Post THR progress

Lilymary

Hi all, forgive this post please but I'm feeling fed up. I'm 62 and had THR in April 2021 (some will remember my New Hip Day blog) but I'm still a long way off "getting there". Ok, I see small improvements all the time and I'm finally doing 4-5 mile walks in the low fells, using a stick for balance and a bit of oomph, so I should be throwing my hat in the air I guess. And I know I tell others "everyone's different" etc etc, but I'm fed up with being this variety of different.

I'm still getting a lot of groin pain from the psoas muscle (the one you use to lift your knee) so I'm still having to find novel ways of getting dressed, and stepping up anything higher than a staircase is impossibly painful. Even just putting my wellies on hurts. The joint often clicks, and on several occasions it's felt downright unstable. I have a lot of muscle weakness, which is even visible when comparing gluteal muscles on either side. I have at least mostly stopped lurching sideways when I walk, except when I'm tired, but the effort of not doing so and walking with good posture exhausts my thigh muscles really quickly. The whole leg feels sluggish and dull, so when I'm on rough ground there are times when I need help getting up or down "bad steps" that I normally would barely have slowed down for.

I still get pains in bed - the knee pillow helps a bit, but not that much, and I stagger about like a rusty robot when I get out of a chair if I've been sitting more than an hour or so.

I can work in the garden, if I'm careful, but so many of my other activities that I thought would be coming back by now still feel very far from reach. Even yoga and pilates are out of the question as there are so many moves that will set off the pain and challenge my useless muscles too much, never mind risking dislocation.

Then I compare myself to others who have had THRs long after mine. They're back into running, climbing, dancing, swimming and so much more within months. I truly don't resent their success, and it's what I would wish for everyone who goes through this ordeal - and it has been an ordeal. I bought into the "start getting back to normal in 6-8 weeks" promise. I want a refund.

I've had a tsunami of other unrelated but similarly impactful crises to manage lately as well, but to be honest, I'd still be feeling this about my hip without them. I'm just utterly fed up with being stoic about this. Sorry.

Fif

What sort of follow up have you had since your operation? I assume you were given specific exercises to strengthen the muscles round the new joint. I found after my op. these were painful, but doing them religiously did really help in the long run. I also did pilates and yoga before the operation and although I couldn't do all the things I had done before, I found that keeping trying and getting a little bit further every day eventually paid off. if you're really concerned about instability and the clicking noises it might be an idea to get back in touch with the consultant who did the operation to ask for advice. I'm really sorry you're having such a hard time and hope things will start improving.

Lilymary

Hi @Fif I've had regular reviews by a very good physio, and I'm (mostly) doing the exercises and seeing minor improvement, but to be honest sometimes it makes the groin pain worse so I moderate it a bit. I had to stop my yoga and pilates as once my hip suddenly kicked off after a fall in early 2020 the pain was eyewatering and the mobility in the joint extremely limited. I kept walking as much as I could, but that decreased to a very slow and painful 1 mile by the end of 2020. I haven't been able to start classes again due to the issues I'm still experiencing - I suspect if I did go my lovely instructor would take me to one side after the first session and suggest I wasn't ready for it yet.

I'm due to see my consultant for a one year review in April, meanwhile my physio and I are throwing everything at it so that worst case scenario, we can at least say "we tried".

Fif

Good for you for trying. Hopefully by April you'll see some improvement, but really try to get your consultant to take your concerns seriously. I always find that writing things down before appointments really helps me to stay focused. Otherwise I end up leaving with unanswered questions which is really frustrating!

Coddfish

Hi @lilymary

Have you been back to your surgeon to query any of it? As someone older than you who is 100% recovered at less than 6 months who can run, swim, walk hills, has no pain whatsoever, can do all activities of daily living without aids, your situation doesn’t sound quite right to me. I am way better than I have been for several years, and that should be your end point too.

Bella59

So sorry to hear you are struggling.I had my r hip replacement done five months ago.I was pain free about month or so after.I did exercises but my left hip got worse so had to cut back on that side.I am still using crutches to get around on,this is due to left hip needing replaced.I am hoping to get this done in April.Have you had an x Ray recently to check on position ?I hope consultant can help you in April to improve your situation.Best Wishes.

