your two steps forward will start to seem like bigger steps, and the one step backward will not occur as often. Also, at 9 weeks I had cut down my meds significantly since I was doing so well. But since I was feeling so well, I was doing more, which put more strain on my need for meds. I had a predictable crash where I had to backtrack....rest more, medicate more, ICE more, and give myself time to catch up again. Are you still just using paracetamol? Are you pacing it out during the day and evening to give you the best relief? There are some good articles in the Bonesmart library tab that address pain control in detail....always good to review those if you feel that you are more uncomfortable than you should be.

I agree completely with keeping things in perspective. I am so thankful that my mobility issues can actually be fixed with this surgery. There are so many awful things happening to so many people; my little aches and pains are simply not a big deal. And yet....when the aches and pains are gnawing at us, they feel like big ones, and we need to find ways to cope. Coming here to ventilate, and get empathy, is a great way to cope!

Feel better soon.

Sharon
 
Sharon, you certainly have my admiration and empathy as you are to get your second hip done. You know what to expect which may well be worse than meeting the unknown. You must keep in contact with us as you progress. It is honestly a great comfort to have Poppy and yourself as well as all the other "hipsters" on this forum to chat to and hear their stories, and especially the advice and encouragement. I have in fact decided to stop taking any painkillers as I dont think I now need them, as all I now have is just an "ache" when I walk.
 
Hi Jon,
I have just read your thread and it sounds like you are doing just GREAT! I am amazed at how quickly you got back into driving-wow! And lovely for your wife that you like to shop!
It seems our bodies really tell us when we need our walking supports, so I wouldn't think twice if yours is still telling you to use one.
You know, I found I was able to sleep on my operated side quite easily by week 2 if I put one of those gel-ice bags (they are quite small) right under the part of the hip that hurt. I don't think it can be any icepack, it has to be one small enough to fit nicely. Actually the cold seemed to "penetrate" more and it felt heavenly. I am so full of sympathy for those who have orders on back sleeping only.
Best wishes to you on your healing journey.
Elle
 
Week 10...and now I CAN feel some improvement. I can now lie (very carefully and only for a short time ) on the op. hip. After a minute or two the ache when I lie on it recedes. I have found all your comments about continual use of the crutch very encouraging. Around the apartment I try not to use it, but still "waddle"!:). However outside, I find its essential. BTW, I am most fortunate that my wife already has a "Disabled Badge" for the car so can use it in car parks, but only when she is with me. I tried to get one for myself , a couple of years ago when I had been diagnosed with what the surgeon said was "Severe Arthritis in Both hips" but was turned down as it was not considered permanent by the Disabled Badge people. . Had it not been for the memsahibs badge then life when shopping would have been much more difficult. I wonder if anyone else tried and was rejected. The badge has to be renewed after a short time anyway so is not a permanent feature.
 
Jon, I have merged your two recovery threads. We prefer that members keep their updates, questions and concerns regarding their own recovery in a single thread. That way when people read, they get your entire recovery story in one place. It helps also when we provide comments to know your complete history.

If you prefer a thread title change, just let me know what you'd like and I'll make the change for you. It would also be helpful if you put a signature in your profile that tells your surgery date and what you had done. You can do that by mouse hovering over your username in the upper right of your screen and selecting Signature from the drop-down menu. JonD;
 
Hi Jon

I love reading your weekly updates. You sound like you are doing very well for your timeframe. Thrilled that you have a disabled parking ticket for your wife. I have one also and it is a godsend!

Jon, I love your sense of calm and peace and strength that comes through on all your posts, I truly love to read then.

I wish you continued steady progress :)
 
Well, week eleven has arrived and with a little surprise. Last night I awoke about 4am (toilet visit) and suddenly realised that I had been sleeping on the Op. hip.! I have a little sharp intermittent pain in the op area this morning, but am happy that I now have a choice of positions to sleep in. e.g. left (op.side) right side and back. Still using the faithful crutch to get around. Now a comment about whoever wrote the instruction which I was given bt the PT, about getting in and out of a car. The photos I have been given to assist me in doing this must have been taken when they were using a HUGE truck cabin. It shows a youthful gent swinging his parrallel legs straight out and into the car.....impossible. Certainly not possible in a UK car! I have to get my legs in one at a time with the knees bent. I think I might have solved that problem. My MINI is the convertible so I may just open the roof and climb in that way :angel:.
It is a great consolation to be able to read all the threads and so gain confidence that the healing process is going on even when I think it might have stopped. Combine that with the excellent advice from our forums professionals, and we have one of the most useful forums on the web.
 
Hi Jon, sounds like you are doing really well. Just catching up with your thread. You asked about getting a disabled badge. I too was rejected pre-op. I could hardly walk but they said my disability was temporary. :hairpulling: Cried for hours after that one! In the end I used the disable spaces when I needed to and left one of my crutches in the car. Many times I was the only truly disable person using the spaces!

I have a Smart car so I know a bit about getting in and out while maintaining restrictions. Here's broken link removed: https://oasis.vch.ca/education_media.htm I used to learn how. Scroll down to Managing Everyday Activities and then Getting in and out of the car. You will see the gentlemen who is demonstrating is quite tall and is getting into a small car. One trick I learned was using a wedge cushion covered with a shopping bag. The bag makes swiveling in and out so much easier.

