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THR Wide Awake - Mailman Chases Dogs Away

I have thought a great deal about pain over the last almost 5 years since my hip first started to give out. Was it the musculature or the joint? Or both? I decided it was most likely the musculature and set to work on that. Posture, gait, waking up muscles that were asleep and not pulling their weight, not functioning efficiently with the others. I got rid of the type of pain that would keep me up at night. The pain that was left was only pain that came from walking and it soon got worse when nothing else was compensating for the joint. Then as of now after the surgery I don't have any of that muscle pain. All I have is the pain from the wound and some from the bone that has been traumatized but no longer pressure on the joint from lack of cartilige. I think maybe that is why I am making a quick recovery.
 
@SurreyGirl
Good idea. I'll start icing again. Can you briefly explain the purpose of icing and elevation and compare the two?
I'm ending day 4 and have continued doing a lot of elevation but I stopped icing after day 2.
 
Mailman said:
Can you briefly explain the purpose of icing and elevation and compare the two?
Click to expand...
Ice is a natural pain killer. Inflammation, both internal and external, causes post op pain and can limit mobility. Icing reduces that inflammation thus allowing increased mobility. Ice for 45-60 minutes per session, several times per day.
 
@Mailman my 1st hip replacement last year was easy peasy. Reading your post above is bringing back trauma. I didn’t have pain, or bruising or swelling. I had my surgery on a Friday and was on the beach a week later. I drove within a week (l hip) out of necessity. Within 2 weeks I was able to ride my bike. I was healing so fast on the outside, but not the inside. I’m a very active person, I box, workout everyday, road cycle. My soft tissue was too flexible and then 17 days later, pop. I accidentally twisted and dislocated the hip. It was the most painful experience. This hip, I’m taking it very slowly. This hip is different. Very swollen, and different stiffness. What’s the point of my story, slow down or you can wind up in the ER, hoping you didnt fracture the bones and they will be able to put it back in place. After they were able to put it back. I walked out, but I was scared to death, until 1 day I wasn’t. It’s great that you are feeling great, but the body needs time to heal. I never thought that would happen to me, the % was so low. I’m fit, not overweight and strong. But yup ! It happened. Slow and steady wins the race.
 
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I see Jacey has answers your question. If you are just on Tylenol/Paracetemol that will help with pain but the icing really does help with inflammation and stinging scars. I’m 10-11 weeks out now and still use ice as am still getting some burning sensation… not all the time now thank goodness!
 
@dnordo220
Ok. It's starting to sink in. I've heard it over and over that I need to slow down and be more careful but your story finally cut through. So sorry you had to go through that. I would be a fool not to heed your warning.
Now that I am on day 5 and all the drugs are out of my system, I realize I've been high since surgery, not just on experiencing it awake but due to whatever drug I got to carry me through the experience and make it so easy and painless all the way through the first 3 days. I asked for no anti-anxiety medication but probably had something anyway to guarantee I didn't become a problem during the procedure. It was subtle enough that I didn't notice until yesterday. So I had a false sense of invulnerability and thought I had done something exceptional both by being awake during the procedure and by recovering so quickly.
No more.
 
@Mailman I didn’t want to scare you, but I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to go through that. At one point, I thought I was going to die. I prayed and told my daughter, with tears in her eyes, I will be fine, and I will see you shortly. But I was scared. I gave you the highlights of the experience. I didn’t even talk about relying on 2 incompetent EMTs and how I had to throw my body on the stretcher because every time they moved me the ball went higher into my side. Not to mention they have to sedate you to put it back in, and the unnecessary expenses. I rode my bike on the road the day my hip dislocated, my dr said I could. I moved around like I was healed, but I wasn’t. I’m feeling better and it will take all of me not to start my workouts this week. But I have a bunch of trips planned so I need to be strong. If you get ants in your pants, message me! Deal?
 
About that icing - I didn't really get going with swelling & some related discomfort until about this day after surgery or maybe more (Tue-Sun). I'd think about icing anyway. And make sure your foot is elevated when
you elevate.

Another thing - you might want to consider a calf compression sock right now, even if it doesn't seem like it's needed.
 
About elevation - it's been explained to me that there is a major repair process kicked off by the body as a response to surgery. The lymph system plays a big part in this fluid flow & I don't think it naturally pumps on its own, it relies on movement and other tissue pumping to move its fluids around. The fluids probably carry off waste from the tissue repair process, so they have to go somewhere. Better into your trunk where they can be discharged, than into your feet.
 
I love the ice, I’m reading comments about an ice machine, what’s that all about? All I have are packs in a soft carrier and I strap them on and replace them out. They really helped with the swelling, my right high looks like an elephant’s trunk, but it’s slowly coming down. I read that walking also helps with swelling.
 
Hi Mailman,
It is our lymph system that rids the body of fluid (swelling). So you want to get the fluid to the lymph nodes in your torso area so your body can more quickly process it. The lymph system works rather slowly on its own and much more efficiently with the assistance of gravity. The fluid isn’t draining into the hips, but contained with the lymph system and moving to the torso and lymph nodes located there.

Here is an article from the Recovery Guidelines on elevation - elevate
Hope this helps. Have a great week!
@Mailman
 
@Layla
I have the lounge doctor. Worked well for the 2 hr drive home by making a recliner out of the front seat of the car.
Good explanation. Will continue to use it as often as possible in its intended manner on bed and couch now that I understand it's support of the lymph system.
The lounge doctor is the most useful item I purchased before THR.
 
@nasruddin
You wrote:
About that icing - I didn't really get going with swelling & some related discomfort until about this day after surgery or maybe more (Tue-Sun). I'd think about icing anyway

Good to know! I thought the bruising and discoloration had come to a stop but now I'm noticing some swelling so I'm definitely going to ice, and rest more.

What causes continuing discoloration after 4 days? Can bleeding be restarted by moving the hip some way that overstretches the wound?
 
@Mailman You may continue to see bruising developing. THR is a pretty aggressive procedure. You get man handled quite at bit. Many of our members complain of knee pain post op. They grab your knee to dislocate your hip. It can create some pretty impressive bruising.
 
Mailman said:
I thought the bruising and discoloration had come to a stop
Click to expand...
I had some decent size bruising surface on day seventeen post op. Kind of freaked me out because I assumed I was beyond that point also, but I was wrong. So it can / does happen. The bruising I had was centered around my knee area, which was sore due to the aggressive nature in which your leg can be manipulated, just as, Jaycey, mentioned above.
 
@Jaycey I’m glad I came across your response and the manhandling of the knee. I remember having different sensations ( I think my original post was labeled weird sensations ) and pings/pangs but nothing with the knee. Yesterday, my knee started throbbing and my ankle is a little bit swollen. I spent the rest of the night with my leg iced and elevated. It’s still a little sore this morning, but all part of the process. Listening to my body and I’ll be working from my recliner today.
 
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