Hi I am on day 3 after hip replacement and I am at home. I am doing my exercises and I am also staying in bed resting but I get up too. I find it hard to put my full weight on my operated leg - is this normal? I have a lot of pain in my leg, hip and knee when I do. Taking full quotient of painkillers and feel very well but my leg hurts with full pressure. How much resting and how much exercising should I be doing? Also, what do people do about pressure points on bottom due to having to lie on your back and not your side?
Hi Mumsy
Welcome to the forum & sorry you are in pain.
Are you in ther UK ? If so I suggest you phone the ward you were on and tell them you are in pain or go to A & E . You may have done something to your leg. It should not be hurting like that while on pain killers.
Sorry as for resting and excersize you need to listen to your body. Don't push yourself or try to do too much. Everyone is different when it comes to this operation. You will get times whenm you want to sleep and you should. You will get times you will cry your eyes out for no reason and nothing will stop it. So just let it happen. We all have up days and doewn days this op causes so many different things and you are niot really ready for them because no one tell s you.
As for preasure points. I put a pillow under my bum and boost myself up with more pillows and v pillows.
Hello there and welcome,
I am coming up on week 4.
I came home day 3 from hospital. For the first 2 weeks I took maximum pain killers as this is what the surgeon and the pain team advised me (plus plenty of laxatives!!) then started to slowly wind them down and am still taking low level stuff. I also went to bed every afternoon to lie down and rest. It helped me to stretch out and also assisted in reducing my leg swelling. Also made up on lost sleep at night.
I did my exercises and walked in the house.my husband took me out for short periods of fresh air in the mornings.
The thing with this is that it is very very easy to overdo things. If you do the next day you'll know it. I've done it twice now, the second time I did too much two days in a row. The third day I did absolutely nothing and recovered by the day after.
I was home on crutches day 3 and weight bearing as tolerated. Partially. At 1 week the physio encouraged me to stand on it, I was fearful due to preoperatve pain but once I had a go I realised that it was OK.
I'm not sure it should hurt to weight bear...it didn't me.
As you will see from this forum THERE IS NO NORMAL. We all recover differently and we are all different ages and at different levels of fitness.
If you are worried about anything I would ring the surgeon via their secretary. Generally they prefer to hear about problems sooner rather than later.
Good luck with your rehabilitation.
I am in Australia.....where are you recovering from ?
🌈💌🌍🐊🌈💌
Good morning from Holland, mumsy,
I want to welcome you too to this wonderfl forum of Hippies ... you will find a lot of understanding, support and love here -
Like Hailea and Georgie already mentioned, if you are is so much pain, please go to A & R and have it checked ...
Were you told that you are full weight bearing on your operated hip? How did you feel while you were in the hospital? Were you in that much pain too? Were you instructed by a physical therapist, did exercises and was given exercises to continue at home?
Are you using crutches ?
You are very early in recovery from major surgery and your body needs time to repair all the trauma of severed muslec and tendons etc ... Protheses are placed and some manipulation was necessary -
Be very gentle with your self and come back any time if you have any questions or concerns.
warm hug
renee
I am so sorry that you are in so much pain. As said : Listen to your body
Mumsy, I am not saying don't check it out, we are all different in how we react to this op and the way we recover. I have an un-cemented joint and found it very painful at first (at least a week) to put my weight on it. When I stood up it took ages to settle but it gradually improved as the stem settled in.
My leg was also very swollen and bruised which brings its own stiffness and pain - the bruises worked their way up and down my leg for two weeks or more.
Be a patient patient and don't forget you can ring the ward to ask anything.
I can't advise on pressure points because I hardly slept in any one place for more that an hour in the first week or so.
I would have a rest from excercise for a day if it hurts too much, let it settle and then start again. I still know when I have done too much and rest a bit more. This is big healing stuff so be gentle!
I am 4 weeks post cemented posterior hip replacement and cannot put full weight on op leg yet. About day four while still in Hosp I told surgeon that I had pain on walking His answer was "well we did cut through your muscles" Day 3 is very early days. So take it very easy. It is a slow process and patience is the key.
About butt pain. I got up after a few hours walked about rubbed my but with any cream to get the circulation back. I had problem with heels rubbing as physio had recommended lying as flat as possible but now I put a small cushion under ankles to keep heels off bed.
Good luck in your recovery.
