THR Two New Hips in Six Weeks

[Mojo333]

All getting better and better!

I still have that outer thigh tenderness/partial numbness/occasional stinging.

I certainly did too...became less with time...
I thought some of the numbness might actually be permanent...which still beat having a bad hip...but all normal now!
Thanks for the update...hope your week is Sweet!

 

[lovesstars]

@EL11 are you noticing that generally every evening/night you are needing some sort of relief from achiness? How many nights per week are you taking something?

 

[EL11]

@EL11 are you noticing that generally every evening/night you are needing some sort of relief from achiness? How many nights per week are you taking something?

Pretty much every night, @lovesstars, to ensure a better sleep ... because I seldom wake up with zero pain.

For some time every night while watching TV, I'd notice a little complaining from my right hip, so would ice/elevate in bed. This week I've had no twinges in the mid-evening hour, but iced anyway, then the past two nights took the Luna and the arthritis acetaminophen. Both nights, I slept 8-9 hours. Often, like this morning, the soreness I wake up with is virtually gone by the time I move around a bit and have coffee, and I don't think to take a morning pill.

As @Mojo333 said, I'd be fine with the way things are now if this were permanent, which I know won't be the case.

What about you??

 

[lovesstars]

I haven’t been taking the Tylenol mostly because I have the demented idea that I “shouldn’t need” it — but then I am waking a lot in the night, achy. Of course, then I find myself not wanting to push myself physically because up and down the stairs all day, standing for longer periods (I was speaking Friday night — was on feet on stage three hours!) is a lot of activity (I tell myself). But...if I got in the habit of MORE REGULAR ICING, MORE REGULAR TYLENOL AT NIGHT then I think that would be better. It is changing my mindset, I think, that needs doing...

 

[EL11]

I get it about feeling you shouldn't "need" the Tylenol (I take the generic but am too lazy to type the longer word), but sleep is everything, as we know! I'm at the point of scarcely needing it during the day, but if I'm heading out to exercise, I take it so that I can push myself, though it's not a hard push!

It's become real to me now that full healing takes a year, and the nighttime achiness is probably common at this stage. In my personal unprofessional opinion, nothing will take you through the whole night, so if I were to wake up several mornings in a row with no discomfort at all, I'd figure I might be done with the OTC med.

 

[lovesstars]

Yeah, @EL11 , that is real.
I am a bit hard on myself and have expectations that I “should” be farther along (haven’t I had that this whole time, eh?).
It is difficult to know what is ‘too much’ — until it is.

 

[oregonlass]

@EL11 - question for you. Since we aren't supposed to fall or get on the floor, how do you do floor stretching and how do you get back up again? Inquiring minds want to know

 

[EL11]

@EL11 - question for you. Since we aren't supposed to fall or get on the floor, how do you do floor stretching and how do you get back up again? Inquiring minds want to know

We're ... not supposed to get on the floor? I thought I asked the PT at St Vincent and she said no problem.

I get back up again more or less the way I used to before I was too arthritic to manage it. Get on my knees, put knuckles in front of me to brace myself, push back onto my feet (heels up), change knuckled-hands to palms to steady myself, engage my glutes and stand up. It sounds so complicated as I type it. I took a minute just now to do it so as to describe the motion, which I still may have failed to do well enough, ha ha.

 

[alexthecat]

I agree that we should try not to fall, but I've been getting down on the floor and back up again since I was about 4 weeks post-op. That was almost 9 years ago, so I don't think it's a problem. I just do it the same way that someone without a THR would.

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk

 

[Alitm]

Both nights, I slept 8-9 hours. Often, like this morning, the soreness I wake up with is virtually gone by the time I move around a bit and have coffee, and I don't think to take a morning pill.

Sleep is a magic elixir I swear! I struggle with getting enough, but it is too much electronic screen time, son's arrival time home from school and work (I'm an "old" parent!), and not enough reading. All things I have to sort out...and is my big push at the moment!

Your thread is so helpful....questions I have in my head answered!! Ta da! Thank you! @lovesstars asks great questions too. Really helpful to have you two ahead of me in the healing, and sharing info. The timing is uncanny!

My OS said to me early last week that I will actively experience healing through to the 8/9 month post op mark, but my body will continue to heal to a year and a half out from surgery, but I won't be as aware of that...but suspect that is when folks continue to feel increase ROM etc. Sorry if this was redundant, but so helpful to me I had to share again. It puts a lot into perspective!

 

[EL11]

Your thread is so helpful....questions I have in my head answered!! Ta da! Thank you! @lovesstars asks great questions too. Really helpful to have you two ahead of me in the healing, and sharing info. The timing is uncanny!

My OS said to me early last week that I will actively experience healing through to the 8/9 month post op mark, but my body will continue to heal to a year and a half out from surgery, but I won't be as aware of that...but suspect that is when folks continue to feel increase ROM etc. Sorry if this was redundant, but so helpful to me I had to share again. It puts a lot into perspective!

Ah, it's nice to hear that we've helped! Your posts are helpful too. I'm sure that hippies getting their ops done this year will compare notes in a similar way, have a dozen or so people they strike up ongoing conversations with, mixed in with old-timers, moderators ...

Not redundant at all; his "active healing to up the 8/9 month mark" comment is interesting and seems right on the money. And in the course of that healing, there are blips from time to time, usually nothing.

It's normal to worry about hurting the new hip(s), to feel vulnerable. Let's face it, most of us have not had anything replaced other than a tooth before this, and though the experience is awesome for most and completely doable, it is still major surgery.

