THR Sometimes peachy, sometimes the pits

[Peaches]

Laughing hard at the inflatable thing as I actually bought a cheap one at the drugstore before surgery. I thought it would serve as a seat riser. I think it's for people with hemorrhoids. It is useless. I blew it up just fine; now it will not deflate for anything. I wanted to return it, but cannot cram it back into the box. I swear, some of these "durable medical" things remind me of those gag gifts we had in the States when growing up in the 1950s and 60s: you know, the can of "peanuts" where you opened it up and an inflatable snake popped out and scared the bejesus out of you. Or the whoopie cushion that embarrassed you. I think I will practice some squatting before I return to work.
And hope that my surgeon lifts the restrictions. My six week check up with him is literally the day before I return to work, so I am praying he says everything is hunkey-dorey. Meanwhile, I will slosh along with my existing toilet thing and will swipe it down daily with something strong to mask the funky odor. And will not invite too many guest over.

 

[detazlady]

Peaches, the wedge isn't the one from the hospital I got it in the pillow section at wallmarts. I used it to sleep on and the to elevate my leg on. I bought the bedside camode and just didn't use the bucket. just set the height and set it over the toilet. it has it's own lid I can put down each time. I just wipe it down with a disinfectant wipe every other day. Hope you are doing better. Remember slow and steady wins the race. Take care and remember your hip will let you know how fast you can go.

 

[Songlady]

Hi Peaches - sorry, I didn't see your post in which you answered me and asked questions - it didn't come out as a "tag" or I would have answered sooner!
I have had experiences in which the outpatient PT has pushed too hard and I have ended up in worse shape than I have started. Now, I know that's not always the case! But it was interesting to me that my OS told me exactly what Josephine and others say here: that walking is all the PT needed for hip recovery (knees are different.) The surgeon told me that if my home PT person started "inventing" moves for me to do, and he demonstrated sort of a putting one foot out in front while also slightly squatting) that I should refuse the activity. And he said that because I was walking pretty well for the amount of time I'd been post-op, outpatient PT would likely "be more like a gym with machines and athletic moves" and that he didn't think this was appropriate at this time - that sometime down the road if I wanted to join a gym, fine, but not as part of post-op PT.
For me, like you, cost is also a factor. I would probably be driving there, but our insurance is such that I would have to pay $30 per session or something, and I just can't do that. So I was going to refuse it anyway, and my doctor's little chat just made me feel better about doing that!

Some days are up and some are down, as you've noted. I suddenly remembered and posted in someone's thread an incident 6 months after my first hip surgery, 3 years ago, when I thought I was completely recovered and had driven 250 miles to see my older son at college, and was shopping (actually at the LL Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine! lol) and I turned suddenly or something, nothing notable - and suddenly I was in horrible pain and could hardly stand up! I had to drive to some little "health and beauty aid" store and buy another cane, because I didn't have mine with me! So I learned to take pleasure in the good days, but not to assume everything is hunky-dory for a good long time! By the next summer I could climb a small mountain with hands-and-knees rockface without pain, and THAT is what keeps me going through this rollercoaster!

 

[Peaches]

Went grocery shopping for the first time! I found a place 9 blocks away that delivers for free. I walked 7 blocks; stopped with my whoppie cushion to sit down and rest in a nearby park. Then walked 2 more blocks, pushed a cart around the store with my cane and was able to get things within easy reach. Walked home slowly. I made it and felt accomplished. Having said that, I will say that the entire time, and now as i write this, I have the pre-op lower-back pain and I am down about that as I thought that would be gone. The lower back pain crops up frequently now, and the two stretching exercises my PT gave me to combat this (been doing this for a week) have not changed a thing. The surgeon's nurse suggested stretching, too. Last night I used a heating pad on the lower back and it helped.
I also started to get pain at the tops of both thighs, around the area where your undies' elastic is. This is another pre-op pain. It is difficult to just ignore these two pains, as I had hoped the pre-op pain would be gone and all I'd have now is post-op tightness and soreness.

I have a question about ice and heat: Until a day or so ago I have routinely iced my hip and even lower back periodically all day. I have been tapering off the ice a little bit--forgetting to take an ice bag to bed with me, for example. I'm assuming it's okay to use heat now rather than ice on my lower back pain? But should I make sure the heating pad isn't near the operated hip area? In other words, can heat be detrimental to the operated hip area (cause swelling, etc.)?

Thank you.

As the title of my thread says, this whole thing is a combination of peachiness and the pits.

 

[Elosarabrab]

Peaches, Yay you managed a grocery shop. That is a big milestone you should be proud of yourself. Are you down to one cane now? There are definitely ups and downs with recovery. Are you still taking pain medication? As Josephine pointed out on my recovery thread stiff and swollen is still pain even if it is not the bone grinding pain we had.Take care and rest up after your excursion.

