THR wolfpakfan's recovery thread<

[Josephine]

2. 5-6 when not on meds. 1-2 when on meds.

Okay

3. I take 1-2 5mg oxycodone every 4 hours and 2 500mg Tylenol every 6 hours.

Not a bad regimen.

4. I’m icing 30-40 minutes 3-4 x a day.

Not bad

5. Elevating leg whenever I’m sitting on couch or recliner. Prob 6 hours a day.

Good

6. Activity level...I’m walking to bathroom and around the house. Try to take a long walk once a day. By long walk I mean 50-100 yards up the street and back.

Good

7. Exercises:
ankle pumps a day 100-150
Quad sets 10 reps 2-3 times a day
Glute sets 10 reps 2-3 times a day

PT exercises:
calf raises x10
standing march steps x10
lying down leg extensions x10
I’ve done these exercises 1x a day since Wednesday.

If you're walking 30-100 yards a day then you don't need ankle pumps! They are only for when you are immobile. As for the rest, did you miss this paragraph in the recovery guidelines Layla left you in post #2 of this thread? It goes

Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

So I suggest you do that and your pain levels will recede.

 

[wolfpakfan]

Lol...yes I did read that! According to my wife, I am stubborn and impatient when it comes to the recovery. But so you’ll know I’ve done practically nothing today. Will be slowing down. In my defense, the PT was responsible for a lot of that stuff and told me to do it daily but I’m going to slow down some and see how it feels after the weekend.

 

[wolfpakfan]

How about this? My right knee is hurting almost as much as my hip that was just replaced! There’s some play in it - slight side to side - when I lay down and when I walk it pops some. Overall it feels quite unstable. Any feedback on this one?

 

[TripleF100]

@wolfpakfan - I have a love / hate relationship with my potty chair. Love . . . since it allows me to do what I need to do! But HATE since it is built so small! And living alone moping up "spills" is a pain!!!

I believe almost everyone's experience in recovery are different. Not sure why there is soooooo much difference. I've developed what I call my ~10% rule - Don't increase ANYTHING (walking or exercise) more than 10% per week! And when you change your support mechanism (crutchs/walker to single crutch, to cane, to unsupported) start completely over!!!!

@Layla and @Josephine have good advice but I personally believe some easy PT is good once the pain level reduces to a 0-2 without meds. But honestly, I've only had experience with my one hip! But I have twice set myself back by overdoing it when I started feeling better! Just be careful and go WAY slow!!

 

[Josephine]

My right knee is hurting almost as much as my hip that was just replaced!

That's not uncommon because they have to pull on your leg and twist in order to dislocate the hip. If there's reluctance on the part of the hip to come out, it can be a bit of a tussle!

 

[wolfpakfan]

@TripleF100 Good advice. I just read your post op experience and we sound a little similar. While I’m not the crazy runner you are, I have run several half marathons and then up to the day before my surgery I was swimming a mile a day. I have always felt the need to “run through the pain” and as I know you probably feel also, the struggle of exercise is the part that feels good! However, this is a different ballgame as far as “the struggle” is involved and I too have in a very short time learned my lesson on that. I also agree that everyone is going to have very different recovery experiences.

@Josephine That might explain it! The way my knee feels now I can just picture my surgeon tying a rope to my leg and then the other end to a heavy door knob and slamming it shut!! That’s probably how they dislocated it. Thanks for the feedback!!

 

[TripleF100]

@wolfpakfan - I believe you are right! Those of us who have trained ourselves to ignore pain and push through pain are VERY likely to have some issues recovering from a freakin' little hip replacement!! Hahaha!! I had a knee scoped with a meniscus tear and the day after surgery I was running and walking on a treadmill. 10 days later I ran a marathon with no real issues. Ran another the next weekend. I DARE someone to try that after a hip replacement!!!

 

[wolfpakfan]

@TripleF100 Lol...me too. My brother asked me if I could run / walk a mile with no assistance for $1,000,000 the day after my surgery and I said oh yeah I could! False. Six days out, I’m not sure I could go a mile if my life depended on it!

