1 week, post op THR (right side)

OscarLali

It’s exactly 7 days since I’ve had my hip replacement, where this time last week I was just getting back into bed after having attempting to stand up on new hip for the first time (with frame) and walk to toilet (peeing myself in the process as the spinal hadn’t fully worn off) which I failed at miserably as no sensation there at all and ended up having a catheter fitted for the first night (which I was actually really relieved to have) and this was my first ever experience of ever being in hospital in my whole life!! To say it’s all been a bit overwhelming is bit of an understatement.

For a multitude of reasons, I’ve spent the last 18 months putting off surgery but I firmly believe there comes a point in everyone’s OA story where enough is enough and you finally make that decision for whatever reason to have the surgery. And that’s where I’m at! Stayed in for 2 nights and am now in the process of negotiating the finer points of recovery, which feels like no amount of prep actually prepares you for.

This community has been a great resource for me, and the one thing I’m taking from here more than anything else is everyone’s experiences are different. I’ve spent the first few days at home getting used to tottering around on crutches, trying to work out if I should be fully weight bearing on the replaced hip or not. All the literature you’re given tells you foot positions for walking aided and up and down the stairs and the correct exercises to help strengthen but where does it tell you how to wipe your bum when you are sitting on your scar line without causing a shot of lightning from creeping down your leg!!! The finer points of recovery are definitely work in progress and something to figure out as you totter along.

7 days in and I now feel comfortable getting up in the middle of the night to go for a pee without waking up hubby to walk with me. I’ve also had 2 x 10min walks outside today and feel surprisingly okay this evening. ‘Okay’ as in I’m not screaming in pain, not okay as in actually okay, but better than I expected at this point, even though I haven’t really got any expectations - wondering if the pain I feel today is normal for the pain at this point in recovery is again something I’ll figure out as I go along and something which seems quite individual to everyone. Dead weight, solid-bum cheeks, firery sensation, tingling, just some of today’s sensations. And I’m all prepared for this time next week to either be the same, worse or different. This has been my most daunting experience in my life so far and the past 7 days feel a lot longer than just 7 days so far, but I’m just going to keep on doing what I’m doing, reading all the amazing comments from everyone on here and hope to God I don’t do anything stupid to jeopardise my new hip - suddenly at the age of 48, the fear of falling over has never been so prevalent, but focusing on the next few weeks & months and knowing I’ll be in a better position than I was this time 8 days ago is keeping me going xx

Janlyn

@OscarLali Well done - you sound to be doing fine for seven days. I've smiled at most of what you've written - my left total hip replacement was 16th December last year. I remember so well the dead weight of my leg, getting into and out of bed taking so very, very long and being awkward. Wondering whether I was going to damage anything.

Well done for getting out so soon too. It was very wet and often icy this time last year and so I didn't go outside for ten days, just walked around the house and did my exercises.

Definitely there's many 'finer points of recovery' to get to grips with, but it happens. You're through the worst, and yes, we have to wait until we know there's no choice but surgery before we finally give in to it. We all seem to do that.

Take care and let us know how you go on.

Poppyjane

Welcome @OscarLali to the online community

We are glad to hear that you have joined the "gang of hippies" successfully!

Pleased too that the members experiences have helped you appreciate that we are all different whilst in many ways the same as we cope with living with arthritis. As @Janlyn says you are doing well and coming to terms with your temporary limits on your way to recovery.

The hippy diaries contain a great source of information and members tips so I hope you will join in with some more of your own experiences to add to this rich resource.

I expect you will have been given some exercises to follow by your hospital but in the future after your six week check up you might want to expand that routine. So look for the exercise videos of Lets Move with Leon or the Stretching Exercises which all help to strengthen your muscles and flexibility.

Do stay in touch.

