THR Sharri Reaches the other side!!!

[Sharri]

Hi folks! I think my question that I posted yesterday got lost. I just wanted to know if anyone else experienced some intense knee pain during recovery? I was also wondering if there was a drug equivalent to tylenol 3s without the side effect of constipation that I could ask the doc. for? Having an incredibly painful night tonight but is my own fault - did too much today - live & learn I guess. @Josephine could you give me your experienced opinion? Thank you!


Sharri -LTHR May 28th 2014 13 inch incision on side
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[Stripey]

@Sharri I was having knee pain for the first few days after surgery. It seems to be getting better. I was having problems pre-op with my knee because of limping and quads getting weak on that side. Then I suppose things got pulled and twisted a bit during surgery and it seemed much worse. However it IS getting better with time though I have a long way to go to regain muscle strength.

 

[moms4tne]

Hi Sharri - you're where I was at Day 18. You're doing great! Are you getting any physio? It's made a huge difference for me - even just the little exercises they give you in hospital. In another week or so you'll be even stronger, and then transitioning to one crutch (so much easier) and then a cane. Physio said I'd probably transition to a cane this week (went to one crutch at 4 weeks) but I overdid physio last week and got really sore. So I pretty much haven't done anything but walking all week, so I don't think I'll be ready this week (6 wks post-op).

What/where is the majority of your pain? The knee? I had some pain and swelling on the operated leg's knee early on - then later, some tenderness that felt almost like a very deep bruise finally surfacing. Support under your knee when you're on your back, or when elevating your leg while sitting (which I always do) should help, as will ice. Also, if you're pointing toes forward when you walk, and you didn't pre-op (like me) that can cause some knee strain as it adjusts to the new pattern.

I was prescribed Hydromorphone as well - "every 2 hours as needed" plus Tylenol. Honestly, I hated the stuff because of the constipation, and I didn't feel any different taking it from taking X-Strength Tylenol alone. My pain was mostly muscle soreness and some pulling/tenderness of the incision - so I quit taking the Hydro stuff by about Day 10. I want to take ibuprofen - I think it would help with the muscle soreness - but I couldn't while on anti-coagulants and now that I'm off those, my sister says Ibuprofen interferes with bone growth. So I'm waiting to ask my OS at my post-op appt tomorrow.

I think Tylenol 3 has coedine (which I can't take) but if you can stomach it, the coedine in Tylenol 3 might be enough for your pain, and it isn't as addictive as Oxycodone. They also prescribe Tramadol up here - I just discovered I have an RX for that from when I had a kidney stone last fall. That's one I've seen mentioned a lot here. (Wish I'd realized I had that - I'd have taken it over the Hydromorphone for sure!)

 

[NoraJ]

Hi @Sharri. .. I'm not sure about pain meds... I was only prescribed paracetamol for pain on discharge from hospital and I've been fortunate I haven't needed anything more. The pain I have are on the incision (as you'd expect) and on the side of my leg below my knee. It's a pain like I banged my leg and it's bruised...and also a bit of groin pain.. I have had knee pain for years and years but was told it was OA. ..now that was probably caused by unlying hip condition. Initially they were great (due to pain killers for the hip and anti inflammatory) but now they are creaking a bit too but not intensely so. Hopefully you can get sorted medication wise and feel able to move about more.

RTHR May 27th 2014

 

[NoraJ]

Hi @Sharri,
are you doing ok? No post for a bit...did you get meds sorted?

Nora

RTHR May 27th 2014

 

[Sharri]

Hello all! First I must apologise, I have been very bad and have not posted on this site for many weeks. I found that I was becoming discouraged reading the recovery posts from most (but not all) of my fellow hippies that seemed to be doing so much better than me and so much quicker. Although you know somewhere in your mind that everyones recovery is different and you shouldn't compare, in my physical and mental state, at that point, I was getting depressed so I decided to take a break.

