total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Hello all, I'm very new to this. Having discovered this site and finding it so useful I thought I ask for some help. By the way I live in the UK. I'm doing well after having my op. which was an uncemented titanium and ceramic with plastic liner. Still on one crutch and walking around my home unaided when I feel up to it but now I'm getting bored! Walks are not enough now.
When do think I'll be allowed to go for bike rides again? I'm 44, other than dodgy hips I'm healthy, strong and mum to a nine year old, so I have to be active! Also if I did get into the bathtub how would I get out again without comprimising the 90 degree rule? I used to love my bubble baths. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
At 8 weeks, you are still recovering, even if you are bored! Boredom is actually a good sign in a way - it means that you are ready to begin to enjoy the mobility and pain relief that the THR will give you. But - you will continue to regain strength for months to come. Your doctor can advise you about specific activities and when it would be appropriate to begin them. For example it might be ok to start biking by using a stationary cycle for awhile and working up to a regular bike.
As for the bath tub question, I can only relate my experience (both hips replaced). Since sitting down and getting up out of a tub is very much like sitting and rising from the floor, I found both impossible before my surgeries and for many months after the surgeries. The only kind of "tub" I used was a hot tub which had steps for climbing in and out and a seat to sit on. Sitting on the floor (or on the bottom of a tub) are not something that I do even 4 years later unless I have to. Before you jump in, try it in a dry tub first and be sure someone is around to help you up if you can't do it yourself. And keep in mind that a naked body in soapy water is a sure fire recipe for slipping and falling things you want to avoid at any cost. I do know that some people go back to tub baths but I intend to be a "shower" person for the rest of my life.
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Hello, stumbled upon this site. I'm 5 weeks post op and am doing fairly well. Had my right hip done with the uncemented. Just tired of using the walker but I know I'm still healing. I am having some pain when I sleep, well when I wake up. It's in front in the groin area, like right in the middle. It's not anywhere near the joint. I am wondering what this is. I dont have an appt until the 27th. Any help would be appreciated and I've not read and really dont have the time to read through all the previous threads. Does anyone else have this pain??
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Hi, I had a thr at age 46 and after 3 months my surgeon said I was ok to take a bath which I do. However, it is a good idea to make sure someone is around to help you out. With reference to bike rides, its probably best to check with the surgeon, and also to build up the muscles prior to going on a bike ride by using an exercise bike. Good luck!
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Hi All,
Well its 1 year and 5 months since my THR - to answer one of the questions... expect rehab to take one year! I returned to work (office / desk) after 4 months. Now feel really good, but dont over do it, and yes I to still get some minor pain in the butt area - the Doc said its to be expected and may last the rest of my life!
Be board is to be expected, but after a while that will pass, as for riding a bike I would ask my Doc about that, you dont want to fall and dislocate teh new hip.
Ken
Re: total hip replacement 6 weeks ago, I'm 38 years old
Hi all
Six weeks ago today I had a THR after suffering many, many years with osteoarthritis. I am 38 years old. I have been sitting here reading all these personal stories about hip replacements and I now don't feel so alone! I'm not even sure how to work this site so hopefully someone will reply and let me know I'm doing it right. I see my surgeon for the first time since the op, next week. Basically I've been on my own with regards to my physio. They gave me a pamphlet with some exercises but not much else. That in itself is very scary, not knowing if you should be doing this or moving like that. I still have alot of pain and am sick of taking pain killers. I'm sick of sleeping with a pillow between my legs. I'm sick of being home all day seeing all the cleaning and housework and gardening I could be doing. My husbands been great and put up with alot of tears. But I'm gathering by what I'm reading that recovery is going to take a while.
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkspot
Hello, stumbled upon this site. I'm 5 weeks post op and am doing fairly well. Had my right hip done with the uncemented. Just tired of using the walker but I know I'm still healing. I am having some pain when I sleep, well when I wake up. It's in front in the groin area, like right in the middle. It's not anywhere near the joint. I am wondering what this is. I dont have an appt until the 27th. Any help would be appreciated and I've not read and really dont have the time to read through all the previous threads. Does anyone else have this pain??
