I had a total right ceramic hip replacement on the 4th July. I have been told to walk, walk, walk which I have been doing. The hip still feels like a lead weight and uncomfortable. My main concern is that I am walking now with just a small stick but do not have the confidence to let it go!! I can walk
without the stick but I limp quite badly on the operated leg. Does anyone else have or had the same worries. I am carrying out all the exercises given to me by the hospital and also the private
physiotherapist.
I am a 59 year old female.
Would be glad to hear from anyone who can reassure me. Am having my eight week check next week.
Hi Jane I am 53 and I am needing a right hip replacement Andy despite all positive s I have read , this is my exact fear nobody seens to tell you of any setbacks I hope you are feeling better as we speak but I really can't decide whether to go for the op
Hi, I have to say that if and when I am able to feel "normal" again the pain prior to the operation was almost
unbearable. I had so much arthritic pain and immobility that that pain has gone and so I think it is just a matter of time before things get back to normal.
Hi Jane
Hope you are getting on better by now but do carry on using your stick for as long as you need it. I had my second hip done on 13 june and carried on using a stick for longer walks up to about 10 weeks postoperative as I kept getting a bit of discomfort if I didn't use it. I'm now walking really well but wouldn't hesitate to take a stick for a more demanding walk now and in the future. You should be able to walk without a limp before abandoning it. Good luck. AgW
Hi Jane- I'm 39 and had a total hip replacement just under 5 weeks ago, was thinking the same as you really-...after my hip replacement ( like 45 mins) after going back to the ward I had horrific pain in groin knee and foot ....turns out it was and still is nerve damage ( which of course no one is taking ownership for doing) but by the by.I am walking walking and walking like you and still sore.hip heavy and foot and ankle sore.walk ok with a stick but like you limp quite bad and very worried I will be left with this limp!I am a nurse and everyone keeps telling me nurses are the worst patients and don't really understand what I'm worrying about.maybe it is normal Jane and we are being too hard on ourselves.just really wanted to just say that u r not alone in your fears.hope all gets well do you. When u are immobile it feels like forever when it has no been long.take care
Hi everyone, this info is second hand but my 71 year old Mum had hers done last year and experienced everything you have mentioned. I moved in to look after her as they turfed her out of hospital 3 days post op and she wasn't ready. Now? She is faster than me on her feet (I have to use a wheelchair out of the house), Her "hallelujah" moment came about 6 months post op. She just forgot to use her stick one day and hasn't looked back at all.
All the professionals will have their own "agenda" as to when you should be off sticks etc. Seeing it from the outside in, come off them when you are good and ready and one day you will forget you have them.
Hope you all recover well x
Hi, double hip replacement dec 2nd, out by the Friday. Slow progress, walking with crutches, main issues trying to sleep at night on ur back, it's uncomfortable in the legs & hips, back. Legs feel like lead weights. Other
issue is swelling of both legs, calfs, ankles, I do elevate them thru the day but remain very swollen.. I don't
seem able to get a comfortable position on a chair or in bed, perhaps expecting too much. Taking the usual pain meds etc.. Also have pain in thighs (like you've been doing major excersise & used muscles u haven't use
for years & they are very sore to touch) & I mean pain.
Any advice appreciated
Hi Geship
If you are not doing this already, put a pillow under your knees when you are in bed - my thigh was quite swollen after my op (only one hip at a time) and after a few nights like this the swelling was much improved. I didn't like sleeping on my back but stuck it out and am now 10 months on from my first hip and 6 from my second and feel more or less back to normal. Good luck!
AgW
Hi, thanks for that will try it tonight. Fingers x
Hi, yes try a pillow that worked for me. In fact, I still use the pillow every night whilst lying on my side now
between my legs which helps bear the weight.I
slept on my back for 6weeks but couldn't wait to try lying on my unoperated side.
I thought I would be more mobile than I was,earlier than I was but the four month mark was a big turning point for me.
The pains, swelling etc will go but is just a process of healing and hard to put up with. I did use a pillow at
the bottom of the bed to elevate the ankles at night and that was a huge bonus.
Try having a couple of hours sleep in the afternoon. It will rest your legs and give time for the swelling
to subside.
Walking, whilst painful, does help and exercise is so important. I still do the prescribed exercises.
Good luck, you will get there. As my partner says the patient is not patient.
Hi jane426
Thanks for advice, will give it a go, actually had to get up & try sleeping on a chair last night with legs on a
Pouffe (excuse sp) managed this till 4am then bed till 7am so not a disaster. I just can't seem to get
comfortable in the bed, legs feel like dead weight, they get very jumpy, hard to move, cannot go onto either
side as had both done. Just need to keep at it am not quite 2 wks down the line yet.
Do u do any type of excersise if your sitting on a chair, or only if your flat ?
Thanks
Hi, yes, I have some excellent bed exercises which I will email to you later in the day. Rob took me to see
a private physio and those exercises I still do.
Will get back to you with them later.
