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THR Val’s Recovery

Hi @EssexGirl, I have tenderness around my healed scar. Sometimes when I try massaging the scar tissue, it says 'uh uh, not today' so I wait for the next day.
Hope you are able to enjoy the holidays. :console2: :meow:
 
Hi All,
Haven’t posted for a little while as I haven’t had much to complain about!
Obviously a good thing and something I’m very happy about.

I think the real turning point for me was the 9 week mark (last week). I started to realise that I was doing things I couldn’t do before the surgery and of course, since surgery. I can now bend down comfortably and put my socks on, dry my own feet and pull up trousers without using a grabber. I can walk downstairs normally although going up is still more difficult as the strength still hasn’t come back fully in the operated leg.

I have no pain and the scar area is a lot less sensitive. There’s still one thing I can’t comfortably do yet and that is to sleep on my side (either side). If I lay on the unoperated side, it’s fine for a while but then I can feel the operated hip “ pulling” and I have to move onto my back. But this is a minor problem compared to the sleepless nights I had pre-op.

So, to those of you who are still in the early post op days/weeks, I can assure you that in another few weeks you will have turned the corner into your new pain free life.
 
@EssexGirl What a great update! Isn't it just the best feeling when you realize that you can do those things again! Even the smallest things are amazing. Of course, you still have plenty of time to improve as complete healing can take up to a year or so. There will still be some days you will feel it but so many days that you are truly believing that you are getting your life back. The next big "milestone" I noticed was the day that I hadn't thought at all about my hip or the surgery. Yes, that will happen!

About the sleep: Have you tried a pillow between your legs when laying on the non-op side. It keeps that top op leg from dropping down in front. I used a body pillow shortly after my surgery for this. In fact, I still use it to this day. My husband jokingly refers to it as my boyfriend. :heehee: I hope that helps. In any case, as healing continues, that should get better. Blessings for continued good healing.
 
What a wonderful update! Thanks for taking the time to share your progress. It is inspiring for those reading and healing also. I second the Body Pillow. I also use it for sleep between legs to keep my hips level. Like you, it took me several months to feel comfortable sleeping on my side. Be patient, it will happen.
Happy New Year!
@EssexGirl
 
Same here.. The amount of time I can sleep on my side is getting longer in the night - ie 3 hours but then I have to revert to sleeping on my back or even on the operated side.. But I am getting a reasonable nights sleep now.. Good to hear your progress Essex Girl
 
EssexGirl said:
There’s still one thing I can’t comfortably do yet and that is to sleep on my side (either side). If I lay on the unoperated side, it’s fine for a while but then I can feel the operated hip “ pulling” and I have to move onto my back. But this is a minor problem compared to the sleepless nights I had pre-op.
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I had the odd pulling sensation also, it does go away eventually. And yes getting rid of the sleepless nights from hip pain is the big gain in my world. A pillow between my legs helped a lot with side sleeping and I figured out it helped a lot with keeping my back aligned when sleeping. I still sleep with a pillow between my legs, who knew it would take THR's to teach me how to sleep and help my back?
 
Something quite amazing and unexpected happened today….I ran! Went to visit relatives and when we left it was raining quite hard and without even realising it, I was running to the car! I can’t actually remember the last time I was able to run. So today is definitely one I will remember .
 
mendogal said:
Yowza!! THAT'S a milestone! (do be careful not to fall!)
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I will definitely be careful if in the future I feel the need to run! I didn’t even realise I was doing it until I got to the car and realised what I’d done!
 
Well done dashing in the rain! And my hip wakes me up, too, after a while when I sleep on my non-Op side with knee pillow. It seems like I can sleep that way for longer though and I go right back to sleep on my back.
I wish you continued success!!
@EssexGirl
 
I’ve been doing so well but unfortunately I overdid it yesterday and am now in the ODIC…again!
I think when you are feeling so much better with no pain you forget you are actually still in the healing phase and do too much. I changed a double bed which I had pull away from the wall, moved furniture to hoover and clean and then went on to hoover and clean two more bedrooms. I did quite a bit of twisting and bending but it didn’t hurt at all which is why I carried on.
Today I’ve woken up to a lot of pain and stiffness, pain mostly in the groin. I’ve taken a couple of Ibruprofen and will make sure I rest up today. I could try ice but it’s a bit tricky positioning it in the groin area.

Oh well, I’m hoping this has taught me a lesson that although I’m feeling pretty good, I am still healing (11 weeks post op) and need to be mindful of that.
 
Greetings All,
Firstly, I apologise for only posting when I have a concern and need some advice or reassurance. I do stop by from time to time to see how everyone is getting on.

My recovery is going really well ( now 5 months on), I am walking normally and without pain which is great. However, I do have one concern and that is the area around the scar is still really tender and still feels very “bruised” inside. There is also still some swelling in that area. It hurts so much that I can’t bear anything touching it and I have to gently pat that area dry after showering. Sometimes the cat will jump on it when I’m in bed and I nearly hit the roof as it’s so painful.
I had a final appointment with my surgeon a couple of weeks ago and I did tell him about the problem. He said it will take a long time for it to completely heal and I should gently massage the area with cream/ oil. The problem is, I can hardly bear to touch it let alone massage.

It’s frustrating that this is still so painful as in all other respects I am so much better than before the surgery. I’d really appreciate some of your experiences at this stage after surgery. Thanks in advance!
 
It sounds like a combination of slowly healing inside plus a type of skin sensitivity that can happen after surgery because of all the little sensory nerves getting traumatised.

We commonly discuss the numb area, but it's not unusual to have hyperesthesia - as you describe, pain with lightest touch - or dysesthesia, as I do (can be sensation of hot, cold, wet, friction, etc) as the nerves aren't dead but are injured and disorganized.

Obviously if you develop increased redness, swelling, and heat you'll want to see your surgeon!
 
EssexGirl said:
I think the real turning point for me was the 9 week mark
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I’m at 7 weeks right now and have so much sitting pain and discomfort when standing too long I really needed to read your encouragement! Some days I think how will these pains ever heal and then I find encouragement like your words! Thank you! And I hope your days are getting even better and better!
 
Please try not to feel despondent, as everyone always says on here, the healing process takes time. I was very impatient (still am!) for everything to get back to normal but once you can accept that it’s a long journey it does ease the worries. I would advise keep on with the icing when the pain is bad ( I didn’t discover icing until I joined this forum and so wish I’d been told to do it before I left hospital) and don’t try to do too much too soon ( like we all have at times!).
 
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