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THR Recovery from Anterior THR with robotic assist

Hi fellow hippies! :wave:Thanks for checking on me and for your good wishes!

I am doing.... okay. Feeling impatient and somewhat frustrated. Really, I KNOW recovery is a process and takes time, but the pace has been challenging.

I have new pains - they are tolerable, but obviously not welcome. I am not doing anything more than walking and regular day-to-day stuff. I swear, I think it’s related to my sleep (and possibly lack thereof). While on the pain meds, I was groggy enough to sleep fine on my back. Now that I’m off the pain meds, back sleeping is no longer working. I am trying to sleep on my left side with a pillow between my legs, but I am not sleeping soundly and seem to lose the pillow, then I wake up with pain. Sometimes I wake up on my stomach, which also leaves me sore. Though I am not in pain when I lie down for bed, I wake up feeling lousy. Since this all started, I have a piercing pain right in my hip - not all the time, but with certain movements. Plus I still have some swelling, and muscle pain from the outside of my hip and near my incision, down to my knee. And now my knee is hurting and clicking. This I know is from the total loss of muscle strength in my quads. I am hesitant to work on that til my hip is feeling better.

Also, I am SO hungry at night, every night. What is that about? I am trying to eat more protein, but I wake up starving (and sore) in the middle of the night. I just want a good nights sleep! :bored: Relatedly, I am trying to get some project work done a few hours each day, but am finding concentration difficult. Could be affects of anesthesia, or just lack of sleep - but it’s frustrating.

Sorry, just needed to vent today. Logically, I know it will get better. I just wish this would move along faster. I have an appointment with my OS on Monday, so I will be able to ask about all this stuff then.

Well, it’s time for me to get to bed. Here’s hoping it goes better tonight. :sleeep:
 
The sleep thing was so annoying for me too.
(Whisper...it took me until well into 4 months as I'm not a back sleeper either and could Not get comfy no matter how.)
Of course we are all different and I had bilateral, but just wanted to be truthful..
It was a while!:bored:
I sleep like a baby now though!
Hang in there, TinyMom!
We get there eventually!:sleep:
 
I'm so sorry! @TinyMom
You've always been so kind and supportive of others that I'd wish you would
have come to vent sooner. We're always here to listen and offer support.

Sadly, our recovery doesn't always meet our expectations.
At only 5-6 weeks out you're still very early into your recovery. There is still so much healing to happen.
I'm sure you'll gain re-assurance when you visit with your OS on Monday which may bring you relief in other areas.

Try adding some healthy fat in a snack before bed. I'll bet it will sustain you throughout the night.
One of my faves is a cut up apple with some natural peanut butter. Or fresh fruit with some heavy whipping cream, from the carton, not whipped. I think the fat is what satiates us allowing us to sleep more soundly and not feel ravenous.

Consider adding the supplement Magnesium Glycinate if you're not already. It's good for so many things -
Supports bone health
Supports muscle relaxation and nerves
Promotes healthy sleep (falling asleep and staying asleep)
Supports healthy blood sugar
Supports cardio-vascular health.

Here's an article on Magnesium from the BS library -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/magnesium-is-a-star.20301/

I hope you're feeling rested today. Best wishes for a peaceful relaxing weekend and a good visit
with your OS on Monday. Please stay in touch.
 
@TinyMom I really hope you were able to get some sleep! I found it really hard to sleep once I got off the pain meds too and it took a while before I was able to sleep on both sides. I still wake up sometimes with pain in my right hip, but usually when I re-position it goes away. Hoping it works the same for you. As for the eating--your body is using a lot of calories in the healing process. Hopefully some of Layla's suggestions will help. Have you tried icing your knee for the pain? I had to ice mine for about 6 weeks before it calmed down. Feel free to vent anytime. That's what we're here for. it is a frustrating process and everyday brings new challenges, but we'll all get there together. :friends:
 
Thanks, @Mojo333, @Layla, and @hipster333! You guys are awesome! :roseshwr:

I am working through things little by little... I need to be patient with the process and let my body heal. Easier said than done with return-to-work approaching (will talk to OS Monday about the date). I don’t know that I feel ready to go back, but in some ways, I am anxious to return to a normal routine. I think I am caught up in all the things that don’t feel right/normal. In reality though, I feel much better than I did prior to surgery and though I am not sleeping well, I am getting more sleep now, too, than in the pre-op days.

THR is an amazing surgery, but of course, it’s not an overnight miracle. I just want to feel like my normal self again. Patience, patience....

Had a good PT appointment yesterday - she rolled out my quad muscles with a mini foam roller which felt amazing. Went easy on the exercise - focused on stretching, gait, and functional stuff. I will try her suggestions and some of the good ideas here. Need to get some magnesium!
 