Well done on your recovery!
 
Jon

I echo your thoughts abouth this forum. Aren't these folks super?

I am almost 11 weeks out. One of athe scariest things for me was getting in and out of the car. I avoided it completely for the first two weeks home from the hospital and did it only due to doctors visits during my first 8 weeks.

I finally decided to try using a pillow covered in a silky case, which allowed me to swing my legs into the car in tandem. Our car has reclining seats, so I put it ALL the way down for both getting in and out. I looked silly I'm sure, but managed it when I had to.

I bet the site Jaycey identifies above will help. If not, your alternative method sounds like it is working for you.

Wishing you continued and speedy recovery
Suki
 
Suki, I didn't try to use the car until I had been post op. 6 weeks. I was too terrified of the dreaded "dislocation" syndrome. I have just read Sharons comment in another thread " that healing continues for the first 18 months."..hmmmmmm that will sound about right; this is week twelve, and the repairing process seems to have slowed somewhat. However on improvement as I mentioned last week is that my op. side is now much less tender. I can easily (gently) turn over on it and go to sleep. Another slow improvement is that that "broken glass" feeling in my but I had when sitting down is much improved. When we opt for the hip replacement operation we often (well I didn't) realise all the side effects which come with the healing process. I am very glad I read Sharon's input as it actually gives me great encouragement. Possibly like many others I innocently thought that all would be well after 3 months! :) Well, here I am at that point and I still use the crutch. As I have been advised by the good people on this forum, we all have our own timescale for healing. As luck would have it, I ricked my back rolling out of bed the other morning:happydance: its on the opposite side to the op. repair so I can concentrate on that now.:gaah:
 
Jon, sorry you have ricked your back, ice that for sure or if you prefer a heat back may help your back more.

As far as sleeping on your op side and feeling a little discomfort, this is normal, I even find it at 8 months.. I am sure it will improve.

Yes, we seem to experience very noticeable improvements early in the weeks following surgery, but it is the pattern of improvement then it seems like it stalls. I still find that.

Sharon is so right, in fact I have always worked toward 90% recovered at 18 months, 100% recovered at 2 years! I have so many friends who have had THR's and they have all said the same about the timeframe.

Take care :)
 
I'm on my second hip. My first one was in January and went a lot easier and better than this one. I have had some set backs which have made me a bit frustrated and depressed. But, I keep telling myself that things WILL get better.

I was almost off the cane at this point the first hip ... but there is NO way I can think about giving it up at this point ... and probably not for quite a bit longer. I walk so lop sided without it. But, we will all get there ... it just takes patience. We all just need to keep plugging along.

So, if you need a cane or crutch ... then you need it. Everyone and every hip heals at its own pace. I've tried forcing things, and it gets me no where ... except backwards (yikes!).

Keep up the good work!

Dorothy
 
Rider, about the lop-side walk....I still have a "list to port" as the sailors would say. And I have seen from the many inputs to the forum that improvement comes in "fits and starts". Without this forum I would probably have sunk into deep melancholy, as I would have expected a very unreasonable speed in recovery. I have settled down to accept it will take longer than I expected initially, and will just get on with it. As you say Rider, sometimes I feel like it is going backwards! The rick in the back I have been treating with Ibuprofun and that seems to have done the trick. So the lesson is that I get out of bed very carefully now.:angel:
the odd ache or so which I feel in the Op. side when walking (with the crutch) I can put up with as I know it will eventually recede. Well hopefully !:)
 
Jon, are you still getting an ache when you walk? You indicated on July 6 that you stopped taking any pain meds. But if you are listing when you walk, you've either developed a bad habit that you need to unlearn, or you are still favoring your operated side because you're protecting it from pain. For the record, if it aches....that's pain. You can keep using the ibuprofen....and give a lot of thought to walking...with or without the crutch....with a normal gait. If your gait is off, it just makes you more prone to the other problems...like messing up your back all too easily. The point of this surgery....aside from relief from the bone-on-bone pain....is that it restores you to being able to walk with a normal healthy gait. Are you getting any PT? If so, what do they say? If not....can you get some for a few weeks to help you work on gait? I know there are strong differences in philosophy between the UK and the US on the PT issue. But if a few visits help you correct the gait and get you past this stuck place, I can't see the harm.

I'm going to tag Jaycey; and Jamie; to weigh in on this too. I'm no medical expert and I don't want to give you bad advice. But I am concerned when I hear about gait issues three months later.

Sharon
 
Hi Jon
Know what you mean about adjusting your timescales ... I had read that you could be back at work in 6 to 8 weeks and told my boss would be back in 6 weeks cos I am Superwoman! Well, I am just over 4 weeks now and can't imagine sitting all day at a desk let alone having the concentration as I am still struggling to sleep on my back.

My OS has told me to be partial weight bearing for six weeks so still on 2 crutches - but last week the physio got me to use them differently by swinging the opposite arm forward with the foot. i.e left foot and right arm forward together which is more like normal walking and seems to be making me walk in a more balanced way.

But glad all seems to be gradually coming together for you x.
 
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