THR RGS's First THR June 25

RGS

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Hello friends, I am now one week into recovery and having a very hard time. I am in pain and very depressed. Everyone tells me things will get better, but I am so afraid they won’t... please help...
 
Thinking of you today and wishing you an uneventful surgery and smooth and easy recovery. See you on the healing side soon. :wave:
Hugs
@RGS
@Layla , I am not doing well at all. I’m so depressed and in pain. I don’t know what to do....
 
Hello @RGS I'm sorry you're having a bad time. I've moved your posts and started a recovery thread, so we can advise you.

Our recovery guidelines should help you - there's lots of helpful information in them,.

It's important to rest, ice and elevate your leg, and take your pain medications on a regular schedule.

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.
 
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If you are taking your medication on time and are still in pain you need to contact your OS office and have them change meds @RGS .Many here needed to have their meds changed to something that worked for them.
 
Speaking with your OS is a great start. Are you elevating and icing regularly? I iced pretty much non stop anytime I was reclining, sitting (very little at this stage) and laying down. I loved the recliner because I could elevate easily and keep iced. I even took a small cooler to bed with me since bedroom is upstairs with ice packs and changed them any time I woke up. I could reach it even laying down but usually had to get up to go to bathroom anyways. Icing really helps If you do only occasionally make sure you do it for 45-60min at a time to the most from it. Elevation is also important. At this stage I was pretty much laying back and just walking a little bit around the house - mainly my trips to the bathroom.

Depression is fairly normal especially as you are in pain. Hard to be cheery if hurting. Please see if you have the right medications and take them regularly so you stay ahead of the pain.

I hope you get relief soon. :console2::flwrysmile:
 
I'm so sorry you are not doing well @RGS . Depression is very common. Under-medicating and being in pain as a result is also common. Doing too much and not resting enough also causes pain. I'm glad you came here. We're here for you!

If you are in the US, and want to call your surgeon, do it first thing Friday or they'll all be closed for the long weekend!
 
The first 2 weeks are tough, then it gets better slowly. Pain meds, icing and resting should make the pain easier t deal with. Communication with your OS office about your pain should help.
 
Good Morning @RGS :) I apologize for missing your tag somehow last evening.

I am not doing well at all. I’m so depressed and in pain. I don’t know what to do....
This is sad to read. My heart goes out to you. Pain is exhausting so that needs to be addressed through a call to your surgeons office ASAP. I’d put in a call today, if you haven’t already.

Everyone tells me things will get better, but I am so afraid they won’t... please help...
IT WILL GET BETTER. Know that and hold onto that. You’re only one week into a recovery that lasts up to a year, even longer for some. I’m sure you’re tired, in pain, possibly constipated or have no appetite, the list goes on. The very early days are no fun, but they will pass. Try your best to get enough rest, stay adequately hydrated, keep your diet healthy and if you’re unsure what that looks like, do some online research for suggestions for a healthy diet following major surgery.

I feel like a broken record at times repeating things that worked for me and I apologize if you’ve caught this, or anything I type, elsewhere, but something I found useful in my early recovery was the Activity Progression for THR - http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/

Following it loosely kept me active enough, but out of trouble also. Take a peek and see what you think. Don’t allow yourself to look at daily progress, but weekly only. Pick a day of the week and each week, on that day, reflect back at the progress you‘ve made. You’ll notice your improvements better this way. Less pressure on yourself also.

There is a thread on Depression and Post Op Blues that you may want to check on, or post on. You’ll see that you’re not alone in your feelings and may even glean a few pointers in reading through it, or posting your own concerns for some feedback.
Last but not least and I just typed this elsewhere also, try to keep your mind engaged. I think it’s very important to do so for your mental health since it’s difficult to engage physically right now. Some suggestions - Crossword puzzles, adult coloring books, read a good book, research and plan your next vacation, Pinterest, Houzz...if you have any interest in home decor, start a recipe collection, play online games, page through magazines, call an old friend, catch up on emails, organize a photo album, watch a Netflix series or some uplifting movies. All to help pass the time and occupy your mind.