Hi, I hope you don't mind me posting. I had a ceramic hip replacment 3 weeks ago as I have hip displacea.i am 61 and was going o the gym the day before as I am very active and fit for my age. I wasn't in too much pain before but had begun walking very badly and my surgeon said the socket was almost flat. I had to have a second operation four days later to wire up a hairline fracture which happened during the first op.and was in hospital a full week. I cannot put any weight on my operated leg and am using crutches with touch toe only until follow up on 13th January. I am literally stuck inside all the time and unable to do much at all which isn't me... I have felt very emotional and depressed as I still have more than four weeks to go before I start to walk again. I am sometimes only sleeping until 3am as I now need to go to the toilet in the night. I can't then get to sleep again.i have never got up in the night before this. The operations seemed to throw my urinating system and it was difficult to get back to normal again. I now feel that my body is out of synch with the day... I am just so bored and can't read much cos i feel constantly tired.. Has anyone else felt like this? I have had to battle all week to get a nurse to come and change my dressing .. They eventually came last night after 12 phonecalls. I explained I was feeling down but it was very stressful and fortunately my very long wound seems to be healing fine...any advice about extending my sleep as I don't normally sleep on my back ever and I am mouth breathing. I now know how weak my other hip is as I am reliant on it but can't stand still on it for very long at all . The very thought of having this done again is now filling me with horror..Sadly though this seems a real possibility.
It is now nearly four weeks since my first operation and i now sleep most nights from half ten until four or five.. Its getting better and the depression has mostly gone. I cant even begin to start walking until my appointment on the 13th jan and am using crutches to get about..its now the boredom that is awful as i am a young and very active 61 year old. Friends have been great visiting but some days its just sitting around watching the hours go by from five in the morning and its a long day.
My wound is big because of my second operation to wire up the fracture in my femur.. It has healed really well thought but there is a lot of numbness all around the hip and thigh. Is this normal?? the swelling has mostly gone although my leg can puff up a bit at various times of the day.. Has anyone else had this no weight bearing? I am concerned as i think my muscles are going to be very wasted before mid January and i can see the difference already.. And i am worrying as to how long it will be before i can drive again as i am the only driver.
Hi, I see this is over a year on from your op and am wondering how long it takes before you can sleep in bed again comfortably on your side?
I had a THR ten days ago but trying to sleep in bed is a nightmare! It's been the worst thing about it by far and the only way I can sleep is in a reclining chair; it's OK but that gives you backache too after a couple of hours.
Nothing prepares you for this and it was a total shock the first night back in my own bed when I relaised I was flat on my back and stuck and that it was only comfortable in hospital because the electric hospital beds move and change your position for you!!
People should be made aware of this.
Hope you have recovered well.
Dear John,
Am wondering how things turned out as I see your post was some time ago? I have just had THR due to hip dysplasia and I'm only 50. I totally identify with the boredom and constant tiredness, I'm only ten days on from the operation and have felt wiped out, I have only an hour's concentration on anything, can't sleep because it's impossible to get comfortable and feel frustrated beyond belief.
I hope things have improved for you.
Hi Jan, I'm only too pleased to reply and support other hippys.. It's now 3 years since I had my hip done and have my 2year follow up this week. I got a lot of support on this forum when I had my operation as I couldn't walk on my left leg after my op as they cracked my femur and I ended up having 2 operations in 4 days.Yes it's a frustrating time especially if you can't get out and about a lot and believe me once I was allowed to walk there was no holding me back. I honestly couldn't lie on either hip for months but was able to sleep on my stomach at 8 weeks or so. By that time my sleeping routine was pretty awful and it took me until til May or so to get back to some sort of normal sleeping pattern. I have to admit though that I still wake very early some days. I had depression for weeks and it took ages for my memory to improve. They just don't prepare you for all of that I'm afraid and everyone thinks you should just be grateful instead of giving you support for this down feeling you get. I don't know if others feel the same but it can be difficult to come to terms with the fact that they've removed a part of you which you'll never get back somehow. I was lucky though in that I had a surgeon who was experienced with displacea and he said he had levelled me up well and believe me he really has. I can touch my toes again and am back to being very active. I had a lot of stiffness in my thigh and couldn't sit back on my heels until last year. I can now do that but I have done a lot of exercise and worked at it until I'm almost back to normal. Believe me you continue to improve for years if you keep active and I'm at the gym most weekdays. I can't walk big distances now and avoid running much or carrying heavy weights. Maybe I'm just cautious but your new hip does leave you feeling nervous and I worry about getting it banged.. But most folks wouldn't suspect I've had anything done and it has taken the pressure off my other hip which is also displaying. It's really good at the moment although it took a lot of hammering when I had to walk about only on it for 7 weeks. Do post on here though and have a good rant because it does help and others do understand and will help. John
Hi Lucite ...iv just had a total right hip...had surgery on Friday just gone 2feb came home the following day ...I live alone so was quite worried...well I'm on day 4 and so far so good..
I'm really hoping my recovery carries on this way ...I'm getting around on just the one crutch this eve ...pain level low and no real need for anything although I will take 2 paracetamol for bed...and iv been told to keep taking blood thinning meds...I know it's early days and we are all different but I'm really happy so far with progress...I'm 54 and fairly fit👍
Hi Jan I had my new hip on Thursday just gone feb2 came out on Friday....I live alone so was a lil worried how I'd cope but so far all ok ...iv had shower made food drinks etc...and had plenty of rest plus doing exercises etc.... but like you I really want to lie on my good side and just wondered when? Im 4 days out and 54yr old woman 👍
Hi Alyson. I'm similar to you. I'm 51 and had my left hip replaced on 26.1. I am walking unaided but do carry a stick and I do use it. Pain is minimal and has been since day 4 really, no pain killers since then. Like most people I find the sleeping on my back uncomfortable. Hope you've got a grabber. Best invention ever, just don't drop it!