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THR Six Weeks out from an Anterior Hip. Where Should I be?

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@lovetowalk @Jaycey

Thanks to you both. Yes I think I am doing to much. The hardest time for me is in morning. Very stiff. Being able to sleep on the new hip is great! I pulled it back today after jaycey's comments. I think I have been a little restless. Did a lot of ice; I usually do, and took some meds and basically just the morning and evening walk. After the OS saw me Friday he asked if I wanted to do the other one in a few months. I have so much better motion and less pain now in operative hip that my old "good" side is now my "bad side". I think though I will wait until next year when I can recoup in the summer months. I didn't pick June on purpose but I'm glad thats when I had it done. As always thanks for helping me not freak out.
 
@lee0605 Today I did a 3.5 mile walk and a WalMart shopping trip.
Felt a bit of a twinge (yet again) in my op side groin area.
I think its just normal thing from a muscle there saying 'geez'. That's all.....
Yesterday I did 3 one mile walks and a 10 mile bike ride. Felt tired at the end of the day, but good.

I still have the stiffness upon standing thing..... wish it would go away, but expecting it to stay til 6-8 months out according to others. (or , for some it never goes away); but even so... that would be ok. As things are so much better than being Quasimodo.
 
I am testing it a bit. Yesterday almost completely without the cane. PT this morning. Still afraid of outdoor cycling but the bike in the gym feels great. Probably not ready for spin class. At this point it is still better to under do than to do too much. My calf muscles are snarky from being on them all day yesterday and that feels good.
 
Hi Lee @lee0605. Glad to hear you are cleared. My appt with the OS is the 12th. Today is the 6 week anniversary of surgery. Doing better every day. Just hope I'm ok for school. It starts in 3 weeks. I have a recumbent bike in my living room and after struggling to get both feet on the pedals actually pedaled for like 5 minutes. Felt like that was a huge accomplishment as when I tried a year or so before surgery I couldn't hardly pedal a full rotation of the pedals. Keep up the great work!
 
That is a huge accomplishment! I know I to feel better everyday. The only time I am very aware of the surgery is sometimes when I stand and take that first step and also first thing in the morning. I also bought a brand new bike last year thats presently in my garage. It seems it would be time to get it out! I hope as well you are ready for school. I will be returning to the prison around the same time. The only thing I worry about is limping. A weakness I can't show. However I have taught mysef to not limp in the past so I am fairly confident I can do it again. Hey! I just noticed Keggi did your surgery at St. Francis. Dr. Kennnon did mine at the same place!! How cool! They are both so nice! And I love my PA Matt!....How funny. We are lucky to have found those guys. My mom was Senior Keggi's OR nurse for a long time at Waterbury Hospital back in the day!
 
Hi Lee @lee0605 - what a coincidence that your mom was senior Keggi's OR nurse. Matt is great too! I worked with his wife at NVCC for a bit when she was a tutor/mentor - she is a sweetheart. I had initially gone to see Dr. Flynn on another friend's advice, but he basically dismissed me by referring me to a gastric surgeon - telling me I had to lose at least 70 pounds. I had lost close to 80 lbs before seeing him, so I was devastated. I made an appt with Dr. Keggi's office and was seen by Matt the first visit. He reassured me that Dr. Keggi has performed surgeries on people weighing much more than I do, while also informing me that the weight does increase risks of complications. I would be so happy to be able to lose those 70 lbs, but not being able t walk or move really squashed that effort. I am very curious to see what OS says when I see him next week and see the xray. Monday I believe I over did things after PT. My brother brought me some gorgeous eggplant from his garden so I decided to prepare it, I think standing at the stove frying it all pushed me over the edge. I was very sore yesterday - whole body sore, not so much the operated hip but everything else. Oh well - live and learn.
 
