recovery progress

[pt109]

For those of you who will be having hip replacement, I have some good news. I am now 16 days out of surgery and doing well. Expect the first two weeks to be rough; they are. But after that, you will see real progress. I am walking a half mile a day and more. I'm on a cane, but able to walk unaided around the house. My energy level is better and I don't tire nearly as easily. I can get in and out of the car and bed!

I have the uncemented prosthesis and it is great. I have no pain in the hip joint. The muscles around the joint are still tight, but it eases off a bit each day and the walking really helps. When I think of how much pain I was in prior to surgery, I am so happy I made the decision to have the operation. It is well worth the two weeks of discomfort after the surgery.

 

[runner]

Good to hear I go in on Wed the 30 of May and hope to be doing as good as yyou. I will be working on getting back to normal, actually I forgot what normal was normal for me I guess is pain. I can handle 2 weeks as long as there is light at the end of the tunnel. Have a good holiday Runner

 

[pt109]

You'll do fine. They will get you up the same day as surgery and PT starts the very next day. There is not a great deal of pain with this surgery; you are just sore since they move all those muscles around. Be sure to have the raised toilet seat and the grabber ready; you will find those things very helpful. I also foun that if i kept my feet up when i ws not wlking, it really helps the swelling. I have a barka lounge chair that works great. (For the first few days home, it was easier to sleep in the chair thn it wa to try and get comfortable in bed.

Recovery comes very quickly after the first 10-12 days. I'm now off th cane and walking a mile a day. Do the exercises they give you; they really help and they get easier each day.

Good luck! I'm sure you will do well. Attitude is so important.

pt109

 

[hipster]

Hello Every one!

I had THR on my left hip May 19.
I hardly have any restrictions at all I had MIS done by Dr. Penenberg in Beverly Hills.
The length of my incision is about 3 to 4 iches so far so good, however I may have pushed my self to much as Ihave pulled my left frontal muscle slightly, so I am soar there.
I am 40 and very athletic, but what I am learning is to temper my enthusiasm as I was told that most of Penenbergs patients rcover well due to smaller incisions and local anathesia instead of a general.
For the first time in about 7 years I actually feel a true sense of optimism regarding my life with sports and activities again.
Anyways I have been a lurker to this site prior to my sugery and Im glad to say Ive done it! So good luck to those who havent and to those like myself who have!
Thats it, and thank you all for this site.

 

[Doverbaldy]

I had uncemented thr June 14. My days are pretty good. I was even able to return to moderate weight training June 30. It is my nights that are tough. I am having some stiffness and pain at night time. So much that I still need pain meds. Just would like some feedback on activity levels and pain that folks experience 3-5 weeks postop. Just hoping I didn't loosen something.

 

[Josephine]

This is such a lovely, positive thread! Just the kind of thing this forum is all about. Congratulations to you all and I hope you continue to do so well.

 

[pt109]

Nights can be hard for awhile since you are not moving around. I'm 9 weeks out and nights are fine, so look forward - it gets better and better! Weight training helps, but it also stretches muscles, so that could be a factor as well. But this is all good pain - it means you are healing. I had stiffness at the side of my hip joint for the first month or so, but it went away the more active I became. I'm now up to three mile walks every day so you can look forward to that as well....if you are a walker. Hang in there,

 

[Doverbaldy]

Thanks PT! I walked a half mile yesterday and felt like I ran a marathon. I am thinking I will cut that back some given that I needed pain meds soon after walk. Pain was in upper thigh and radiated to inner groin. This concerned me!

 

[Josephine]

Two words to you Db - overdoing it!! (But just a tad!)

 

[Doverbaldy]

Since my last post I cranked up the walking to a mile a day. My PT told me she'd rather I work on the stretching exercises that she prescribed then leg strength. So I do half hour of stretches before the "walk" and a half hour after. It takes a half hour to do the crutch walk. I did cut back on upper body weight lifting to every other day...I see my ortho on July 25...I hope to be allowed to go full weight bearing at that time...DB

 

[Doverbaldy]

Oh and no pain meds for over a week!

 

[Josephine]

Wahey!! Good news is always good to hear. Well done!

 

[pt109]

Good for you! You will get stronger and stronger every day if you keep moving. I'm back to golf, gardening, lawn mowing and walking for exercise. Set lots of little goals and then have fun meeting them!

 

[runner]

Good Morning I had my surgery on May 30 so it is 6 weeks I walk with a crutch or cane and I am moving all day long except when on the computer. I do still have a slight limp but hope that it will goo away soon. I have been in pool work as much as I can. I do not have a pt at this time I go on to my doc on next Thurs. so he will tell me how I am doing. What are the stretches that you do?? I may want to do them too.

 

[Doverbaldy]

Hey Runner, the best stretch my PT has prescribed begins with laying on my belly. After I am in this position I bring my forearms together and raise my trunk while keeping both hips on the floor. I alternate that with getting on all fours and gently rocking my hips (only!). Usually do it in sets of 1 to 2 minutes with 30 seconds of rest...Hope that helps you.

 

[kbarun]

Thanks for the encouragement. I am 3 weeks and 2 days out of surgery. I don't know if I was cemented or not. I have a big scar on my right cheek and the doc said he put a titanium hip in me. Anyway other than swelling that started in my thigh, has subsided, gone to my kneee and has subsided but is stubborn in my ankle, I was on the elyptical machine and could have gone for hours.

I was on my feet full weigh bearing immediately but I am tentative about walking up stairs and putting weight on the new hip. Ideas on that one?

I also feel, unlike others, that my heel on the surgical side feels a bit lower than the other (which will need replacement soon).

Other than that I forgot what the pain was like in that hip. Suffered for a year with all the severe stuff. Didn't use any narcotics throughout surgery or after. Not a hero just a recovering soul.

 

[Josephine]

Hi kbarun - glad to hear you got through it all okay and have made such a great recovery.

Did your PT not advise you about negotiating stairs? He/she should have done. The usual advice is to walk normally as you can without bending your hip more than about 70 degrees. In this illustration, for instance, the hip is flexed too much at about 90 degrees. It is therefore best to mount the stairs one step at a time with the good leg doing the leading but only for about 3 months. Likewise, some surgeons advised not to get into and out of a bath for at least 3 months but to take showers because of the same risk of dislocation.



As for weight bearing, this too, should have been discussed with you in depth as some replacements are ok for weight bearing, others are not. Uncemented prostheses, for instance, need a period of non or partial weight bearing whilst the bone 'grows' into the tiny matrix of the implant's surface.

My suggestion is that you phone your PT or the surgeon and ask them what you are supposed to be doing and for how long.

Let us know how you get on.