Helll there I'm new to this but I just wanted to see if anyone has any advice for me. I am 23 years old and I had a total hip placement without cement, 3 weeks ago. I am having physiotherapy once every three weeks with exercises to do daily at home. However should I be in pain still? I get quite bad pain in the joint and groin area especially of a night in bed - I'm taking pain killers and ibuprofen regular to help but I'm finding that now and then I'm still in need of taking my oral morphine saloution. I don't know if I'm doing enough or too much - I keep thinking I should do more because I'm young but then I hurt. Why advice would be great right now!
Just make sure you do the exercises as instructed but most importantly don't over do them, at a easy steady pace that you feel comfortable with and then rest up to allow continual healing. And also take th pain killers if u feel you have to. I did up to end of week four.
How are you getting on with crutches and are you doing some walking with one or two ?. And sleeping ok on back or side ?.
Everyday, although you might no feel or notice, you are heeling but at hat rate only your body knows. We all heal at different rates so please don't compare or worry if you feel you maybe slower than others. Your getting there.
Keep on letting us all know how you getting on, we are all wishing you a speedy and easy recovery with happy days ahead.
hi Georgia ... welcome to this wonderful forum .... you will find great support and advice ... After watching the THR surgery on You Tube I had so much more respect for my body ... for some reason I didn't think it was major surgery but it really is ... I am 7 weeks post-op and oh boy, it has been a roller coaster ride -
Mary, I love what you wrote about the week-by-week improvement ...
This is a fab forum and I check it every day as there is great advice here. However I had to stop comparing myself to everyone else as we are all different and will heal differently. Take your meds as you need them they are just as much a temporary crutch as the real crutches. Listen to your body, don't overdo it, that will set you back. I have said this many times but the race to recovery is a marathon not a sprint!! Pace yourself. One last thing. At 23 your muscles and tendons were much tighter and stronger than your average 60 year old like me so it stands to reason that t will be that bit harder to get that strength and fitness back so be patient with yourself. I am day 17 post op and stupidly went to a garden centre yesterday and walked far too much, suffered all night and today will rest. I have discovered box sets on Netflix having rarely watched TV - today I think I will start The Good Wives!!!!!!
Hello and welcome Georgia. Regardless of age it is major surgery. Young people are usually cement less as your bones replace at a faster rate and will grow round your implant - good news however the process does come with pain which is normal. At 66 I am well and truly cemented. There is a lot of healing internally with muscles and soft tissue and you need to consider this. The body needs time to heal and needs rest. Take your medics advice, healing with gentle exercises and rest periods during the first 6-8 weeks before returning to a more normal regime. Consider anyone you know who has either torn a muscle or broken a leg, they are usually 8 weeks out of action and have not undergone the trauma we have. (Might not be their opinion while they are going through it)
Be kind to yourself and be patient.
I am 1 week away from my 8 week check up and hope for the all clear. However I know myself I am not fit to drive and still not able to go up and down stairs normally. Still using 2 supports when out but none indoors. Found keeping a daily log helpful to look back on and to see how far I have come. As a hippy living alone it has been challenging but it has made me creative when I need something done
Regarding pain, I was told to stay on top of the pain and not let the pain get on top of me. I was lucky and didn't get any pain afterwards, tenderness in scar area and stiffness but no pain. I found with exercise and rest, that a little and often of both did the trick and not to overdo either of them. Do you have crutches? If you have two keep on with two for the time being, then after 4-5 weeks try with just one, but when you go out take both of them with you. Its not a race or a competition, just do what you feel comfortable with and at a pace that is right for you. You will get there, don't despair!
Hi Georgia! Welcome aboard the hippy group! I would say this is a normal process! Take your painkillers excerise and rest when you can! I am 8 weeks just over and even now still bruised ! Tomorrow I start hydrotherapy! I am also a carer too! So not easy for me ! Regards Amanda
Wow I am over whelmed by the quick response and how lovely you all are! Some great advice from everyone - I think I felt that being younger than most that have a THR I should heal quicker but I think that's just me trying to run before I can walk - literally. I think I need to listen to my body more and I defiantly need to balance rest and exercise as I think I was pushing myself too much.
I am using two crutches still indoors and out as I don't feel stable enough to use just one. I also have a lot of pain in my ankle however this is because they straightened my leg aswell as the THR.
I'll explain - When in secondary school I was 13 & a girl pulled a science lab stool away which led to me falling on my bum - my hip and pelvis dropped and the ball and socket slipped. They managed to pin the hip in place but for 10 years I was walking with a limp and my right foot and leg pointed all the way out to 3 o'clock. They made me wait until I had fully grown and started my lady bits to make sure my hips wouldn't move any more so 10 years later they done the hip replacement - I now have a new hip and a completely straight leg which I'm finding very strange to get used to.
I want to thank you all for you kind words, advice and reassurance - I was starting to worry about what to do and not to do again being young thinking I should do more. But I'm great full for all your advice and taking the time to answer me.
You probably will feel a lot better around weeks 4 and 5, however since you had an additional procedure, straightening that crooked leg, all your tendons and muscles are having to readjust all up and down your leg, not just in the hip area like the rest of us.
Hi Georgia, i am 48 and when I was in hospital and having a very bad day the nurse told me that often it can be a bigger op in a younger person as the muscles are tighter which they cut through, the younger you are. So don't underestimate what your body has had to cope with.
I am 2 and a half weeks post op and hugely impatient about my recovery but have learnt from others on here how individual it is. I am still on lots of pain realief too. This will pass and in a few weeks you will be a different person xx
i had my THR about 5 weeks ago. I still have pain but not OA pain. I attend Physical Therapy twice a week and sometimes get groin pain because of some exercise. My doc says to not do those exercises if they cause groin pain. I use an ice pack on my hip after each exercise session. I've been sleeping on my side with a pillow between my legs since week 3 per my doctor.
Just don't push yourself!!! Give yourself some time!!! All will be well!!!
at 30 I had my THR. I completely underestimated what a major operation it was. I was of the opinion granny's do it so I'll have no problem. I am more than happy to admit I was a complete idiot for thinking like that. I thought I'm young and strong and reasonably fit I'll be up and back to work at 6 weeks (I work for police). Nope. At 7 weeks now and not even considering work yet at least not for a few more weeks. We are young, you more so than me, so my advice is this.... Don't rush yourself to be stronger sooner. You only want to have to do this once this decade and we want as long as possible out of this hip we have been given. All machinery has a shelf life so we want to extend ours for as long as possible. Your body will heal. It let it do it at its own pace. Push it a little bit every few days but then rest heavily for a few days to let it recover. It will be sore. Your bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons have been through hell. I made a mistake of watching a you tube video after and I got as far as the power drill going in through the top of my femur at which point I turned it off. Your body has been pushed, pulled, drilled, sawed and that's just the bits i saw. If you need pain relief take it without feeling bad about it. You will get there. It's a slow journey but look how you were a week ago, and in a week look to where you are now. The difference is magnificent. So not quite as slow as it feels at the time.