THR Tallguy79 recovery<

[Layla]

Happy Saturday!
I hope your pain is easing somewhat...
Any weekend plans? Or just chillin?
Hope your day is good!
@tallguy79

 

[tallguy79]

@Layla I don't know what is going on with my pain. During the day I just have mild pains in various spots. It's not a big deal. Sometimes don't use any pain killers at all during the day. At night I wake up a few hours after going to bed in extreme pain. The area in the far upper center part of my thigh hurts very badly when my leg is straight for extended periods of time. Sometimes the pain goes into my groin area or between the groin and center of thigh. I took an Oxy last night and it barely put a dent in the pain. I have to sleep on my non surgery side once I wake up or I have no chance of getting back to sleep. Despite the extreme pain while laying down, once I get out of bed i'm fine within just a few minutes.

As for weekend plans, I just plan to walk a little extra because the weather is perfect. There will be a heat wave coming early next week and it'll stay for a while so I won't be walking as much so i'll walk twice a day Saturday and Sunday and maybe Monday as well. Then i'll rest a bit and maybe just do a walk first thing in the morning before it gets too hot. Nothing else planned for the weekend.

 

[Layla]

Let's let @Josephine weigh in on why this pain becomes extreme while sleeping and isn't bothersome during the day. I've tagged her for you.

 

[tallguy79]

@Layla I just had the pain during the day for the first time. It happened while going for a walk outside. Most pain I have had during the day for a couple weeks. Now i'm sitting down typing on my laptop and there is no pain.

 

[Josephine]

Sometimes don't use any pain killers at all during the day. At night I wake up a few hours after going to bed in extreme pain. I took an Oxy last night and it barely put a dent in the pain

This actually tells me a lot. It tells me that you need to take pain meds on a regular basis throughout the day and night in order to manage this pain. That's manage it before it even arises.

You say you took 'an oxy' but not what the dose was or what time you took it.

I just had the pain during the day for the first time. It happened while going for a walk outside.

Plus you are only 5 weeks out and shouldn't be doing this much.

I see I never gave you my questions so cannot assess what you are doing. Are you willing for me to post them?

 

[tallguy79]

@Josephine Yes, you can post questions

 

[Josephine]

Here y'go then!

It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are

1. what approach did you have for your surgery? Anterior, posterior, lateral? You can look here to see the various types THR approaches or incisions

2. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).

3. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

4. are you icing your painful area at all? If so, how often and for how long?

5. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?

6. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

7. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

 

[tallguy79]

1. Anterior approach.

2. Pain level is all over the chart. At any given time my pain can be between 0-7. Not 0-2 very often but when sitting it can sometime be that low. Normal daily movements cause a pain 3-4. Moving just the slightest little bit too far in any direction can cause a sudden sharp pain of a 5-7. Pain after laying in bed on my back with straight leg for hours is a 6-7.

3. Celebrex has been discomtinued and I have none left. Oxycodone has been discontinued but I have a dozen or so left at 5mg. Gabapentin is only active script at 1200mg/day taken as 300mg at breakfast, 300mg at lunch, and 600mg before bed.

4. Icing varies a but from day to day but I ice 3-6 times/day from 15-40 minutes at a time. Even though the ice pack say 15-20 minutes I usually ice 20-30.

5. Don't elevate a whole lot anymore this far post op except when in bed 9 hours a day or so.

6. I live alone therefore do everything myself. That being said, I only do one load of laundry a week and I wash out a dish right after I use it I don't do a sink full of dishes at a time. I use very few dishes. I don't cook except for making a frozen pizza or using the microwave.

7. I don't do any exercises. Thankfully OS never sent in an order for PT as I thought he would. No complaints here though my current level of laziness could be a problem when I have to go back to work. I try to average one trip a day down to the end of the street and back(.4 miles total) using one cane. Other than that I just walk a few minutes at a time 12-15 times a day as needed for daily living. Quite inactive really. I will be forced to do much more when I go back to work exactly 7 weeks post op on July 9th.

 

[Josephine]

2. Pain level is all over the chart. At any given time my pain can be between 0-7. Not 0-2 very often but when sitting it can sometime be that low. Normal daily movements cause a pain 3-4. Moving just the slightest little bit too far in any direction can cause a sudden sharp pain of a 5-7. Pain after laying in bed on my back with straight leg for hours is a 6-7.

Oh dear!

3. Celebrex has been discontinued and I have none left. Oxycodone has been discontinued but I have a dozen or so left at 5mg. Gabapentin is only active script at 1200mg/day taken as 300mg at breakfast, 300mg at lunch, and 600mg before bed.

None of those are very good pain killers. Have you not tried Tylenol? Take 1,000mg 4 times a day. It is a very good pain medication.

4. Icing varies a but from day to day but I ice 3-6 times/day from 15-40 minutes at a time. Even though the ice pack say 15-20 minutes I usually ice 20-30.

I'd even go so far as to say 40-60!

