Post op

Bones, joints and muscles
1

8days post op and been told I have to remain on crutches for 12 weeks, anyone else been told this. Wish someone had discovered a way to stop them falling over as this leaves me stranded until someone can pick them up for me as cannot bend. Still got quite a lot of pain , is this normal? I also have a clicking sensation in the joint when walking. Has anyone else experienced this and does it go away? Grateful for any info

2

Hi Christine. Eight days is very early days. Pain around scar is totally normal as is the clicking you talk about. My physio and consultant told me it was the healing process in the tendons. I am 18 weeks now but I remember when my crutches fell over I would stand on the arm end and push down and then the other t raises up so you can grab it. I used two for about four or five weeks outside ( a bit less indoors) and then gradually progressed to no crutch by about 14 weeks. I found using a static exercise bike (from about seven weeks onward) helped strengthen the muscles and so lessened my limp until eventually I could walk as I used to before this began. Good luck with your recovery take it slowly. Do the exercise and rest and you will get there. 

Catrin x

3

Hi Christine,I was on crutches for some time. My op was 4months ago! Still not great but I suffer from anxiety and am a carer! So I am having reflexology and also going to have jacuzzi s as much as possible! Hope you've got a good team of helper's in? Regards Amanda

4

Hi Christine

Golly gosh....In Exeter we were expected hand our crutches in at the six week post op appointment !

Wish these medics would give clear and consistent advice!

All I can say is .most people on this site seem to have been told 6 weeks, unless there are other medical problems. Some get off crutches in 4 weeks and others in 8 weeks....

At my post op appt most folk handed in at six weeks as a norm.....

So, stay on crutches as long as you feel you need to. Only wish they had a little attachments t for a coffee cup!

Warm regards

Mic

5

Oh me too mic. Surgeon so determined to keep me on crutches for 12 weeks he will not being seeing me again until 23 rd sept. He has also told me not to drive until then and written to my go with the same instruction. I would therefore invalidate car insurance if I felt well enough to drive before. Got to be honest this is a real pain,being a carer and driver for my stroke survival hubby.

6

Hi Christine

why have they told you you have to be on crutches for 12weeks. What is the reason?

i was in 3 days. I  walked  with zimmer first day, walked with two sticks 2nd day, did stairs third day. And then sent home.

 I think this is pretty "normal" post recovery. 

I have had no clicking in hip since op. 

Find out what's going on, don't let them fob you off. By eight days you should be at least on two sticks. 

Was this a straight forward hip replacement or were there special circumstances?  

You get many strange pains, but come on here and you will soon find out if you should worry about them. Us hippies usually can help between us. 

Good luck

carol 

7

Hi Christine,

i am still on two crutches week seven.....but couldn't manage without my long handled 'grabber, ' great for picking up dropped crutches and just about everything else that would otherwise be out of reach...it also has a magnet on the bottom.worth its weight in gold!

take care,

Barbara

8

Hi Christine 

managing your pain meds is quite an art.  Don't be in a hurry to push yourself off of them as you will move around more smoothly if you are more comfortable.  I am 4 weeks post op and found that when I reduced to just paracetamol I started to feel stiffer so I have just gone back to my slightly higher strength meds until I'm walking without sticks.  

I have a bin next to my armchair and I put the sticks in there leaning against the chair and that seems to work.  When I drop anything, or need to feed the animals I just hold my operated leg out behind me to reach the floor. Oh, and I keep the grabber in the bin too.  I have a grabber on each floor of the house.  

Just keep moving and as the physio said to me 'just keep doing the basics' as I wanted to do more and more before they wanted me to. 

Also, in this weather, enjoy the ice packs.  What a great excuse to ice yourself.  