It is still early days for you. I think you doing beautifully!
Hope you have a Good Weekend.
:loveshwr:
 
Happy Saturday :wave:
You're doing great! Look how far you've come already :yay:
It will continue to get better and better.
Hope your weekend is all you want it to be!
@TinyMom
 
Had my 6-week follow up appointment today. Did not see my OS since he was 2 hours behind schedule. So I opted just to see the PA, as she is excellent and I am too impatient to wait.:heehee:

The visit went very well. The pain I am having is my IT band “snapping” over the trochanter. The movements where I get pain are the exactly the ones that this would indicate. She said rolling it out was the best thing for it - no wonder I felt so much better after my PT appointment where she spent 10+ minutes just rolling out that whole area! I already ordered the mini foam roller the PT used and should receive it today, yay! PA also said that my suspicions about sleep position are well founded. If I lose the pillow between my legs, that puts too much stretch on the IT band (for my stage in recovery) which would aggravate my pain. The plan is to continue gentle stretches and the foam rolling at PT, restart my diclofenac (anti-inflammatory) for a couple weeks, and see OS in one month. She said a cortisone shot would help if the pain doesn’t resolve on its own.

Otherwise, she said I am recovering well. My incision looks good, ROM is good, and my strength is where it should be. She suggests continuing to ease back into my work schedule, going into the office a couple days a week at first. Makes sense to me. I am going to start exercise very slowly to see how my body responds. Will make a call from there on when I could return to teaching my fitness classes.

I feel SO much better after my appointment. As a lot of us have seen, a little reassurance and an explanation that makes sense go a long way to helping us feel better! Heck, even having someone actually listen and hear you regarding pains and concerns can do a world of good! Thanks to all my BoneSmart friends for being there to listen to my ramblings and provide encouragement!! You guys are the best!! :loveshwr:
 
Sounds like you had a very productive appointment! I hope the pain you are experiencing eases but do have an injection if you don't see results. Many members have good results post injection. Please keep us updated.
 
Great news @TinyMom
I'm happy you got answers to your questions and I agree a little reassurance goes a long way.
I'll bet you even walked out of there with a little more bounce in your step!
I'm due for my one year in two months and it makes me a little anxious. Silly....huh? You can't help but think in the back of your mind they may look at your x-ray and say "Uh Oh" Crazy, I know.:heehee:

You're on your way :yay: :happydance: So great! Hope you have a lovely week.
 
Just a quick update and a hello to my hippie friends! :wave:

Still working through the aches and pains in my hips and quads, but I continue to improve. I am doing more and more every week. Had a nice night out yesterday with friends at one of those murder-mystery dinner shows. I even wore heels for the first time since surgery!

Tomorrow is back to work for me - - well, my first day back in the office. I won’t resume a full-time schedule for a few more weeks, so that should help with the transition. Hopefully, it will go okay.

Have a great week everyone!
 
Thanks for update TinyMom.
When I transitioned back to work, I felt fairly wiped out but you sound like you are going about this the smart way.
Baby yourself this evening and hope your day is sweet.
 
Heels??? Wow you’re brave! I’d be too scared I’d fall over. Lol. So glad you’re doing so well. Don’t push it and remember to ice. Hugs
 
Thanks, @sequin98, @Mojo333, and @hipster333 :loveshwr:

First day back was rough - not so much because of my hip, but lots of stress with looming deadlines and work waiting for me. I did not go in the office today - slept in, then had a nice PT session. The scheduled day off didn’t stop coworkers from calling me about our projects. I guess once you’re back, you’re back (in their minds anyway). It’s good to be needed, but geez, I could do with a little less of it :heehee:

Heading off to bed as I have an early day in the office tomorrow, then home for the rest of the week! Hope you all are doing well. I need to catch up on threads, maybe tomorrow...
 
I felt the same way @TinyMom.
Bombarded , really.
Mental stress can be equally exhausting as the physical struggles.
Hump day, thank goodness.
Hang in there!
 
Oops...forgot to wish you Happy Hipversary for 2 months yesterday. Hope Mother's Day was a good day AMD you got some rest.

Bet you wished you weren't back to work? I know I felt like I was back too early and worn completely out.
Just checking in and wishing you well. Hump day!:yahoo:
 
Happy Two Month Anniversary!
Back to work already. Time sure flies.
Great news to hear your hip is doing well. Sorry you're stressed.
Hope you settle in and your colleagues are sensitive to the fact you
so recently experienced major surgery.
Hope your week is peaceful and manageable.
@TinyMom
 
@TinyMom sorry I missed your two month hipiversary. So exciting! :dancy: I hope the hip is holding up well with you back at work. I know it's harder once you're back into the groove of everyday life. Are you looking at teaching your classes again anytime soon?
 
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