I am sorry if there was anyone's post I didn't respond to. Everyone was always so wonderful on the site though so it was about me not anyone else. I am now at 9.5 weeks post op and so much further along than I was the last time I posted, however I am still I believe slower than most. At my 7 week follow up and group physio class I found out that my surgery was more complex than the average hip replacement and that my prosthesis is quite a bit larger than most. I was also told that would explain the slower recovery and to expect it would take a little longer than most (would have been good to know that before I left the hospital lol).

In the last week I transitioned from one crutch to a cane (mostly because I was having so many issues with my shoulder). I started slowly just around the house then began going out with the cane when I felt more secure. I can currently, on a good day, walk about 6 steps around the house without anything but then I feel I'm getting wobbly and reverting to my old gait so I grab the cane again. I'm told its far better to continue with the cane and have a proper gait than to try and do without and not walk properly.

Its sometimes still frustrating because I still have not surpassed my pre-surgery mobility but its coming ( at least once or twice a week I notice I can move just a bit more than before). I am also still having to use pain killers but far less than in the begining. However I'm still finding that if I over do it I tend to have a day or two of needing to take it easy because the pain and stiffness creeps back in (it just takes a bit more to over do it now!)

Two big positives for me - being able to drive again and going swimming in the lake! Both were so liberating and made me feel sooooooo good! I've also been able to get back to being an involved mom with my little girl! I still can't do any big outings with her but at least I can be mom on the day to day! I am starting to feel stronger and starting to see the possibilities of where I'll be this time next year and its exciting.

I've attached my pre surgery xray and post surgery xray to share - finding I'm quite proud of them lol - its like my battle scars! I hope all of my fellow hippies from May 28th are all doing well and thank you to everyone who was so supportive of my during my early days!

Sharri -LTHR May 28th 2014 13 inch incision on side
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[NoraJ]

Hi @Sharri, it is good to hear from you! I feel your pain in the progress department. I am glad though that you feel stronger and are getting there.

If you read my thread you'll see I'm still on one crutch and now having PT weekly to try and improve my gait which is awful! I appear to have the dreaded LLD too but hopefully that will settle. When the doctor said it was a possibility I never thought I'd end up taller ( i assumned it would be shorter and at 5' 9" I was ok with that!) but I've gained a centimetre or two by the looks of it! I still take paracetamol odd days like yesterday and today when the stiffness was sore and restricting. I just had my first swim this week..indoors... but it was lovely. My focus for the next two weeks is to build up my stamina and mentally prepare for going back to work on the 25th... I just want to get stronger , walk better and manage my weight loss... I'm not running any marathons yet or even close to walking them yet! Keep in touch!
Nora

 

[Sharri]

Hi @NoraJ!!! Thanks for the reply! I'm glad you're coming along and I totally understand your frustrations with what seems to be the slow progress. It is a challenge to stay positive but I keep trying to turn myself around when the negativity tries to set in (which it does try to on a semi-regular basis lol!). My experience with my legs is a little different. My legs were totally uneven (my bad leg was very noticeably bent when the good one was strait and vice versa) pre surgery. Now god bless my surgeon he was able to make them even (just before I went under he told me he was going to do his best to make them even but if he couldn't I'd have to come in and get the other leg done to even me out!). My problem now is, that on top of the damage done to my muscles from the surgery, I'm dealing with muscles that pre surgery were weak and not at all use to being in this more correct position. So, I'm having a very hard time getting them to support me in a proper gait. It truly has been like learning to walk all over again. For the small number of steps that I do take without assistance, I have to concentrate very, very, hard to get my leg and foot to move properly. I'm confident that it will come for both of us Nora - just might take us a bit longer than some. I will keep watching to see how you're doing and I will be cheering you on! Try and be your own champion and to be kind to yourself!!


