ALMOST 6 WEEKS POST OP THR

hileena111

Hi
I'm 6 weeks post op on Friday and see the consultant on Monday....What can I expect....from others who have been through this?? Will he say I can sleep on my side? Can I bend and twist more than I have been able to???? I know we are all different but any experiences would be appreciated.......I was walking round the house with one stick after a week.....the other one kept getting in the way LOL and I did check with the district nurse and she said I was quite steady.....I've been going round the house and up and down stairs without any sticks for the past 7 or 8 days now....So my mobility is OK...still have to use one when I'm out. I still get pain in that leg ...usually down the front.....after I have walked outside for a little bit....dont know what is normal and what isnt
Sorry I know I'm rambling
Love
from a rambling Hileena LOL

speedalong

Hi Hileena, you sound like you are make tremendous progress!!

I think the advice varies from surgeon to surgeon and patient to patient.

When I had my THR done 13 years ago - it was cementless and glueless and was bone grafted into position and I was no weight-bearing for 3 months .. then I was only allowed partial weight bearing ... so my experience was very different to yours.

Now adays where that hip is concerned all I avoid is twisting and bending at the same time - oh yes and if I turn round to quickly - I end up in an embarrasing heap on the floor!! Cutting the toe nails on that foot is abit tricky too.

Some peeps with more recent experience will probably have more relevant answers.

Speedalong

hileena111

Hi Thanks for your reply......I had the op on Friday and was on a zimmer frame on Sat, Sticks on Sunday and kicked out on Monday LOL
I dont mind if it hurts to do things....its the fear that the hip will pop out
Probably being silly

Love
Hileena

hileena111

Sorry meant to say.....The GP referred me to the chiropidist before all this....its only once every 3 months but I have a large nail file and after they cut them well....I just file at them a bit to keep them down until the next appt

Love
Hileena

tanith

I had my THR 5yrs ago and I do remember my surgeon saying at my post-op check that he couldn't tell from my gait which hip was the operated one.. I was very pleased to not be walking with a limp.. he also said I could do whatever felt comfortable.. and if it feels uncomfortable then don't do it.. now I do everything apart from twist and bend or crossing my legs... and I can cut my toenails...

hileena111

Hi
Sorry I'm being a bit thick but what do you mean by not twist or bend?
At All??? Thats what I've been doing for the last 6 weeks and hoped I could get back to being a bit more normal.....cant bend to dust/polish low things, get things out of low cupboards etc etc is that what you mean?

Love
Hileena

speedalong

Hi Hileena I used to get round the no bending thing by sticking my op leg out at the back whilst bending forward as I stood on my good leg- that way the hip was never bent more than the regulation 90degrees. The dangerous movement I was told to avoid would be sitting and then twisting and bending to the side ie to pick something up. The thing to avoid is having the hip at right angles with a bend or twist as well. Are you having physio? You could check with physio or consultant at next appointment.

Have you checked out other THR threads on the forum?

Speedalong

trisher

hileena111 wrote:

Hi
I'm 6 weeks post op on Friday and see the consultant on Monday....What can I expect....from others who have been through this?? Will he say I can sleep on my side? Can I bend and twist more than I have been able to???? I know we are all different but any experiences would be appreciated.......I was walking round the house with one stick after a week.....the other one kept getting in the way LOL and I did check with the district nurse and she said I was quite steady.....I've been going round the house and up and down stairs without any sticks for the past 7 or 8 days now....So my mobility is OK...still have to use one when I'm out. I still get pain in that leg ...usually down the front.....after I have walked outside for a little bit....dont know what is normal and what isnt
Sorry I know I'm rambling
Love
from a rambling Hileena LOL

Hi Hileena

Well done, keep up the good work. I'm very pleased for you.

love Trish xx

rb1234

Hi Hileena

It sounds like you are doing really well.

My new hip is now about 3 months old and I love it. At the 6 week check i was told i could slowely start to relax the 90 degree rule. However better to do it by moving knee towards chest than body down to knee (using gravity) if that makes sence. I was also told the twisting the knee outwards when i bend past 90 degrees would be good. I was advised to avoid leg crossing and twisting the knee inwards though as these are the moves with the greatest risk of it popping out. My physio also sort of said once the move has been done once with no problem it is likely to be ok however it is jarring or forced movements that could cause problems.

I do know everyone has different experiences and some people have to wait longer to relax the rules (if they are allowed at all). i think to some extent this depends on the surgeon and their preferences and also exactly how the surgery was done (which bits got cut etc)

After the 6 week point i did start to worry about dislocation as i was doing new stuff. However i can reassure you that it didn't last long with me. Although my hip is only 3 months i have been on some long walks and also have now got back on my bike. I swim most weeks too. The other morning i realised for the first time that i had to think about which one was my new hip - they both felt "normal"

I have been suprised how much improvment i have seen in the last 6 weeks. Nearly as much as the first 6.

