THR Severe stiffness where my leg won't hang straight

[LisaP]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Alex, I didn't know that about the astrophied muscles... My left leg is about 2-1/2" skinnier around my thigh, calf, and knee than my right leg. Plus they added an 1" on the length. Those poor muscles are probably in major trauma! That makes total SENSE!!! It's like a big light bulb just went on in my head. THANK YOU so very much!!!! I love this forum.

 

[lisanewmc]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

This forum has been an absolute godsend to me over the past months. I wish I'd found it pre-op when I was terrified and had all kinds of questions going through my mind.:rolleyespink:

I found (and still do) the support and understanding invaluable and also spent lots of time in the social room during my 'invalid' early weeks of recovery. I hope you find it as comforting through your journey,

 

[LisaP]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

This forum has been an absolute godsend to me over the past months. I wish I'd found it pre-op when I was terrified and had all kinds of questions going through my mind.:rolleyespink:

I found (and still do) the support and understanding invaluable and also spent lots of time in the social room during my 'invalid' early weeks of recovery. I hope you find it as comforting through your journey,

Lisa, you have no idea how I wish I would have found this forum BEFORE my surgery. I was terrified and had no one to talk to... except God, and trust me I did that a lot! I plan on checking in on the Pre-op forum so that I can give some advice about the surgery and what they can expect. I didn't know there was a social room. I should check that out too. I also have to find that link in the Library. I've already found this forum comforting and informative. I'm so happy to be a member here.

 

[alexthecat]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

LisaP, I found this forum the day I learned that I needed THR and became a member a week later, when I got my surgery date. It made such a difference for me to have friends here before and after my surgery. In my opinion, what makes BoneSmart so special is all the useful information plus the emotional support. It's the best of both worlds, really.

 

[nanamac]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

I so totally agree. I didn't know anyone who had had a THR and had no idea what was in store :hate-shocked:! I was petrified! I found this fantastic site three months post op.

It's been twenty months since, I am facing a revision, andI know I can get thru it because of all of you here on Bone Smart!

 

[Josephine]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Ohh, I've been waiting for you to reply and I'm so happy you did. You said everything I NEEDED to hear. I have been so depressed and after all this advice and your comments I feel happy again.

Glad to be of help!

Ok to answer your questions. I am on 5/325 of Hydrocodone. I usually take 2 in the morning because that is when I do my PT and one before I go to bed. The rest of the day I sort of suffer (not horribly) but my surgeon doesn't believe in pain pills.

2 tablets of 5/325 of Hydrocodone is quite a very mild dose. One tablet is a waste of time. What's the point of taking these meds into your body when there isn't enough to do anything?

Plus is that all you are prescribed? Aren't you prescribed 2 tablets 4 times a day or something?

I think I probably "rest" too much... at least I feel guilty about watching tv and sitting all day.

But that's what you are supposed to be doing! Your body needs to rest so it can use your energy to heal. You only have so much energy and it either gets used in activity or in healing. It can't do both.

As far as the walking I do around the house. If I had to estimate how many minutes per day I'm on my walker I would guess about 1½ -2 hours total.
I just started doing housework and cooking in the past 2 weeks

So you're doing 2 hrs walking around and housework and cooking? Naughty, naughty! Much too early for all that. Well, maybe a little bit of dusting and getting out the cereal packets for breakfast but you shouldn't be cooking meals for the house yet. And who does the clearing up after cooking and the washing up after the meal? The family I hope?

I just started icing again yesterday per the advice I got and I elevate my leg periodically when I sit in my recliner.

Not periodically - LOTS. And make sure you elevate it high - toes above nose!

My problem is I read too much of the stories on the internet and see all these 50, 60, 70 and even 80 year olds walking without assistance after 6 weeks or sooner and I started to get scared.

But they are not you and you are not them! Nobody should compare their recovery with anyone else. Each and every recovery is unique and despite what you read on manufacturers' websites and all, you can't say 'everybody does it this way' because it's not true.

I'm a strong woman and fairly young in the THR World and I thought for sure I would be walking so much sooner than I am.

Well now you know different! :wink1: Beside which, 9 weeks is - as I said before - very early in the process.

Also the stiffness has been scaring me so bad because I have searched this entire internet (or close to it) for anyone with this symptom and to this day I still haven't found anyone complaining of their leg not hanging straight. It is impossible for me to swing my operative leg backwards without my pelvis going backward with it... it feels like it's locked.