 

[oregonlass]

@EL11 Thanks for the info.!!! I'm not sure where I saw that original = may have been in the general information manual for hip replacement that the orthopedic unit hands out. I see my doc for check up on Thursday and PT on Wed. I will definitely ask, but just couldn't figure how once the muscles were healed turning onto a knee to get up could be a problem. Now if it was a knee replacement - then that may be an issue. However my husband has a knee implant from a motorcycle accident and he can get up and down off the floor but doesn't ever stay on his knee and no 90' angles.

 

[EL11]

Thanks for the info.!!! I'm not sure where I saw that original = may have been in the general information manual for hip replacement that the orthopedic unit hands out. I see my doc for check up on Thursday and PT on Wed. I will definitely ask, but just couldn't figure how once the muscles were healed turning onto a knee to get up could be a problem. Now if it was a knee replacement - then that may be an issue. However my husband has a knee implant from a motorcycle accident and he can get up and down off the floor but doesn't ever stay on his knee and no 90' angles.

The manual I was given had various cautions that didn't apply to the anterior THR I got. And maybe what you read or heard did refer to a TKR; in any case, you'll get your question answered this week I'm sure!

I remember trying to do my floor PT exercises a year ago, on the hall rug of my then-apartment, and that feeling of being utterly stranded until I crawled to the bench by the front door. It wasn't like I just needed to lightly hold on with one hand, either. I had to put all my weight on it.

 

[Debru4]

@EL11 --not sure why I haven't "run into" you and your band of hippies who had replacements around the same time that I did yet. Mine was on August 3, 2018. I just read some of the conversations on this thread, and agree with so many of the things asked, answered, and shared! Nice to meet you ( and @lovesstars)

 

[EL11]

@EL11 --not sure why I haven't "run into" you and your band of hippies who had replacements around the same time that I did yet. Mine was on August 3, 2018. I just read some of the conversations on this thread, and agree with so many of the things asked, answered, and shared! Nice to meet you ( and @lovesstars)

Hey there @Debru4 ! I think some of the running-into is somewhat random. There are a lot of people here and in the early days I know I spent a lot of time sleeping ... But in any case , nice to meet you here. 8/3, four days after my RTHR. I’ll have to check out your thread. Are you coming along well generally, 5+ months out??

 

[Debru4]

Agree about the randomness---but I notice there are folks that seem to know each other well. Perhaps they have spent more time on here than I have. I have met @SurreyGirl who had her surgery close to mine.

I am doing great----very lucky! I am unable to tolerate narcotics or NSAIDS so I had a rough few days at the start, but have been very mobile and relatively pain free since fairly early on.

I have not done any PT or formal exercising---just tons of walking, gardening before winter hit, and all of the things needed to take care of my myself and my home. (Which when you live alone, is quite a bit so that's been a great way to stay active and get fit!) So far, so good.

If you read my thread, you'll see that I have had a variety of questions about aches and pains I encountered along the way.....much like everyone else--haha! Most likely I'll have more questions as I continue this journey.

Thanks to the advice and encouragement of folks here on the Forum, I've been able to relax a lot and enjoy my new hip. I am excited to think that since I'm only 5 1/2 months out, most likely there will continue to be healing---even if I were stuck right like I am now, I am so much better than I was for months before my surgery.

I took an incredibly exciting, and painful, trip to Europe for about 3 weeks right before my hip surgery--(more details on my thread;). I took another 2 week one to the Dominican Republic about 3 1/2 months after the replacement----oh my----night and day!

Glad to have made a new friend on the forum! Hope you have a good week.

 

[Debru4]

@oregonlass---I agree with the people who have said they have been up and down off the floor for quite awhile. You are about 4 weeks out---correct? I'd think any time now if you feel able.

My doctor told me at my two week follow up that I when I was ready could get up and down off the floor, if it wasn't too painful, and showed me one way how to do it. I was going to start watching my infant granddaughter a day a week at 4 weeks out and was concerned about getting up and down.

My method was/is slightly different than El11s, but involves getting on all fours, bending one leg and using hands and other leg to push up. I recall early on only sitting down where there was a couch or heavy piece of furniture nearby that I could use to help pull myself up. I had no restrictions, other than common sense and no pain, but know that many people who have the posterior approach are given a different set of instructions than those of us who did the anterior. Several people on this site have said even with posterior their doctors didn't impose the strict restrictions, so that may vary doctor to doctor.

It does feel good to be able to sit, or lie on the floor and stretch bit or just feel less limited! But no rush....

 

[SurreyGirl]

Hi everyone . What a lovely positive set of posts. I have my six month anniversary on 26th January and the progress over the last month has been amazing. Still getting some scar pain when I overdo it but muscles being retrained and I have been getting some very encouraging comments from a bunch of friends who last saw me shortly before the op.

Re sleep I can manage 11pm - 5:30 ish and then annoyingly wake up and find it hard to get back to sleep. I have been much more active over the past two weeks and took advice here re swimming and water walking. It works!

Hip still swells a bit sometimes so still elevating and icing when I can.

I feel SO much better now and definitely have my life back.

I really appreciate the support here too.

 

[Layla]

@EL11
Nice posts! All great ladies who's recoveries have been interesting to follow. Great advice, genuine concern for others sprinkled with some healthy humor @lovesstars
The type of info people look for in various stages of recovery. @Debru4
Wishing you all the best as you continue healing. May it only get better fo you all! @SurreyGirl
@oregonlass

 

[lovesstars]

Sorry to dominate your thread, @EL11 , but if @Debru4 is feeling stuck, we need to tell her about the ICE.
@Debru4 : PLEASE KEEP ICING! Even when athletes are stuck, I have learned, their trainers ICE THEIR WHOLE BODIES to “reset” their systems when their muscles are “stale”.
TRY IT!