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THR WAS scared before THR: now it's better!

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Cossor99 I got hit with a particularly bad case of post op depression too. My DH was not very sympathetic and was quite disappointed in how I was handling things, but my fellow hippies here at BS helped me get through it. I still get my down days..but I just try to keep looking forward. I had my surgery a few days before yours...on sept. 26. I see we are the same age too. I agree...the recovery is tough. I was really clueless going into it despite having done quite a bit of reading. I was unprepared for how hard it was going to be. I think I was in denial. It will get better.
 
Thanks for the advice re heels. Used the pillow under legs which helped & will buy some surgical gloves for the ice. Can't wait until I don't have to lie on my back so I can get a proper night's sleep. I live in Melbourne so away from the terrible fires around Sydney - truly devastating. Puts my hip in some perspective when you see people having lost their houses.
 
I feel like a kindred spirit calikat - we are exactly the same age and our hip ops only a few days apart. I'm with you it is very hard to anticipate how tough post surgery is on so many fronts - physically, pain wise, emotionally. So just one day at a time. Best of luck with your recovery and keep in touch.
 
Hi Cossor99:) thank you for the kind reply. I sure hope you are resting! I'm trying to stay positive and keep saying that nothing can be any worse than this bone to bone pain, right? I will be following uou to see how things go.
 
Often just hour by hour Cossor99... That's all you need to get through... The body is a miraculous healing factory and the emotional aspect gets easier with each little positive milestone :)
 
I suffered from what I called 'heavy heel' on my operated side...I swore I was getting a blister on my heel it hurt so bad. PCT recommended the small roll under my ankle, that was almost as uncomfortable as the 'heavy heel'. OS said to put a pillow under my calf...ahhhhhh relief. It will go away, almost seemed like overnight the pain was gone.

I remember looking forward to the day I could roll over and sleep on my side! The first try only lasted a few hours. Every night I added more time until the night I slept thru the night on my side!!!! I woke up that morning with more pain, numbness, tingling, and soreness than ever...after a hot shower and breakfast I felt like the good old days!!!!! I am now dreading going back to sleep on my back next week...better get all the princess pillows back out to block myself back to the 'proper sleeping position'

I asked my surgeon how late could I back out of the second surgery. The man has a rather dry personality (it's OK he's good at surgery I didn't need a comedian) so I was shocked when he looked at me and said "if you put your arms out to the side as they are wheeling you into the OR and yell stop we will" I am so glad I had the first and I know that it is just my mind causing concern over the second...next week this time I will be kicking myself for ever considering not having surgery.
 
Tomorrow it will be exactly 4 weeks since my RTHR and even though I still get extremely tired things are gradually getting better. My physio says its okay to lie on my side with a pillow between my legs - absolute bliss after all that lying on my back and sore heels. flowergirl I can understand not wanting to go through lying on your back again but in the scheme of things it's over relatively quickly and you don't have the hip pain. As others will know I was absolutely terrified of having the operation and nearly backed out but it is nice to not have that constant hip pain and fingers crossed the recovery keeps progressing well. I will always wish I didn't have to have such a major operation (I think anyone who has had a THR thinks the same) but given the only other choice was pain and limping around I am comfortable so far with the decision.
 
Agreed! I will always wish I could have done something else, but I had pretty much tried everything except stem cell treatment. I thought about it...but I got to such a point of desperation. I could no longer function...work, etc. Maybe I will try it with my next hip if/when it starts to need intervention.

Congrats on hitting the 4 week mark!!!
 
Yes calikat I looked into everything available (including stem cells) before I took the plunge. One day stem cells might be the answer but unfortunately the science is not quite there yet and from what I have read some of the preliminary pilot research is only likely to help someone with some cartilage left not for someone like me who is bone on bone. But off to see my surgeon tomorrow for a check up.
 
I waited 8 years from the first time THR was mentioned... 8 years too long... But I too was worried about it being major surgery, but so pleased I had it... Now just have to get the courage to have hip two done!
 
I did look into it also. I spoke with two doctors, one said yay, another nay. It seemed too iffy a prospect, and I just did not think I could take the pain for another six months waiting to see if the cartilage grew in. Hopefully the medical community will continue to make leaps and bounds in regenerative medicine.
 
Thanks bionicmedic - everything's going well & hope you are ok too. I had my 4 week post op check up with my surgeon today and it is interesting in the last 48 hours I have felt my operated side to be more flexible. I can still 'feel' my hip but nowhere near as stiff. My doctor has given me the go ahead & use one crutch when going out & when in the house don't need to use anything. I feel very lucky. Much improved from last week - those first 3 weeks are tough! Another step of progress.
 
Hi Cossor99 from another Aussie. Reading your pre op thread brought back many memories. Now you are " done and dusted" it just gets better each week. I also had a difficult time sleeping on my back. After a week or so we went to Clarke Rubber and bought a foam mattress overlay...egg carton I think it's called and what a difference that made. Think it was about $200 but well worth it.
We have a waterbed so I slept in the spare room and found it very hard sleeping on my back. In fact it was more of a series of dozes. I watched iview on my ipad, surfed the internet, wrote emails at odd hours. But it didn't matter as I could doze through the day too. At three weeks I got the all clear to get rid of the dreadful white stockings. What a relief.
Now at 6 months post THR life could not be better. My op was pretty drastic. Born with hip dysplasia so the surgeon lengthened my keg by 3 cms and also turned my femur to reposition. Rehab was a real project for me... 12 days in the rehab unit, a month of 2 days per week day patient rehab, a month of physiotherapy sessions twice a week and then 5 weeks with an exercise physiologist at my gym..plus the daily exercises. It was so worth it. At 67 I can finally walk normally, no pain, back at the gym ...and so it goes.just back from a two month trip overseas with walking for miles every day. Never would have imagined that was possible!
SO I guess what I am saying in a very round about way is that in no time you won't know what it was like pre hip.
The blues are a natural reaction. Many tears were shed here in the early days but hang in there! When I read back over my early posts they were just like yours. :SUNsmile:
 
Hi Cossor99. Sorry I've missed your thread before now especially being another Aussie who grew up in Melbourne!!!!

Recovery can be tough and exhausting but you sound like you are right on track!!!

I agree about about stem cell research.....some vets disagree that it helps too. I know we are not animals :no-fin: but we sorta are

Look forward to following your recovery
 
Went to physio session today. Thought I was going well and I am. Then Physio said how about do this exercise - on all fours & then stretch legs out behind you one at a time - OUCH! I have been able to all the standard standing exercises with no problems but not this one --> back to more work. However had my first time on stationary cycle and I did 15 minutes (yippee). I was a reasonable road cyclist and it is the first time I have really allowed myself to think I'll be able to get on the bike again. Thanks to everyone for their support!
 
[Bonesmart.org] WAS scared before THR: now it's better!
to that exercise you described. Doesn't sound like something a month old hippie should be doing----and the first time I've every heard of this one. Just too much too soon in my view. You have plenty of time for that sort of thing much later on.

Take care and keep us posted. We care. [Bonesmart.org] WAS scared before THR: now it's better!
 
I agree with Judy, far too soon for the Superman. You have little or no muscle strength needed for that exercise. I would let your PT know you are not going to do anything that hurts. PT should never hurt!
 
Yes perhaps a good idea to take it back a notch.
 
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