 

[Peaches]

Hi, Elosarabrab: How are you doing?
Yes, I am proud and happy to have figured out a place to grocery shop that delivers for free and is easy to shop in.
I have been using only one cane for a long time now. My surgeon had me on a walker and then said once I was home I could use a cane as needed. I used the walker for the first week or so for my frequent hallway walks; now am using only a cane. Inside my apartment (which is small and crowded, with little floor space) I walk or toddle around without a cane sometimes. I am scared to walk outside without a cane at all since the sidewalks are crowded, uneven, and cracked. I have not tried walking the hallways without a cane, but could probably do it. However, I am pacing myself. As for pain medication, my surgeon sent me home with Norco, but said it was entirely possible for some patients to not need a thing except Tylenol. I have been done to one Norco a day, with breakfast, and Tylenol throughout the day; I've been doing this for about a week. I take around 4 Tylenol through the day. I was very uncomfortable taking the full fledged Norco I was taking in the hospital, and since the surgeon did not say to do that, I was eager to see if I could make do with more Tylenol than Norco. I realize this is not the bonesmart protocol and I am not suggesting anyone else do it my way.

As for pain: I do have what I think of as post-op stiffness and soreness around my operated hip. But that doesn't worry me or bother me as I identify that as normal healing pain. What does bother and worry me is lower back pain that I now have frequently no matter what I do--as this is pain I had BEFORE the surgery and I hated it as much as I hated the arthritic bone on bone crunching pain I had pre surgery.

I also periodically would have pain along the tops of my thighs on both legs--again, imagine where the elastic in your undies is and that's where the pain is. I had this sometimes before the surgery, so now that this pain has reared it ugly head, I am not a happy camper.

This is why it's hard for me to join the others who say, "Oh, it's wonderful to be rid of the bone on bone pain.." Of course it is great to be rid of that. But when I still have pre-op back and now upper thigh pain just like before the surgery, it's hard not to notice it.

Thus, my pits along with peachiness thread title.

 

[Elosarabrab]

Peaches I will tag Josephine for you. See what she thinks.

 

[detazlady]

Peaches,I too am having more back issues sense my LTHR and I believe it's all the movement that went on during surgery, also the sciatic nerve sometimes gets moved around and irritated, any of these things can cause a flare up. When my back is really bothering me I alternate ice and heat. I do the ice pack then the next time I do the heat, if your heating pad is water proof, you could put a wet wash cloth between you and the heating pad for some moist heat. My therapist said that different issues and pains,problems,ect. could pop up for up to a year.
Congrats on your trip to the grocery store, well done.I think you are doing great.Just try and remember to ice even if you're not hurting because you are still swollen in side. the swelling can also press on the sciatic nerve. Best of luck. Hope you can find some relief.

 

[Josephine]

I am scared to walk outside without a cane at all since the sidewalks are crowded, uneven, and cracked. I have not tried walking the hallways without a cane, but could probably do it. However, I am pacing myself.

Then don't! There are no 'musts', oughts' or 'have to' in this business. Do what you feel comfortable with and what gives you confidence.

As for pain medication, my surgeon sent me home with Norco, but said it was entirely possible for some patients to not need a thing except Tylenol.

Possible but very uncommon.

I have been done to one Norco a day, with breakfast, and Tylenol throughout the day;

As for pain:
I do have what I think of as post-op stiffness and soreness around my operated hip. But that doesn't worry me or bother me as I identify that as normal healing pain.
What does bother and worry me is lower back pain that I now have frequently no matter what I do--as this is pain I had BEFORE the surgery.
I also periodically would have pain along the tops of my thighs on both legs

Honey, you are 3½ weeks post op. All that you have described is post op pain. Yes, I know you said you had the low back pain before but this is being exacerbated by the post op pain! As is the pain in your groins - quite likely the pain in your unoperated side is just a mirror (aka referred pain) of that in your operated side. And there is no such thing as 'normal' healing pain.

Pain is counter-productive in all aspects. It prevents inflammation and swelling from settling down and inhibits your activity. Taking appropriate pain medication enables muscles and other tissues to be more 'normal' in activity and activity will also enable swelling to reduce. There are many benefits to treating low grade pain - with simple pain meds - and many disadvantages to adopting the 'grin and bear it' approach. So don't be a hero, recognise these symptoms for what they are and medicate them.

I've never really thought that strong meds like oxycodone or hydrocodone are necessary for hips. Just codeine and paracetamol.