Good luck on Monday. I hope your surgeon says what you want. Let us know how you get on!

xx

hileena111

Hi
No I'm not having physio....seems to be just our area.
In hospital for the regulations 3 days {counting the op day as day 0} and the last physio I had was on the Monday {3rd day} and after she was convinced I could cope with the stairs she gave me exercises and signed me off as she put it....So no more physio for me????????
I've coped with the 6 weeks but thought I could do more bending and twisting soon....sometimes I wish I hadnt had it....I'm supposed to have the other one done but at the moment I doubt very much that I will say yes to that.
Thanks for all your help

Love
Hileena

hileena111

Hi,
I think our post must have crossed LOL
That makes sense....the bending etc. I suppose I will be wary for a while.....I was when it was first done...terrified would describe it better but as time went on I had to stop myself doing "normal" things
My other thing is How did people manage to get in and out of the bath....I'm going to have a try one of these days even if I'm fully clothed LOL....with my hubby there to help me

Love
Hileena

quietwaters

Hi Hileena
Its great to hear you are doing so well, I was only thinking about you on Weds and wondering how things were going. You sound like you've adapted to the new hip really well, I think its brilliant. How have you managed sleeping on your back for 6 weeks? Have you managed to get any decent nights sleep at all? Did you use one of those 'V' shaped pillows and if so, how did you get on with it? (sorry, asking loadsa questions).
Good luck for Monday, please let us know how you get on.
Take care, love Jay x

frogmorton

Hi Hileena

You have done well

I think you can do whatever feels ok as others have said. be guided by yourself. Is it Elna who said - if you feeel pain that's ok but if you feel it more than 2 hours later you've done too much??

Good luck for your apt and dont forget to let us knwo how you get on.

Expect him to talk about having the other one done though.... :shock:

Love

Toni xx

hileena111

Hi...In answer to the question about s The majority of the time I had at the most 3 hrs sleepleeping on my back...I did try the V shaped pillow but it seemed to push my head and neck forward.
The past few days I've had a reasonable nights sleep {about 5 hrs} but when I wake up I'm sore under my bust and round my back......{as well as generally being stiff} because I'm partially propped up.The majority of the time I've had a bout 3hrs max sleep.

Love
Hileena

denpen

Hi
It sounds like you are doing really well your consultant should be pleased with your recovery. I am having my THR on 15th April and I dont look forward to sleeping on my back for weeks I can imagine that I will be in more pain from that than the operation and I already pity the other poor people that will be in the ward with me because I snore something terrible when I sleep on my back as my husband keeps waking me up and telling me. lol.
Denise.x

hileena111

Hi
Well ....I wasnt in long enough to disturb others and as for at home....I moved into the spare room as a temporary measure. I know I snore when I'm on my back and I thought well my husband has to work so why should he have disturbed nights.....plus the fact that when I cant sleep I can get up and move around or read or whatever without disturbing him.
Good luck with yours
Love
Hileena

hileena111

rb1234 wrote:

Hi Hileena

It sounds like you are doing really well.

My new hip is now about 3 months old and I love it. At the 6 week check i was told i could slowely start to relax the 90 degree rule. However better to do it by moving knee towards chest than body down to knee (using gravity) if that makes sence.[/img] I was also told the twisting the knee outwards when i bend past 90 degrees would be good. I was advised to avoid leg crossing and twisting the knee inwards though as these are the moves with the greatest risk of it popping out. My physio also sort of said once the move has been done once with no problem it is likely to be ok however it is jarring or forced movements that could cause problems.

I do know everyone has different experiences and some people have to wait longer to relax the rules (if they are allowed at all). i think to some extent this depends on the surgeon and their preferences and also exactly how the surgery was done (which bits got cut etc)

After the 6 week point i did start to worry about dislocation as i was doing new stuff. However i can reassure you that it didn't last long with me. Although my hip is only 3 months i have been on some long walks and also have now got back on my bike. I swim most weeks too. The other morning i realised for the first time that i had to think about which one was my new hip - they both felt "normal"

I have been suprised how much improvment i have seen in the last 6 weeks. Nearly as much as the first 6.

Good luck on Monday. I hope your surgeon says what you want. Let us know how you get on!

xx

Hi..just reading back over an old post of mine,,,,my consultant said at the 6 week check .....eg putting shoes on, sit and bend and reach your feet, dont bring your leg up towards you??? Weird how they all have different ideas

Love
Hileena