THR Recovery from Anterior THR with robotic assist

[TinyMom]

Hi to all my hippie friends, @hipster333, @Mojo333, @Layla, @sequin98, @Jaycey, and @BeBe too! Thanks for the 2 month anniversary wishes!

My hip apparently would like me to retire because it has not been happy since I went back to work! Well, retirement is not going to happen anytime soon, so I will have to find my way through this!

PA and PT agree it’s either tendinitis or bursitis. My IT band is so tight! At PT, we stick to stretches, a little gait work, and balance practice - and lots of massage and foam rolling. My PT is awesome and not pushing the typical strength exercises that would aggravate things. I follow the BoneSmart mantra and don’t do any home exercises, as I know it can do more harm than good. PT says walking is not good for me right now, as pushing through hip extension is where I get pain. Unfortunately, I’ve had to walk more now that I am back at work - only what’s necessary - but it’s definitely not helping.

The pain is not so bad that I feel I need medication, though I do take Tylenol when it’s bad. At PA’s instruction, I am taking Diclofenac (NSAID) again, not for pain but to try to ease the swelling where my IT band connects. The plan with the PA was that I would get a cortisone injection if pain was still a problem at the time of my next appointment with OS, which is next Friday. @Jaycey - you mentioned that members have had good results with the injections. Do you have a sense for whether these are needed on an ongoing basis, or a one time injection to ease the swelling so the area can heal? It should be an interesting appointment, as my left hip has decided to start barking in the last week, too.

All in all, I am trying to stay positive. Though I have this pain, I am so much better off than prior to surgery. I have no pain unless I am walking, and even then, it’s not terrible. I just worrry that things aren’t healing properly or that I will have longer-term problems. Other than the IT band issues, my quad muscles are getting closer to normal, my scar is healing well, and I have regained a lot of functionality. Sorry for the long (and somewhat whiny) post. I wish I had time to check in here more regularly!! Thanks to all of you for being here and for your continuous encouragement and support!!

 

[Jaycey]

Do you have a sense for whether these are needed on an ongoing basis, or a one time injection to ease the swelling so the area can heal?

Many members see results right away. It's varies though - depending on how your own body reacts.

Sorry for the long (and somewhat whiny) post.

Don't ever feel sorry for voicing your concerns here. Sometimes recovery feels like an uphill battle.

Hope your appointment on Friday goes well!

 

[Layla]

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with either bursitis or tendinitis and that work activity isn't helping.
I'll bet you feel stuck. I hope you get answers from your OS on Friday, or a plan to achieve relief.
Try not to worry that you won't heal properly. This is probably just a blip on the screen that you'll work through. You don't ever need to worry about feeling whiny here....we all get it. We're on your side.
I hope your weekend is relaxing!
@TinyMom

 

[hipster333]

@TinyMom so sorry you’re having such a hard time at work and still having so much pain. Darn the other hip for acting up too right now. :( Hoping the injection will give you some relief. I’ll be 15 weeks on Tuesday and still having some pain. It’s manageable and seems to do some travelling. My PT says it’s all part of the process and recovery speed varies. It’s frustrating when I run into people who’ve had the surgery and say they were feeling great almost right away (my dad and aunt were like that and don’t understand how I still have pain). I love being on BoneSmart because it reminds me that we’re not alone in this. Hugs to you. Hope those muscles start to behave themselves soon.

 

[Mojo333]

Hope today is a Good Day for you TinyMom.
It's really not that long ago you had a Hip replacement and you've had alot on your plate!
Wishing all eases soon.

 

[BeBe]

@TinyMom
I'm just catching up with people this am. Have had computer issues (all three need replacing or fixed)
Anyway you poor thing with the bursitis and IT issues!
I had the trochanter bursa injected last summer. It did help me maybe 50%? But this was before hip surgery.
I do still have the pain and it has been relieved maybe another 25%? Since surgery. However if I am really active then it's back full on. Completely related to activity.
Since I'm looking at the next hip surgery and still a mess through the whole pelvic girdle I'm just putting it down the list of issues to focus on right now.
I hope the injection will help you by targeting the inflammation but you may still have to baby it longer. My injection was not guided and I know there are lesser bursas in that area so I'm not sure if the others were inflamed also and didn't get " the juice"?
Since they injected mine with the "lidocaine" cortisone cocktail it was apparent quickly that the main one was hot and benefited from the injection immediately. Just not a complete cure.
Hope you're is complete! That pain is stubborn and really makes recovery difficult.
I like your PT - that's refreshing to hear.
Let us know how you make out with the injection.

 

[TinyMom]

Hi all!
@BeBe, hope you are holding up okay. A few more weeks til your LTHR! Yes, my PT is outstanding! At my appointment this week, After 5 minutes of gentle cycling on a bike to warm up (pain-free) and most of the remaining time laying on the table! She used a small foam roller on my quads and hip, did some manual massage, then stretched my leg (gently) in a number of positions. We worked on my gait a little, too. I always leave there feeling better than how I felt when I went in! Anyway, based on where my hot spots are, she feels it is not bursitis — more likely tendinitis. We’ll see what OS thinks in a couple hours

 

[Layla]

Good luck with your OS appt @TinyMom
I hope it goes well. Let us know...if you care to share.
Best Wishes for a great holiday weekend!

 

[TinyMom]

No cortisone shot for me today. OS wants me to ramp up the foam rolling and stretching for my IT band, and we’ll give it another month to see if things improve. My IT band is extremely tight and he says that until it loosens up, I am going to have pain in both my knee and hip. He gave me the go-ahead to start some new stretches that my PT wanted clearance on before we tried. So, my PT regimen will continue to be massage, foam rolling, and stretching. OS says the joint itself is great, strength is good, and he’s thrilled with my range of motion.

