THR Uncivil’s superpath hip recovery

[Layla]

Good report. Thanks for updating.
Hopefully the pain eases and you don't have to endure weight bearing restrictions. At only one week post op, you're bound to experience some discomfort. I'd ice often for 45-60 minutes, no less, each time you ice. Target 4x daily, at least and see if that helps.
Safe travels flying home tomorrow. Following are some very helpful tips, Jamie, from Admin recently left another member -


* Pack light. One medium size bag you can check and a carry-on. Make sure the bag has good, sturdy wheels. Be sure and pack pain medications in your carry on luggage.

* Have someone take you to the airport and pick you up after you're back home. They can drop you at your terminal gate. Find out which airlines have curbside check in. You might want to book with that airline.

* When you book your tickets, ask for handicapped assistance. This should be a wheelchair and a porter to wheel you and your bag. You just sit. The porter will check your bag in for you and take you to the gate. You'll board first and can take the wheelchair all the way down the ramp if needed.

* Try to book an aisle seat so you can stretch out into the aisle if needed.

* Try to book a direct flight so you don't have to change planes. Otherwise you'll need wheelchair assistance at every airport where you must change to another airplane.

* Aboard the plane, ask your flight attendant to make sure you have a wheelchair waiting at the gate when you arrive. Take some zip lock bags and ask the flight attendant for ice to use in flight if that would make you more comfortable.

* Once you arrive and get your wheelchair at the start of the ramp, the porter will take you to pick up your luggage and to whatever point where you'll be picked up (do have someone pick you up at the airport).

Update us once you're resting comfortably at home. We'd love to hear how the travel went and how you're doing.
Have a peaceful evening!
@Uncivil

 

[VSlowLife]

@Uncivil Glad your one week appointment went well in terms of your surgery. I have seen some other folks in the forum complaining about pain that was ultimately determined to be back pain, too, after a THR. Sorry you are feeling this in addition to the surgery pains.
You are still very early in the healing process, so there is still much hope for the pain on standing to get better, as well as your back pain.
I have broken some bones in my life. Not fun! There are two bone surfaces that get prepared, in a THR, to encourage the bone to grow into the new implants. When I mentally think about preparing for my surgery, I think that has to “smart” a bit I the first two weeks.
The advisors have a great quadrant chart and questions to ask you, if over time you think you may have a problem.

 

[Uncivil]

Good Morning. I made it back safely to Washington yesterday. The wheelchairs worked great. Hardest part was getting down the plane isle as I could not use my walker. They manages to not get my walker on the plane from Seattle to Wenatchee so we had to go to a Walmart to buy one. I was worried about the steps into the small plane but it was easy with railings both sides.

It was no nice to get home to the dogs. I will have to Enjoy the horses from the house as I have a seven week restriction of interaction due to concern of infection of my surgery site. I was surprised by this. Well coffee is done better get a cup!

 

[mainegirl1]

"Just because you can does not mean you should". Words from my OS as he told me not to try being off the walker for the first week.

It is not a reflection on you that you are still on the walker . Consider it a healing aid. If you had a cememtless prosthesis there is nothing fusing the appliance to the bone just yet.

Why was infection mentioned? And did you just find out? That is a bummer.

 

[Uncivil]

Dr. Chow mentioned it at my pre op apt when we were talking about my prosthesis type. I said I ride and show horses so whatever he uses better let me ride. He said to avoid exposure for a while. 6 to 8 weeks. His PA reinforced this at my one week follow up.

At least it will help me not overdo things. I am concentrating on walking as correctly as I can with the walker and bearing as much weight as I can comfortably on my left leg. There is no cement with my implant.

 

[VSlowLife]

@Uncivil Glad to hear you made it home safe and sound. I hope the airline will get your walker to your home after that mix up.
I am sure your dogs missed you very much. They can be so affectionate and relaxing to be around.
Sorry to hear you can’t be around your horses! I am sure they have missed you, too. Maybe you can visit from a safe distance?
My daughter started riding at 11, so I understand about the sudden movements of the best of horses. Stables and corals can have some mucky places.

 

[Layla]

Hello @Uncivil
Good to hear you navigated the plane and airport without incident and made it home safely. Quite the undertaking at only 8 days post op from major surgery. Enjoy your first weekend back at your happy place.
Have a great weekend!

 

[Uncivil]

My weekend went pretty well at home. On my feet more than I probably should have been. Helped with some cooking and minor chores. Tried my cane still a no go as I get pain when bearing full weight. So will continue to concentrate on walking as correctly as possible with the walker.

 

[CricketHip]

Sounds like you are being wise. I think there were many of us using our walker for the first 2-3 weeks. When I could, I switched to 2 canes as it seemed a good compromise and helped me navigate tight areas in our home. The walker was the more stable option, though. You are doing well! Traveling already and then they lost your walker. But you were able to manage.
I totally get the being on your feet more in your own home.. even to this day I accumulate more steps when home vs. work. Just try to be aware, if your discomfort levels start increasing it's most likely due to over doing it and take a day to rest and ice more? We've all had to learn that balance.

I hope you have a good week!!

 

[Elf1]

@Uncivil I was using my walker at weeks 3-4 and when I went out in public to the grocery store, etc I used it after the 3-4 weeks. The PT I was seeing at the time encouraged it for the safety precaution and to keep working my gait properly. It's one of those weird things, you'll just kind of know when you're ready. Keep taking it slow and steady.