Also, check out the BoneSmart Social Room here where you'll find a lot of interesting and entertaining threads to read - https://bonesmart.org/forum/view/social-room.11/

Keep coming back. We are always here, day or night. We understand because we’ve been there. Sending a hug and wishes for brighter days. They’re coming, really they are! :happydance:
 
@RGS
Hugs!
I am 10 days post-op and also feeling sorry for myself due to incisional pain that won’t seem to turn the corner.
But we’re going to get through this - take heart!
 
Hi hipster! How are you feeling these days. I’m doing a little better, and just trying to be more patient and take any improvements as small victories!❤️
 
@RGS Sounds like you are feeling a bit more optimistic. Patience is a big milestone for many. Measure your progress in weeks not days. You'll get there!
 
Hello my friends!! Thanks so much for your responses when I was feeling so bad! That’s a very scary place to be, and your support helped me so much. I am starting to feel better- just doing a little better every day is great! I am starting to believe there may actually be a light at the end of this tunnel. I have to remind myself that it’s only been 12 days since my surgery, even though it feels like a lot longer...
I have a question!! How many people feel that PT is really useful to healing and improving ROM? Would you get the same result with time alone?? I am just wondering what people’s experiences have been or what the research shows?? Thx so much!!❤️
 
I am starting to believe there may actually be a light at the end of this tunnel.
There is! Focus on that, it’s coming. :wink:
have to remind myself that it’s only been 12 days since my surgery, even though it feels like a lot longer...
Early days...you’re in the infancy of your recovery.
Brighter days coming, week by week.:SUNsmile:

How many people feel that PT is really useful to healing and improving ROM?
PT really isn’t necessary. Especially in these early weeks. I wouldn’t even consider it until you’re at least 6-8 weeks post op and then only if you feel you have an issue to work on.

Following is THE BIG TIP from the Recovery Guidelines in case you missed it. It took my foggy brain a couple weeks before I could grasp what I was reading there, or anywhere for that matter, lol.

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.

A great week to you!
 
Thank you so much Layla! I appreciate your responses and will keep them in mind if I’m having a rough moment...❤️❤️❤️
 
@RGS re your PT question, I did not raise my hand. I did zero PT except ankle pumps and glute squeezes for second hip, and it was a quicker path to normal. Not saying there's causation there, but there sure was less stress! I just walked until I felt like I could do some stretches. Took up barre classes a little less than 2 years out (after flirting with a return to ballet classes, which went about as you might expect for a 67 yr old who hasn't danced for over 30 years...) and barre is the strength component of PT -- on steroids!!
 
@RGS Sorry I missed your earlier posts (away for a few days) but glad you’re feeling better. I had to learn that recovery is a marathon not a sprint. Without BS forum before and right after my surgery, I somehow got the impression that you have the THR and off you go back to your life in a few weeks. Maybe for some but NOT me. The experience was so totally different than any other surgery I had had, that it took me by surprise-the pain, the swelling and the limited physical mobility. I eventually figured it out that, like you, I came to appreciate the small victories and that patience was the real muscle I needed to exercise. Lol. It does get better with each day and week. I did not do (nor was it required/suggested by either OS to do) PT except for the initial hospital routine. I walked and, after 8 weeks, slowly added other things as I could tolerate. It seemed to work for me. PT would have been fine with any of my docs if I had really felt like I needed it. I just seemed to be doing fine. I wouldn’t rush in to PT. You can always go later if you feel the need. ❤️
 
I did not do formal PT for either hip replacement. I did have brief in home PT as ordered by my OS but that was just mainly to check out house and see how I was progressing with walking and walker to cane and stairs at home. She did show me some moves but there was no push to do them especially early in recovery. This lasted only 4 weeks with 2x/week but again she would show me some moves but there was no requirement of number of reps or sets. Mainly I walked around the house.
 
I did a short stint with PT as my OS wanted me to work on gait. Some of it was ok but had to keep reminding them I was there for gait only.

My therapist was moved to another location and the one that took over was not a good fit. The new PT didn't have a very good bedside manner and did some manipulation of my sacroiliac joints that I'm still dealing with.

Don't really think it was all that helpful and probably wouldn't do it again.
 

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