THR Roger's Story

[sweetcaroline]

Re: New member - 6 days Post Op

Hi Jollyroger!
You certainly came to the right place to have your questions answered!
Welcome! :flowerysmile:

 

[Josephine]

Re: New member - 6 days Post Op

If you want to rename your thread, I can do it for you. Just tell me what you want and it shall be done!

 

[Jollyroger]

Re: New member - 6 days Post Op

If you want to rename your thread, I can do it for you. Just tell me what you want and it shall be done!

Hi Josephine

Can we rename it "Roger's Story" then, please. This allows me plenty of scope, especially if I do progress to Hip 2 in the New Year.

Thanks.

This is a great Forum. I wish I had discovered it before I had the Op.

 

[Phillygirl]

Re: New member - 6 days Post Op

Try using lots of pillows to sleep on your back I know that helped me. Pillows under my arms , slightly under my hips. As far as getting up at night your body is trying to get rid of the fluid in your legs and they are elevated at night so this is a good thing. It should slow down. Wishing you the best with your recovery.:flowerysmile:

 

[Josephine]

Thread renamed!

 

[Nan L.]

Hi Roger,
I found the use of ice packs on the op site helped to relieve my pain and swelling. Be sure to wrap the ice packet in a soft towel (not used directly on the skin or dressing). I was advised by my MD to use it for 15 minutes several times a day. I also found that if I massaged around the incision, between the ice packs, it helped with the pain, swelling and the weird numbness from the bruised nerve endings. I used ice for about 3 weeks on and off. I am still massaging the area which has really helped to soften the lumpiness around the incision.

Finally, the physical therapist has me doing butt squeezes....clench the gluts as tight as you can for 5 seconds, then release x 10. This also helps with the pain and swelling, as well as getting the muscles back in shape.

Good luck...I hope these are useful tips.

Nan

 

[Jollyroger]

I'm using the ice now, as learned here, but only once a day for maybe 45 minutes. It seems to help and gives me a good reason to retire to my bed for an hour after lunch. :wink1:

I'm elevating at the same time and also overnight. I seem to be stiffer in the muscles each morning now but that may well be due to doing more exercise during the day.

My latest concern (but I do appreciate it is early days) is the vertical leg lift exercise. This I find almost impossible currently - the pain in the front of the thigh (muscular) is just too much.

Is it common for this to be a difficult exercise?

Anyone else got a particular 'difficult' exercise?

 

[lisanewmc]

Welcome Roger. You've had some great advice from everyone and as my typing skills are quite poor I won't bother adding more of the same, I'll just say :I-Agree:

In answer to your 'poll' I also find that exercise difficult even now and my particular 'difficult' exercise is the clam.

 

[Josephine]

Straight leg raise is often almost impossible for a time. You could help it by using something to lift your foot; various things can be used like a belt, a walking stick (put the handle under your foot), or even the other foot. It doesn't matter that you are helping it to go up. It will help the muscles 'remember' what they should be doing. If it takes a wee while to get it going, it doesn't matter. It will get there in the end.

As for the ice, once a day is no good. Ice it every time you sit down. When I had a piriformis syndrome, I would get my big ice pack out of the freezer and chuck it on the settee before I sat down (chuck it because with piriformis you can't bend!). It was blissful! And since you will be clothed (I imagine!) you won't need a wrap of any kind. You'll only reduce the efficacy of the cold therapy.

 

[forbesy]

Hi Roger been reading up on your thread and good to have you on board, ten days into recovery so don't expect miracles just yet.
You will get there with the vertical lift but be careful not to push yourself to hard in case of set backs and take things gradually.
Keep icing and have they wee naps if needed, sure you will get there.

 

[vivb]

It took me about eight weeks to learn to listen to all the advice I get on these pages!:hysterical:

 

[Jollyroger]

I think maybe I'm trying too hard (and not icing enough!) as I feel very stiff and sore this morning. I think I'll have a 'lazy' day today and get the ice going a bit more.

I had a good surprise in the post just now - an invite (or rather an Appointment card) to attend the Hip Class physio sessions at the Spire (where the op was performed). I was a bit worried at first because the card was covered in caveats about payment and what happens if you don't turn up etc. Also the physios immediately after the Op didn't think I would be covered for Outpatient classes. I rang them and was relieved when they confirmed that I was covered by the NHS contract so no worries. What an excellent service. First session a week on Monday.

 

[Josephine]

Jolly good! Be interested to hear all about it.

 

[Jollyroger]

Re: Corail Total Hip System

I've just ascertained that the implant I have is a Corail Total Hip System. The Consultant's Secretary finally responded to my requests for info and said I had a Corail/Contemporary which, I think, must be their THS.

Having read that De Puy (makers of Corail) have been subject to a recall on some hip products ( ASR™ XL Acetabular Hip System and DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System), does anyone know anything about their current THS product?

Any other happy recipients out there?

 

[Josephine]

That's an okay implant, Roger. Not subject to any recalls that I'm aware of. I found this report which you might find reassuring.

 

[Jollyroger]

Thanks, Jo - that's reassuring. I'll try to get the rest of the details when I see the Consultant at the end of October. I saw him twice immediately post-op but the brain was not fully engaged I'm afraid!

Another milestone today - I managed to have a shower and feel better for it. The shower is over the bath so the problem is getting in and out. I thought this would defeat me for a few weeks, until the muscles are stronger, but experimenting this morning with a sort of scissor action while leaning right forward and holding on (i.e each leg out the back and over the edge of the bath in turn) showed me I could get in and out quite easily without straining anything.

I still can't dress myself unaided, though, and as for the TED stockings - they almost defeat my wife!

 

[vivb]

Can certainly sympathise with your great description of how to climb into the bath and then just for a shower!
Re TEDS, the ladies who looked after me during the TEDS phase used to put a plastic carrier bag over my foot and then slip the stocking over that, pulling the bag out again through the hole which worked for them.

 

[Josephine]

I had my sister doing that the day after she came home! It's just a matter of doing it s-l-o-w-l-y and carefully.

 

[Jollyroger]

Can certainly sympathise with your great description of how to climb into the bath and then just for a shower!
Re TEDS, the ladies who looked after me during the TEDS phase used to put a plastic carrier bag over my foot and then slip the stocking over that, pulling the bag out again through the hole which worked for them.

Thanks, Viv.

Yes, we use the plastic bag trick - one of the nurses in the Spire showed us but we still have a problem getting the rest of the stocking over the heel. It is just too tight to do in one so we (she) has to pull it round in small pinches - tedious but we get there eventually.

 

[Jollyroger]

Another minor milestone this morning - staples out. I thought it might hurt removing 25 with pliers but it was almost painless. The nurse reckoned the wound was very clean but a couple of clips holes bled slightly so she used a few steri-strips and put another big plaster over the lot. The good news is that I should be able to remove the plaster in a couple of days and shouldn't need anything on the wound after that.

I am still getting various pains (muscular, I think - about 5 on the pain scale (out of 10)) around the hip, thigh and groin area so I will keep on with the icing and gentle exercising. The swelling is reducing slowly, which is good to note.

I can move around the house quite well without the crutches but I'm using one when outside. Although I have had a cementless implant (I think - TBC) there was no mention about not bearing weight on the operated leg so I am trying to walk on it naturally.

The next 'milestone' will be the start of out-patient physio next Monday so maybe more to report after that. I'll see if they have a view on the weight bearing issue.