Hip replacement recovery

Limpingandinpain

Hello 🙂

I had my left hip replaced 4 weeks ago on Monday and just wanted to see if there's anyone who can talk to me about the recovery. I won't see my consultant until 2-3 months post op, I was only in hospital for one day, and had one chat with a physio so I've not had any opportunity really to find out if the stage I'm at is OK etc.

I found the first few days quite tough - painful, I was exhausted and wanted to sleep a lot, and I ended up constipated of course, from the meds. The hospital had given me some laxatives called Sennosides so I tried one at bedtime on the Wednesday night. Never again🙈 I won't go into the finer details, but I was up and down all night not knowing if I was going to be sick, have the runs (or the hobbles? 😂), have neither or both. I was shivery and just felt dreadful. Thankfully that passed by the Thursday afternoon.

On the Friday I felt much better and managed to get out of the house, into the car (passenger side, of course!) and we visited my parents. I was so exhausted though, I was starting to fall asleep during the visit. The week seemed to pass in a blur of sleeping, drinking gallons of water, peeing like it was going out of fashion, not eating, and of course the lovely laxatives episode.

I started going for walks on the Monday, one week in, on the crutches. I managed half way along the first bit of the pier, with a total of 394 steps, which doesn't seem much at all but it was all I could manage, and when walking on the pier, I always have to remember that however far I go, I have to get back again too, so it's quite difficult to judge how far to go. I was starting to really slow down on the way back and was very glad to see the car.

Week 2 wasn't bad, still feeling exhausted, my husband was still off work to look after me, our daughter and the house, so he was doing all the cooking and I was resting and going for walks. The exhaustion seemed to ease a bit.

Week 3 - the exhaustion was back with a vengeance, maybe because I was starting to try to do a few things because my husband was back at work. I made very easy dinners - things like pizza, or pre cooked chicken with microwave mash, pre cut veg and instant Bisto. The pain in the new hip was more or less gone at this point, but the other one was really starting to act up. It's in just as bad a way as the one I had done. It's now complete and utter agony. It's stiff, painful right down to my ankle, my knee hurts, the hip locks up and then all of a sudden, without any warning, it will do this almighty snapping thing right down the thigh, which unlocks it but I can't when describe the pain.

I had a one-off appointment with the physio last week and he said it's very very common for the other hip to start hurting even more than before, because it's having to work harder than it really can, until the new one gets stronger. What's really getting to me is the fact that when I'm in the house on 2 sticks, it feels every bit as much of a struggle to walk as before the op. I can't enjoy the lack of pain in the new hip because of the immense pain in the other one. Would I be better still using the crutches in the house? Walking with them outside is relatively pain free but I'm struggling so much on the sticks in the house, because of the other hip. I've had no guidance as to when I should be on sticks instead of crutches etc.

I've had a couple of days of feeling pretty down, because I'm still so tired, still in a lot of pain with the other hip, I can't do normal day to day things in the house very easily, mostly because of the pain but also because of having no free hands, I feel like a useless mum (I know it's temporary, and my husband and daughter are so amazing, they've really kept things going in the house and they're keeping ME going, I don't know what I'd do without them). I just can't see this getting any better until I get the other one done but my consultant was hoping I'd get a bit of time out of the other one because the new one should be able to eventually take some of the pressure off it. I can't imagine this ever happening though.

My biggest worry now is will I ever walk normally again, without aids? I almost feel as if my brain has forgotten what signals it needs to send to walk normally. I know that's silly (I hope!) I just can't imagine how I would ever walk without aids. I'm struggling WITH them just now! And it hasn't helped that I'm in a support group on Facebook, and one woman put up a video of her 9 DAYS in, walking fast with the zimmer, throws it to the side, walks fast with one stick, throws it to the side and then practically bounds towards the camera, no aids at all, no sign of a limp or any issues having been there. But the bit that worries me the most is that she said her other hip has end stage osteoarthritis and hip dysplasia and is in as bad a way as her first one, and she's getting it replaced in 4-6 weeks. That's exactly what I have wrong too, and I'm struggling so much. I'm really worried in case I should be walking like her but I just don't know how she can do that if her other hip is like mine! I know I shouldn't compare but I can't help worrying when I see her like that 9 days in and I'm struggling so much nearly 4 weeks in.

Oh and the district nurse was in yesterday and said the wound hasn't fully healed at the top and has pulled apart a bit, so that's worrying me a bit too. I feel very aware that every time I sit down/stand up/get in or out of bed/sit on the toilet frame thing, I'm bending in that area!

Sorry this is so long and I sound so moany! I think so many people don't tell you the reality of having a hip replacement, all anyone seems to say is it's the best thing they ever did. I know we forget pain and things - I already can't imagine what the pain was like in the early days - so I've kept a diary day by day of the reality of it so I remember for next time, and in case I can help anyone else.

