I'm new and this is my first group. New hip as of 4 weeks and 5 days. It's been a little more than I expected. So I'm going to see what happens with the discussion here now before I move forward.
Thanks.
Hi, I'm nearly 4 weeks and I was expecting to be further forward than this too. I keep hearing stories about people walking without aids after 2-3 weeks and wonder what I'm doing wrong but I think perhaps everyone is different. I am surprised I'm still in pain too - still taking paracetemol and prescription anti inflammatires every day. I thought being 41 I would bounce back more quickly.
How are you getting on?
I'm 6 weeks post op today and I too thought I'd be back at work by now. Being 40 everyone told me I'd bounce back in very quick time and I am certainly improving but I'm definitely not as far forward as I thought I'd be, I've heard stories of people being back at the gym within 2 weeks! I was still sleeping lots at 2 weeks let alone getting to the gym!
These forums are great for getting perspective and I've certainly learned that everyone heals at different times.
Good luck with your recovery!
Well done but you have not told us exactly what it is you want to discuss<G>. Have you read past threads because most subjects will have been discussed pretty fully.
Cheers Richard
Well done but you have not told us exactly what it is you want to discuss<G>. Have you read past threads because most subjects will have been discussed pretty fully.
Cheers Richard
Hi Patricia
Welcome to the forum! Lots if advice and friendly fellow hippies on here.
Don't get frustrated. You are early in your healing. It's a big operation. It all takes time. Slowly but surely I've learnt and st your own rate. Everyone heals differently.
I am at week 6 as of today and walking without crutches but st week four I was walking with a crutch and limping. A lot has happened in the last two weeks by taking it gently, walking short distances, doing small physio exercises.
I was also taking paracetemol and anti-inflamatories until last week and I still take the odd paracetemol when it aches.
I looked at it as a weekly progress rather than daily and that was when I saw the changes - week on week.
At my six week sign off my surgeon told me that my thigh will still ache from time to time while the bone grows onto the implant and the muscles heal. I have learnt to listen to my body and not overdo it.
I was frustrated at the same stage you are at so I feel for you but it does get better. I think you will find that the majority of people take a good bit of time to recover and that you are not unusual in your recovery.
Take care and take it slowly. And keep taking the medication as it helps your recovery to be without pain.
All the best,
Sam
Sam. Thank you so much for the reply. I thought by what I was hearing that I would feel no pain after surgery as I was in a lot of pain before. Since I have such a bad back it was always the back that was treated thinking that it made the hip hurt. But after some really bad pain and several doc visits X-rays and MRI I have a disease that makes the hip bone die and 25% of right hip was dead and I had a fracture. So walking was with crutches until I got a walker before Christmas. Unfortunately I could not get on surgery schedule until March 1. So this pain and walking aids have been going on a while. I guess I really underestimated how intense the surgery is. But am so glad I found this group for answers. It seems every day people ask are you better? Getting out now? When you can't even hardly walk around the house without pain. Also each PT appt. seems to really want to push so it takes several days to recoup from that. Like I said reading some others remarks makes me see it will take time. I like you put it in weeks. So I will gauge my progress that way as well. Thank you and take care! Hope you are better each week!
Thank you for the reply Kazareth! I'm 59 and from what I had been told it was going to be so much better after surgery than what I had been experiencing. But it's been a little tough. In groin area I developed a hematoma which still hurts some. Leg pain and hip pain I'm seeing here seems to be normal. I don't feel like I was told to expect these things. I'm just grateful for this group and some acknowledgement from others I'm not alone in these issues!
Thank you and happy healing!
Thanks Richard. I'm reading and wanted to see what everyone has to say. That will allow me to discuss the things that I have questions about. Some answers have already come forward. I felt as if I was not as far along on this journey as I needed to be. But thanks to some of the others I'm probably right on course
Hi and I'm almost 5 weeks and was still using a walker until 4 weeks give or take. Still on pain meds as well. I thought I would be without walking aids at this point but each time I go to PT it seems to set me back a day or two. Sometimes I feel they push too hard. My docs PA, which I had to see because my leg was purple and swollen, said most people were on a cane by two weeks. Made me feel way behind but the pain in my femur bone is bad. They checked for a blood clot but didn't find one thank goodness. I'm sorry that you are going through the same disappointment. But some here said that they measure by weeks so I am going to follow that advice.
Good luck and hope we begin to improve more rapidly!
Over all this appears to be one hellishly long recovery requring alot of patience and committment to alot of boring excercise. These are things I don't have much interest in or capacity for. Eeks. I go under the saw next week.. I am totally dreading this... CAN'T LIVE WITH IT CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT..
Hi Patricia,
Sounds like you were having a hard time if it before the operation. I had a lot of pain too and the hip was in bad shape. I think our muscles are all used wrong during this time so once the new hip is in there is a lot of strengthening of those muscles going on. My thigh muscles were very week but slowly they are getting stronger. With the physio make sure you just do small movements frequently rather than any big movements that hurt too much.
It is frustrating. I had to lower my expectations about being all healed at 6 weeks! However I did see a huge change last week and this is all so much better than the pain pre-op. Also remember that unlike before the operation, each week you will be getting a bit better and stronger.
And ignore anyone asking why you aren't better yet, or get them to watch the operation on you tube and then maybe they might realise what you've been through!
Hang in there, it will get better!!!