I just noticed this as well

I walked 7 blocks; stopped with my whoopie cushion to sit down and rest in a nearby park. Then walked 2 more blocks, pushed a cart around the store with my cane. Walked home slowly. I made it and felt accomplished. Having said that, I will say that the entire time, and now as i write this, I have the pre-op lower-back pain and I am down about that as I thought that would be gone. The lower back pain crops up frequently now, and the two stretching exercises my PT gave me to combat this (been doing this for a week) have not changed a thing. The surgeon's nurse suggested stretching, too.

I doubt you will be surprised when I tell you this is FAR TOO much activity for this early in your recovery and yet another reason why you are getting these aches and pains.

You need to do some reading - sorry if you've been given them before but you obviously need to do some revision!
Activity progression for THRs
Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

 

[special lady]

Peaches

Your surgery was a day after mine, they weren't the same, but taking it easy and not doing too much at this point post-op is so important and the same......doing too much can really set you back, and your lower back & groin are telling you with pain in those areas you've done too much, our bodies have a unique way to let us know we've done too much, too soon.

It can be difficult to judge what is too much, but your first clue was having to sit down and rest on your way to the grocery store. I know it may not have seemed like a big deal, but it is when your still experiencing a fair amount of aches & pains. Please take it easy, rest your body, mostly your hip. The implant parts take some time to scar up in there, and you don't want to jeopardize the good work your surgeon did...you want a nice sturdy hip to carry you on for many years.

 

[Peaches]

Well ... I am throughly thoroughly confused. When I stopped at a few blocks to stop and sit down in the park, I thought I was doing the right thing! I didn't sit because I had to sit; I sat because I was pacing myself. Isn't that what we are supposed to do? After that trek to the grocery store, I came home and rested and iced and didn't do any more exercises or activity. Today I did a nominal bit. And now I've possibly scarred up my implant?? I am so baffled and so so confused. I read on here of people at my stage who are doing lots more PT wise than I am doing and now one trek to the store and i've done something really too much? Really? I also remain thoroughly confused by this pain medication theory. I have read the articles. I did not tell my surgeon what he should prescribe for me. I assumed he knew what he was doing. So now Norco was wrong? I have been very mindful of pacing myself. I have not personally been at all interested in being a hero or being stoic or grinning and bearing it. I feel right now like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. I have allowed myself to sleep in when I've needed to; take a nap. I do the lightweight PT exercises the hospital gave me upon release, with a few minor add-ons the PT gave me. It seems to me my pace is been not at all accelerated. I am anxious, as I've stated earlier, because I do not live in the UK but instead work in the U.S. for a private company, have a limited number of sick and vacation days and will be using them up soon, and have to return to work after 6 weeks is up. My surgeon, who is well respected and not a sadist, has said candidly in his experience 4-6 is average, with many of his patients able and willing to return as early as 2 or 3. He will not "force" me to return in 6, but he is not going to tell my emloyer that I MUST return after several months. So I am doing my best to pace myself and try to do my best so I can embark on mass transit and urban streets and a job. In an ideal world, I would be retired or able to just take all the time I need to recover, and frankly I would be thrilled to do that. I am not type A by any stretch, am not enamored of work, not a workaholic for the sake of it. But that's not my circumstance. I have a job and have to keep it. My employer is kind, but very opinionated about six weeks being plenty. I mention all of this about work because that is why I think going on outside walks, on a very limited basis, is crucial to my recovery: I need to acclimate myself to the outside world on a gradual basis.

I appreciate everyone's comments more than I can say. But I confess I am just mind boggled that my little trek to the supermarket means I might have scarred my implant.

I don't know what the heck to do about the medication.

An update about the lower back pain as of tonight is this: It has subsided. I don't know why, or for how long. But as I said, I cut back drastically on all activities today and yesterday, to compensate for my grocery shopping.

 

[Peaches]

Thank you, Detzalady, and I'm sorry you are having back pains too. I did try a moist heat heating pad and I think it worked. Then suddenly tonight the pain stopped. I didn't do much activity today. My PT thinks I am leaning over too much (not as in breaking restrictions), household tasks. I am laying off all of that to see if that helps. I had a lot of lower back pain prior to surgery, so my concern is that this pain is just like it was "before." Please take care of yourself, okay?

 

[Peaches]

I fear I sounded very histrionic in my earlier post and, worse, that I sounded ungrateful to the thoughtful comments and opinions and suggestions. My apologies. I just have a big concern about not doing a thing to set myself back, and I was really taken aback to learn I could have scarred my implant and that my surgeon prescribed the wrong pain med. Please understand..... Thanks.

