Hi. i'm now just over 4 weeks post op. i'm normally very fit and healthy and walk miles being a professional dog walker. I'm a bit disappointed and confused as looking at other people's stories they say they are pain free and walking without crutches. I'm still getting quite a lot of pain in the joint. can't sit for long, can't walk far even on crutches. i can't wait bare on the leg for more than a minute or so. still using one crutch i the house two out. i limp badly if i try to walk without crutches. i'm still taking the pain killers, is this normal. mandy
dear amanda,
oh dear .... what can I tell you what you don't already know ...
our expectations are usually high and we get discouraged, disappointed and depressede when things do not match our expectations -
first , stop comparing your self to others ... we all heal at our own rate, you see -
some are healing faster than others - there is no " One Size fits all" here ...
you are still a fit and healthy person - you just had major invasive surgery where tendons and muscles were cut, hip joint forcefully dislocated, then reamed and sanded to fit hardware ... all this heavy handed, so to speak ... a lot of healing is taking place and some patience is required as tissues etc. are very fragile -
When is your follow up appointment? do you still have physical therapy?
be gentle and kind to your self, Mandy ... your body will thank you for that ...
big warm hug
renee
Hi Amanda- I too am 4 weeks post op from TRHR Anterior approach (was yours anterior or posterior?) and like you feel like I should be further along. I use a cane when I'm out and have just begun driving. Still limping. I couldn't really tolerate the strong pain killers but am taking aspirin 2x a day, really to thin my blood so I don't get a blood clot. I'm a dog trainer and can't even walk my own shepherd lab mix. So frustrating! Having a lot of what I think is nerve pain. It hurts to touch even just lightly anywhere from knee all the way to thigh. I have a post op appointment this coming Wednesday so will see what doctor has to say. Are you doing PT? Honestly, I think those people that are completely pain free and out doing a bunch of physical activities at this point are far and few between. I hope you feel better soon. Let me know how you progress.
Best, Donna
Hi. thank you for you reply. my follow up is beginning of august. i think it's because when i went to pre op they said there wouldn't be any hip pain after op only pain from operation. i think my expectations were too high.
Mandy
Yes things aren't miraculously healed are they ?!! You'll probably find you suddenly feel a bit better, then things will stand still for a few weeks etc etc. BW Lisa.
Hi Donna thank you for your reply. interesting you are a dog trainer. i train too and house sit, walk dogs. i'm house sitting at the moment although i know it's a bit early and i've struggled. i've started driving too as i live in a rural area and had no way of getting to physio etc. well i did get a taxi but it cost £20 and as i can't really work at the moment that's a problem. i think my expectations were high mainly because i was told the joint pain would go, it hasn't. i too have some muscular and other pains but i did expect that.
i appreciate your reply as i'm getting very frustrated. i also have a dog a gsd not been able to walk her.
mandy.
it was a posterior op. i didn't know there was anything else!
Dear Amanda
I'm sorry that your recovery is taking longer than you hoped for. We are all very different so try not to compare your progress with other posters.
I'm recovering from a revision to a twenty year old hip and am doing well despite an accident on the way home from hospital. You do not say anything about how you are doing with your exercises which makes me think that perhaps you are falling behind in that department. Getting your muscles back is key to walking though I appreciate it is very, very boring! Also do concentrate on walking well, speed will come later
Do not worry that you are still taking pain meds. If you are in pain you need them to give your body a chance to mend.
Keep positive .
Cheers Richard
Hi thank you for your reply. no i am doing exercises religiously and walking, but with pain. i think i will have to up the painkillers when i can.
mandy.
Hi Mandy. I am a pet sitter too that my actually slipped in dog poop in someone else's home where I was pet sitting and torqued and twisted my right leg under my left and fractured my femur head and had to have a trhr, posterior approach on 12/30/2015. Before that I had no hip issues at all and I am 59. It took me well over a year to feel really strong again and I was still limping at 8 months. I found out from my surgeon that the tfl muscle or tensor facia latte was violated in my posterior op. So, I found exercises on youtube for strengthening/stretching that muscle and my limp disappeared within a month. I would say keep using your cane or crutches to walk correctly until you are not really limping or that may train you to walk with a limp. Also, do the exercises for your stage of healIng, honor the restrictions, drink lots of water, rest, eat right, take glucosamine/chondrotin and you will get better. Be a patient patient! I even recently had pain in my IT band and it was weakening my knee so I have started doing some IT stretches and am fine now. Think of it as an old war injury and be poroactive. Hope this helps!
