I had my right hip replaced 1 week ago today and planned on an eight week recovery time frame. Here's my issue, my hip already feels better than prior to surgery. I'm ambulating with a cane performing all adl' myself including showering and walking dogs. My job (nurse) requires no lifting , plenty of time to sit. I am transferjng in and out of my suv with no issues. Here's the question. I'm using all hip precautions, taking Tylenol only for pain, am I crazy to want to return to work and should I? Ps I even think I could drive..opinions appreciated.
Hi James,
Well, you are doing extremely well so early on. I guess you should really take advice from your healthcare professionals. I couldn't possibly have gone back to work so soon but you may be different. I think it depends on a number of factors; the type of procedure, anterior, posterior, etc. Also depends on how quickly you feel able to do certain movements, tiredness etc etc.
Best of luck,
Jo x
I personally would give it another week or two to make that decision. I felt I could do a great deal before I started back into 'normal' life, it is the small things that catch you out, toilet seat heights, exhaustion after a long day. I am 40 years old, so quite a bit younger than you and feeling very tired is part of the journey. It is in fact very demanding in terms of energy and you need to give your body time to repair properly. You may risk your recovery doing too much too soon..
I would want to be off my crutches and walking without a limp, off the meds completely, sleeping all night or at least most of it before I went back to a nursing job, that is just me...and you may be ready sooner than eight weeks...but personally I would hold fire and just get yourself completely fixed.
Pardon! Did i read correctly? Did you say "one week"?!
Are you from the UK?
At one week post op i was still on crutches and struggling. I am now eight weeks post op and can drive and walk but still have a long way to go.
Be careful before driving. You may find that without medical consent, your insurance could be invalid.
Are you sure you had a total hip replacement?
Sorry it just all sounds quite incredible .
But hey, we all heal at different rates!
Good luck but please be careful.
Morrie
Take your cane and go to work, maybe you can start out part-time..Make sure when you are sitting to elevate your leg or your knee and ankle will really swell up...Happened to me because I was doing to much to soon.
Believe me I get the deisre to return to work, I am in that position myself. My advice is take your time before going back. Increase your activity around the house and see how that goes. In the end each of us is different and recovers at different rates.
Take advice from yourconsultant, that sounds extremely fast. Did you have anterior surgery? No way could I have driven or gone back that early. I am scheduled to go back 12 weeks after surgery.
The main worry with posterior surgery is the dislocation risk (see my website recovery page for a graph) following the cutting of the membrane around the joint, but mine was cut twice, 10 weeks apart, so may need more healing.
Graham - ๐๐
Um, I can understand you wanting to go back to work. And I can understand that this would be urgent if you are not getting full pay while off sick. But I thnk the only person who can give you an informed opinion is the surgeon. She/he will be able to assess you and give an objective view.
Depending on whether it is relevant (what area of nursing you are in) or not: What would you, as a nurse, say to a patient asking these questions?
well, hello James -
warm welcome to the hippies forum !!!
I am with Joycy here -- what procedure did you have ?
and with others: - what does your surgeon say
Big warm hug
renee
I would check with my surgeon and take his advice. I have never heard of anyone recovering this quickly! The fact remains that tissues take a certain amount of time to heal, and your bones, muscles and skin have to do the same amount of healing as everyone else. You could have setbacks at any time. I certainly hope that doesn't happen and that you continue to do so well!
Well, at two weeks post op all I can say is I am gobsmacked! Personally I think you would be crazy to return to work and risk a setback later, but what do I know. You know how you feel but there was a post on here a couple of days ago from someone who was doing really well, bent forward a little too much and out popped his hip and he now is wearing a brace.
Take care, Cels x
And, once it has dislocated once, the damage is done. It will then forever be weaker.
My holiday insurance wanted to know if and how many times I had dislocated - presumably in order to know how much to put the premium up by.