Lilymary

Thank you for your comments. You're right, something clearly isn't right with my hip, so I've plucked up courage to email my surgeon, copied to my GP. Not sure what sort of response I'll get, if any, but he is at least forewarned that my 12 month review won't be a cheery slap on the back and wave goodbye. They will re-xray the hip as a matter of course at this stage. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Cazbaz

Hi@Lilymary, sorry to hear you are still suffering, it doesn’t seem like nearly a year ago since we had our THR, you put me to shame the amount you are walking, I can walk fine indoors but the minute I put shoes on I struggle, hubby tells me I look like a penguin when walking (a tubby penguin as I now have an under active thyroid 😂)luckily I’m in no pain at all now with my hip but I am suffering with lower back pain, the nerve damage in my lower leg is still causing problems but all the doctors say is it will improve! It does seem that all the other people I know who have had THR are doing so much better than me, all we can do is grit our teeth and carry on. Keep up the good work I’m sure you will get there.

stickywicket

@Lilymary and @Cazbaz Please don't apologise for your THRs not going swimmingly. Not everyone can tackle marathons 2 weeks post-op😉 As we keep saying on here, we're all different and our recoveries will be different. It's great that some are so successful so quickly but here at versus Arthritis, we're in it for the bad times as well as the good and, in my view, it does no harm for people to read that recoveries can take much longer than planned or hoped. @Lilymary , I'm so pleased you've opted to get yours checked out. Definitely a sensible solution. @Cazbaz I hope you will get there in the end.

Lilymary

@Cazbaz I'm sorry you're still having problems too. I have some nerve damage down the outside of my operated leg, which manifests itself as a strange combination of numbness and pain simultaneously. However, most of the time I can ignore it, so long as I don't lie on it or sit badly. Are you still doing any physio? Mine tells me we need to keep doing it to continue building up our muscles again, rather than stopping after a few months. (or even worse, after a few weeks - it takes 2-3 months for the physio to even start working properly, and we need to keep it up after that as well, making it a bit more demanding as we improve). Looks like you and I are in it for the long haul, but at least it's nowhere near as painful as it was pre-op. I think we'll need dentures from gritting our teeth so much!

Cazbaz

Hi@Lilymary, still doing my hip exercise class online every other day and also doing a nice steps exercise every day which I enjoy doing more, regarding my lower leg I don’t get any pain just aware that it’s numb, I do feel that I’m quite unfit at the minute but hopefully I can remedy that with more walking and not eating so many biscuits and cake 😂like you at least since my THR I’m not in pain and I can sleep. Carry on gritting your teeth, we will get there I’m sure

Lilymary

I've got my consultation with my orthosurgeon on Monday am. I try to avoid Dr Google, but I did find an item (or was it my physio found it? can't remember) on "illiopsoas impingement following hip replacement", which fitted my symptoms very accurately. It didn't make pretty reading. Not looking forward to this. 😥

Cazbaz

Hi@Lilymary, hope your consultation went well

Lilymary

HI @Cazbaz , well, it wasn't great. My surgeon said it's very unusual for someone to have the problems I'm experiencing, specially a year after hip replacement (which he said is why they like doing them! Knees are another matter...). My leg put on a very good performance for him - I could only lift my foot about 12" off the treatment couch lying down before it got too painful to continue, and the trochanter (on the outside of your hip) also did a big ouch when he poked it. Which surprised him as he said they hadn't really done anything to the psoas muscle during surgery, and the trochanter should have settle down by now.

They took blood tests, xrayed me again (which showed the implants were fine) and he's referred me for ultrasound and steroid injection into my psoas muscle (the one in your groin that lifts your knee) but the waiting list is 20 weeks 😥. I can keep going till then, but the pain and muscle weakness are rather limiting, but I don't need to take pain relief, I just adapt and avoid doing the stuff that sets it off. Meanwhile he'll do a telephone review in 3 months.

If the steroid injection doesn't work they can do keyhole surgery to release the psoas tendon, but I'm hoping it won't come to that as it can result in (yet more) muscle weakness.

I don't think this is anyone's fault, and none of us knew my body was going to be such a bloomin' drama queen about all this 🙄 but it is what it is (ie disappointing) and I'll just have to get on with it. At least that absolutely awful 24/7 grinding pain before surgery has gone, and I do still see small improvements as time goes by. A friend had surgery on her shoulder that didn't go well, ie left her with limited mobility, but she said the steroid injection after made a huge difference and her shoulder's in full working order now, and hasn't needed further treatment. So I'm keeping all fingers and toes crossed it will be the same for me. 🤞🤞🤞

Cazbaz

Hi @Lilymary, I’m sure everything will work out fine for you, keep us updated, walking more now is my top priority but at least the good weather is on its way.

Bella59

What a horrible time you have had Lilymary.I hope that the steroid injections will help settle things for you.I 've just got out hospital about four hours ago after my second hip replacement.First one went well praying this one will be good too.Let us know how you get on keeping my fingers crossed for you.