 

[Uncivil]

thanks everyone for the encouragement. It will be my two week anniversary tomorrow, will probably check in with my OS if I still have pain with weight bearing in another week. I managed to stay off my feet more yesterday and did better with icing. My icing regiment has been erratic since I have been home. I am definitely sleeping more comfortably. The weird nerve pain I was having (likely back related) is all but gone. I was a bit light headed yesterday but think it may be due to my diet. I am back to my strict keto and eating two meals a day. I may have been low on salt. Trying to lose a few pounds before my second surgery in January. I am a bit worried about my second surgery with how this recovery is going. While I understand I am probably fairly normal in my recovery I worry about my left hip not being recovered enough for the RTHR.

I was able to work thru emails for about 3 yours yesterday. Hope to work 3 or 4 hours today. Keep in mind me working is sitting on my couch with my lap top.

 

[Greataa11]

Hello, I’m just 9 days ahead of you (LTHR oct.14) and I will say that yeah this recovery is slow going. I tried to go to my workshop to sew yesterday and could barely do 2 hours. It’s rather labor intensive to cut and pin fabric; something I never noticed. Trying to just stay calm and be patient. Hips heal themselves, right!? Also I wanted to add that we are both 44 so considered on the young end. Somehow somewhere that’s an advantage. My goal is to just start walking around the neighborhood. I’m on one cane but whenever I don’t use it my limp is profound. I also want to add that I’m a little blue- I didn’t realize how emotional the whole loss of indépendance and confinement would make me. Bonesmart has helped a lot. I feel like no one else really understands.

 

[Uncivil]

hi @Greataa11 Yes I am hoping the age plays into helping with recovery. I totally get the being down. I am a super active person and have a 12 year old daughter. Even before surgery I could not sit thru a movie without going stir crazy. So this is so hard! I also am banned from going out and seeing my horses for 8 weeks total due to risk of infection. I had totally not counted on that being a condition of recovery! At least I can see them from my couch!

I am just worried that I get sharp pain in the front of my leg when bearing full weight. Do you get that when bearing near full weight on the operated leg?

 

[Greataa11]

I don’t. I get little clicks from a bone spur or tendons, my thigh muscle is totally atrophied and I can kinda feel the implant being achy if I’m up too much but nothing sharp. I would call the doctor (I’ve called about four other things and I know it’s annoying but they were all valid concerns). Sharp pain = call IMO.

Ice, elevate. My surgery was complex (and yet only took 48 minutes what?); whenever I bring up not being very far on healing/walking/returning to normal activities, the PA brings that up.

I get it about the horses, we have two dogs that are outside a lot and I don’t give them much love these days as I’m terrified of infection. And I have a four-year-old that had to quickly learn to stop jumping on me for a hug. That’s the worst for me-I’m just now up and packing lunches again.

I walked 10 minutes this morning and that was ok. gonna do it again after lunch.

 

[Elf1]

@Greataa11 you might try icing and elevating more and see if that helps. You said it's been kind of erratic since being home. And while it may not seem like much to do emails for 3-4 hours while sitting on the couch, that really is a lot at this point. Are you taking regular breaks and getting up to move around? I know at 2 weeks out I was still pretty much stretched out on the couch with an ice pack and my phone and Kindle next to me so I could check emails and Bone Smart.

And, you may want to check in with someone at your surgeon's office and tell them what you're feeling and how much you're doing and they can either out your mind at ease or have you come in for an appointment just to be safe.

 

[HipLucy]

@Greataa11
@Uncivil
I had my surgery on Oct. 14. I am 66, so much older than you two, but experiencing many of the same frustrations. I agreed to do some work from home, but my PT told me to get up every half hour. I'm so used to hunkering down and working for long stretches. Although I have pretty much exchanged my walker for a cane, I am shocked by how exhausted I am after walking around my neighborhood. I am old but was very fit. What an adjustment!

 

[VSlowLife]

Hi @Uncivil, glad you are getting up and about. It is still so early in your recovery to worry about the next one, based on this one, IMO. I do not know if one of the advisors has given you a link for suggested activity progression, just yet. If someone has, it may help you with this process.
Sorry to hear you have a pain which concerns you, but glad to hear you backed off with activity and iced and it got better.
@Mojo333 has a great diagram about recovery.
Although the superpath/supercap/northern approach leaves folks with a small incision, comparatively speaking, from what I have read on Bonesmart, there is still much healing going on in the inside. Things had to be retracted and stretched, some tissue were cut, and new bone needs to grow.
For me, my plan after surgery is to eat well to support the healing process, with nutrient dense foods, a wee bit of extra protein for tissue repair, but enough complex carbs to fuel my brain and muscles so I am alert, not feeling faint, and not further fatigued, (crossing my fingers here) mixed in with some good sources of omega 3 fatty acid dense foods.

 

[Uncivil]

Besides the pain when walking I am pretty comfortable. I am breaking up my working with a couple hours in the morning and a couple in the afternoon. Today my boss who is also my friend is stopping by to visit grab some paperwork and bring me lunch. That will be a nice distraction! I think I will touch base with my PA. I was anticipating the hip being achy just not the sharp pain. As you can imagine I am trying to make my sick leave stretch as I don't have that much. My next surgery I am eligible for a new paid sick leave benefit thru the state which will be helpful.

I am so grateful to have an amazing boss and the ability to work from home.

 

[Uncivil]

So I called my PA and got the bad news that I have to go to 20% weight bearing for the next four weeks. I have to get an xray the week of Thanksgiving. Arg. I guess the sharp shooting pain while weight bearing isn't normal.

:( I am a serious sad panda.

 

[VSlowLife]

Glad to hear you can work from home and that you have a nice lunch and good company coming to see you. Enjoy!
Oh no! So sorry to hear this. Not what you were hoping for but so glad you called.
It sounds like your surgeon’s office is being very cautious.