I'm feeling disheartened because I seem to be "standing still" or even going backwards. My hip and back is sore and wakes me and keeps me awake at night -3-4 hours sleep maximum (no - Nytol has no effect)?
I find it hard now to put weight on my leg after sitting down and I feel I'm walking with more stiffness and discomfort than a week or so ago.
I saw the doctor this week and he seemed to think everything was fine. I'm probably walking around a lot more and trying now to live a normal life (albeit getting quite tired as a result) so am I expecting too much of myself at this stage or is it the lack of sleep that's compounding the problem?
It's massive and brutal surgery, so it's not unreasonable for you to be sore. I struggled to sleep and none of the over the counter remedies helped. It was about week 12 before I slept for more than 2/3 hours. I am now four months down the line and still experience discomfort in bed. It goes once I start to move around. I do get more sleep though. It will get better.....honest!
Hi Sue..I'm 12wks post hip op and just had a setback as well.
I bought a turbo trainer for my bike to use in the garage thinking it would help my recovery..
Only used it once for around 10 mins..the next day I had a lot of pain and could hardly put any weight on the new hip,and had to go back to using a stick again,and am back to that nagging pain waking me up in the night again.
So it's the old 2 steps forward then 1 back.
Guess I'll just have to stick to walking for a while yet.
what I don't get is that some experts recommend cycling as good post op physio?
This is my first time I'm writing on here, I had surgery 8 weeks ago,, and my walking doing well but got a little too clever and did almost half a mile last Sunday, I was glad to get home and was up all night in pain. My worst thing is that my leg/knee and foot swell around 6-30p.m. I sleep for a couple of hours and then I've to walk around to ease the stiffness. I go for my first checkup on Monday, hope the surgeon can give me some advise and I will pass it on
Just to repeat ..boring I know but everyone is different! Good days and bad days..I have no problem with sleeping and haven't for a couple of weeks, both sides and now a small cusion between the knees, I think the physio exercises help but definitely not to overdo it ...Paulus!!
If your GP says its OK then you probably are....just take small steps and celebrate little progress...I set myself the test of carrying a cup of coffee upstairs..and now I can!!
Sue I'm exactly the same. Six weeks today and last night was awful! I'm walking up to two miles a day though so think that may have something to do with it.
Its my knee that's the worst - am sure it's because my muscles in my leg aren't working properly. Seeing the surgeon on Tuesday but agree it's very disheartening - I'm supposed to be driving at six weeks but not sure I feel up to it yet and certainly no where near going back to work.
Sue, the SAME thing happens to me. I am 9 weeks post anterior for the left hip this time (right one done 11 months ago). I was doing so well for 8 weeks and over night, i developed groin pain on the side of the operated hip. I have been taking one Advil pill a day and revert to the cane again. The only thing doctor said: stretch your psoas tendon and just take it slow with exercises, and do not expect too much too soon, it does take months for full recovery.
Please don't worry Sue, I think we are all in the same boat! I am at exactly the same stage as you and Bonny (who has also replied) and I did a lot of walking yesterday (with a crutch outside) and without inside. Last night woke up and had to take paracetamol in middle of night - 1st time I have had to do that in weeks. Today I am completely exhausted and very stiff walking around. Remember these muscles have been underused since we started having pain and out of use for weeks post op so the body is saying "hold on, I'm out of practice here!". It's hit me hard and I am currently lying on the sofa. I think that we probably all underestimate what we've had done... but then if we actually realised the enormity of the recovery we'd probably waver about having the op in the first place! Having said that I am thrilled to have had it and as someone has mentioned, just being able to carry a cup of tea across the room is a bit of a milestone! Good luck, you will be fine I am sure. And if you are still feeling pain see if you can speak to someone at the hospital or connected to your surgeon to put your mind at rest.
I have had one of them weeks too. Am six weeks post op today and this week has felt as if I had ground to a halt but today I feel better again.
I have rested and sulked this week and have had a good day so far this week although now all my energy seems to have gone (courtesy of a garden center!!!!)
'Not too overdue it'...now there's the rub Chris..nobody seems to know what's overdoing it and what isn't.some experts say you have to push yourself,'no pain,no gain'..whilst others say to stop as soon as you feel discomfort..I'm really very uncertain what to do,my brain says to keep pushing,but my hip tells me the opposite Hmmmmm.
I too feel disheartened, I am 6 weeks on and the first 4 weeks were wonderful, no pain except the dreaded knee pain. Then 10 days ago I woke up not being able to put any weight on my operated leg, waited 5 days with it gradually getting worse then went to see the doctor. I was sent for x ray which hasn't shown anything, but I can now only walk a few yards without it aching. I don't see my surgeon for another 3 weeks and getting more and more worried.
Yes I too have had a bad day now and then and I step back in the rehab for a day or two and then build up again. My arthritic knee (soon to be replaced) is setting the pace now but I rejoined my physio exercise class on Thursday and Friday was definitely a day where both joints were telling me that they had been working hard the day before. However today I'm OK except that I get stiff when I sit for too long (about an hour so I fidgeted through the end of a lecture).
I find that doing some of the early rehab exercises in bed can help. I also check that my body is still in balance and try to work the relevant set if it is drifting off. I remember the horrendous backache just before I developed the Trendelenberg gait pre-op so I tend to check out the hip abductors if back ache starts up, just in case.
My hospital has a joint replacement help line during office hours so see if yours does and phone them if it doesn't calm down. Otherwise try your GP or if you get no help there your consultant's secretary may be able to advise you who to contact and how.
I am due to see the physio next week, hope she can help. Last time I saw her 2 weeks ago I was doing so well she put me on the more advanced exercises.
Because you took the time to post this, along with all who replied, I will now be armed with this fore knowledge in case the same thing happens to me ( I'm 11 days post op only)
Healing will take time sue. I had a right total hip replacement 9 months ago and I had bad nerve damage in foot knee and groin for about 3 months. You will get days when u think you r going backwards then u will feel good then it will happen again. Even after 9 months I still get bad days but I went baxk to work 6 months after replacement as a nurse and again thought I had gone backwards . Did physio under nhs and it helped a bit. Sleeping was hard for first 5 months I'd say before u r baxk to normal. Everyone is different and heal at different speeds. I was left with the operated leg an inch longer and thought that's it I'm going to walk like a pogo stick for the rest of my life (I'm 39) but I decided to go private and see a physio and within once session my leg was the same length. It was my pelvis which was out of line and they put it baxk in place. So to cut a long story short lol. I feel the benifit of my replacement now when before I thought I was the only one who took so long to heal. Muscle still hurts if I press it but they say it takes a year to fully heal. U will get there and it will seem like forever but you will xxx