Sharri -LTHR May 28th 2014 13 inch incision on side
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[NoraJ]

Thanks @Sharri. I'm suffering a bout of insomnia after having a bad dream. .. so a very late/early post for me! thus experience had been a tough one. Similarly my muscles are unimpressed they are being asked to do so much having moved a fair bit by the op. My physio told me yesterday tgat pre op I had the tightest groin muscles she ever worked with...lovely!
I spent so long compensating for my hips that my muscles are struggling to catch up. My gait prior to surgery wasn't noticeably wrong unless I was in pain so adjusting to a poor gait post op is a challenge. I hope with time it will settle and then I can look forward to doing it all over again! Next time around though I already have notes made for myself for what I'll do differently. ..

As you said I shall be my own champion and work my way through....likewise mind yourself too!

 

[Jaycey]

I found that I was becoming discouraged reading the recovery posts from most (but not all) of my fellow hippies that seemed to be doing so much better than me and so much quicker.

Aw @Sharri so sorry you didn't feel you could post. In fact your recovery is probably more the norm! Mine was measured in weeks, not days. I think you will find there are a lot of us here who took over 12 months to feel fully recovered.

Sounds to me that you are doing great in this recovery. Yes, you have more issues and your surgery was more complex. But you are doing what you need to do to get more mobile. Grabbing that cane when you need it. Well done for sticking it out! I hope you will keep us updated. For other members who are going through a more difficult recovery, stories like yours are very helpful.

 

[Dkp]

Hi @Sharri

I share your surgery date and your frustration. My recovery for this hip is so much slower than for the last one. And, after feeling like I had turned the corner and was doing very well, I've had a big increase in pain this last week, slowing my PT progress and sending me back to the Percocet for relief. Sigh. That said, like you, I can do so much more than just a couple of weeks ago. (Driving and swimming are at the top of my list, as well!) I'm so happy the surgery is done. I just wish I were up to the long walking & bicycling others report. I try to remember how long I was immobile before surgery and that it takes time to recover and to rebuild muscle strength. And I also remind myself to be grateful for a successful surgery without the serious complications some experience. Slow is okay!

Thank you for reporting your progress and helping me feel more normal. I was feeling like an underachiever. ;)

Debby


LTHR 5/29/2014
RTHR 9/20/2011

 

[Sharri]

@NoraJ I hear you it is such a personal challenge not to get down on yourself. @Jaycey thank you for the words of encouragement and @Dkp you are welcome - it helps to know we are not alone!!! I too try and remember to be grateful for the fact that I have gone through a major surgery without complications and that although slow I am moving forward. Today is a bit of a challenge for me. We are at our cottage right now in northern Ontario (which I am so fortunate to be able to be here to recover) and the landscape here is very rocky, uneven and sometimes steep. After a few days of resting I felt really good yesterday and then I went and over did it big time. I foolishly was walking around without thinking (with my cane), did dishes, walked down the incline to get to the lake and went for a swim, walked back up the incline and then later made tacos for dinner and brownies for dessert. I was feeling it by the time I was making dinner and I should have stopped then. But I was being stubborn and thinking I can do it and what I did today is an easy day for normal people, so its okay that it was hard and I still got through. Today my leg is really painful, stiff and heavy again. Now I likely will have to be resting and icing a good part of the day instead of enjoying the gorgeous weather and being out with my family. I seem to be having a hard time learning that even when I'm feeling good I have to take it easy because my muscles just aren't there yet. I find that is a huge challenge - knowing when you're ready to take the next step to do more without going over board. I guess the learning continues! I hope all of you are having a good day today and thank you for your responses and support!


Sharri -LTHR May 28th 2014 13 inch incision on side
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®

 

[cthipster]

@Sharri, I am popping in on the threads and want to send you lots of positive energy, along with the hope you have a great couch to relax on today. It's probably a good sign that you were unthinkingly doing lots of stuff, because you were feeling good. I've done that too.

There are many comments here, so do you mind if I ask why you had the surgery? You mentioned the docs had to do more work on you, and you have a 13-inch incision to prove it. That's a lot of muscle recovery and healing from the incision alone, not to mention if your biomechanics are significantly different now than from before the surgery.

