THR THR - Post recovery progress and issues
- Thread starter Mellowman
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Mellowman
junior member
So post op I'm having to inject daily with Enoxaparin sodium (Cleanaxe) to provide clotting - injecting at night and now always getting a dull headache that keeps me awake but goes as soon as I get up in the morning - anyone else experiencing this? Solutions?
bones218
new member
Hello. I'm 8 days post op from a Direct Lateral THR. I to was worried about taking the meds as I have a very addictive personality. I bit the bullet and trusted what my Surgeon told me and stuck with the prescribed medication he put me on. Other than the first night in the hospital I have slept like a baby compared to how I was the past few years. That's my 2 cents. Hope that helps.
OP
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Mellowman
junior member
So 3 weeks post op now, very little pain so far but couple of questions :
1, how much exercise are you doing per day and how much walking?
2.still struggling to sleep at night, what do you take?
3. Lots of lower back pain through sleeping on my back, any suggestions?
4. Nightly blood thinning injections, stomach very bruised - anyone else suffering from this?
Be good to hear experiences, and especially meds used by UK hipsters
1, how much exercise are you doing per day and how much walking?
2.still struggling to sleep at night, what do you take?
3. Lots of lower back pain through sleeping on my back, any suggestions?
4. Nightly blood thinning injections, stomach very bruised - anyone else suffering from this?
Be good to hear experiences, and especially meds used by UK hipsters
Irish Joe
Former BoneSmart staff member
Hi Mellowman.
Well done so far.
1/ Little or none except walking.
2/ Nothing. Just take the pain meds on time and sleep will find you but sleeplessness is normal.
3/ I put a pillow under my knees. It helped a lot. Took the pressure of my back.
4/ Don't know.
Hope this helps.
Joe........
Well done so far.
1/ Little or none except walking.
2/ Nothing. Just take the pain meds on time and sleep will find you but sleeplessness is normal.
3/ I put a pillow under my knees. It helped a lot. Took the pressure of my back.
4/ Don't know.
Hope this helps.
Joe........
I agree with Joe's answers. #4 - as the medication is a blood thinner you bruise much more easily. I looked like a pin cushion but the time I was done with the injections. Not much you can do about this.
Do you have one more week of injections?
Do you have one more week of injections?
OP
OP
Mellowman
junior member
Jaycey, hi thank you, only 5 more injections left , but still got to wear compression so kings for another two weeks - does everyone really wear these for 6 weeks?
ADMIN - how do I change thread title?
, but still got to wear compression so kings for another two weeks - does everyone really wear these for 6 weeks? ADMIN - how do I change thread title?
I can do this for you. Just let me know what you would like the title to read.
Most of us hated those things. I ditched mine after 2 weeks post both THRs. Many surgeons don't require them anymore. If you are moving around regularly and taking blood thinners it's really a bit of over kill. Decision is yours of course.
sharonslp
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Hi Mellowman. At 4 weeks, walking distance can be all over the place. For me at 4 weeks, I was managing half a mile several times a day, without any cane, and without a limp. It's generally better to build up by doing shorter walks throughout the day, rather than one long walk. I gradually increased that, and by two months could easily handle a mile. Some people report getting up to a mile, or more, a lot sooner than I did. Some people report setbacks with pain when they do too much too soon....just saying.
Really, the important thing is to start small, and build it up gradually. Listen to your body. If it complains, back off for a few days and then start again with smaller increases of time and/or distance. We hear from lots and lots of folks who do really great after surgery, and at 4 to 6 weeks they are feeling great, so they go ahead as if they are completely healed. Then around 4 months out, they are back with some severe tendinitis problem. Tendinitis is a lot like weight gain....easy to acquire; hard to eradicate. This surgery can fool you. It really takes a full year, and often more, for all the soft tissue to finish healing.
Sharon
Really, the important thing is to start small, and build it up gradually. Listen to your body. If it complains, back off for a few days and then start again with smaller increases of time and/or distance. We hear from lots and lots of folks who do really great after surgery, and at 4 to 6 weeks they are feeling great, so they go ahead as if they are completely healed. Then around 4 months out, they are back with some severe tendinitis problem. Tendinitis is a lot like weight gain....easy to acquire; hard to eradicate. This surgery can fool you. It really takes a full year, and often more, for all the soft tissue to finish healing.