@lee0605, congrats on being 8 weeks out. Since you and I sound a bit alike, I'd love to share some things I learned when I had my first hip replacement in April 2013 and how I'm applying this hard-gained knowledge to hip replacement 2, which I had done 16 days ago. I was a three-sport athlete in college (field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse) and am a highly competitive and A+ type personality. The first time around, I kept pushing myself, as I felt I "should" be doing this or that, and in the back of my mind, I thought, "I was an athlete. No pain, no gain." As a result, I would overdo it and set myself back. I also had a lot of down days, as I was not meeting my own expectations and standards, as well as the bar that was set by friends who said they were doing amazing things at two weeks, etc. I remember seeing my surgeon and saying I was kind of down because I seemed to be behind the curve and that everyone I knew who had hip replacements were doing this and that so much earlier. He confirmed I was behind the curve and also that my friends had reconstructed memories. He told me he would have patients telling him they were doing xyz at two weeks when he was looking at the file and seeing they did it at five weeks. That made me feel better.

Fast forward, this time around, I have taken it easy and the only thing I'm listening to is my hip. If I think I should be walking a mile, I will walk 1/2 a mile. I have been doing the exercises they gave me at the hospital, but I only do one set of 10 at a time, 3-5 times a day, spread apart. I am doing no formal PT (my surgeon believes that it does more harm than good at this point, as people push too hard) and am just walking in the neighborhood or park. I rest a lot and am not doing any work from home, as I did the first time. I am enjoying the time off.

Guess what? Since I relaxed, my recovery is going *much* better. At the hospital, I skipped the walker and went straight to the cane. I went off all narcotics at 14 days out, and I can walk around the house without a cane and go up and down stairs normally. I only have had one depressed day. While I may start adding the meds back in when I start exercising more, it feels fine right now. The old me would want to push my exercise regime much farther, but the new me says what's the point? Slow and steady wins the race.

Even though you're a couple months out, honor yourself by slowing down a bit. Do half of what you think you "should" do. If you're having pain, cut back. Take tomorrow off and just do your activities of daily living. You will thank yourself later.

Best wishes!
 
@lee0605, just a tip: I take magnesium when I get muscle cramps, seems to prevent them. I had 2 SuperPATH THR's this spring. First one was much longer recovery due to hip deterioration, but could use a cane, not a walker, the first week after 2nd surgery. You will get better. Hang in there! Best wishes.
 
Thanks so much @kpalms and @cthipster

I hadn't thought of MG++. I just figured as the left hip is bad as needs a replacement as well I was just having residual pain from so many years of sleeping on that side. Almost like my body was finally rebelling. I see both of yours were replaced and my OS wanted to do my left one. I do find myself getting terribly down. I attribute that to the state I envision my own body in, how I believe others must see me as (I know I know...it shouldn't matter) and the general sense I have midway at life that I can't stand up without waiting a few seconds to take that first tentative step. The sensation of Standing up after being seated has not changed except for the cane/walker..which I haven't used except occassionlly in the morning since week 6/7. But I do get awfully down. Sometimes it's hard for me to leave the house in this matronly body. Maybe the sense of getting older is exacerbated by the whole ordeal. I always try to remind myself how very very lucky I am to live in a time where my pain could be resolved as it is. And things like having enough to eat, a roof over my head etc... But often these self talks don't work. Some days I feel like I'm on fire...relatively.....and I get things done. Other days I'm like a slug...feeling so tired and unable to keep my eyes open. I know it's not even three months yet so I forgive myself. I do as Cthipster says and dial it back, which I think is the most important thing I've learned on this blog. less not more. But today isn't a great day and I thank you both for listening to me drone on....and for your very good advice
 
@lee0605, I can relate even though I'm not quite to four weeks yet. Less is more. Gotta get that committed to memory. Be encouraged. When you feel better and are walking pain free, all those matronly thoughts will disappear. You'll be amazing!


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Hi @beachgal

Thanks for the pep talk. I thought you were further out. It sounds like your head is in a good place. I do get discouraged by the weight I've gained in the past few years. Even though I did "the change" all natural" I do find it hard right now to eat right and be positive. I give you so much credit for being so short out and having such contact with your body. As a former lifelong exerciser, who has really let it go, I'm going to use your advice and dig my brand new stationary bike out of my, to full, garage. I bought it to recover a work related knee injury, on the opposite side, but was unable to use it because it really hurt the operative hip pro-op. I will use it sparingly.I will follow you now if that's OK
 
@lee0605, we love riding bikes-or used to before hip pain got in the way. I was happy to get on the little recumbent bike at the gym with PT yesterday and am looking forward to it tomorrow even though it's using muscles that scream!

