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THR Thank God, I've made it to the other side!<

You will find that you naturally start leaving the walker behind for very short walks...like leaving it in the hallway when you go into the bathroom, or puttering a bit in the kitchen. At that point it makes sense to start transitioning to a cane. And then when you start forgetting the cane, you know you are well on your way.
 
I went from Walker to two crutches and then naturally to one crutch although still using two outdoors. And I am in week 4. We all develop at our own pace! Where I went for lunch yesterday had small slopes, steps and uneven surfaces so I regarded it as a mini obstacle course and a challenge.
 
I had my surgery on the 14th, is it normal to still be laying in the bed most of the time??? I take physical therapy, walk to the bathroom several times daily and do my exercises and get up and walk to the living room and back but other than that I lay in the bed all the time. I feel tired and it hurts me to sit up.
I'm doing better than I was but I still regret having this done.
 
Hi,
I'm happy to read you're doing a bit better. Progress is good!
You're only 11 days post op. I wouldn't get too concerned about the way you're feeling.
Here are a few reminders that may be helpful -

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.

Consider setting aside PT for now and concentrate on the Activity Progression below -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/

It is meant to be used as a guideline, not a test you need to pass. You'd be in week two. Try to aim for the Activity mentioned there.

Lastly, Energy drain is real.
Your energy supply isn't limitless. So while healing after major surgery
your energy will be used for healing first, not leaving a great reserve for all the other activity of daily life. It is completely normal to feel tired for quite some time. How long....most likely relates to your body's rate of healing. Making our best effort to get adequate sleep and rest is beneficial.
Our body does it's best healing while we're sleeping.

An article on Energy Drain if you haven't read it yet -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/energy-drain-for-thrs.12415/

Hope this helps.
Big hugs
 
What hurts you when you are sitting up? Your incision site ? Your legs?
Are you taking your medication as prescribed.
At ten days out you will be exhausted and still getting over all the surgery repercussions but you should at least feel some better sitting up and taking short walks to keep the blood pumping I think.

Early days, @Jesus fan .
Sorry you are feeling down.:console2:
 
@Mojo333 The back of my leg hurts when I sit up and also my incision site, It feels like something is pulling in my leg. No, I'm not taking the pain meds like I should, I have not taken one in two days, they make me constipated so I quit taking them. I am feeling better as time goes by, but I wish I could sit up more. How long did it take before you could sit for long periods?
 
Sitting really only caused me discomfort while in the car in those early weeks / months.

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time of it but it's very early days for you.
Your leg was traumatized. Flesh was cut, your bone sawed, power tools used. Sadly you are going to
have some discomfort. I suggest if you're struggling this early out you need to get back on your pain management schedule. You'll have to do something to combat the Constipation it may cause. I'm assuming they prescribed something for Constipation? Or, go back to post # 14 in your thread where there is an article on Constipation and some remedies that have worked for others on the forum.

I also suggest you find a way to ice the areas that hurt while your sitting. Are you icing your incision area?
Josephine suggests icing sessions that last at least 40-60 minutes, more than 4x daily.
I iced constantly, sitting, lying, sleeping, ICING.
It's free and it works. Try to get back on the meds and ramp up the icing. See if it helps. Let us know.
Sending a hug :console2:
 
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Hi @Jesus fan .......congratulations on being this side of the op, now you've got the tough bit....being patient! I remember on my first time round I couldn't understand why I was tired all the time, even at 2+ weeks out....made me feel a fraud and lazy, but I was always thinking 'when can I go back to bed?' Over the following few weeks it gradually got better....can't remember when I felt normal, but one day I realised I'd been up all day. It is normal....so many reasons....anaesthetic, pain meds, body needs a lot of energy to repair, just moving that weak body to the loo takes a lot of energy, if you're depressed/in pain you may not be eating enough nutritious food....you see, the odds are stacked against us! With regards to the pain meds, stopping them early might be a reason for your tiredness.....if they are still causing problems, keep on with the prunes/kiwifruit/milk of magnesia/psyllium/whatever works for you, with lots of water, and keep ahead of the pain. I stuck with the pain meds for about 4 weeks, many people have them for much longer....no right or wrong, we are all different :yes:

I am not a medical expert but the pain in the back of your legs could be your hamstrings which have shortened a little from being flat a lot? I have been getting an ache in the bum and down the back of my thigh which is piriformis/sciatica from, I think, too long sitting in a car seat. If it's not getting any better maybe tag Josephine and see what her take on it is? Sorry to ramble on, just wanted you to know this is entirely normal and it WILL get better....maybe the odd bump to deal with but the end is worth it :happydance::yes!:
 
anny said:
With regards to the pain meds, stopping them early might be a reason for your tiredness.....if they are still causing problems, keep on with the prunes/kiwifruit/milk of magnesia/psyllium/whatever works for you, with lots of water, and keep ahead of the pain. I stuck with the pain meds for about 4 weeks, many people have them for much longer....
Click to expand...

I was despondent about the constipation but I had to find a way to take my medication and take stooll softeners and laxatives so i could keep the pain in check
I'm sorry these are the tough times, but WILL get better!
Hugs...
 
Don’t stop taking the pain meds! Go to your pharmacist and get some laxatives, get prunes, figs, get anything to get you going!!