Pain in the groin area - particularly mid groin is not good so I would certainly discuss with your doc (which based on the date posted, you have probably already done. I am 43 year old male and 4 weeks post op.....
Re: total hip replacement 6 weeks ago, I'm 38 years old
Hang in there.......I am at 4 weeks after THR....same as you with regard to "on my own PT" at least until I go back to the doc in 3 weeks......bored and frustrated that my wife is doing EVERYTHING around the house.......good luck and God bless you in your recovery.......
Re: total hip replacement 6 weeks ago, I'm 38 years old
kawai217
Your doctor should help you set this up. Your at home with a pamphlet??? Please talk to the doc, you need help and yes the pillow between the legs is a pain but it a help! If you are in pain tell the doc where and how much - they need to "track" that. Recovery takes a long time for many, be assured in about 1 year you will feel better. I know a year is a long time to wait but I am 1 1/2 years since my THR and feel good but still have some minor problems, my wife has been GREAT thru all this (I think it was harder on her, I just had to lay around and get stronger).
I went to PT 2 to 3 times a week and was home from work 4 months. Please take it easy and talk to your doctor. PS I was 55 when I had the THR and live in New York USA
Ken
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Thanks so much guys for your words of encouragement and support. It means alot. I don't know what I did last night but after going to the loo and getting up off my lovely raised loo seat I had this really uncomfortable pain in my groin when I walked. Almost like a really bad pulled muscle. It's Saturday here and I don't see my surgeon until Wednesday, first time since the op. Hopefully it is just a strained muscle so I'm going to take it really easy today, although I didn't think I had any real muscle left in my hip! I think the worst part in all of this is the way it wears you down mentally. Being so incapacitated, so reliant, so slow! I have had pain in one form or another constantly with me for the last 6 weeks and it really drags you down. They had to pack my socket with my ground up bone and actually moved my hip out to the right where it should've been normally. This in itself is why I think my recovery has been so slow and so painful. I'm am hedging all my bets on my Wednesday appointment. I just need someone to tell me, yes it's all normal and you're doing well, just to give me a bit of hope because at the moment I feel so sick of it. I know there is light at the end of the tunnel but at the moment that light is a bloody long way off. And Keil do you feel guilty just laying around while your wife does everything? I know I do when my husband is rushing around.
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Yes I felt and still feel guilty my wife has to do everything but I have solwly gotten back to my life - some what - that groin pain is normal I had it, your right the major part of your pain is due to the "moving" the socket and your recovery will take longer than a "normal" THR hang in there - just think I am dancing again with my wife!
keil
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Hi
I seem to be worrying myself about all these lifetime restrictions I keep hearing about. Can you really not cross your legs? And no running!!! I just can't believe that! I realise everyone is different but I don't want to go through the rest of my life spending every minute guarding my new hip. I know I'm only 6 weeks post op but I need to know that the day will come where I will feel normal. I love gardening...but how will I garden now with all these bending restrictions? How the heck will I even shave my legs or paint my toenails? As for sex with my husband, will that ever be the same or will I forever worry about my hip the whole way through or will we be left only being able to make love in 1 position? These and many more questions I have about just the every day normal things we all do. If any one can give me any advice or share their stories................
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Hi Kawai,
Hey, Girl, you don't have to sweat it so much! Life will be wonderful again! Now I do not know what type of THR you have had, but you are very young and said it was from OA, so I have to assume you did not have any other underlying, debilitating reasons for you THR.
I will say, from your posts, your OS may leave a little to be desired, but hopefully his surgical skill level is better than his comunication skills! All of your questions should have been addressed by him or his staff before your surgery. And you certainly should not be on your own for PT with just a pamphlet! Fortunalty there is plenty of info here and on other hippy sites to help you along, so do some surfing A great place to start are the 2 threads at the top of this board that are stickied. It is a lot of reading, but you will find so much information there it will make your head spin. I believe they are titled '6 months after thr'. They got so big, the moderator had to close them, but left them there for all the information in them.
Now, you are really still recovering, and I know you are at the stage where you really want more. It will come! You do have to do your part, however. The more PT you put into it, the better your longterm recovery will be. Most of the restrictions you are reading about are short term, temporary, to allow the hip joint to stabalize itself again. After it is healed, and depending on how good a job you do with PT, most if not all restrictions are lifted.