Time to go roll out my leg again... I’m supposed to do it often and with as much pressure as I can tolerate. He said when he previously had IT band issues, he would roll until he saw stars! Yikes... I’ll be saying “Oh my stars!” like @Mojo333

Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

[Mojo333]

Sounds like you've got a plan, @TinyMom.
May I also suggest you make sure you replace any shoes you used to wear alot pre-op because of old wear pattern.
I don't have IT band issues but my friend who is a runner has.
They told her one leg was a bit shorter and she had to get insert but I was thinking if shoes were unevenly worn that could aggravate it as will walking on uneven, slanted surfaces.
She was told her on the curb slant running could aggravate it also.
Hope the stretches help!
And, oh my stars...roll on!

 

[TinyMom]

@Mojo333, @Layla, @hipster333, @BeBe, @Jaycey -
Hello, all! And thanks for your posts and encouragement!

Weather has been hot here! With our neighborhood pool opening this weekend, the kids were wanting to go for a swim. After some mulling, I decided to go and wear a swimsuit... time for my THR scar to make its debut I try not to let that kind of thing get to me, and I really didn’t give it much thought once we were there. It is what it is, you know? Better to have a hip that works!

One weird thing did happen. I took a very quick dip in the pool just to cool off. When I got out, my skin looked really mottled on the outside of my right thigh, from my knee up to about an inch below the lowest point on my scar. (I took a pic and will try to post) It was warm to the touch, also. It’s the same spot where my quads have been sore since surgery and it’s where I still have numbness. After being home about an hour, skin looks back to normal... so I am not worried, just wondering if this is typical.

Hope everyone has a good week!

 

[TinyMom]

Hope this works... the pic is of my right thigh (sitting in a chair) so the top of the photo is my knee That’s part of my THR scar visible at the bottom of the image... the lighter skin to the right of that is a scar from a prior skin graft surgery. At least my leg scars are consolidated to one general area!

Oh, and @Mojo333 - thanks for the shoe reminder. I bought 3 new pairs this weekend - yay!! I find I need more sensible shoes post-op, anyway. 95% of my shoes (besides athletic shoes) have heels - mostly 3-4” and higher! At barely 5 feet tall, I usually welcome any extra height my shoes can add. But right now, I’m sticking with smaller heels and flats. There will be more shoe shopping in my future!

 

[Layla]

Sounds like you had a fun day. Good for you putting on your swimsuit and joining in to stay cool.
The weather is hot in my area today also - 100F !!!!
Let's see if the expert @Josephine can take a second to educate us all on the mottled skin
you described in the photo, upon exiting the water. I'm curious myself.
Hope you have a great week @TinyMom

 

[Mojo333]

Not sure @TinyMom . Circulation, nerves...I had numbness or decreased sensitivity for over 7 months...all normal now unless I really push down on thighs or dog digs toenails in...slightly sore or sensitive
I think your Boo-boos are healing nicely!

 

[Josephine]

I took a very quick dip in the pool just to cool off. When I got out, my skin looked really mottled on the outside of my right thigh. It was warm to the touch, also. It’s the same spot where my quads have been sore since surgery and it’s where I still have numbness. After being home about an hour, skin looks back to normal

I don't know - it put me in the mind of my childhood when we used to crowd round a coal fire. We'd end up with mottling like that just from being over-exposed to the roaring heat! I would imagine a similar thing happened while you were in the pool and if you ever used heat pads on your thigh - did you?

 

[TinyMom]

@Josephine - thanks for your reply. Funny you should mention childhood... my son commented that his skin looks like that a lot when he saw my leg! In my case, it could have been the heat, since I was sitting in the sun (with sunscreen ) and it was quite hot. But I didn’t notice the mottling until after I jumped in the water which was much cooler. As for heating pads, I did use them a few times at about 7 weeks post-op at PA’s direction to loosen up the quads. But mostly, I have used ice.

 

[Josephine]

I'm not so sure ice can't cause that mottling either. y'know

 

[sequin98]

Yikes! I hope it has subsided? I think MOJO 333 is correct with the circulation...

 

[hipster333]

@TinyMom I had mottling like that from the heating pad. Mine got pretty bad, but luckily went away after a few months. Is it gone now? Your scar is looking great (from what I can see of it )! Yay for the new shoes and the ability to get out in the pool. My hip is loving being back in the pool! (and if I use a noodle for a bit--it's great for stretching out the piriformis!)

 

[TinyMom]

Hello to all my hippie friends! I have resumed “normal life” so I don’t have too much time to check in these days. I am back to my full schedule at work and the kids are out of school and loaded up with summer activities. Life is busy, but thought I’d stop by with an update. I hit a big milestone in my recovery last week... I taught my first class!

I’ve been a fitness instructor for 20 years and was hoping to recover to the point of getting back to teaching. Last week (11 weeks post-op) I taught a spinning class and a step aerobics class. Spinning felt better than step, but overall they both went fine. I am working at about 1/2 to 2/3 of my former intensity levels (giving my participants some extra challenges) and that seems to be working well. I didn’t feel like I overdid it and wasn’t sore afterward. I figure I have several months, at least, to go before I am back near full strength, but it feels good to be on my way! I feel infinitely better than I did before THR!!!

My IT band is really all that’s still giving me trouble. I am rolling and stretching all the time, and still visiting my PT to get the extra-intense rolling and massage. It’s working, so I will stay with the plan. The hip itself feels good, and even my left hip has calmed down some since all the IT band stretching has helped return my gait to normal. And, my increasing activity levels have helped to improve my muscle strength and balance things out more.

Hope all of you are doing well! Enjoy the weekend