Feeling tired and just walking to bath and loo is totally normal. Your body is in shock and all your energy is being used to heal that hip. If you read my recovery blog you will see that I had loads of problems with muscles in my bum not working and problems with sitting up standing etc. And pain! It all got sorted but the bum muscles took time. 4 weeks in and my leg is very stiff first things so I do the bed exercises before getting up and that helps..
.
It might help to put a warm hot water bottle under your bottom to relax those muscles and ice the hip. You never know!

All of us here have had problems of one sort or another and the good thing is that this is a safe place to moan. Your family may not get it. They haven’t been sliced apart, drilled and hammered but we all have!

Best of luck, get those pain meds sorted and it will get better slowly but surely.
 
Yes...glorious ice!:ice::ice::ice:
This will help with pain and inflammation...good job.:yahoo:
 
@anny I think your right, I do need to get back on the pain meds but I think I will wait until Wednesday because when I take them they make me constipated and then I have to take a stool softener which has the opposite effect and I have a two hour drive to go to the doctor Wednesday and im afraid I will have diarrhea during my trip. I wonder if anyone else worries about having to use a public restroom this early on? I still have to use a raised toilet seat so the thoughts of trying to use a normal toilet scares me about the bending rule.
 
@SurreyGirl I've done a lot better today so far. I got up and sit in the living room chair for over an hour, that's the most I've sit up since my surgery. Now i'm laying down and icing... that helps a lot!
 
I worry about the need to use a public restroom, anytime. :rotfl: YUK!

Back to being serious, personally, I wouldn't worry so much about bending enough to get on and off the toilet. I didn't have any restrictions and while it seems a great majority still do, why is it that a growing number don't, and without incident? If many of us survive without restrictions, you will also in using the toilet. Just move slowly and carefully and if something hurts, STOP!

Please consider taking the icing seriously. Look at it as medicine. It will help with pain and swelling. So when you're not on your feet, put yourself on ice, using it wherever it hurts.

If the thought of any of those Constipation remedies gag you....what about the Pumpkin Puree with a sprinkle of Cinnamon? That remedy fascinates me only because it's one ingredient and if it works, well worth it!

I'm happy to read you're feeling better and SITTING :yay: That alone is an improvement.
May it only get better!
@Jesus fan
 
Most public restrooms have a handicap stall which at least would give you something to hold onto going down and up.

Like @Layla, it's doable. I do have restrictions but honestly haven't been star student on following them. The raised toilet seat was the first to go..no pun intended. Lol

Are you taking even Tylenol? Josephine says 1000mg ( 2 extra strength) 4 times a day. And it won't stop you up. Ice is the best friend you can ever want!

Slow and steady...
 
Hello @Jesus fan! Nice to see you making steady progress post op :yes:

I too worry that I won't find a balance between the pain meds and the constipation, but am determined to figure it out, as I really don't want to stop the pain meds until my body is ready. I know that extreme constipation is very very uncomfortable. I will have a two week PT outpatient visit at least. Not sure when my follow up will be with my OS yet. Wanting to be close to a bathroom is totally understandable when the bowels are unreliable. Definitely look for the handicap stall. Take sanitary wipes with you if you are grossed out by going to a public toilet.

As @Bchbum4evr says, at least take the max Tylenol dose, as it will help with the pain and will not stop you up.

Great to see your steady progress!! Have a healing and restful Sunday:SUNsmile: Wishing you a good post op visit with your doctor on Wednesday and a stable stomach on the drive to and from the visit.
:flwrysmile:
 
Hi @Jesus fan,

I am not very good at taking my pain meds either. Constipation ins not my issue (I drink a lot of coffee, thus am very regular... coffee works great by the way, particularly Starbucks), rather the fear of addiction and the fact that most pain meds do little for me (other than Advil, which I cannot take often with the THR for various reasons). That said, I learned my lesson early, and have regularly taken Tylenol since day 3 (with tramadol when needed).

As to laying around all day... I am sure it feels that way, but you are probably laying around less than you think. You probably get up to go to the bathroom a few times a day, you probably get up to get a tea, or a coffee or a snack/meal a few times a day. You probably get up without even taking note of it. I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but remember you literally just had you backside (or front side), ripped open, top top of your leg cut off, and metal hardware literally pile driven into your femur and socket (just watch a you tube video of an actual hip replacement to get an idea of the trauma you just went through). It is amazing we even wake up from such a thing :-)

That said, I completely understand how you are feeling... it definitely feels like we sit around all day... the first week I was going out of my mind! Try not to worry about it though.

Also, don't compare yourself to others.. It's not just that everyone heals at the same rate, and has different pain tolerances... but everyone's procedure is a little different. For example, I have an incision that is easily 12 inches long. My colleague, who had the exact same approach a couple of years ago had a 7 inch scar (I am bigger boned than he is). He was sitting outside watching his son play rugby three days post op... I could barely sit at 3 days post op. Here is the real kicker... He is about 30 lbs overweight and in his mid 50s... and I am in relatively good shape and in my early 40s. By all logic (my own logic :-)) I should recover as fast or faster than him... but I am not. Just the way it goes. To quote my best friend... you do you.... meaning, do what you need to and don't worry about everyone else.

Cheers
 
Glad you are icing - it really does help! Hope you get your balance sorted re the constipation.
 
Can someone please tell me when I will be able to sleep on my non operative side? I'm so sick of sleeping on my back. I never done that before my surgery.
 
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