All of the things you ask about, you will be able to do better than ever, without all that pain! You have the right attitude IMHO, of wanting to live your life, not always worry about the hips. I sure did not get mine done to sit around and baby them forever!
I am 19 mons post simultaneous bilateral THR. Most of the time, unless I am checking these boards , I do not think about my new hips. I am a VERY active 54 yo woman. I downhill and x/c ski. hike, run, mnt. bike, kayak, rollerblade, row, do yoga, horseback ride(hunter/jumper), some things at a competetive level. I run a boarding/grooming kennel, muck stalls, shovel snow, grow veggies and flowers. I have a VERY sexy DH . I LOVE MY NEW HIPS!
Now all that being said, much of what you can do post thr depends on you, although the skill of your surgeon had a lot to do with it. I did go into surgery in excellent shape. I came out with a very postive outlook and started right away to get back into condition. By 6 weeks, you can be well on your way with an aggressive PT. My best recommondation is to get into a pool. You can really get a good all over workout, start to rebuild lost muscle, work on range of motion, all without loading your joints. I did tons of pool running as well as pool aerobics and my hip exercises in the water. I would ask your OS to set you up with a good PT or find one on your own. It is not easy, getting all those muscles, tendons, ligaments, back, but it can be done. I was very fortunate to have outstanding PTs. Because of our athletics I had been seeing PTs for several years before my thrs to try to keep going so I already had them in place for after surgery. I know my recovery would have not been to succesfull without them.
Now if I were you, I would enjoy the temporary time you have to let DH pick up some of the slack. Find a good PT and get to it. Give yourself the time needed to heal and then start to look forward to life after thr. Good luck with your appointment!!
Re: total hip replacement 6 weeks ago, I'm 38 years old
Hi Kawai,
I am new to this site but wish I had known about it when I had my surgery on 09/15/2005. I was a nervous wreck (and still am) wondering if I was doing the right thing and if I was moving in the right direction and if I was going to do something wrong. I am still sleeping with the pillow bwtween my legs. I have gone from a body length one to a small contured one specifically designed for between the knees and I really still do need it. I did try not using it but was too uncomfortable so I went back to it. yes...the recuperation is going to take a long time but I do hope you eventually fell as I do that it is all worth it! I try to do as much walking or stationary biking as I can and I am going to attempt doing Pilates. Hang in there....it will get better...just give it time.
Mary
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Thanks MadMary,
Yes I'm still sleeping with a pillow between my legs and lately have been unable to sleep on my side due to incredible knee pain. Also I stopped using my crutch for a couple of weeks except when I went out and ended up with the most incredible lower back pain when I woke in the mornings, this would ease off as the day wore on. Well I went to my first physio session and it ended up that it had been double booked so the physio saw me for about 5 minutes before rushing off to her other appt! Anyway I did manage to tell her about my lower back pain and she said it was because I wasn't ready to loose the crutch. My muscles just weren't ready yet! She said as long as I waddled I need a crutch. She gave me an exercise where I had to tuck my pubic bone under, then tuck my bum under and squeeze my buttock. She wanted me to do this every hour. Thing is the next available appt I could get to see her is not for another 2 weeks. I have incision pain and this knee pain is a pain! Roll on 1 year down the track.......
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you
Happyhip, my surgeon told me that he thought it would be too hazardous for me to take tub baths any more and I have been using a shower chair (or grab bars in a shower when I travel) for 2 years. I have a complication called trochanteric bursitis which causes pain, and I never was very stable on my feet and I think he was right that I could fall and dislocate.
Also my physical therapist said that sitting with my legs straight out was contraindicated with the type of prosthesis that I have. But I am not you, and I think you should ask your doctor. Very, very important to either install a non-slip surface in your tub or have a non-slip mat in it in any event, for showers or baths. I missed baths at first, but now realize my safety is more important.
At 8 weeks I was getting impatient too, ended up pushing myself too hard, and set my recovery back. Hip replacement for whatever reason (I fell and broke my hip) is major surgery and healing takes time. Best of luck to you.
Re: total hip replacement 8 weeks ago - questions for you 
. I LOVE MY NEW HIPS!