Well, it's likely to as it is - again - only nine weeks and things like that happen. It's not abnormal for you. It's part of your recovery - your recovery. Don't let it scare you. It will loosen up eventually but you really have to get this fact that a lot of stiffness after this surgery is PAIN which you are not medicating. Plus, it's pain being exacerbated by your doing too much just yet. Too much activity and not enough resting. I assume you've been following this regime of activity since you got home and now you are finding how it can set things back.

Another thing that people tend to do after this experience of arthritic joints followed by replacement is that they compare their post-op pain with the pre-op pain and think it should be much the same. It's not. Post-op pain is very different and manifests as
soreness
burning
stabbing
throbbing
aching
swelling
stiffness
all of which needs to be medicated.

 

[C Mac]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Cardie, how is your ROM now.. any better?

Hi Lisa,

YES! My range of motion started getting better when I began my outpatient PT (around week 10) and I made a tremendous amount of progress with my gait and stride through the exercises in PT.

In the beginning of PT I had some swelling and tightness at the incision and it was theorized that it was related to fascia that was healing and a bit knotted up. So, I began to massage that area to loosen any scar tissue up that was impairing my range of motion. Prior to this time I really only iced the incision area as it was a bit tender, especially for any firm pressing just yet.

I like Jo's post, she always has good experiences and information to share. It is important not to compare yourself and your recovery to the average osteoarthritis patient -- our dysplasia and LLD issues make our recuperation period longer and different from someone who didn't have those other things going on in their body. I also have the rotational twist in my lower spine from the LLD, but don't experience any discomfort from it.

Nice that your surgeon was able to add an inch to your femur length! I just spoke with the PA at my docs office the other day to ask if the internal stretching that would occur from lengthening my femur is done yet ("Are we there yet...") and she told me No, and that it continues to occur for the entire year after surgery!

Keep doing your PT and chatting here with all the rest of us walking along the same path and give yourself plenty of time before you worry about seeking a second opinion, there's a whole lot of healing still left to do! :wink1:

Take care,
Cardie

 

[LisaP]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

2 tablets of 5/325 of Hydrocodone is quite a very mild dose. One tablet is a waste of time. What's the point of taking these meds into your body when there isn't enough to do anything?

Plus is that all you are prescribed? Aren't you prescribed 2 tablets 4 times a day or something? !

No way... 1 tablet 4 times a day and that is gone now. I called to get my prescription refilled today and he said he's not giving me any more hydrocodone. I kinda "freaked out" on his assistant and told her that if they don't give me any pain killers that it will hinder my physical therapy and recooperation. She said she's sorry but I've been on them too long.... thanks to you Josephine I had the guts to take my rehab into my own hands and DEMANDED that they give me something for this stiffness or I will go to another doctor. She went back to the doctor and he prescribed Deflocenic (something like that) 75 mg twice and day and Tylenol with Codeine twice a day. The Deflocenic is an anti-inflammatory and is supposed to help alot more than the Hydrocodine with my stiffness. I'm going to pick my prescription up tomorrow and I hope this works because if it doesn't I will call them back until I get something that works!!:hissyfit:
I used to take this anti-inflammatory pre-surgery and it didn't do a thing for my pain so I quit taking them... but I was in chronic pain and even the vicodins didn't help.

So you're doing 2 hrs walking around and housework and cooking? Naughty, naughty! Much too early for all that. Well, maybe a little bit of dusting and getting out the cereal packets for breakfast but you shouldn't be cooking meals for the house yet. And who does the clearing up after cooking and the washing up after the meal? The family I hope?

My husband does some cooking and cleaning but he's a truck driver and works 14 hours a day so his time is limited. I will try to slow down a bit, but in all honesty I don't think I'm over-doing it. When I'm tired I take a break. My friends come over to visit and help me with some heavy cleaning and laundry. I'm very blessed.

I also elevated my leg last night and it felt so good.

Another thing that people tend to do after this experience of arthritic joints followed by replacement is that they compare their post-op pain with the pre-op pain and think it should be much the same. It's not. Post-op pain is very different and manifests as
soreness
burning
stabbing
throbbing
aching
swelling
stiffness
all of which needs to be medicated.

My pre op pain was 1000 times worse than my post op pain is now... but this stiffness is something new and was worrying me, but thanks to you and the other hippies (I love that) I am so much calmer and am looking forward to a complete recovery (in time)...

Thank you again for the time you took to answer me... I can see why the other hippies love and respect you so much.

 

[Jaycey]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Hi Lisa, glad you got a new prescription. I took Diclofenac pre and post op and agree with you. It didn't really touch my pre-op bone on bone pain. But it certainly did help post-op. Hope you see the same results.

And yes the combination of Diclofenac and Tylenol is a good one. Fingers crossed for you!