 

[Jaycey]

After a few days of resting I felt really good yesterday and then I went and over did it big time.

Welcome to recovery @Sharri . That's what it's all about. Pushing the limits and then knowing you did too much - so scaling back. Ice and elevate and allow yourself a day or two of rest. Then try again. Yesterday may have been too much. But in just a few short weeks what you did yesterday will be much easier. Just keep trying and then listen when that hip says to stop. Soon the rest times will become shorter and the active days longer. You are doing great!

 

[Sharri]

Hi @cthipster! Thanks for sending me the positive energy! I had a hip replacement due to severe arthritis caused by hip dysplasia that was a birth defect that had never been diagnosed (until I started being evaluated for a hip replacement). I had always had issues with my legs being slightly uneven (although it was very pronounced by the time I had my surgery) and always had a very bad back. However my major hip pain really started when I was pregnant with our daughter who is now 9. It got worse every year but I always thought it as related to my back & the fact that I had been in several car accidents, then in the last year & a half the pain and decrease in mobility accelerated so quickly I had to go to the doctor & say something is really wrong. That's when they discovered the arthritis & how quickly it was destroying the bone. I was only able to walk with a cane for the the 7 months preceding the surgery. So I will be living a much different & hopefully fuller life once I'm recovered! My other hip is already showing signs of arthritis but I'm really hoping since the 'bad' one is now fixed the other won't be as quick to go. Have you had your surgery yet @cthipster?
@Jaycey thanks for the words of encouragement - they are always appreciated!!


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[Sharri]

@cthipster I see from your thread that you are a pro & on the recovery from hip number two! Thanks to you for the others like @Jaycey that have traveled this road before & are helping us newbies!


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[NoraJ]

I think it is as @Jaycey said trial and error to find your level and build up your stamina. I had a swim Tuesday. .woke up stiff and sore Wednesday but had to leave my car in the garage so walked into town which was about a kilometre each way. By the time I got home I was in bits and had to lie down and have a nap! I had PT Thursday and after took it easy. But it is difficult when all you want to do are the simple things most take for granted. I met friend for lunch today and felt so normal chatting in a cafe but once I stood I was reminded I that I am not anywhere near 'normal' yet.

Hopefully resting and relaxing will let your body recover and give you the energy to try again!

 

[Sharri]

@NoraJ that sounds like a heck of a lot to do in 3 days! I can't believe you walked two kilometres in one day!! Don't be so hard on yourself about not being 'normal'. It will come and try to think ahead to this time next year! Also it sounds like you (from what you've written) that you are putting extra pressure on yourself to loose weight right now and this can't be the easiest time to do that. Be kind to yourself and don't forget to pat yourself on the back for all you've already accomplished - something we should all do more often!


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[Poppet]

Yes @Sharri - celebrating each personal milestone is so important. I read a few of your posts and I recall the difficulty in knowing when I could be adventurous and try a new activity only to find that the next day I was in pain or stiff. It still happens for me at almost 3 years. I just figure that I will have good days and bad days, but as time progresses the 'good' days are becoming the new norm - hang in there you are doing very well

 

[NoraJ]

I know you are right! I did break up the walk and stopped for coffee. It was better than waiting with a grumpy mechanic for my car.
The mind is a complex thing and for a variety of reasons I just want to feel like my old self again! I have a life long battle with my weight and putting on weight doesn't help my ability to think positively. So I am just trying hard to be healthy and making positive choices. I've done it before....

Professionaly I deny being a perfectionist (my boss has challenged me on this but I'm not) but I may be a bit of an overachiever and it never entered my head beforehand that the healing process would be this slow. I worried about the operation and managing in the short term afterwards. But I never considered I could be still on a crutch at 11 weeks! My fantasy of having 6 weeks recovery and 6 weeks to take it easy then go back to work full of the joys has been truly dashed. I think managing to adjust my expectations is really difficult and you seem to have a better handle on that! I need to work on that.

Do you feel better after resting or do you still feel wiped out from yesterday?