THR Realistic return to travel

[Wife of HipMan]

My hubby is scheduled for an anterior right hip replacement on May 8th. We were supposed to go on a tour of Newfoundland starting on June 28th. The tour is listed as for active seniors. I’m concerned that this is too early. Hubby is fit, but I feel walking unaided for 3 kilometres each day will be too much, too soon. Even if the walking is fine, won’t he be exhausted? From what I’ve been reading here, full return to his usual activities will take more than 7 weeks.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Welcome Wife of Hip Man,
Seeing he hasn't even had the surgery yet it's difficult to say but this is major surgery & everyone recovers different whether you are in good shape prior to surgery or not.
Why not wait until surgery is behind him, can you cancel the trip if need be???
I was at least 4 months post op before I traveled & I was still using a cane at that point. And I was in very good shape prior to surgery.
I wish you the best.

 

[benne68]

Welcome to BoneSmart, @Wife of HipMan. Glad you found us prior to your husband's surgery.

I will share BoneSmart's helpful pre-op guide.

If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic hip?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

Good nutrition is very important for your recovery:
Dietary Tips for Recovery
Nutrition Basics

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing hip recoveries

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

 

[benne68]

From what I’ve been reading here, full return to his usual activities will take more than 7 weeks.

I agree that 7 weeks is very early in recovery to be doing that much. I was still walking with a cane and trying to stretch my daily walk to 1 mile at that point in recovery. He will likely still need to ice and elevate his leg several times a day to reduce pain. And fatigue is an issue until 3 months post-op.

Here are two articles that you may find helpful:

Activity progression for THRs

Energy drain for THRs

 

[Freyagirl]

At 7 weeks I was feeling pretty good after an uneventful recovery. But I would still get completely worn out from a moderately busy day. Big surgery sucks the life out of you because there is so much healing going on inside. If activities on the trip are optional or can be shortened it may be okay, but I found when my energy drained I was just unable to keep going. Read more of the later journal entries here and see how often folks over predicted their energy levels in the early months.

 

[Going4fun]

You don't want to count on it. Both of my surgeries, which turned out well, hit hard spots around week 7. Both, for very different reasons that are considered a normal part of recovery.

He might be ready, but here's the problem. One of the biggest temptations people fall into is doing too much too soon ... You can't rush recovery of a hip replacement. So it'll be so easy for your husband to make that vacation walking a goal. And nothing wrong with a goal--except for after surgery, the leg is in charge of whether you meet the goal. After surgery timeline is something you have little control of. He'll be tempted to go to a PT and to make himself walk longer and faster--and none of that necessarily helps. And in fact, it often just backfires and causes a lot of pain, which causes panic and requires people to chill out for a while.

But tell him to ask his surgeon about whether that trip and timeline are reasonable. You want to hear this out of the mouth of the surgeon.

 

[Eman85]

Newfoundland will be there, I'd skip the trip. I don't think it would be enjoyable.

 

[Wife of HipMan]

Thanks everyone! I have been able to convince hubby to fore go the holiday. I pointed out how tired he is at the end of the day now, after having had hernia surgery 3 weeks ago, and that was minor surgery! Newfoundland can wait.

 

[Jaycey]

Well done! Although it is disappointing I imagine. But you are right, there will be another time. Get this recovery right and you will be enjoying adventures again.

 

[MissFanny]

I think 3km/day would have been okay for me at 7 weeks (with trekking poles), but I wouldn’t have wanted to chance it pre-surgery not knowing how I might feel. I was a little hesitant about an active tripped I planned 3 months post-op, but luckily it turned out fine!