 

[Josephine]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Tylenol with codeine is a good one provided you are having enough (old story!). Make sure you are taking the equivalent of 1,000mg acetaminophen and 30mg codeine, though. And twice a day is a bit mean. I would have thought you could do with it more than just twice a day. But you can get extra strength Tylenol over the counter, right? So you could take a couple in between the doses of what he's prescribed. As long as you don't exceed 4,000mg per 24hrs it will be fine.

Let me tell you this: when I worked in recovery and we had patients needing post-op pain meds but were going home that day, obviously we couldn't give them morphine so we would give them 50mg diclofenac, 30mgs codeine and 1,000 mg of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and it worked wonderfully well!

I wait to hear that you also are doing well on it but you do need to make sure you are taking a working dose.

 

[forbesy]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Hi Lisa

Just having a read y through your thread and glad to see the gang have set you straight about your meds, I to took Diclofenac up until about four weeks before my hip replacement as it seemed to lose it's affect and I was starting to count the days before the op.
No one deserves to be in pain so fingers and toes crossed the Diclofenac do the trick.

Billy

 

[gizmo]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Hi Lisa,
I am very happy to have found your thread. There do seem to be lots of stories of super quick recoveries. I feel I am heading in the right direction - but slowly. I can relate to a lot of whats been said here and many of the comments have been really useful. I am 4 weeks post op and on two crutches and still definitely needing two crutches. I also have swelling and stiffness and my operative leg from knee downward seems to head off in its own direction, I am hoping this is because my knee is still swollen. I too sleep with a pillow under my operated knee as it doesnt go anything like flat.

I had congenital bilateral dysplasia- although I am hoping to keep my other hip a while longer. Its been hard work to get the doctors to take me seriously so I think I had degenerated a lot before surgery. The deflocenic for the stiffness seems like a good idea.

We do all need to just keep reminding ourselves just how major major surgery is I guess, especially when we have been struggling for years previously. Happy you've found the website Lisa and that its helping.

best wishes Gizmo

 

[Jamie]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Hi, Lisa....I'm just now catching up with your thread. I see you've received a lot of help from everyone here!!! That's great!

I only have one thing to possibly add. You indicated that prior to surgery you were walking with a shoe that had a 2 inch lift. You aren't still using that shoe, are you? Beause walking patterns are different following surgery, we strongly recommend folks get sturdy new shoes for recovery. You shouldn't need that lift now and it will take some time for your pelvis to work its way back to a normal position.

 

[lisanewmc]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

New shoes required - great reason to go shopping! :th_heehee:

 

[LisaP]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Thank you Jo, Lisa, Gizmo, Jayce, Don, Alex, Billy Cardie (sorry if I missed someone).... I've been taking the Diclofenac 75 mg and it doesn't seem to be doing much. Maybe because I'm not in severe pain it's just this crazy stiffness. When I walk my leg doesn't go backwards... it's like it stops right at my back. It just doesn't feel normal to me and until it loosens up I'm know I'm going to worry a little. It seems like every 3 or 4 days I catch myself sobbing... those ding dang post-op blues.. they are very real. However, I am walking on a cane which is such a major step forward for me. I hated that walker but I still use it when I'm tired of trying to stretch my leg.

Cardie and Lisa... I have tossed my old shoes away. I had a 1-1/2" lift built on the outside of my shoes and right now my new length is only 1/2" different and I use a little 1/2" insert inside my shoe.. which thrills me.

Jo, I made an appointment with my General Practicioner (family doctor) and I'm going to ask him to take charge of my pain management. He was the only one who would give me any pain meds when my hip was deteriorating and I couldn't walk 10 steps without tears. My OS refused to give me anything before my surgery. He must have had many patients who became addicts or something because I can't believe he would risk my progress because his dislike for pain meds. Oh well... I have an appointment on December 5th with my family doctor. Hopefully he'll care.

Thanks to everyone for your replies... you have no idea how much they mean to me and have helped me. I think I'll go take a hot shower .. that always makes me feel better.

 

[C Mac]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

I've been taking the Diclofenac 75 mg and it doesn't seem to be doing much.

I don't know if this matters or not, but when I take Diclofenac I take the 100 mg ER (extended release) type once daily, maybe Jo would know if there is a difference in such small dosage amounts?

Maybe because I'm not in severe pain it's just this crazy stiffness. When I walk my leg doesn't go backwards... it's like it stops right at my back. It just doesn't feel normal to me and until it loosens up I'm know I'm going to worry a little.

