THR Need recommendation for SF Bay Area Kaiser surgeon

lullingly

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Hello fellow hip replacement buddies,

I'm 35 years old and I had a THR nearly three weeks ago. My situation is unusual because I had 8 surgeries as a kid to fix congenital hip dysplasia, so my surgery was complex. They had to use screws to attach the socket prothesis . I've been told I'll be 30lbs flat foot weightbearing for 6-12 weeks.

My other special circumstance is that I have two small kids, ages 1 and almost 5. I have my mom helping out with the kids whenever my partner can't be here, which is most of the week. But it's tough! And not knowing if it will be 3 more weeks or 9 more weeks before I can even start getting back to my normal life if so frustrating!

I'd love to find people in similar situations who can tell me their stories and commiserate!
 
Hello @lullingly - and :welome:

Please will you tell us the full date of your hip replacement and which hip it is, so we can make a signature for you? Thank you.:flwrysmile:

Recovery does take a while, so you'll need help with the children for some time.
Lifting your one-year-old will be out for some time, so you'll need help with diaper-changing and dressing the little one.

Even little children can be surprisingly helpful if you can enlist them to be "Mommy's little helper." Your five-year old can help by carrying things to and from you, and by picking up toys that you might possibly trip over.

Here's the recovery reading we give to everyone with a new hip:
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
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

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access these pages on the website


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 the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Thanks @Celle!

I had surgery on my right hip on January 7th.
 
I've got screws holding my sockets to my pelvis. Your new hip won't like carrying or walking with weight. I could lift weight especially using my non op leg on my first THR, just couldn't walk with it.
 
Thank you for your surgery date. I've done your signature and I'll add you to the January Jackpots surgery group.
 
Thanks for your response @Eman85. How long was it until you could carry weight?

I'm also curious, with the screws, how long until you could weightbear? What was your recovery like? I'm feeling right now like I don't have all the info about what's keeping me from walking. I hate how do many informational articles about hip replacement say you can walk right away, drive a car after two weeks, dance after four? I seriously read that today, and it got me feeling down. It's been three weeks now, and luckily I'll see my surgeon in a few days.
 
I hate how do many informational articles about hip replacement say you can walk right away, drive a car after two weeks, dance after four? I seriously read that today, and it got me feeling down.
I'd hate that,too because , for almost everyone, it just isn't true. It's totally unrealistic.

Can you ask your surgeon how long it will be before you can bear weight? Without the screws, people are usually allowed to bear weight straight away.
 
I was full weightbearing hours after surgery when they got me walking with the walker. Everyone;s situation is different and with your previous condition and surgeries I'd listen to your OS. Pushing the recovery might not be good thing. Sounds like you've gone through a lot to finally get to the solution so it's worth taking time. I would ask the OS the why questions, he should be able to give you answers. trying to compare your recovery to others doesn't always work.
 
@Eman85 @Celle

Thanks for your responses! I am definitely not pushing the recovery, but starting to worry maybe I should be doing more. I've been in bed for three weeks, with regular trips around the house and gentle pt a few times a day! I'll see the surgeon on Friday and hopefully I'll get a better picture of what recovery will look like from here on out.
 
My situation is unusual because I had 8 surgeries as a kid to fix congenital hip dysplasia, so my surgery was complex. They had to use screws to attach the socket prothesis . I've been told I'll be 30lbs flat foot weightbearing for 6-12 weeks.
I hope you get through these first months as smoothly as possible so that hip can heal up right... and you can get back to your life.:happydance:
 
I know it's tough, especially with the little ones.
But the time invested in this recovery will pay huge dividends.
You will be the hippest mommy ever.
Keep the faith, friend.:friends:
 
On Friday I had my first checkup with the orthopedic surgeon and a used my crutches for an hour or two. Yesterday I felt a little stiffness, but today my whole back is stiff and sore! Especially my lower back, and the back of my pelvis. My hips feel a little stiff too. Is this normal?

I'm almost 4 weeks out, 30% weightbearing and I usually use a walker around the house. I have been resting a ton and not going out at all. Am I under-doing it?

Something that's been freaking me out us that my surgeon told me how soft my acetabulum was from a lifetime of hip dysplasia and how he had to bore pretty deep to get hard enough bone for the cup to adhere... Now I'm worried I'm stiff because I've messed up my pelvis somehow. Ugh. Probably it's just the crutches but I need reassurance...
 
@lullingly you will notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. If you would like a new thread title just give a shout.

Sounds like your body is just not used to moving around. After all that non-weight bearing many areas are going to complain. Take it slow and steady and try to build up your walking gradually.
he had to bore pretty deep to get hard enough bone for the cup to adhere.
I had the same issue with my left hip. My surgeon said the my acetabulum looked like "swiss cheese". You haven't done any thing to your pelvis. Your body is traumatised from a major operation. Rest, ice and elevate. Start with very short trips around your house and build up slowly.
 
@Jaycey sorry I knew the posts should be together but somehow I thought they'd automatically stick together! I'm confused though, how people will know what I'm asking about when my thread has my old title?

I'm going to do a little crutching every day now to work up to longer trips out, I don't know why I didn't do this earlier.
 
Anyone who has posted on your thread or who is watching your thread will get a notification that you have posted.

If you would like the thread title changed I can do that for you. Just let me know what you would like to change it to.
 
@Jaycey

Do you think I should change it to something more general? I'm a little confused about how this forum works, how people know to respond if they haven't commented before? I'd still love to find people who have had hip replacements while parenting small children.
 
Members do look at thread titles when deciding where to respond.

If you would like members to give you advice about your current issue (stiffness) I can change the title to Still stiff after THR if you like. I think you will find this is a problem nearly everyone experiences post op. And for you it is a bit longer process as you are not yet full weight bearing.
 
Hi bonesmart people,

I'm getting some mixed messages about weightbearing.

My PT said 30lbs (or 30%? People have said different things, I'm quite slim though so 30lbs is not that far from 30%) weightbearing is placing your foot flat on the ground but pretty much not putting any pressure on it. Today when I talked to my surgeon's PA, he said I should be sure to put 30% weight on it to strengthen my pelvis and help set the new joint. Which is it? I feel like putting a bit if pressure on it feels good and strengthening. I wish I had a scale to see exactly what 30lbs feels like.

I have had some lower back pain which he thought could be from holding my operative up slightly while doing things standing up. And maybe I'm doing too much standing lately... I want to help around the house, and I can do a small sink of dishes or cook a simple meal. That's not too much 4 weeks post-op, is it?
 
Did your OS tell you to limit weight bearing @lullingly ? Full weight bearing as soon as I could tolerate it was what I was told. I'm highly suspicious of PT, their general position is "no pain no gain" when in reality the Bonesmart way is very successful and doesn't cause additional problems like aggressive PT does. Follow the activity guidelines you have been given and you will be fine. I've had a fantastic recovery with basically no PT.
 

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