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THR Scorow's second hip recovery thread

Well, the last 3 days have been a mixed bag. Late afternoon/ evening I feel pretty good. But sleep still minimal and the mornings until 11 AM or so are more painful than before. I have not increased walking or other activity - this just seems to be the progression. Something about laying in bed overnight. I'm guessing that everything tightens up overnight and feels better as it finally gets loosened up later in the day. Always a puzzle.

Looking forward to my 2-week appt this Wednesday.
 
The first two weeks are challenging. I think we all tend to forget how just hard once we get on the other side.

Sending healing thoughts your way, @scorow.
 
scorow said:
Late afternoon/ evening I feel pretty good. But sleep still minimal and the mornings until 11 AM or so are more painful than before
Click to expand...
Not unusual to feel like the Tin Man needing the Oil Can after prolonged time sitting or laying down. It's certainly early days for you, scorow. "Motion is Lotion" so likely while you move with greater ease as the day progresses.
I wish you well with your post op on Wednesday. Let us know how it goes.
Happy Sunday!
 
All the best with your appointment tomorrow! It is tough to balance the need for rest and the benefit of movement in the early days. Everything gets better once you're over that first couple of weeks. You'll see huge differences.
 
Thanks, @Deni444. The past several days have been a bit more painful, including experiencing the first night since surgery in which I was actually awakened with pain. I hadn't increased activity that might explain it, but I took today off completely. Nothing but resting with ice and elevation with the minimal short walks inside of the house every hour or so. Seems to have helped.

Looking forward to a good x-ray and the 2-week milestone tomorrow.
 
Happy Two WEEK Anniversary!
Those early milestones feel so special when we're longing for time to pass quickly, waiting to regain strength and stamina and get back to all that we love. You're doing it, scorow. Have a great rest of the week!
Best Wishes for your appt tomorrow.
@scorow
 
Something I noticed was as nerves seemed to wake up during those first couple of weeks, things would become a little more sensitive. Oven just touching skin on my thigh seemed to set off a chain reaction. Maybe you had a hand resting on your leg whilst you slept or something? Either way, you know that if rest and ice helped that's what you needed most. All kinds of ups and downs but it does settle down. All the best with that X-ray!
 
Just returned from 2-week post-op visit. X-rays look good and everything seems to be on track. Dressings removed (full showers!), no more TED hose, and cleared to drive. Next milestone in 4 weeks.

@Deni444 - You are spot on about the increased sensitivity. The outside of my hip (ITB band) it super sensitive.

Now, back to the ice and elevation (doctor's office was a 2-hour drive from home).
 
Good news about your 2-week post-op check, @scorow! It's great to be clear for showering!

Sorry you had such a long car ride home, but you've got this: ice and elevate!
 
Wonderful news following your check-up! It's challenging when hospital is such a long drive but you'll soon recover. I still remember my first shower, post op and it was blissful. All these little milestones start adding up from now on. You're definitely over the hump :)
 
:wave: Lots of good news after your visit yesterday, scorow! You're making nice progress.
Thanks for sharing your journey with everyone. I hope you have a great weekend!
@scorow
 
@scorow Great update! We celebrate all the milestones with you. It's a lot easier to get to the driving one with a L hip. Just a reminder: don't drive if you're still taking narcotics or if you're not feeling confident about it. There will still be the ups and downs, good and bad days for a while. Just keep those blissful showers in mind when you need some comfort until the road evens out a bit more. Blessings for continued good healing.
 
Today marks three weeks. The past week has been so much better than the first two, just as it was last time for my other hip. I am off all meds except for the very occasional Tylenol or ibuprofen. I am walking (slowly) a .75 mile lap around the block twice a day with no problems. The main discomfort now is early morning when I have stiffness and some pain right in the groin as well as sometimes in the evening (same location) if I have been sitting too much. A little icing right on that spot seems to knock it out. Swelling is much reduced, but not yet entirely gone.

Sleep is still a challenge - I seem to wake briefly almost every hour. That may be partly due to lack of exercise over these past weeks, but I am sure ready for it to improve. I certainly get more sleep in total than the first two weeks but it is still not great.

No complaints, though. I am happy with my progress. I will say that I have referred to my other recovery thread and have intentionally slowed my increase in activity compared to last time, especially with regard to how much walking I do and avoiding leading with the operative leg when climbing stairs. It has made a positive difference, as I have not had some of the flare-ups that I had last time. Comparing the two recoveries has, for me, really validated the advice that every gives to take it slowly and don't push even if you feel like you could.
 
I don’t think the sleep issues really resolve until you can get back to sleeping in whatever way is normal for you. At almost 6 weeks I can spend some of the night on each side, but don’t yet find I stay comfortable. So it’s multiple position changes along with loo trips and glasses of water. But it’s a short term issue in the grand scale of things.
 
Great you have your other recovery to refer to. I’m over 3 years since surgery & some of my “milestone” happenings have become foggy!
But I know slow & steady wins this race for the majority of us.
 
It sounds like you're doing really well, scorow! Happy Three Week Anniversary!

I am sorry you're finding it difficult to get the restorative rest we all want post op.

Have you tried laying on your side with a lengthy pillow between your legs? That's where an inexpensive Body Pillow (about $10 from Target) came in handy for me initially. Actually, still to this day, over seven years post joint replacement.

Pillows certainly help me get comfortable in bed, making it easier to fall asleep. You can experiment with different arrangements to find what works for you. I surrounded myself with them so I could rest a leg, or arm easily enough, whatever felt comfortable. I felt swaddled and it helped me drift off. Doing whatever you can to basically "set the scene" for sleep may be worthwhile. Make up the bed with your most comfortable bedding / blankets along with a few extra bed pillows of different degrees of firmness. Try to block out the light if it's daytime. Minimize noise unless you feel listening to calming relaxation music, a fan, or white noise may help lull you to sleep. Make sure the room temperature is not too hot or too cold. Try to disconnect from the devices at least an hour before the targeted nap or bed time, so it's easier to wind down. Limit caffeine throughout the day and consider natural sleep aids such as Valerian, Chamomile or, Magnesium, my personal favorite, which can assist in muscle relaxation and nerves and promote healthy sleep (falling asleep and staying asleep)

Apply ice for a time before bed to reduce swelling and numb the discomfort. Try some relaxation techniques if you feel they may work for you such as deep breathing, prayer or meditation or even some gentle stretching may help relax your body and mind.

An article on Magnesium from our Library -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/magnesium-is-a-star.20301/

Most large grocers carry a variety of teas such as Celestial Seasonings - Sleepytime Herb Tea,
Yogi Teas, Bedtime, Bigelow Cozy Chamomile, all of which may help you relax...at least worth a try.

Time will also help, but that takes patience, especially when you're restless and tossing and turning all night.
Wishing you many nights of peaceful sleep soon!
@scorow
 
Great to hear it is going so well! That's impressive walking and you're so right to hold back from over pushing. At three months I still haven't learnt not to overdo it.
 
I struggled to sleep through the night until all restrictions were lifted. In the end I gave up even trying and would just have the telly on all night with subtitles on so the noise didn't wake up my other half! I actually found concentrating on the subtitles eventually helped send me to sleep.

But it's perfectly normal not to sleep. Just grab naps when you find it coming over you, including during the day. Everything will settle down again eventually.
.
 
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