Now 6 days post op and look like I've been thrown off a fast moving train! Pain relief has been rubbish as I was twice given tramodol whichbi am allergic to.Then codeine which made me nauseous and sleepy. However now on track and csn hobble about kitchen and bathroom unaided. The nurse told me yesterday that swollen ankles was normal and sometimes a bag of frozen peas placed on genitals (bikini line) can reduce the swelling in the groin and allow better blood flow. I also didn't understand that you need to lie flat in afternoon to let blood flow as easily as possible in groin area to help reduce swelling. Everyone on these forums seems so positive. Hopefully I will feel a bit better later.
The physio said the younger you are the longer it takes. Because you take bigger faster strides and are more active. In jher words, if you are 85 and potter around then you get back to this more quickly thamb someone younger wanting to go back to work
Hi Kate,
interesting advice!! I found the ice packs great for pain relief. Used them on my knee and hip. Lying down will aid reduction in swelling. I hope you have an alternative to tramadol, they don't agree with me either. I came home on endone and targin. I sort of see what the physio is saying,we're more likely to over do things !! All in the name of getting back to normal.
Glad to hear you're on your feet, it only gets better 🌈
Dear Kate,
First a warm welcome to this group of fellow hippies, pre and post op .. I am not sure how long you have been following us ... it is the best place to come to for questions and concerns, or just rant - you find the most loving and supportive people, helping each other along on this road to recovery ..
We all share our personal experience and stories ...
It seems that you are in pain and I am sorry to hear that - however, it is pretty normal being so early in your recovery .
good that you are already hobble about unaided ... I could not do that until later (2 weeks) - not because of the pain but more about the way I walked - very unbalanced and insecure ...
I, personally, have not heard that it takes longer for younger people to heal or feel better - more the other way around ...
Of course it is a shock to the system .. it is major surgery ... just in case you have not watched the video on you tube, please have a look at it when you are ready - I had a so much better understanding of what is involved and the trauma done to the body ...
It is important to lie flat, with legs extended to stretch the muscles and blood flow - also to elevate the operated leg to reduce swelling - let the nurse show you the best position ..
It takes time, dear Kate .. so please take it easy and be gentle with your self -
I hope that you will get medication that will reduce your pain ...
and so come back here ....
warm hug
renee
Hi Kate I have just had two hip replacments since May this year, and if I were you I would use a stick indoors to help you get aropund, and a crutch or two on the street for the first week, seems to me the younger you are the quicker you get back to normal, everyone says that, all the doctors I have seen, and everyone on this blog, and yes the wound is painful and pinches, feels like it is splitting apart sometimes, you could get it looked at by the nurse at you GPs and get it redressed, that could give you peace of mind, I find 2X50mg Tramadol work fine for me, you can also use Naproxin as a painkiller, thay game mehuge ones in hospital 1G and was used to 500mgs. they cartainly worked but made me sweat a little, but lilled the pain ...500mgs are good too but you need Omeprizole once a day and food with Maproxin, my second wound is still painful now after 10 days, but getting easier every day, dont worry so much, I am sure you will be fine.
Ian.
Thanks georgie11. It just seems difficult to be patient but this forum seems a great place of support.
Take care
Thanks Renee01952 for your support. Found this forum yesterday. It makes for interesting reading. I think the physio just meant it takes longer to be fully fit and working as opposed to pottering about all day.
Don't think I will watch the video though. Having had an epidural I have heard all the noises and experienced the hammering. I hope it will turn out to be like child birth and once the pain has gone I will be able to forget the horrible experience
Take care and thanks for your support
Xx
Hi Kate
Welcome, and glad to hear that things are a bit better than they were to start with!
Just take it easy - it's very easy to fall into thinking that you've got to get up and get around in order to be getting better, but don't push things and using a crutch stick is no stigma!
Leg swelling is v normal and will probably in fact peak next week for you... the second week is usually the high point for this. Are you wearing those lovely TED stockings?! If you are, they tend to push the swelling up the leg. As Renee says, elevation is the key to helping to deal with this.
Icing swellings and groin is good but I've been told - keep this to 10-15 mins a go in order to prevent distressing your skin/nerves.
Not sure re the thing about it taking longer if you're younger - most docs I've heard talk about this say the opposite .... but I kind of get the implication that this is about getting back to where you were, based on a level of fitness. however it's also about what sort of state our muscles were in beforehand, which cuts across ages......
You're doing well ! Take it easy!
Best wishes
Neil
Thanks neil
I have decided today not to push myself and to have 2 hours lying flat. I find sleeping difficult on my back and so only grab a
few hours at night. How did you get on with this?
Thanks for your help
Yeah I really disliked sleeping on my back too. The best thing I found was to not lie flat but get a bit more propped up with pillows, incl. one in the small of my back... with another pillow under my knees and with a rolled-up towel under my ankles (I was getting real pain from having my heels on the bed). ...and a not-too-heavy covering. This just seemed better than lying down flat on my back and I could doze off more easily.
The afternoon kip is a wonderful thing! Try and catch up with as much sleep as you can at other times. Many people post-op struggle with sleep, as far as I can see, and maybe that's also because your body doesn't want to stay in one position for too long....