Sam x
I'm 41 with 2 young kids (now on Easter holidays - yikes!) and I get the whole "when are you back at work" and "are you still on crutches" too. I was worried at 3 weeks so I went for an X-ray and my surgeon said "most people are on 1 crutch by now" which made me feel terrible because the pain was too much to bear for me on 1 crutch - despite painkillers - quite apart from the wobbling! Then he gave me an exercise to do which felt excruciating and I screamed in his office, then I went to physio a few days later and she told me not to do that exercise yet at all, but gave me another more gently to work on the same muscle group without pain.
I think the surgeon's are obviously brilliant at the bones, but I reckon the physios understand the muscle and ligament recovery - and how indivindual it is for each person - much better.
I always do everything at record speed in my life, I'm super fit and super healthy too (yoga fanatic - doing it every day) so it's been so humbling to hear I need to slow down and it will take longer. It's such a hard pill to swallow, especially when others are doing it in 2 weeks, I'm left with "I must be doing something wrong". But I try to turn that around into "this is an amazing opportunity to have some time off which I never, ever, get, perhaps I should relax into it and enjoy the time off a bit more". And that's how I try to look at it now. Comparing for me led to despairing!
And I think also when I was trying to get well fast, I a) noticed how far I had to go rather than how far I had come and b) probably pushed too hard when I should have listened to the pain as an indication that I had done enough for today.
It's such a massive learning experience on so many levels. I was in a lot of pain before and my leg was actually bent because I had been walking a weird way to compensate for the pain for so so so so long. Now it's all about learning to walk properly for the first time in years. It takes time for the muscles to heal and relearn.
I hope you find help in this forum, I have found it to be absolutely amazing. There is always someone with some kind words when I'm feeling worried or lost or terrified!
Lots of love. X
That's such a good idea to get annoying people to watch the op on you tube - I'm going to send it to my mother!!!
X
great post Lucinda and thank you for sharing ... I find this hip journey very confrontational on many levels and still working through it ...
hi patricia,
yeah, we all have heard those miracle stories about people who know people's neighbors, cousins, etc. how are doing all kind of things in no time ... so, of course, we start comparing our progress by what we heard, right ?
and then, when this does not happen, we start looking for answers and find this wonderful forum - at least that is how it happened with me ...
no better place to come to and ask questions and concerns, to get support and understanding which can not be given by our dear family and friends (unless they had this surgery themselves) -
One of our forum members has created a web site, based on questions, tips etc. on forum members experiences-
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-487147 -
be kind and gentle to your self, darling ... your body is healing and doing a great job ...please let us know how you are getting on otherwise, okay?
big warm hug
renee
Hello Patricia,
You are only 4 weeks and 5 days. It take little bit longer to be OK. Every one heeling Differently. Im 6 months now and took me 6 weeks to be
better. I used walker and after 6 weeks I was alowed to drive. Also after 6 weeks I had hydro therapy for a 4 weeks. I went back to work after 14
weeks,working in nursing home. Heeling take time . This forum is great
and without this forum I would not go trough. Take it easy and take one day at time. Do your excersice, go for walk and rest if you need .
Heeling hug Madla.💗
PS you are doing good fine.
Hi patricia
What a good post, it's interesting to read everyones progression.
When I first joined the forum and started reading peoples posts,at times I thought at the weeks I was at I should be making more progression.
However I have learnt,that people heal so differently, it's not a race,take each week as an achievement as you will notice a difference as the weeks go by.
I am nearly 8 weeks post op.
I walked with one crutch after a week and a half.
I took regular pain medication up to 6 weeks, now I have 2 paracetamol at night and one codeine.
I have to use my crutch inside and outside, if I don't I walk with a bad limp,this is slightly improving but slow.
The first 2 weeks were the hardest, week 3 I felt a breakthrough.
My walking has now improved and can walk outside for longer periods, I'm hardly in any pain,although I developed a haematoma, which at times can be painful.
I'm seeing the consultant today and very excited, I'm hoping he will lift some of the restrictions and fingers crossed for driving.
Good luck with your recovery, it's still early day's, still rest when you need to,very tiring at this stage.eat and drink well,the body needs around 2,200 calories, this all aids the healing process. Mobilise as much as you can, to what feels comfortable, it really helps.fresh air and a little outing outside helped me in the early days.
Hope this has been of some help to you.
Regards
Nicky
Dear Libby
It really does not have to be like that. I find it strange that many here have such protracted recovery period but we are all very different of course.
I was 55 when I had a total hip replacement having coped for several years and kept going by an excellent chiropractor. I had no pain just some discomfort after I left hospital. Did not need the sticks but may have used just one for long trips out for the first week or two.
I was not overweight BMI about 22, quite fit, did not smoke and only had the occasional drink.
Back driving a manual car in six weeks and back to full time self employed work at about the same time looking after sheep and another job.
I may have just been lucky but I never was aware of others having big issues but this was twenty years ago before the internet.
Be positive!
Cheers Richard
A lot of medical practitioners are, shall we say, over optimistic about what your progress "ought" to be. Most of them, remember, have not had hip replacements.
Listen to your body. IT knows best!
All the the very best. I'm 3 weeks and making pretty good strides, but if I am tired, I rest. You have years to go to therapists who can help you release stuck fascia and lengthen the tissues which shorten as a result of the surgical interference... Years! If movement hurts, don't do it.
Rose