On a positive note, I finally finish the blood thinning injections on Monday and I can't wait!

stickywicket

Honestly, I think you're expecting way too much of your body. OK I have RA as well as OA so my THR recoveries were necessarily slow but my husband had bot hips replaced in the last 2-3 years and, despite keeping as fit as possible beforehand, he took things at a much more leisurely pace too.

For about three weeks, all I did was exercises (up to six times per day), rest, distraction of any kind (reading, watching mindless TV, doing puzzles) so as to put off the next lot of pain relief as that makes us both sleepy and constipated, and brewing up endless cups of tea. As I've always seen it - what's the rush? Just get the muscles strong (ALL the muscles, not just those we use when walking but also the ones we can strengthen by the exercises, and the rest will happen. It's not a competition though there will always be those who boast of limbo dancing 2 days after surgery. Inner healing takes much longer than the scar on the outside. Pushing for things to happen more quickly just achieves the opposite.

Be gentle with your body and accept that you're in this for the long haul not the quick fix. 394 steps, one week post-op, sounds an awful lot to me unless done in 3-4 sessions. And steer clear of Facebook😉

I found a post-THR fact sheet from one of the NHS trusts. Have a look here https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/media/ptefbsfb/advice-and-exercises-after-a-total-hip-replacement-thr_jun21.pdf

Douglas1970

Thanks this is useful

Douglas1970

Lilymary

You are fully entitled to moan. You've just had major surgery, and it knocks the stuffing out of you, mentally and physically. I had hip replacement in April 2021 and I'm still recovering (I say that not to frighten you, but to give yourself a more realistic case to compare yourself to). I had my weepy moments in the struggle of the first few weeks back home, it's hard graft, and yes, you are a bit helpless for a while. I had a love hate relationship with my crutches, needing and resenting them in equal measure, which resulted in them getting hurled around the house and garden on more than a few occasions.

I agree with @stickywicket , you are expecting a lot of your body. I know hip surgery is "routine", but it is very major surgery and your traumatised body has a lot of rebuilding to do. And rebuilding soft tissue and consolidating round the bone implants takes ENERGY. Your batteries are being drained away in a different direction to usual, so cut them some slack! And yes, fluid is important for the rebuilding (I'm awful for not drinking enough but I drank and peed gallons after I got home), so your body will be asking for it.

It sounds to me like you're doing pretty well. I was thankfully in hospital for 3 days post surgery, and I needed it, both for the pain relief (the pain was off the scale) and because I frankly couldn't do anything else anyway, other than pass out on the way to the loo on day 2. I just did very gentle exercise when I got home, and very very short walks from the house (the first one registered 200 steps on my fit bit). It knocked me for six for at least 4 weeks, and I wasn't fit for work until 7 weeks post op, and even then only very short bursts.

The pain in your "good hip" sounds familiar, and I agree with your physio. It's working overtime at the moment, and should settle down once the new hip is taking some of the strain.

A bit of my wound took 12 weeks to heal (the surgeon's hand slipped, apparently 🙄).

And as for that 9 day wonder? Good lord, give me strength! If you want an account from a mere mortal, read my blog "New Hip Day". It's longish but an easy read and might give you heart, and a giggle. I am slower than most, for reasons that escape everyone, but that's just how it is. Everyone's different, and those accounts of people going jogging after 3 months or riding a horse after 7 weeks are deeply discouraging to normal folk like us, so ignore them. YOU ARE DOING FINE! It's a long haul, but you'll get there.

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/54075/new-hip-day

And yes, in all probability you will walk normally again, without aids. I'm now 9 months post THR and I did a 6 mile walk at normal pace on rough ground last week, although I did need help over the stiles. I use my stick just for balance on those walks, but don't need it at all otherwise. I still have a quite lot of muscle weakness in my operated leg, but it's getting much better with my physio's help, and just by walking normally. I also have various pains in my leg, the muscle pains will probably go, the nerve pains some may not, but they're bearable, and don't need pain relief. Most of the time I'm not aware of them.

And you are not a "useless mum", right now you are a bloomin super hero!! (with bionic joints to prove it!) Keep it up lass, you're fantastic. And it will all be fine eventually. This is just the grotty bit. LM xx

Coddfish

Sorry it seems tough @Limpingandinpain. It’s early days, you will make progress. Don’t be put off by others seemingly progressing more quickly, we are all different.

Bella59

We are all different people and recovery varies.You need to be kinder to yourself and we can only do our best post operation.I am like you in that after three weeks my other hip got a lot worse due to doing exercises.My physio told me only to exercise new hip.I can only walk very short distances with elbow crutches.I need other hip done to make a difference to my mobility and pain.Also remember everyone can have different medical conditions which can affect recovery.I hope you will feel better soon.

stickywicket

."Also remember everyone can have different medical conditions which can affect recovery.I hope you will feel better soon."

An interesting point @Bella59 . I was just the opposite. It was essential for me that, due to my RA/OA in my other hip, I needed to keep that going too. So I broke up the exercises to accommodate it and also help the operated leg ie I did 5 exercises on the operated leg, 5 on the other and another five on the operated one. I did this for each exercise every time I did them. For me, it helped.