Sharon
PS46
member
Hi @Mellowman and hi all
This my second THR and I had it on May 2nd. I had my other one in March 2016
Just a suggestion - if it is painful with one stick, maybe you are slightly premature dropping down to one. It may be worth going back to two for a while and using the "alternate" method, ie a bit like Nordic walking. It made the transition down to one stick very easy for me
@Irish Joe is absolutely right about sleeplessness - I have it now, as you can see! It just goes eventually and it's best to be philosophical if you can. I put a load of books on my Kindle and just read until I get back to sleep
Finally, I completely agree with the BS experts (of which I am not one!), that the best form of exercise is walking and very gradually building it up
Hope that helps
Peter
This my second THR and I had it on May 2nd. I had my other one in March 2016
Just a suggestion - if it is painful with one stick, maybe you are slightly premature dropping down to one. It may be worth going back to two for a while and using the "alternate" method, ie a bit like Nordic walking. It made the transition down to one stick very easy for me
@Irish Joe is absolutely right about sleeplessness - I have it now, as you can see! It just goes eventually and it's best to be philosophical if you can. I put a load of books on my Kindle and just read until I get back to sleep
Finally, I completely agree with the BS experts (of which I am not one!), that the best form of exercise is walking and very gradually building it up
Hope that helps
Peter
sharonslp
Former BoneSmart staff member
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First of all, a limp is the body's way of protecting itself from pain. So if you still have pain, the limp will still be there. The crutch helps you alleviate the pain as you walk, so you keep using the crutch until there is no pain.
Sometimes people have limped so long and habitually, that it is hard to break the habit now, even with no pain. Some of my PT after my first THR centered on learning how to walk without limping. I was encouraged to walk slowly, with my cane, and concentrate on putting my heel down first and letting the step flow through to the ball of the foot and the toes. Not so slowly as to exaggerate each motion...the idea is to develop a smooth flow. With each progressive day, the motion became more natural and fluid, and my walk naturally increased in speed. I then began trying short periods without the cane; if the motion stayed natural and fluid, I gradually extended the time without the cane. I continued to carry it with me for a few more weeks, because if I did unintentionally push myself too far, the limp would return, and I would need the cane. It's a trial and error process for sure.
It's also good to pay attention to your shoes and whether you have wear on the soles that reflects your old and abnormal gait. You are now trying to change your gait, so you don't want your shoes working against that. I had a raging case of shin splints come on suddenly two months after my first THR. Once I bought new shoes, that was the end of that.
Sharon
Sometimes people have limped so long and habitually, that it is hard to break the habit now, even with no pain. Some of my PT after my first THR centered on learning how to walk without limping. I was encouraged to walk slowly, with my cane, and concentrate on putting my heel down first and letting the step flow through to the ball of the foot and the toes. Not so slowly as to exaggerate each motion...the idea is to develop a smooth flow. With each progressive day, the motion became more natural and fluid, and my walk naturally increased in speed. I then began trying short periods without the cane; if the motion stayed natural and fluid, I gradually extended the time without the cane. I continued to carry it with me for a few more weeks, because if I did unintentionally push myself too far, the limp would return, and I would need the cane. It's a trial and error process for sure.
It's also good to pay attention to your shoes and whether you have wear on the soles that reflects your old and abnormal gait. You are now trying to change your gait, so you don't want your shoes working against that. I had a raging case of shin splints come on suddenly two months after my first THR. Once I bought new shoes, that was the end of that.
Sharon
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Mellowman
junior member
Sharon/Peter, thank you for the comments, did my first half mile today with one crutch, will look to build gradually over the next few days... Sharing thank you for the tip on walking without the crutch, will try tomorrow
Also last day for blood thinning injection, was anyone else worried when these stopped?
Also last day for blood thinning injection, was anyone else worried when these stopped?