I'm rehabbing at our second home about three hours away from where hubby and dog are during the week now and by Tuesday night, I'm pretty weepy. I've only got about three more weeks until my local OS will release me and it will be a happy day when we can all be together again there. Until then, I just try to focus on what I CAN do and count my undeserved blessings, particularly that I could have this surgery and feel better instantly. I know you are beyond blessed, too.

I'm heading to what I hope will be a good night's sleep and wishing you a restful night, as well.


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Hi Lee, I am only five days behind you surgery wise. My husband is the director of a big camp for cross country runners so we are just finishing up our second week here. I sure do miss running, but for the first time since surgery I walked to the end of our somewhat hilly dirt road (2.2 miles total) no pain, no limp, no cane! It was great to go someplace by myself and on foot. I am doing so very much better. I am starting to be glad I did this.

As I said before, a lot of this is mental. We need to allow ourselves to feel the feelings that this surgery digs up. After we acknowledge them we can begin to let them go. Losing weight and getting back in shape is something you can do one tiny bit at a time. Same thing with thoughts and feelings. There have been days when I just thought I would go through it ten minutes at a time. Eating well is also baby steps, but that makes it manageable. As for matronly, well...how about wise, mature, elegant, experienced... The media and advertising gives us that label; don't accept it. We are women with considerable intelligence, wisdom, and experience. Slowly, surely, and together we will get back on track. We need to be very gentle with ourselves.

Lastly, don't forget energy drain. I haven't been napping much but after my longer walk I slept like a baby for two hours and then a full eight that night!

Be well!
 
@lee0605, well, I didn't follow my own advice. Since I was out a month from surgery, I started phasing back into work. Figured I could last 3 hours, no more, and pushed it to four hours with bad results. Almost passed out in front of the other members of the senior admin team (we were having an all day meeting) and had to be driven home. This is a case where my brain overrode my hip, and the hip spoke up loud and clear!

I sobbed on the way home -- some weird physical response to being past my limit. Even though my brain wants to hit the ground running at work, I am feeling very cautious now. Slowly, slowly.

Glad you are aware of your own emotions and physical limits, and are cutting back accordingly.
 
@lovestowalk, @lee0605, what a great post to start my day! It's amazing what good sleep can do for the body and the soul. We're all so lucky to have the opportunity to get our pain free lives back and I feel especially fortunate this morning to have your words of encouragement!

We got this!!


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Good morning everyone! Monday was 8 weeks post -op. At yesterday's PT session I was in tears, not from the operated hip, but the other leg. My PT reminded me that the right hip ( the new one) has made good progress, but that the left one is hampering progress. Plus I think I am stressing myself because Friday is the first day back to school, with Monday the official first day back with students. I still rely on using the cane which is bugging me too. I have also gained 8 lbs since surgery that I am not happy about. Going through some emotional ups and downs these past few days that are also effecting my overall attitude in a not so good way. Life seems to never have a shortage of trials, for sure. Lee, @lee0605 it was good to chat and we really should get together.
 
8 lbs is nothing! Once you become more mobile and pain free, they'll melt away. Keep drinking your water as it helps you feel full and maybe will help cut out some of the snacking. Also makes for more frequent bathroom trips which keeps us up and moving!!

Good job!!


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@HippyHelen, I hear you! We have new faculty and staff orientation this week, all faculty and staff meetings next week, and school starts after Labor Day. We say the beginning of school is like being shot out of a cannon. It's tiring in the best of health. I feel nervous too. The first week of school I'll be officially back, and I'm trying to prep by phasing into work this week (I'm a month out from the surgery). I know that two hours per day is my limit, so I'm not getting much traction. Better than nothing however.
 
kpalms said:
@lee0605, just a tip: I take magnesium when I get muscle cramps, seems to prevent them.
Click to expand...

Hi @kpalms - have you seen these articles from my Nutritional Library :)

The following is a link to an article which provides the current science regarding the healing beneath and around the implant and approximate timeframes for the healing phases and processes and the relevant nutritional information for each phase.

Healing Phases & Nutrition

This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting, including one relating to bone health.

Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery
 
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