Like previous posters, I would give it another week to improve healing. The workplace, as you know, is a little different than home. Always some curveball - wet floor, crap lying about, etc, that you will have te to negotiate. But, I'd start w/ half days and see how it goes from there. You know your body and what it can tolerate. Best of luck and congratulations on your progress.
OMG a week???? I couldn't even sit down after a week (due to staples) never mind walk anywhere far or drive.
My brain was still addled from all the drugs etc and I had by then got down to Ibuprofen and paracetamol. Good luck to you if you think you can do it. Your a better man than me etc.......
First off - congratulations on your phenomenal progress. I suspect I am not only one who is just a teeny bit jealous although glad for you.
I am almost 4 weeks post surgery (posterior) and nowhere near your status but then one thing I have come to appreciate from this forum is that everyone's progress is different (and slightly unpredictable) for a multitude of reasons. Recently, another member posted an amazing progress and recovery early on. This week she found that she may have been premature in some of her activities.
Like others who have posted, I do not want to discourage you but I do urge caution. We are all anxious to be 'cured' but many have found the need to scale back a bit so that energy levels do not outstrip ambitions and in some cases undo superb progress. So ... I join the others urging you to give yourself a little more time to continue healing and to rest periodically through the day for a little longer. your body has been through an incredible process and trauma.
Sincerely,
Linda
James if your nursing in uk then I am sure occupational health would have to pass you as fit for work, also you should be on full pay for a least 3 months.
you do seem seem to be having a miraculous recovery, but I would follow the other guys advise and take it one day at a time!
good luck
I am just over 5 weeks post op and for the first month I needed to sleep in the day as well as at night.I to am 54 I have just come off my crutches and been in the car with my husband for a small drive of a couple of miles.i have just been in the supermarket for the first time and have come back and I am now exhausted. My physio said listen to your body and take plenty of rest you need it in the first few weeks. Good luck on your recovery you sound as you are doing really well.
Congratulations on a speedy recovery!
Ask your surgeon, if s/he gives the okay and your work place will have you back then why not? Expect to be tired and suffer some pain but if it's not too bad - healing pain as opposed to injury pain it might be good for you.
Good luck to you James.
Hi James
I am afraid l am with everyone else one week??? I think its far to fast to teurn to work. I am 43 l was 42 when l had my 1st hip replacement and at a week l was in no way ready to go back to work let alone walk outside. I appriciate you think you are feeling back to normal but if you actually watched a hip replacement being done online you will see the trauma that your body goes through getting it done. Its a major operation. Are you sure you had a full hip replacement. I was told at 4 week l was a really fast healer and was way ahead of where l should be but l was still on strong pain medication and l still needed so much more rest than l was used to. Constantly falling asleep on couch and still had a lot of pain from my wound. Your body is still raw from the operation they cut right through layers and layers of muscle and dislocate your leg saw and drill into the femur bone. I think at 1 week you are trying to run before you can walk.
If there is a reason behind needing to go back to work that quick like you are not being paid l could see you want to go back.
And l started driving at 4 weeks post 1st hip replacement which was again very quick from the normal average 6 weeks you are meant to wait. You might be feeling great just now but the recovery is a rollercoaster one week good one weeknyou could be laid up in tears with the pain and this coulf go on a while. I have had both hips replaced in the past 3 months and will have been of my work 6 months all in next month and l still am not ready to sit at a computer for 7 hrs a day l won't be going back to at least may..
Glad your doing so well but you would be crazy to think you are ready to go back to work. There is such a big chance of you dislocation or causing more injury.
In all my months on this forum l have never heard of anyone being ok after a week.
Please think about this a lot before you do. Anything yet. My physio told me in friday l was a really fast healer but that was after nearly 5 weeks post op . Rem your new hip needs to settle into place and the muscle thats been cut through needs to heal.
So l would think no way should you consider this for another few weeks at least.
ฤปaura
Why hasn't James29704 replied to anyone, especially as he seems to have miraculous healing abilities ........... Hmmmmmmm