THR Swelling

Twilight71

new member
Joined
Jul 30, 2021
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52
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United Kingdom United Kingdom
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Hi I'm new here had total hip replacement surgery 4 days ago was discharged Thursday night, I have quite a lot of pain and would appreciate any tips on managing it, I'm on cocodamol and 5 MLS oramorph a day, the pain in my knee and foot have gone which is brilliant as I've suffered badly with osteoporosis for a few years, it got so bad I didn't want to be here anymore but I'm glad I stayed now and want to remain positive, how long is total recovery as in not having to use any walking aids or take opiods
 
:welome:
Everyone is different with recovery, and being to walk without walking aides.
Most find at 3-4 months they are doing much better, with full healing taking about a year.

Please post your surgery date, a moderator will add it to your signature for you. Having the exact date will help us properly advise you. Thanks!


Here are the Hip Recovery Guidelines, they will answer most of your questions, the articles are short and will not take long to read.

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access these pages on the website


Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

 
Ice seems to be the best kept secret from people in other countries. Ice will give pain relief and help with swelling and bruising. Other than that I'm not qualified to give any pain relief suggestions. Everyone has a different timeline in recovery as far as pain and walking aids go. I had lower leg pain and foot pain that thankfully disappeared after my right THR, along with the deep joint aches.
 
it got so bad I didn't want to be here anymore but I'm glad I stayed now
Well, we’re certainly glad also. We’re happy you joined us. Congrats on your new hip!

Joint replacement is a blessing in my mind. It’s an opportunity it’s for a second chance. New beginnings presenting endless occasions to engage in life without pain once again. Take it slow and you will notice progress week by week.

Patience is key in recovery. You’ll get there, most likely sooner than you anticipated as you scheduled and waited for your surgery date. Soon enough the months will begin clicking by, all the while you’ll be gaining strength and feeling steadier on your feet.
Enjoy the journey! :SUNsmile:
 
Thanks @Twilight71
We created a signature reflecting your surgery date. Thanks for the info. We’ll add your name to the July Sparklers where you’ll find the names of others that experienced surgery within the month of July also.
One more piece of info we’d like to add is which hip was replaced if you’d please share that below, we’ll edit accordingly. Thanks.
Hope you have a wonderful week! :)
 
Hi @Twilight71 my op was on 27th July too. I got home on the 30th. I'm just trying to keep as active as possible and taking paracetamol four times a day. OH is as helpful as possible but I like trying to figure out ways of doing things. I'll look out for your posts.
 
So today my side and half my bum have swollen up really big it's not hot to touch or itchy it's just sore and skin around dressing is still numb , just wanted to check that the swellings normal
 
Hi @Spex10 I'm taking cocodamol 4 times a day as it's so sore, I live alone but do have a partner but only see him evenings when he finishes work so I have to find ways to adapt so I can do things .
 
Swelling is normal and can go on for quite some time. Make sure to take your meds on schedule so you remain comfortably mobile. I suggest you read the articles in the Recovery Guidelines on ICE and ELEVATE, if you haven’t already, both ice and elevation will help with swelling and the resulting discomfort. You can ice as often as you like, always placing fabric between bare skin and the ice source. Numbness is also normal and can last for several months, slowly dissipating over time. Wishing you comfort and relief from the swelling and hope you have a peaceful evening.
@Twilight71
 
@Twilight71
I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you. You can always bookmark this thread so you can find it easily.

Best wishes on your continuing recovery! :flwrysmile:
 
As I posted Ice, ice, and more ice will help with swelling.
 
Have tried ice it helps a bit but it's still very swollen and I've felt off today really tired and off my food ,should I get checked out?
 
By 'off' what do you mean? Do you feel sick, headachy, tired, etc. Maybe it's all a reaction to the stress of the previous week? You'll still have drugs swilling around in your system. Keep up the fluids and take it easy. Are you able to sleep OK?
I had a bad day yesterday after a poor night's sleep but, somehow, feel a bit better today after an even worse night's sleep. Hoping to nap as the day wears on.
 
Hello @Twilight71
Wondering how long you’re icing each time and how often? Feeling tired is to be expected after major surgery and considered normal as most experience it. Your body is using energy to heal first, not leaving much energy for anything else. You will tire easily. Take advantage and sleep / nap when you’re able as our body does its best healing while we’re sleeping.

If by “feeling off” you mean digestive wise, some members lose their appetite, while others never skip a beat. Many suffer with constipation, if you’re referencing that. Make sure to stay adequately hydrated. Some are affected negatively by their meds and may need prescriptions or dosage schedule adjusted by your surgeon, or Primary Care Physician. If you can be more specific regarding exactly what’s bothering you, we’d be happy to offer suggestions that may help. Hopefully you had a good nights rest and you’re feeling better today. Happy Wednesday!
 
Hi everyone this is week 4 for me and things are going great, I no longer need to walk with a crutch or a stick and have been walking dog once a day then going for about a mile walk in the fens every evening, I just have a little stiffness in morning but that goes away after my stretches, I have been using a great oil by Regen on my scar and it's already flattened it and made it softer, it was feeling really tight and uncomfortable before I used that . Hope everyone else is doing ok just wanted to ask when it would be safe to have a bath as really miss mine lol I'm not really a shower person .
 
Hello Twilight,
It‘s great to read you’re doing well. I’d recommend you give your surgeons office a call to find out when he feels it’s okay for you to bathe. There are different opinions on this so it would be best if you follow your surgeons guidance.
I hope you have a nice week. Thanks for stopping by with an update. :)
@Twilight71
 
Hi, @Twilight71

I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you. You can always bookmark this thread so you can find it easily.

Best wishes on your continuing recovery! :flwrysmile:
 
Hi @Twilight71 my op was the same day as yours and it sounds as though I'm at the same stage as you. I'm not taking any pain relief and don't need my sticks at all any more. I'm still cautious though just in case.
My main problem is having to sleep on my back. I wake several times a night due to that. However, if the segments of sleep add up to 7 hours I'm OK. I gave up on the compression socks a week ago which is great. Otherwise my exercise regime is walking, just walking and that's working out really well.
Hope you continue to improve too.
 
I should say that my scar is fine. It's smooth and flat. I just want to leave it alone! The three points on my hip where the robot probes were inserted were closed with steristrips. These have not worked. Now the steristrips have fallen off I can see that the holes just didn't close but healed up open if you know what I mean. I'm left with three 1p sized scar circles. It's OK but I'm going to be sure and tell the surgeon when he phones as follow up that he needs to use another form of closure on his next patients.
 

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