One month post total hip replacement

newhipandy
newhipandy Member Posts: 60
edited 10. Jan 2016, 13:02 in Living with Arthritis archive
One month post THR

A month ago today I said goodbye to my old hip and welcomed in the new joint. Looking back, it is amazing how quickly progress happens after the operation, but this past week – three to four, felt like a bit of a plateau after the first three weeks which each felt like great strides forward (pardon the pun)

However, there are some positives to report. Firstly the nightly blood thinning injections are finished, hooray! I was hopeful I could discard the TEDs at the same time … but no, they have to stay until the post op follow up at six weeks. But that is only two weeks away so it is not the end of the world.

Walking is improving by the day. The physio is keen for me to wean off the crutches by six weeks. At first this feels like a big ask but as time goes on I think it is achievable. I am down to one crutch round the house and outside now, in some ways it is much easier than managing two. When I am walking along a nice flat stretch near a local playing field, I find I can do ten paces with the crutch, then lift it and do ten paces, and repeat a couple of times. The muscles are definitely waking up but the wound area still feels tender and I imagine it is the internal sutures that are pulling as the tissues heal. Walking with confidence after limping around favouring the bad hip is also quite a difficult concept to grasp. And I am sure that my posture reflects all this and will take time to relearn how to do things properly.

The physio has added in a stretchy band to the exercises (placed around ankles and moving leg out to the side) it definitely seems to target the particular muscles that are weedy and needy!

Massaging the wound daily really helps with breaking down the granulation tissue underneath. I massage from up around the buttock sweeping down the thigh to the knee, whilst lying on my side on the bed with a pillow between my knees, not allowed to stay like that for long of course, but it feels really good for five or ten minutes to give the area some TLC. Encouraging blood flow to the area is, I suspect, a good healing mechanism.

I discovered a good way to wash my feet in the shower, by having a small sponge on the floor of the shower, squeeze a little shower gel onto it, and squish my feet around on it one at a time, then rinse well with the shower head. Drying them is another problem with not being able to bend more than 90 degrees, but the hairdryer comes into play for that.

I have been out and about more this week, being taken out for a couple of hours is good, but it is still tiring and I have also found that I feel very vulnerable in crowded spaces, eg the supermarket, especially with one crutch today, I felt sure people would bash into my new hip (though of course they didn’t) but I do feel hyper aware that I am still quite delicate :lol:

I have seen the posts about ceramic on ceramic hips and can't contribute to that as mine is not ceramic, it is uncemented though.

That’s about all for weeks three to four … more next week.

Regards to all

Andrea

Comments

  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you for this Andrea.

    You're making excellent progress and it's so useful for others to read through someones experience when having surgery. It provides all with the knowledge of how things should be going and give a benchmark ....though in saying that we all have to appreciate that everyone recovers at different rates. :roll:

    Keep up the good work and may you continue with seeing positives everyday, even if its only slight sometimes you'll look back one day soon and realise how far you've actually come since day 1. :D

    Luv,
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I agree. You're doing really well and I think your threads will be really useful to a lot of people.

    I had to smile at the idea of being 'weaned off the crutches at 6 weeks'. Like Legs, I have RA and have never managed crutches post op. It's always been a gutter frame in hospital and a zimmer once home. And the zimmer has always been discarded the first time I've made myself a cuppa and found I needed a third hand to carry it :lol:

    However, don't be put off by my experiences. I think you're doing everything right and I'm sure that will be good news for your THR.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I think you are doing very well indeed, well done! There will be times that you think you've plateaud and you probably have, healing is a challenge for the body and it needs a break from it every now and then (that's how I've viewed the healing after my operations).

    Joints take years to get to the replacement stage and obviously we want the healing done and dusted so we can make up for 'lost time' but you are doing all the right things, it's sounding very positive to me but when one is in the middle of it all it's harder to evaluate. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • newhipandy
    newhipandy Member Posts: 60
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you for your support and encouragement. I count my blessings that my problem is isolated and relatively temporary and I will be reasonably fit again at the end of it .... I am looking forward to consultant review next week (will be six weeks post op) and will post another update then.
    This week has gone on positively, with more walking and feeling more like doing normal activities with a bit more energy. Still healing! Best to all
    Andrea
  • Jackie47
    Jackie47 Member Posts: 108
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Good luck. I'm 4 months post hip and everything is so good. Already forgotten the 3 months hip restrictions, but can't put on own socks or tights on that leg. Told not to be so hasty as it can take a while to get full movement up to a year!!!
  • Ianconnelly
    Ianconnelly Member Posts: 1
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well done Andy , I am 2 months post op of my left hip which is getting better every day although it is still painful ,unfortunately my left hip is getting worse every day and my surgeon told me to come back in 6 months ,roll on May
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Welcome Ianconnelly,

    Sounds like your hip replacement is working well for you. Congratulations! I hope the next one is good too.

    Join in and post wherever you feel comfortable, there are a number of members with hip replacements.

    I'm a moderator so if you need help with any aspect of the forum let myself and my colleagues know

    Take care
    Mod Yx
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm pleased that one of your hips is doing OK but was the right or the left replaced? Either way I'm not surprised that the one that wasn't isn't doing too well. We haven't heard from Andy so I'm hoping that means better things are happening for her, in the meantime if we can help you we will. It may be an idea to repost on your own behalf so more people find you and reply. I wish you well. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Ian and welcome from me, too. I'm glad the first op is successful and hope the other one will be too. If you want to follow the progress of newhipandy, she continued to put out updates for some time on different threads. As DD has said, if you have any questions just start a new thread of your own . And do join in anywhere else :D
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • newhipandy
    newhipandy Member Posts: 60
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello All

    I haven't forgotten the Forum entirely and the help and encouragement I received here. So here is an update on my progress. I am nearly four months post surgery now and I have to say I am delighted with the results of my op. I have been very lucky that my course has been straightforward. My arthritis was very severe in the right hip, it deteriorated really quickly last year. Luckily the left hip is way behind the right, although it is arthritic it has never caused me the problems that the right one did. I think this may in part be due to the fact that twenty or so years ago I had a lot of problems with my right Knee, requiring multiple surgeries for kneecap dislocation, in the end all the ligaments had to be tightened and the knee re-aligned. I think that long periods with my leg in plaster and inadequate physio afterwards contributed to my walking badly for many years and putting a lot of strain through the hip. In hindsight, taking up jogging as I approached mid 50s wasnt my best idea either.... :roll:

    Today I am sitting at work (on the new office chair that was purchased for me as the old one had no lumbar support and little padding under my btm) ... with my work clothes I am wearing boots with a 7cm heel (unheard of to wear heels before surgery). I have NO pain in either hip. Sometimes I get a bit achy round the new hip joint after sitting for long periods.
    I have set up a reminder on my computer screen that tells me every hour to 'get up, move and stretch'.
    I can walk three miles without difficulty, with a few stops along the way and am challenging myself by signing up for a charity midnight walk in the summer which will be eight miles.
    Currently waiting for a place at the local gym to do some structured sessions - this was set up via NHS physio who offered a 'wellness referral' for me after the routine physio sessions had come to an end.
    I hope this encourages others who are facing surgery/recuperation soon. Sorry it is such a lengthy essay! I always have plenty to say :lol:
  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Andy,

    I just caught up with this. Thank you for posting such positive comments I'm sure it will help all those facing THR.

    Well done you for making great progress! :D

    Luv,
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'