THR Thigh pain at front, 4 weeks after THR

[Maldugs]

Hi everyone thanks for your help, today the pain is directly in the hip area, still can't walk without a crutch, physio rang me, told him what was going on, so he said my surgeon and he wants me to come in tomorrow, for an assessment, and maybe some X-rays, (hope the femur part has not moved) hope they find out what is going on, the last time I saw them on the 31st of July, they said I was walking so well, that I didn't need the raised toilet seat anymore, my toilets are 18" high anyway, so don't think it was that, I have also been driving my car from that day with their permission, and doing the PT at home.
See what they come up with.

 

[Mojo333]

I'm glad you are getting x-rays and your surgeon will get to see you.
Do let us know how your appointment goes.... for some answers

 

[Maldugs]

Ok went to my physio, and specialist, physio had me lie on table, and pushed leg into various positions, and declared that the hip implant was sound, then he stood me up and pushed with his finger on various muscles in my thigh and hip area until he found sore spots, then told me that I had strained leg muscles in thigh and hip area, gave me some more exercises to do for those muscles, my surgeon had a feel and said everything is ok, keep up the walking but don't overdo it, and they will see me again for x-rays and examination on October 9th. They don't seem bothered but I can't help but feeling it is going to be ages before I am off the crutch and back to normal.

 

[Jaycey]

then told me that I had strained leg muscles in thigh and hip area, gave me some more exercises to do for those muscles

If you have strained muscles why on earth would you need more exercises? You are not in training - you are recovering. Please stop all this exercise and let that hip settle. Even your surgeon is telling you not to over do.

 

[leejaa]

I can't help but feeling it is going to be ages before I am off the crutch and back to normal.

You are very early in recovery that can take up to a year. Patience and slow and steady progress will get you back to normal but pushing it or trying to rush it usually slows it down and can cause injury.

It is easy to forget that this is a major surgery with a lot of carpentry on our bodies since we are up and walking so quickly and out of hospital so quickly. However, our bodies and hips know that it was a major surgery and that they need time to heal and recover. Normal does come with time.

 

[Maldugs]

Thanks for your replies, guess I am too impatient, thought it was all over 2 weeks ago when I could walk unaided, it will be 6 weeks on Tuesday next week. Guess I am driven by the fact that I play top division lawn bowls, and was hoping to get back to playing asap, but I am coming to realise that it may be quite some time before I can rejoin my team, and I just have to concentrate on getting myself better.

 

[leejaa]

Recovery first and healing and then the real fun can begin and you can do what you enjoy without pain. Slow and steady will actually get you there faster than overdoing and slowing down your progress.

 

[Mojo333]

Happy Sunday...

Guess I am driven by the fact that I play top division lawn bowls, and was hoping to get back to playing asap, but I am coming to realise that it may be quite some time before I can rejoin my team, and I just have to concentrate on getting myself better

This recovery is definitely a slow and steady race, and not a sprint.
Great news is, if you are patient and give yourself the time it takes, you will not only back to your competitions, you will be unstoppable.
The payoff is definitely worth the investment of time and it is easy to set yourself back if you get too impatient.

Hope today is a Good Day.

 

[Maldugs]

Hi thanks for the reply, I am back using one crutch, and can only hobble around without it, it will be 6 weeks tomorrow since the operation, hope things improve.

 

[Maldugs]

Hi, I have, stopped all PT and I now feel more comfortable, am walking better with one crutch, but still can't walk unaided, when I try, my operated leg is a bit painful, and it feels longer than the other one, giving me a limp to one side, there is no hip pain whatsoever, only what I can put down to muscle soreness, no problem sitting or standing, the PT was making me much worse, and sore, the surgeon, wants me to see him on the 9th October, and has given me a form to have an X-ray one week before, this is a long process, I am coming to realise, it has been 7 weeks.

 

[Eman85]

@Maldugs It looks like you're getting a handle on the timeline of this recovery. Glad to see you stopped the PT and the pain is easing off. You know you have to love the idea of being told you've strained muscles and then they somehow figure exercising damage muscles will make them better. I'd say the best advice you've gotten is to rest and ice.

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Maldugs
So happy you are seeing such improvement since stopping the exercises.

my operated leg is a bit painful, and it feels longer than the other one, giving me a limp to one side

Many members perceive a leg lenth difference, but usually this sorts out with time..
This article explains:
Leg length differential - LLD

this is a long process, I am coming to realise, it has been 7 weeks.

Only 7 weeks, very early days and now that you are off the PT train, just do your light stretching before walking and let Time and your body work on the healing.
By the time you get those reassuring xrays and see your OS, you"ll be feeling more confident and stronger.
All Temporary...well worth the patience though.

 

[Maldugs]

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies, know it's early days, will have to just get on with the process, will sure be good to walk unaided eventually, I have one and a half acres of property, and this time of the year there is a lot of work to do, but I will get there.

 

[Eman85]

I know it's hard to sit there and look at all of the things you feel you should be doing. I timed my first THR around work circumstances and the fact that I felt sitting inside during winter would be easier for me. An incredible amount of work was waiting for me when spring came and I thought I was pretty "recovered". I can tell you that your body will be quick to tell you what it doesn't like. Chainsaws.ladders and weedeaters were my hips enemies.

 

[Maldugs]

Feeling a bit down today 8 weeks in, still can't walk without one crutch, and have a dull groin pain, sometimes I feel that I have taken a step backwards, thought I would be walking by now, going to walk in the heated pool tomorrow, maybe feel different then.

 

[leejaa]

I am sorry you are feeling down. We often think that we should be at a certain point on date x. I think since the surgery is considered so routine and we are in and out of the hospital so quickly it is easy to forget how major of a surgery it is and how much carpentry has been done on our bodies. Unfortunately it takes time for us to heal and the amount of time differs with each of us. Some people bounce back in what appears to be record time and others take longer. However, even the ones that seem to do it effortlessly have taken time before they are fully recovered and often forget how long it has taken.

The only way to get through is to focus on doing a slow and steady progress each day. Look back and think are you doing better than 4 weeks ago, 8 weeks ago. Often we cannot see progress unless we look further back to compare. You are on a very individual journey of recovery that your hip is the boss of you and will decide when it is ready to do everything you wish it to do right now. Exercise that patience muscle and you will get there. For some people it takes many months and even up to a year and more to be fully recovered. This does not mean you will not have progress along the way but often not as fast as we wish.

I hope the pool feels wonderful tomorrow and your day is peaceful. Sending (((hugs))) and healing vibes your way.

 

[Layla]

Hi @Maldugs
I hope you’re feeling better this week. It’s a special day...Happy Two Month Anniversary!
Keep in mind you’re still in the early weeks of a recovery that can take a full year and even up to two years for some. Hang in there, you’ll get there.
A great week to you!

 

[Maldugs]

Yes two months, think I am going to take quite a while to get off the one crutch, at the moment I am doing hydrotherapy, I can see small improvement in my daily activities, that I couldn't do before, so all I can do is keep going, but things are not turning out as well as I expected, at the moment.

 

[leejaa]

It is always encouraging to see small improvements. These keep us going forward and it unfortunately takes time for full recovery. They say that time is a great healer and it is true but it sure would be nice if our bodies recovered by our timeline and not theirs. Slow and steady progress is good. Have a peaceful day.

 

[Maldugs]

Ok update, I have had 2 weeks Hydrotherapy with a physio, well, I have had a real improvement, I can walk without the crutch most of the time, I can stand up from the chair or toilet, without support, get in and out of the car easier, and starting to feel more like myself, so reaching my goal of resuming Lawn Bowls by the end of October, may be a reality.

Regards Mal.