THR Worried

[Jaycey]

Good to read those stories. I’m still worried. Walked the dog this morning and thigh, groin and buttock still hurt after 11 weeks. Not agony but moderate pain. Still can’t get socks on without double jointing myself. Should I go back to surgeon?

If you are at this stage at 12 months then you need to seek a medical opinion. What you are feeling is totally normal. You need to stop worrying about every week. Think in terms of months.

 

[Eman85]

I still get aches and stiffness and my hips are years old now. It's like a new motor in an old car, the rattles and squeaks are still there but it runs good. Keep walking and healing and remember how bad it hurt before the THR.

 

[Layla]

Hi Kenny,
I hope you had a nice Christmas without any pain. It seems most of us feel what you’re describing as normal at this stage of recovery, but sometimes only the reassurance of our surgeon will ease our mind. If you feel it may alleviate concerns you have it may be worthwhile for you to contact your surgeon’s office to speak with a member of his care team. Possibly any consolation you receive from them will give you the peace of mind you’re seeking. Something to consider….
Wishing you a happy, healthy, pain free New Year!
@Kenny3

 

[Kenny3]

Thanks

 

[Kenny3]

Advice, please. My hip op was done on the 24 September 2021. My daughter wants me to help with my grandson‘s birthday party at a water park this weekend which will involve water slides etc. Will my hip be safe if I do the slides?
thanks

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Kenny3
Happy New Year.
I'm sure I remember at 3 months that I was back to work and some play, but there were still residual aches and pains.
I looked it up on my recovery thread. Click here to read my 3 month update.

Bilateral THR - Grateful Double Hippy

The waterpark.
Lots of stairs, slippery ones at that...I know I could still have "out of the blue" weakness and I was wary of ladders and slippery surfaces for the first year until I felt I had regained all my strength and balance.

Honestly (and I have been known to be a devil-may-care
adventurous sort), this is a situation I would have had to take a pass on.
Children's actions at a waterpark can be unpredictable...my daughter lifeguarded at one for years and despite rules...they can slide down before bottom of slide is cleared and so on....

Just my opinion- but the more time you give that hip to heal and soft tissue to strengthen, the less risk for an incident that may wreck that new hip.

You WILL get there...and I have been to our local waterpark and on slides...but it was well over a year post-op!

 

[Layla]

Happy Monday Kenny,
Personally, I would consider that a risk not worth taking at this point in your recovery.
Possibly you can help without going down slides and walking through slippery water soaked areas? I’m betting you’d enjoy watching your grandson and friends have fun while soaking in some sunshine, yourself. Obviously it’s your choice, not ours. Just want you to be safe so early on.
@Kenny3

 

[Eman85]

What could go wrong? I guess that's the question you have to ask yourself and decide if you want to risk it this early on. I'd say doing the slides would be no problem, possibly getting on and off and walking around a slippery surface would pose the biggest risk. The risk of dislocation is high immediately post op and diminishes with time. There is a chart somewhere on this site. The one lifetime restriction my OS gave me was to not fall down, it can be bad.

 

[djklaugh]

@Kenny3 I agree with the others about the "what could go wrong" on chutes and slides. But check with your daughter and go any way ... you be the one to stand guard over the things left behind - dry clothes, towels, birthday gifts and accessories. The one who wraps shivering kids in blankets and towels, the one who comforts any little who is having a moment, the one who cheers the sliders from the bottom of the slide ... have fun but stay off the slides yourself.

 

[Kenny3]

Thank you so much for these replies. I’ll take your advice.
cheers
Ken

 

[Kenny3]

Hiya. 4 months of slow progress was looking good until recently my left leg ( the op leg) began to feel really heavy and tired walking up hill. Any advice, please?

 

[PolarIce]

It almost sounds like you might be pushing it too hard. Would you have access to physio? perhaps you need to work on some strengthening exercises to help build the stamina of that leg. I also would not push it as hard, if you are feeling some negative effects from your uphill walks. I would recommend building up with more gentle inclines, and only go as far as you feel you can maximize your time without overdoing it.

 

[Eman85]

Before this have you done any walking up or down hills? It doesn't take much of a hill to really strain the muscles that were affected by having a THR. It takes a long time for them to heal and then build back strength. You will find the limits for quite some time yet, sounds crazy that 4 mos. and still not completely over this but it takes a year + and some things will linger past that.

 

[Hip4life]

Unfortunately, it just takes time. We busy humans are not so great at the patience game. At this point it’s hard not to expect everything to be just the way it “used to be.” A lot of the recovery timing is based on a number of factors like how long you dealt with the bad hip, previous activity levels, age, to name just a few.

I remember feeling like you describe. I would just take it slow and steady. I would gradually build up: the occasional slight incline and walking x distance. If that went well I’d increase the next week. If it didn’t go so well: I’d back down to the previous level. You get the drift. As long as you’re trying, your hip will let you know when it’s ready for more. Blessings.

 

[Kenny3]

Thanks for the good advice

 

[Layla]

Happy Four Month Anniversary, Kenny!
I hope your leg is feeling better since you last posted. With any luck some rest helped ease the fatigue and sensation of heaviness.
Wishing you a wonderful week as you continue the journey!
@Kenny3

 

[Kenny3]

I followed the advice but my leg still feels heavy when walking up hill. It seems to tire much quicker than pre op.
cheers

 

[Hip4life]

Please don’t get discouraged. It really can take a year and sometimes beyond to completely heal from a THR. You may notice the “heaviness” and fatigue for a while. The major improvements happen early in recovery. The rest of the healing happens more gradually over that year. It may seem trite but it is so true-give yourself time. It took me a little over a year to feel healed. This is definitely a marathon. Just keep at it and don’t be too hard on yourself.

It’s hard to see the progress at this stage. I kept a journal so I could go back and look at how far I’d come when I got discouraged. If you don’t have that, then remember all the things you couldn’t do because of your bad, painful hip. Compare that to what you can do now. What are some of your favorite activities that you haven’t been able to enjoy that you’re going to be able to do again without pain? These are why we do this surgery and what we work toward. Some of us are just slower at the arrival than others. It’ll come.

 

[Layla]

Kenny,
Think about backing off walking up hills for a time, especially if that’s the only time your leg feels heavy / fatigued. Possibly you need a little more healing to happen first.
If it continues to bother you, rather than worry, consider calling your surgeons office to speak with a member of his care team, or the consultant if that’s your point of contact in the UK. They will most likely offer you reassurance leading to peace of mind.
Have a wonderful weekend!
@Kenny3

 

[Kenny3]

Thanks again. Great support.