THR three weeks ago. I am 75 and have some questions to ask of the group. I am still using a walker, had back problems before this surgery and sleeping on my back is not helping now, hip is very stiff no pain though. Just cannot seem to get my strenght back though. I am anxious to get in a pool and do some walking to build up strenght. Does anyone hurt on their rear or on the back of legs? So glad I found this group and I apologize for such a long post. Thank you for listening.
Hi jhb don't worry I posted a similar post a week ago asking how to go from two crutches to one I was reassured by people on here and lo this week I am on one stick I am 74 and I think it probably takes us older hippies a bit longer there are some good posts on here regarding the sleeping that may help you Give yourself time and I'm sure in a while you will feel much better as someone said to me it's not a race ( though it is to me I'm just not sure who I'm racing !! )
3 weeks is a short time and sleeping on back throws up all sort of pains. I wake up after a few hours with the worst butt pain. Have to get up and walk around give it a good rub and try for another few hours. I'm 3.5" weeks post op and still using 2 crutches. My hip is still stiff from scar and I have pain from scar. As a lot of people here advised me I take naps during the day to catch up on sleep. Don't rush things-- I've been told all sorts of stories about people who are walking without aid etc after 2 weeks but those people were probably out of sight for weeks before that.
This forum is great especially during the early hours when sleep is a stranger.
Hi jhb. It's very early days for you yet. I don't think I left the house for the first few weeks. Have you had any physio? They gave me exercises which really helped with the stiffness. Do you have someone who can go for a walk with you? I started walking short distances & gradually built it up.
I still have pain around the scar & back of legs but have been told it can take up to a year to heal.
good luck with your recovery.
Hello jhb,
its ts early days yet. Depends on your ability etc before. Be kind to yourself.
i am 45 and had THR 3.5 weeks ago. Still have pains in lots of places which get worse if I overdo things which I have done a couple of times now. I too wanted to launch into lots of activity but have learnt the hard way that less is more sometimes. Your body needs time to heal.
You are also likely to be using muscles that you haven't for a while.
In this case time does hea. If you are worried I would see your GP.
Take Care 💌🌈💌🌈
I found at that stage, that putting a normal pillow under both knees in bed just took some pressure off my back. I still have various times of the day and night where I stretch out but pillow helps with comfort and sleep.
Laura
Good morning jhb,
welcome to this wonderful site of fellow Hippies in all stages post-op, pre-op and still sitting on the fence ...
No need to apologize for anything -
As said, you are still in the early stages of recovery and it seems that you are doing very well... THR surgery is major surgery and your body has gone through some trauma ... muscles and tendons were severed, prothesis implanted in bone etc ...you will slowly build up your strenght and during the process other muscles might make their presence known ...
-
one of the best advice here is to listen to your body ... we all have been there, the frustration, impatience and feeling that we go backwards, at times ...
good news though that you don't have pain !!!! yeah !!!!
take it easy and be gentle with your self ... come back here any time !!!
warm hug
renee
Morning jhb, I agree with everyone else. Prior fitness, age etc all have an effect on recovery but we have all had major muscle groups/nerves etc severed and they take time to heal.
I am 3.5 weeks from op and spend a lot of time cajoling my stiff muscles back into action. If you are using a walker at the moment then so be it - you can still go through the motions of walking. This is what I did - take your walking down to slow motion to let your body re-learn the walking motion. When you are resting then clench and release muscles where you can and massage the whole leg (as far down as you can, or get someone else to do it). The muscles in the back of my leg and calf were stiff as is my knee - everything is affected. Move often, rest often. Take pain meds and use ice packs. It's all hard work but makes you sleep better!
Dear Jhb,
three weeks is still very early days...All that you describe is normal; you will be able to go walk in a pool at around week six. Pain on rear and back of leg is normal...
You will feel better day by day, improvement can be slow but it's definitely there.
Are you taking any medication?
Best wishes and big hugs
Ella
Hi there
i shall just talk about knee. I found if I tried to walk far at all - eg round the perimeter of the house in the first few weeks my knee really hurt. So I focused on exercises and built up walking slowly. This really helped knee pain and it went completely. It's now my hip that tells me to ease back on walking.
Some folks have good suggestions for side sleeping on here too so I am sure you'll get some help with that too.
good luck
chris 😊
Thank you all for replying. IT has already helped a lot hearing from you hippies. As some mentioned it takes time to learn to walk again, for me it has been about two years of not walking correctly. I do have Home Health come in weekly to help with exercise. I must say this surgery is harder to recover from than my Total knee surgery but knowing I can learn from all of you helps. thank you.
My fitness was way down before surgery this time. Husband had surgeries the first half of this year and I was walking so badly because of my hip for the last two years. thanks for the input.
I was doing the same thing at just three weeks.
I need mummy four wheel wake to pull up on from sitting position. Mine has a seat do I could sit Will making meals.Then I could put the tray on the seat and bring it to the living room.
You probably still have some seelling . I did all they way to my toes so that will also cause you to be stiff. That's normal.
That would be swelling jhb
Most of my swelling is in my butt. Very Kardasian style but not mine.
I think your pos has generated the most amount of predictive text errors in responses. I had a chuckle when I saw you were suing rather than using walker..I am constantly getting done by this site as it types slower than i do so I miss predictive texts errors.
Perhaps we should "persue" the suing and start a discussion on who else we hippies would like to sue? 
Wow you made my day with your post. I saw my mistake immediately but too late to change. If I was to sue it would be a cane. I cannot get the hang of it and I walk like Charlie Chaplin. I am sure the darn cane is out to get me so I stick with a walker.
hiya
I found a walker was anything but - so quickly moved onto elbow crutches. I have some very natty crutch handle covers - £5 a pair on ebay and mine are leopard print - which stop my hands hurting.
I'd like to sue all those people who are not appreciating the miracle that is a functioning hip as they abuse their bodies. GIVE ME YOUR HIPS I want to yell at them I'LL LOOK AFTER THEM BETTER THAN YOU I'd say. If I wasnt English and just prepared to mouth this from behind the car window.
I think most of us hippies are either too addled on the pain relief or understand its affects usually to notice or comment on typos - it was just that yours was v funny!
Did you know that every 1kg of additional weight puts 5 times that force through your hips. So perhaps I would also sue people who overeat - on behalf of their long suffering hips...
Little suggestion, I originally found it easier to go from a walker to crutches. I found the arm support of the crutches more reassuring than plain sticks (canes). Then I moved from them to two sticks and when my body found a way to walk on alternate sticks rather than two together I moved onto one stick. I'm sure I wouldn't have found it very easy to go from a walker to one stick.
I am gradually clearing the gadgets up to the loft (attic) - until next time 😀
Hah, Chris, I don't know about suing anyone but would definitely start a campaign to stop people wearing their hips out early. I see joggers on the road and want to shout "Don't do it, you'll end up like me". You think you are doing the right thing keeping fit until you get stung with 'wear and tear'.
Jhb, I also think you might be better with crutches. The leg felt a bit strange at first but you gain confidence. I am younger than you but had also lost a lot of fitness, I had to work hard to build my upper body strength to hold me up.
Whatever you do just remember what you were like before and believe that soon you are going to be so much better. My consultant said that he won't consider doing my second hip for at least six months because it takes that long for the muscles and ligaments to knit back together.
A little bit more movement everyday is my motto, that and a glass of wine as a prize for major steps achieved.