Morning and welcome to the group. When I was day 3 I was barely walking so they delayed sending me home by a day. Then it clicked. Pain and pressure are all so subjective. I had read loads before I went in and didn't expect to be full weight bearing for a few weeks. I just assumed that was why they gave me crutches. Once I got the swing of it, literally, I was away. I could walk round the block on my crutches without putting 100% weight on. Within a week I was cooking and clearing up in the kitchen by supporting myself with the work tops. Each new step felt such an achievement. As someone said you will benefit from being a patient, patient. Speak to your medical team about your pain and keep moving the leg as it helps to avoid the dreaded DVT.
Oh, just thought, managing the unexpected mood swings that can occur I the fist few days is vital too. You may be a very positive person and then out of the blue have the blues crash down in you. That's normal too and will pass.
Hope we you soon feel better. Keep us posted. Everyone here is willing you on.
Laura
Hi Mumsy
This is really 'early days' stuff. A lot of manhandling has been done to your leg during the op. I am 6 weeks post op with uncemented implant and still feel a bit of discomfort when weight bearing, particularly if I have been sitting a while and then get up - Ok once I get walking I'm OK. Walking a lot now unaided
Use your crutches to carry the weight
Rest whenever you feel like it, literally - no set rules for anyone and do your exercises as often as hospital recommened - mine was twice daily.
Plump yourself up with pillows to take pressure of any sore places
Just do exactly what you feel like doing - the exercises are important to get the joint fully mobile and do some walking each day as well to aid your mobility, but lots of rest needed in these early days.
Take it easy and no guilt!
Kind regards Linda xx
Hi Mumsy
Welcome to the group. You are doing well being home on day 3. I was still fainting on day 3 every time they tried to get me out of bed! LOL It is certainly hurts weight bearing on your operated leg at first but I wouldn't have said it was overly painful but as others have said that is purely subjective and depends on each persons definition of pain. You should contact your surgeon's office if you are overly concerned about the amount of pain you are in.
I would also say that it depends on whether your hip was rotated before your operation as well. If that was the case, all the muscles in your leg will be adjusting to being straight as well.
All I can suggest is that you do all the exercises the physio showed you before you left hospital. It hurts but if you can do you them you will reap the benefits. I experienced more a stinging pain when doing the exercises which I'm assuming was the muscles that have been cut healing and getting stronger. The squats especially helped me.
As I said though, please make sure you check with your surgeon or physio if you are concerned about the amount of pain you are in.
Also, ask your physio to show you how to lay on your side with a pillow between your legs to ease the pressure points on your bum.
Good luck 
I couldn't bear full weight on operated hip till around week 4. I had tried walking without sticks at 3 weeks and it hurt too much. 3 days is hardly anything so you wouldn't expect to support your whole body on your new hip.
My real change came in weeks 4-5 when there were big improvements in strength and mobility. By weeks 6 could do without crutches and used sticks only sometimes.
As for my bottom it did get a bit uncomfortable sometimes. I propped my back up with loads of pillows so I was half sitting and just shifted up and down a bit and found I was ok. Pillow under knees and feet too.
I followed the exercises given to me in hospital but in the first week I found a couple of them difficult - a knee raise while standing particularly so - so I just did less of that till I improved.
I think your body tells you when you are doing too much and need to rest and one thing the people on this forum are always saying is don't overdo it!
Good luck with your recovery.
tha tis interesting that you ar ein Australia. I am in the US where is everyone else from? such a supportive group you all are.
I am 9 weeks post op fromNorfolk in the UK and am using one stick outside but also walking round the house without it. Feeling great waiting to see about my other hip being done, Best thing I ever did. xx
Hello and welcome mumsy,
I have a memery foam mattress, it is great for the bum lol, also a large u shaped pillow, it's called a pregnancy pillow, and I put a pillow under my knees and one under my feet, hope this helps,
good luck,
Lynne x
Hi - thanks for all this - I have a mf mattress too which is a Godsend and have just ordered a knee pillow and a heated massage cushion for my derrière!!
Well - maybe I am expecting too much after 4 days. they tell you to move and they tell you to rest and then all those exercises which I totally agree with - I just can't do all of them!
This gives me more confidence in the thought that itnwill improve. 4days isn't 4 weeks - I think I'm a bit scared it will always be like this to be honest!!
My muscles seem to go into spasm - hubby watched them do it as I writhed!
They jolly well did cut through the muscles - when I peeped - I was G clamped to the trolley 
. looked like a workshop!!
It's very easy to think you are not doing well - I didn't improve as fast with second op as I did with my first one and got a bit worried - I shouldn't have - I got there in the end. I'm now 3 months still most of the time sleeping on my back - but pain free inside my joint - I can walk brilliantly now. I expect there will be a few niggles for a while still but already my quality of life is better.
Just be patient and you will get there!