 

[Josephine]

The way my knee feels now I can just picture my surgeon tying a rope to my leg and then the other end to a heavy door knob and slamming it shut!!

Oh my goodness! I hope not! The very idea!

That’s probably how they dislocated it.

For years it was my job to do this. I had been well taught and was actually very good at it. Sadly, such training does not appear to be given to the young doctors these days.

 

[wolfpakfan]

This is what I hate right now...woke up today and was feeling good. Like there was some real progress. I feel like my leg is getting stronger. The pain was less than yesterday. And then...just the slightest wrong move getting off the couch and BAM... The pain is back with a vengeance! That sucks. Been icing and elevating ever since but rather discouraging that the smallest tweak or wrong twist can set you back so much! Oh well. Tomorrow will be a week and hopefully will see some more small strides in healing.

 

[Going4fun]

Hi @wolfpakfan, you have found the right site to get encouragement and excellent suggestions and guidance on your recovery.

You mention early on that you had "anterior" surgery. I'm not sure if this happened to you, but there has been a lot of unfortunate and inaccurate hype about the anterior method ... I'm not sure if it's the surgeons hyping it ... or the media hyping it ... or if patients selectively interpret the reports on anterior surgery in a way that minimizes pain and recovery

I did a ton of research on various surgeons and their methods (to calm my fears and anxiety about surgery) and I found multiple posterior (traditional) method surgeons whose patients reported faster recoveries than anterior method surgeons. It's still huge huge huge surgery ... and everyone recovers at a different pace. By the way, my surgeon cuts from the side (Anterolateral) and thank God, there were no patients writing reviews of him (OK maybe one) who talked about being mobile immediately afterwards ...

BTW: on the pushing through pain ... I see you're 48 ... I'm 56, and one thing I've learned is that pushing through pain ... is more of a young person's thing. You're near 50 brother and the pain you experience at 50 ... doesn't disappear nearly as quickly ... and the body doesn't recover from it nearly as quickly as when you're 20, 25, 30. So the insight you get here about surgery ... please apply it to exercise ... because it is so easy to injure yourself as we get older. I try to take the pain as an indicator of a need for adjustment. Starting around 50, I figured out that in order to run on the treadmill, I needed to lift weights and focus on my back, my abs, my adductors, abductors, and also the glutes.

Anyway, welcome to reality: this is major surgery. My understanding is that it takes about three months or more for the hip device to fuse into the bone in a steady way ... and the soft tissue and muscles and all of that takes a lot longer. (There's a community of people who run after hip replacement and pretty much all of those folks report that they reached a comfortable strength with the new hip after 15 to 18 months. Some run before that, but they report feeling comfortable and their body being ready ... after more than a year.)

Anyway, welcome to the club brother ... get the Netflix going! ... I just found a fun series on Amazon, Bosch. Love it! ... Lying in bed right now taking a break from watching it.

 

[wolfpakfan]

@Going4fun Thanks for the feedback. This site is an awesome resource for learning about recovery and especially for getting positive feedback that will talk you off the ledge. (Like..maybe I didn’t need this surgery after all?!?) I didn’t choose the surgical approach...I chose the doctor. Long story on that one for another day.

As far as my age and pushing through the pain...I’ve got the stubborn gene. Also, my job is that I’m a high school pe teacher and coach. Working with young people is fun and often makes me feel (and act) much younger than I am lol. That might explain some of why I am the way I am. In fact I joked with my students and athletes that I’d see them back at school in 3 weeks. I know...haha...good one right?!?

Anyway...since I’ve found this site my expectations have been tempered and thankfully I’ve gotten some very useful recovery tips and very uplifting recovery stories that help me realize that things will get better.

I can’t wait to run again even though I’m told I probably shouldn’t and I’m hoping that I’ll be back to swimming in the next few weeks. I’ve seen Bosch. Decent show. Right now watching Atypical, rewatching Breaking Bad and looking forward to watching Jack Ryan. Any other suggestions would be welcome!

 

[Going4fun]

@wolfpakfan, I used to be an education reporter and spent a lot of time with teachers. Funny story: one day I covered a conference of PE teachers (heal conference of some sort). I was blown away. The PE teachers were way more fit than the other teachers.