Laura 

9

My surgeon said he uses the first type of hip replacement as he says it is the best he has found but does require the 12 weeks on crutches. I was up and walking on these 2nd day and home on the third after being shown how to do steps etc. So wasn't kept in any longer than the norm. It seems it is just my surgeons way of doing things and want to do what is right as I am desperate to get my life back after being in pain for years

10

Hi Christine

12 weeks seems a long time. I am 3 weeks post op and am using one crutch round the house and two outside. At 8 days, you are still very early in your recovery. I haven't had the clicking, but you will get pain. I was taken pain meds all day at 8 days, now just on night time meds and very occasionally during the day. You also get pains in all sorts of funny places and it changes from day to day.

Night time pain is the worst still, but not so intense as at 8 days.

You will get better day by day - the difference at 3 weeks from how I felt at 8 days is enormous

Try standing your crutches upside down on the 'ring' bit - that helps a bit.

You will get there - be easy with yourself and don't expect too much in these early days. Doze whenever you can because your body heals whilst you are asleep

You've had a big op - be patient!

Kind regards Linda xx

11

Thank you for the advice on meds, keep trying to use weeker ones but struggling so will go back on the stronger stuff for a couple of days then will wean myself off gradually. Just don't want to get hooked.

12

I have experienced the clicking on the hip this is normal it is the tendons and muscles going back in place, only need to use crutches if I want to or I can use sticks at 8 days you will still get some pain just take cocodamol which works or go to your GPS for stronger pain killers, what did they send you home with?

13

Hi Marilyn, codiene, paracetamol,and ibruprophin. Problem is I also have a severely degenerated sacrol joint on the same side.

14

Then I would take cocodomol instead the separate codeine tablets I stopped taking the codeine they sent me home with as I found them not strong enough also I am not allowed ibuprofen as I am diabetic type 2 as for the scroll joint I would think that is why the Dr put you on crutches for 12 weeks

15

Just looked up the scroll joint and that is definitely the reason why you are on crutches for 12 weeks, have they said how they are going to treat the joint

16

When I first came home I used a piece of string to hang my grabber round my neck. I'd read so many people saying it was never there when they needed it and the TO had said it will be your best friend. Several times I used it to pick up my crutches.

17

Hi

I cant answer all of your post but I'm now on crutches permanently.

I have the same problem. I shoulded at them, talked to them  Didnt make any difference  One day I was sitting at a table having coffee, my crutches had fallen a couple of times  A man walked in, and then turned them upside down and propped them agains the wall  They stayed there not a movement.....so upside down is the best way. The only disappointment was .......when he got up I thought ......will he get to them and to a handstand to get them on   he didnt.

Love

Eileen UK

18

I'm also in Exeter, was allowed to keep just the one crutch at the six weeks check, as I don't feel safe outside without it, also crossing a road it alerts other people that you can't run,and maybe a little unsteady.

I stood both crutches upside down, if one did fall, I used the other to hook it up.

19

Hi Christine, I am not sure what part of the country/world you are from but felt I had to comment on this? I cannot believe how everyone/medical opinions differ but to be still using crutches at this stage seems a little extreme? I am 7 weeks today and have only needed 1 stick from day one, which I discarded at two weeks! Crutches were never offered to me! I have been back on my bike today and cycled 30miles with - touch wood - no ill effects!! I have driven since week 2.5 and went back to work as a nurse 2.5 weeks ago - with just a bit of a limp! Now I know this may sound a bit arrogant ( and I assure you I am not) but I cannot believe how quickly I have recovered - I see both my consultant (who is drop dead georgous by the way ) and my physiology tomorrow and hope to be signed off and hope they don't tell me off for cycling etc before I was given permission. Just listen to your bodies guys and if you think you can do it - within reason of course - just do it! I had total LHR and am 65!! I was reasonably fit prior to my surgery, which I think does help.

Good luck to all as this will probably be the last time I comment on the site.

Christine

20

Hi I am 67 and was operated on at Wrightington nor Wigan. This hospital specialises in orthopeadic surgery. I do have other complications I.e severely degenerated sacrol joint on the same side . I am also full time carer for my hubby who suffered a major stroke almost 3 years ago and I have been trying to do everything myself since then, some pretty heavy stuff, so guess I have just worn myself out. Good luck for your appointment hope all goes well for you.x