5. Don't elevate a whole lot anymore this far post op except when in bed 9 hours a day or so.

Okay

6. I live alone therefore do everything myself. That being said, I only do one load of laundry a week and I wash out a dish right after I use it I don't do a sink full of dishes at a time. I use very few dishes. I don't cook except for making a frozen pizza or using the microwave.

Sounds like a typical man's menu!

7. I don't do any exercises. Thankfully OS never sent in an order for PT

Good!

I try to average one trip a day down to the end of the street and back (4 miles total) using one cane. Other than that I just walk a few minutes at a time 12-15 times a day as needed for daily living.

to be honest, that's quite a lot for only 5 weeks out. I suggest you read this and cut back a bit Activity progression for THRs.

4 miles a day is also far too much and responsible for all this pain you are having. I think 1 mile would be sufficient - being ½ mile there and ½ mile back!

 

[tallguy79]

@Josephine I'm not sure why you removed the . when you posted a "quote" for my walking distance. I walk .4 miles not 4 miles. As for the pain meds, I have taken 1300mg of Tylenol 3 times a day and gotten very little pain relief. Tylenol doesn't do much for me. After the 6 week check up if it shows the bone is growing into the step correctly then I will start taking Ibuprofen which has always been a far better pain reliever for me than Tylenol. I guess for now I just have to get by on the Tylenol and Celebrex. I didn't include Tylenol in the original answer to your question because it asked about prescription meds not OTC. I wil reduce my walking to even less than the 4/10 of a mile I have been doing and see if that helps.

 

[Layla]

Hi @tallguy79
It's your decision with the icing but I can tell you that if I was sitting or lying down. I was icing.
No 15-20 mins or even 40-60 mins for me, no care to what the ice pack read. I did it ALL THE TIME. I had an easy recovery with minimal pain and I attribute it to the ice and a high pain threshold....possibly?
I fell asleep with a big ice pack on my incision and when I woke in the night to use the bathroom, I'd grab another.
As long as it's not directly on your skin, ice away!!
I know everyone doesn't do this, but I also know many who have. Just my opinion, take it or leave it.

 

[Josephine]

I'm not sure why you removed the . when you posted a "quote" for my walking distance.

Perhaps I would have noticed it if you'd used the version 0.4 (I'm used to using spread sheets!)

As for the pain meds, I have taken 1300mg of Tylenol 3 times a day and gotten very little pain relief.

Well that's the wrong dose, my friend. You need 1,000mg FOUR times a day. Might not seem a big difference but it makes the difference!

 

[tallguy79]

@Josephine So 1000mg of Tylenol is going to relieve my pain better than 1300mg?

 

[Josephine]

No, 4 times a day is going to relieve it better! What you need to realise is that most meds only remain fully effective in the system for 4-5 hours, no matter what the dose. So by taking it every 8 hours, you go at least 4 hours with no medication in your system at all. That gives the pain time to build up so the next dose takes longer to get effective. Like this

So take it every 6hrs and it's more effective. See?

 

[Mojo333]

I, like Layla, kept myself on ice!
It was my go to for well over 6 months.
Especially when I went back to work.

 

[tallguy79]

@Mojo333 When I go back to work I won't be able to use ice as much. I can't use it at work. I have to work when i'm at work. So that's 9 hours of activity with no ice every day. I will ice before and after work but can't ice during work. Not unless OS specifically says that I have to which I highly doubt he will.

 

[Layla]

Happy Monday!
I'm excited for you to try Jo's suggestion with the Tylenol dosage and schedule.
Anxious to know if you see improvement after several days of icing and a change in dosage / schedule.

I have a few ice packs that have Velcro straps attached. Only problem with that at work is it's only good for as long as it's frozen / cold. In addition it might not be the best "look" for work. Injured man on the job, lol.
I hope your day is good and that you soon begin to feel some pain relief!
@tallguy79

 

[Bone-obo]

When I go back to work I won't be able to use ice as much.

That's 2-3 weeks or so from now, I think? If ice makes you feel better (does it?) can you ice like crazy while you can? My experience is that swelling->pain, and ice reduces swelling, while deadening the pain. Win! I just feel that doing absolutely anything to get the pain under control will take so much pressure off your life right now, and make your .4 mile walk so much more pleasant when you get back to it.

 

[Mojo333]

I thought I read you would go back at first to work on office duty so I assumed it would be desk work with alot of sitting.
I went back at 5 weeks, too early, but mostly office work...and I didn't hesitate to have the ice sitting on my lap..
I'm sure you are anxious about how you will be able to handle things, but please try to stay positive.
You can't know how things will progress.
I would've never dreamed that within the year, I was not only back to my normal activity, but I was much MORE capable, as my hips were finally in great shape

 

[Mojo333]

My normal day now consists of loading and unloading trucks, up and down stairs, walking miles around a spreadout campus, pushing dollies and carts, and sitting at desk during client intakes.
Would have never dreamed all should be going this well!