Are you still doing physical therapy? I experience what you are referring to also and I think that some of it has to do with the extension that we've gotten in our femur length and the adapting that all those muscles and tendons are doing in addition to weakness in many of those muscles from our pre-surgical & post-surgical situation (atrophy & muscle cuts or trauma from surgery). Sending you cyber hugs because I know how you feel when the "blues" come over you and the tears as well, it is a drag!

Good news on the shoes & going from the lift to the heal cookie -- normal shoes, what a treat!

I also saw my GP after my surgical follow-up and she's the one that told me to expect my recovery to take at least a year after I complained about still being on the cane and feeling like my recuperation expectations had been dashed. I hope that your GP will give you medication help as well if you need that too.

Take care,
Cardie

 

[LisaP]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

I don't know if this matters or not, but when I take Diclofenac I take the 100 mg ER (extended release) type once daily, maybe Jo would know if there is a difference in such small dosage amounts?




Are you still doing physical therapy? I experience what you are referring to also and I think that some of it has to do with the extension that we've gotten in our femur length and the adapting that all those muscles and tendons are doing in addition to weakness in many of those muscles from our pre-surgical & post-surgical situation (atrophy & muscle cuts or trauma from surgery). Sending you cyber hugs because I know how you feel when the "blues" come over you and the tears as well, it is a drag!

Good news on the shoes & going from the lift to the heal cookie -- normal shoes, what a treat!

I also saw my GP after my surgical follow-up and she's the one that told me to expect my recovery to take at least a year after I complained about still being on the cane and feeling like my recuperation expectations had been dashed. I hope that your GP will give you medication help as well if you need that too.

Take care,
Cardie

Cardie, I am still going to PT twice a week and I do over 2 hours a day at home. For the last 3 weeks they have me laying on the bed with my operative leg hanging off the bed with 3 pound weights to help stretch those muscles. I'll be measured again tomorrow to see if there is any movement. I hope so. It feels like as if there was a steel rod going from my back down to my heal of my foot and when I try to extend my leg backwards it just gets stopped. I have decent range of motion forward, upward, and to the side and my muscles feel strong... it's just so strange. Is that how you felt? How is your ROM now?

As far as the Diclofenic... I haven't picked up my new prescription yet because I have around 200 pills left from when I used to take them... however, they are 2 years old and the expiration date was 5/2011.. maybe that's why they aren't working. The new script is 75 mgs also. I'm gonna pick it up tomorrow. I've had a flat tire for 1 week .. :(

Thank you for the cyber hugs... I sure needed them the last couple days. I'll feel better when I go to PT tomorrow.

 

[gizmo]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Hi Lisa,
I think I'm quite good at seeing the positive and staying on top of things emotionally usually. However there cant be many times in my life when I've cried this much. I find I am extremely sensitive to comments -especially if they in any way suggest even indirectly that my inabilities are annoying to my family. I want everyone to be kind to me - but we are all exhausted. Add on to that the personal frustration and then a layer of general trauma, I guess feeling down at times must come with the territory for lots of us. So you are definitely not alone.
Best wishes Gizmo

 

[Josephine]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

75mg is a waste of time for this kind of pain, specially as you can only take it 2 or 3 times a day! Totally inadequate. Now if you took it with 1,000 Tylenol 4 times a day, then you might have a better effect. But in truth, you really need something a little bit stronger 9 weeks.

btw, I'm glad you've lightened your avatar pic. It looked a bit Hallowe'en-ish before! :th_heehee:
You're a looker and it's hard to believe you are over 50!

 

[LisaP]

Re: 9 weeks post op... Severe stifness where my leg won't hang straight

Hi Lisa,
I think I'm quite good at seeing the positive and staying on top of things emotionally usually. However there cant be many times in my life when I've cried this much. I find I am extremely sensitive to comments -especially if they in any way suggest even indirectly that my inabilities are annoying to my family. I want everyone to be kind to me - but we are all exhausted. Add on to that the personal frustration and then a layer of general trauma, I guess feeling down at times must come with the territory for lots of us. So you are definitely not alone.
Best wishes Gizmo

Gizmo, you should see my facebook page... my poor friends and family have heard every detail of my pre-op and post-op. I've cried and whined and celebrated. I even put up a picture of me one hour after surgery. Let me see if I can add it here.

That's me and my sister when they brought me up from surgery. I was so happy I was alive.

JO, thank you for the compliment but I feel every bit of 54. My sister now she's the one who looks young. She's 59.

I had a great day at PT today. They measured my progress and everything is moving as it should be. I didn't even take my walker to PT today and they were all shocked. I was so happy. I also picked up my new scripts (diclofenic 75 and Tylenol with codeine). I just took my first dose and we'll see how it works.

Thanks again for letting me cry on your shoulders.