Cindy
Dear Cindy
What a bummer to have had an accident whilst pet sitting. Useful post.
I endorse your comments about taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin and have an interesting story to support it's use if anyone is interested!
Cheers Richard
Hi There, I am 6 1/2 weeks post op, I too, am a bit frustrated and my little dog still does not get her daily walks. We used to do agility so walks and training were part of our day. I had so much pain before my op that we stopped training in October of 2015. I was sure that I would at least be able to walk her at this point, but sadly no. I can walk with a walker outside and we have managed to walk a few times, but not every day. I have no pain in the hip all my pain is from the muscles, they are still very weak and hurt when I overdo it. I do exercises every day but can't drive yet. My 1st follow up with the surgeon is on this tuesday and I hope she tells me it is ok to drive. I am a bit discouraged by the weakness and muscle pain, but (there is always a "but"
I do notice that every day I can do something I could not do the day before so I try to keep my chin up and look forward to the day we can run a little agility course again. Karin
Sorry it is taking longer than you or your doggie want but I think pushing yourself with the exercises is key to your recovery and along sure that regardless of the aids you need to use that you are walking with a good action and building up your stride length. This will help your confidence apart from working your weakened muscles.
Good luck
Richard
Hi Amanda
It's very early days we beat ourselves up especially people who boast of walking without sticks etc after a very short time. Maybe they do but I doubt it. There is no magic timescale anything up to a year it's a lottery. If you make a little progress week to week then you are done by well. I'm 7 months post op just starting to feel normal whatever threat is but still have some groin pain.
Don't despair chill out rest take the meds even if you think you don't need them as they build up good pain relief which will help you do more. Do your extercises and be kind to yourself.
Best wishes julie
Dear Julie
I can only speak for myself of course but I'm certainly not the only one here who has been fortunate to have had easy pain free recoveries. The first one twenty years ago and very recently the revision of the same hip was more protracted due to having been thrown onto the floor of the passenger ambulance bringing me home. The first hip replacement was at
Sorry went before I was finished! OK the first hip replacement was at age 55 and the revision of the same hip was at 75 and surgery was carried out on May 11th. I was cleared to weight bear on June 19th as it was thought that I had suffered a cracked pelvis as a result of the accident.
So coming up to three weeks I can walk over a mile on up a down hill pavements without any aids and without pain or discomfort with a good normal gait and good stride length and speed. Perhaps I've been lucky twice but that really is the reality of the situation but I totally understand that we are all different
Earlier today I've been practising walking with my iWalk 2.0 in readiness for the revision of my total ankle replacement on the other side which is due as soon as I'm given the go ahead.
With the iWalk my operated leg does the main job with the special crutch strapped to the knee of the bad ankle leg. A search on the Amazon web site will bring up videos and reviews of this amazing crutch that allows totally hands free operation. It means one can work hands free around the house and beyond which I'm sure all here will realize is a game changer !
All the best
Richard
Hi Mandy, I was lucky, had a very straight forward recovery, but I used a crutch until 6 weeks when I had my first physio appointment. (I didn't know that I was meant to be putting weight on my operated leg.) When I met my physio she showed me how to walk nicely,, and sent me off home without my crutches, which felt very weird.
I think if it's painful to put weight on your operated leg, then don't do it yet. Keep on with your exercises, take your pain meds if you need them, and just go steadily.
All the best, Judith
Totally normal - see Renee's reply.
I started to feel normal at about 18 months post THR. Now at 21 months I have been on a strenuous holiday walking about 5 - 10 miles every day, with few problems. At last I am reaping the benefits of this operation. Problem is, we are all so impatient, and our expectation is that we will be back to normal after a few weeks. It takes time, for some it takes less time than it has for me, but it is all worth it in the end.
Graham
Graham !!!! so great to hear that you had such a wonderful holiday !!!
how is the retirement looking ? have you made a decision yet or are you retired already ...
you and me both are taking more time to heal ... There were many other issues that hampered me getting better faster though -
say "hi" to Liz ...
big warm hug
renee
Renee,
I have been retired for two months now ..... and I am so busy, hardley get any time to myself anymore. Yes, we all heal at different rates, and get different problems. We went to Lviv in Ukraine, where the book started out, visiting places her family lived and worked in the 1930's.
Big hug to you for your continued recovery, and your unceasing help to everyone else.
Graham