You'll get back out there with the kids. My surgeon is OK with running, but he doesn't guarantee that I will feel good running. Say some of his patients just feel "funny" when they run ... awkward in some way ... and when that happens, he encourages them to try another activity.

There has been so much I learned from the site ... and pretty much all the stuff they say here ... even things I was skeptical about ... turned out to be so true. I'll mention good shows as I come upon them. Never watched Breaking Bad all the way through ... loved the first episode and kept reading about its twists and turns ... one day, I'll watch it through.

 

[Layla]

S-l-o-w your roll, tiger You are only one week post op from flesh cutting, bone sawing, reamer rotating action. All within your leg Your body is working overtime in an effort to repair the assault and it is healing!
I'll bet working with those young strong kids keeps you young in attitude, and at heart, but we're not as young as we once were, especially me

I found it helpful to track my progress by weekends. It was easy to look back and see how I had progressed from the previous weekend without paying a lot of attention to daily ups and downs. By one month post op, even though early days, I felt like a new woman. It takes awhile for the energy to return though because our body's energy works toward healing first, not leaving a lot for the normal activitities of daily living.

Take advantage of being off work and sneak in as many naps as you're able, our bodies do their best healing while we're asleep. Then you'll soon be back to work and those young bucks will marvel at the change in you
Wishing you a wonderful week!
@wolfpakfan

 

[JoeKnows]

As far as my age and pushing through the pain...I’ve got the stubborn gene.

Hey maybe we're distant cousins!

Both in reading stories on here and in my own experience, it seems clear that these hip implants are actually self aware and make a conscious effort to mess with your head. At least that's my theory - feeling good? Here's a new, inexplicable pain. Feeling bad? Okay, well maybe it'll let you wake up pain free for a few hours. Getting comfortable? How can you be comfortable when I give you THIS weird sensation that isn't really painful, but concerning nonetheless?!

 

[Josephine]

I'm not sure if this happened to you, but there has been a lot of unfortunate and inaccurate hype about the anterior method

@Going4fun There was a time I would have agreed with you on this but actually, on occasion we've found it to be true. Like this member - have to admit even I was amazed at it! Jetlag's amazing DAA recovery

 

[wolfpakfan]

Well knock on wood...I think I’m seeing some very small strides. Love @Layla ‘s idea about taking things weekend by weekend too.

Today is one week with a new hip and even though I slept terrible last night (pain), I woke up stronger and more confident. I’m moving better with a little less pain and walking farther on my “long” walks. Also today the aquacel dressing came off and my Frankenstein staples actually look pretty good! While I’m still a VERY long way from where I want to be, it’s nice to see and feel some improvement. As many coaches have recently said..trust the process! Rest (lots of it), ice, elevation and not over doing it!

 

[Toddlermom]

@wolfpakfan
So glad to hear that you are back on the meds and taking it easy. Recovery ain’t easy! And energy drain is a real thing, so give your bones the time to patch themselves up.

 

[wolfpakfan]

Question for the community of hippies...I’m on day 10 in recovery and still in a decent amount of pain especially at night when I’m trying to sleep. Is this common in your experiences?

Also, from talking to people who had had this surgery, almost all of them told me my hip pain would be gone after the surgery. They said the pain would be from the incision or muscular pain. I’ve got that too but hip is still hurting very similar to before the surgery.

And so you’ll know, I’ve been icing at least 3 hours a day, elevating, taking pain meds around the clock (5mg oxy every 4 hours and 1000 mg Tylenol every 6), I’ve backed off the PT some, still doing then muscle tightening exercises, and walking some too but not excessively. Strength is definitely getting better but pain really hasn’t improved too much since surgery. Is this about where I should be?

 

[Jaycey]

I’ve backed off the PT some - still doing then muscle tightening exercises, and walking some too but not excessively.

If you are taking your meds and icing regularly then I would definitely back off all PT and limit the walking to only short, easy walks to see if this eases.

I'll remind you of the Big Tip left on this thread earlier:
Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.