Good luck
Neil
Hi and welcome Kate to our hippy club,
sorry to hear you are in pain, but as all the other hippies have said it does take time no matter what age you are, you alone know your own body, so listen to it, if you feel tired sit or lay down, take it one day at a time, you will get there, I'm 13 post my 2nd THR and I can tell you that this one has been totally different to the first one last nov.
I was on tramamdol then codiene, then oxydone, all of them only serve to take the edge of it, in my opinion, the side affects far outwaiegh the beinfits, contipation, nausea, tirdeness, etc. so I stopped all of them at day 6, noe just the ocasional nurofen when I need it, Ice packs are the best, and a giant U shaped sleeping pillow, so good luck with your recovery, we are always here for help and advice.
Love
Lynne xx
All these lovely people are right, Kate. I was also frustrated in the 'wait' to get better but the more I read on here the more I chilled out and let the healing take it's time. I still push it a little and then I am back on the sofa again in the afternoon for a little snooze and feets up.
My ankles swell to cankles when I have been a bad girl even after 6 weeks (tomorrow) but everything else is coming along really well.
I was super fit up to a year ago and my body is itching to get into shape but I have hip number 2 to go yet so really have to take my own advice and take it easy!!!
Love and light
Kate
Thank you so much. Just one question. .if I get a giant u shaped cushion, how do I use it?
Take care x
Sore heels amongst everything else. They hurt out of all proportion don't they?
I will try more pillows and wore some fluffy socks last night which seems to help
X
Hi Kate,
well in answer to your question, if you go on ebay and type in the U shaped pregnancy pillow, you will see how they use it, firstly when you sleeping on your back you need to lay the pillow on your bed, then ease yourself into the middle of it, and sleep like a giant cocoon lol, when you first try sleeping on your side, use the u bend in the pillow as a head rest and lay your operated leg on the long side on the U with your good leg underneath, it keeps your pelvis inline, good luck,
Lynne xx
In April this year I had a revision to my hip replacement and pain relief was an issue. Certainly if you cant take tramadol ask for co codamol and they SHOULD offer you oral morphine and if they say you cant take it outside the hospital you should take the attitude I did, I know they do prescribe outside so make it happen. You can when out get morphine patches (which you change every 3 days) and these are worthwhile short term to ensure you get enough rest as this is the key to your recovery. Everyone is diferent with recovery, some fast, some slow. Just take your time and chill. It isnt a quick fix and rest is extremely important, it helps you feel better mentally too if you are well rested. Eat well, as once you are moving the weight should disappear as long as you dont eat sweeties by the truckload! I put on half a stone which disappeared once moving. Use the ice, or at home peas make a great ice pack and can be defrosted and re frozen as much as you like (just dont eat them afterwards!) and they mold around the body well too. I had 2 bags of cheap value peas marked do not eat.
Hi Kate
Sorry your in pain I was for about 3 days after I was discharged, couldn't get comfortable but I was sent home with codeine and paracetamol and in the hospital was on OxyContin ibruprofin and codeine so struggled for a while to reajust😁 I think when your physio says it takes longer for younger people to heal I don't think that's the case, I just think we are more impatient and expect to heal quicker because we are younger and fitter, not the case. Try not to rush everything as it just takes time. Everyone on this lovely forum will tell you we all heal at different stages depending on how we were before. I'm 55 was 54 when had op didn't have any problems with the healing process but a colleague of mine had the same op same age and was doing walking with 1 cane and I couldn't do it needed 2 then when walking with one knee flairs up😁 went back to work after 13 weeks then hurt my back all things that was really seemed to put me back but had physio swam and then everything seemed to come together at once and I felt good again. 10 months down the line for me and I still get the odd ache and twinge mainly after exercise but I used to get that before my op, so keep us informed of your progress and any question ask this lovely bunch and somebody will have words of wisdom to guide you, I did
Good luck
Vicki xx😀😀😀
Gel packs are really good as you can cool or warm them depending on your needs, give them a try!
Ian who commented above is the ONLY person I have ever read on here that doesn't have a problem sleeping. He wrote on a different topic that he just slept 14 hours, sounds like heaven doesn't it?
it is a shame the codeine made you nauseous the good part about the codeine is that it does make you sleepy, which is really what you need, sleep. What you could do with the codeine is cut the pill in half and then add an extra paracetamol. Keep in mind that codeine is VERY constipating so you need to take a stool softener every day and I also drank a big glass of prune juice every day.
there is no way around it, sleep is a b*tch and it usually doesn't get any better/easier until about 2 weeks.
Thanks for the reply. Last night I gave up trying to sleep in bed and sat in my chair. Today I have spoken to my physio who says of course I can sleep on my side..just put a pillow between legs. She said if it doesn't hurt it is not harmful.
Thanks for the tip about codeine. Have just got over constipation with lactulose so very happy :-)
I love prunes but had forgotten about their properties. Will send hubby for some today. Had a small glass of wine last night. Heaven.
Take care
Kate x
Hi kate
i am 7 weeks post op, I didn't probably start sleeping well until around week 4, I found propped up in bed, sleeping for a few hours.
then four weeks plus I started to use my u pillow(12ft pregnancy pillow)
i like Lynne, lie with the bend of the u under my pillows, with the legs either side of me, then bend the op side of the pillow leg , this is then In between your knees when you roll over to your good side...
1) shows on side with the other side supporting your body whilst on your side
2) knee in between pillow
3) different angle
4) on bed at start
hope this makes sense,
linzi xx