 

[special lady]

@Peaches

I think you misunderstood, I said "it takes time for your implant to scar up" scarring up is good, it helps stabilize the joint. You have NOT caused any harm, but your lower back hurting and the pain in your groin is more then likely a result of pushing yourself a bit too much, which often results in a set back in the way of new aches/pains. I'm positively not saying your surgeon prescribed the wrong medications, I never mentioned your meds. In my opinion if your medications work for you, that's great.

 

[detazlady]

Peaches I had my 4 week check up with the surgeon today, and he said everything is looking good, 4 more weeks of the 90 degree and see him in 3 months. I am not using a cane except on uneven ground or when going a distance. I asked how far I can walk and he said my hip will tell me when I've gone to far, if I start limping then rest , I also don't take any pain meds unless I over do it. I still ice and if I notice some swelling in my foot and or leg I make sure to elevate and ice, The doctor was impressed that I can do the stairs regularly and not one at a time. ( Got a high 5 on that one.). please just make sure when you go back to work to takee it easy and don't over do, come home elevate,ice and rest. I think you are doing great. Keep in touch. If you ever want to just talk you can e-mail me at detazlady@aol.com. Take care.

 

[Elosarabrab]

detazlady congrats on your progress you are doing really well.
Peaches, I am still using walking sticks outside. I can go downstairs normally but still toddler style going upstairs. We are all different. Please don't worry that you aren't making the same progress as others. It is a tortoise and hare thing we all get there in the end.

 

[Peaches]

Hi, and I'm sorry, Special Lady: I did indeed not know what scarring meant and misunderstood. I am a blithering idiot. Please forgive me. I hope you are doing okay. I know you have had your trials and I am hoping today was a good day. Josephine said she thought my surgeon's choice for painkillers was not the best, and that filled me with dismay as I felt oh my god, all this time and i have been taking the "wrong" painkiller.

Hi, Elosarabrab: Don't worry. I am not comparing myself to others in the way you might think. I am actually doing it in the opposite way: I see that others are doing more strenuous PT and activities and I think, "well, I'm not doing as much as they are ... so that should mean I will not have setbacks and unnecessary pain." Unfortunately, that is not the case. I continue to get worrisome lower back pain too frequently and I have really lain low the past couple of days. No clue what is going on. Oh, well. Hopefully it will pass. I am icing the hip and warming the back; kind of like the city of San Francisco: one area is chilly and the other warm.

Detazlady, your four week anniversary sounds just super cooper. I am looking forward to tackling the steps like a big girl instead of a toddler. Please keep us posted on everything. You are doing so well. I will give my four week progress report this weekend. I wish I had a four week checkup; my surgeon has it at six weeks. Oh, well. Have a nice night.

 

[special lady]

Peaches

No need to apologize, it's not something a straightforward THR patient in recovery would know. Unfortunately, I've learned a lot about hip implants and complications that can come about by experiencing more then I post on here. You will do well, it takes time to get to that point though. One of the orthopaedic surgeons once told me after I expressed how I didn't understand how 70 year olds and even older patients seem to do so well after they're THR' s, and he told me that it's because they are less active, which gives their bodies plenty of time to rest and heal.

I know what Josephine was trying to explain to you is true when it comes to your groin & lower back hurting, the stress on your back is because our bodies automatically compensate, and other parts of our bodies take on more then normal stress, your groin bothering you is post-operative referred pain. Just remember to take your recovery slow and easy. You'll do fine, everyone is different when it comes to the healing process, but one part is always equally the same, we can do too much, too soon and we end up with some sort of pain that let's us know we need to slow down.

Be blessed, and listen to your body, it truly lets us know when we're doing too much.

 

[Peaches]

Thank you, Special Lady on Paradise Island (what a lovely place to live; I would so enjoy writing that as my address!)

I hope you are doing well.

Yes, I need to learn how to listen to my body. I guess a Hip Whisperer is in tall order!

What you have said here is something I would embroider onto a pillow if I were embroidering pillows these days:

One of the orthopaedic surgeons once told me after I expressed how I didn't understand how 70 year olds and even older patients seem to do so well after they're THR' s, and he told me that it's because they are less active, which gives their bodies plenty of time to rest and heal.

Ding ding ding! This makes so much sense! This explains all of those miracle stories I had shoved in my face prior to surgery ... the ones that proclaimed I'd be back at work in a mere couple of weeks. All those stories of Grandpa or Great-Aunt-What's-Her-Name dancing at someone's wedding, back on the golf course, line dancing, and performing open-heart surgery on the side in days!

 

[bottomshollow]

Peaches, I happen across this when I was looking for images on Google Images. I thought you might like to consider it for an avatar. Just click on the pic and save wherever you save your pictures and go from there. If you're not interested, my feelings won't be hurt. I just enjoy sharing what I feel would be a good avatar for members when the opportunity arises. By the way, I really love the title of your thread---it's perfect for recovery.