Take Care

Poppyjane

Fran54

@OscarLali

welcome to the hippie club! You seem to have a positive attitude towards your new hip which is half the battle won. I know before I left the hospital I was told that I could put my full weight on my new right hip, but my leg felt heavy like a lump of wood! I did the exercises that were prescribed before the op and carried on doing after the op. Once home I was sent an appointment to start physio sessions at my local hospital of which I had 6 sessions over 6 months and was discharged from all this with some new ones to continue at home. It is important to keep up the physio as much as you can as personally it helped me immensely with the progress of rehabilitation. I think the first 2 weeks home are the most stressful as well as waking up in the night numerous times hoping I will make it to the toilet in time! But it will get better so be patient and be kind to yourself. If you have any worries it is comforting to know that there are plenty of helpful people on here. Please keep us updated in your progress. Take care.🙂

Nurina

It's great to hear about your experience. It looks like you are having a good recovery and that means you'll be better day by day. It's not a noticeable thing. It''s like the Earth's rotation. You don't notice it but it's there. You'll be able to do more things, walk with only a crutch one day, with no crutches another day, you'll climb up and down stairs and a lot of more things but it happens very slowly. You'll find yourself doing things that you couldn't do a week ago or even the day before, in a natural way, without thinking or pushing yourself. So soon you'll be able to do other things you haven't done in months or years totally painless.

Take care x

frogmorton

Lovely to meet you @OscarLali congratulations on your new hip. You sound as though you are doing incredibly well. I'm so glad the hippies and their stories have helped you. Really they are a fantastic resource aren't they? I hope that the authors will all be prepared to be called in to help those facing THR surgery in years to come.

Take care and keep up the good work

Toni x

OscarLali

@Janlyn I think I remember reading some of your posts earlier in the year and was absolutely horrified at the thought of going through surgery, with all the pain and the issues, but in time, things change, and now I’m kind of glad to hear others experiences. I’ve been lucky that it’s been quite mild to be able to get out, and already a few days later I’m already noticing somethings are already beginning to feel more familiar and normal. @Poppyjane thankyou for the warm welcome and I will try and contribute to others posts now as I progress. I’d like to think that my experience one day might help ease someone else’s concerns or worries as many of post has already done for me. @Fran54 I’m starting physio on the 7th of Jan. I was so religious in doing all my pre-op exercises and have every intention of following everything I’m told to do going forward to give me the best chance at improving. I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted as to how that goes. @Nurina you’re so true, I’m already noticing little things that are already beginning to feel like I don’t need to consciously think on what I’m doing. And finally @frogmorton thankyou for your kind words too, looking forward to sharing more of my journey with everyone xx

frogmorton

Hope last night was a reasonably comfortable night for you @OscarLali

Take care you are doing very well.

Toni x

OscarLali

Thanks @frogmorton, I don’t know why, but the last few nights I’ve struggled with sleep! I’ve slowly been increasing my steps each day, so I’m feeling tired when getting into bed, but laying still in the same position is starting to grate a bit, and just finding it difficult to be comfy enough to actually drop off. It’s not the sleeping on your back thing that’s bothering me, because I’ve kind of trained myself to get used to that this last year, knowing that I’d eventually need to be able to back sleep after surgery. The pain meds I came out of hospital have now run out and am back on just what I was prescribed before, so that has changed from separate paracetamol & codeine alternated every 3hrs to now being back on the combined co-codemol every 6hrs and I don’t know if it’s psychological or not but I felt more evenly covered for pain taking the separate tabs more regularly than I do now. I’ll see how I get on again tonight.

Janlyn

@OscarLali Oh I do sympathise regarding sleep. It is being in the same position that is difficult I think. That's exactly how I was. I didn't sleep properly really until I could go on my side. It's not the back-sleeping as such, it's not being able to shuffle about and get comfortable. I found my heels were sore and started to put pillows under them. I propped myself up with pillows so that my back wasn't under as much strain but nothing really helped. I found I got up when I couldn't stand it any longer and slept in a chair.

Wishing you a better night and hoping they'll let you go on your side soon. I didn't have to wait the full six weeks although I was a bit scared. I did find that even just being able to go on my side for a few minutes received the pressure and helped.

Take care.

frogmorton

I think @Janlyn is right part of it is about being able to just relax and turn over when it happened naturally when you aren't even really awake.

I think sleeping is probably the one thing everyone struggles with post surgery.

When I had my back operation I was advised to take ibuprofen, then two to 3 hours later tramadol and so on to the max daily dose of course. It kept me ahead of the pain stopping it catching me up.

So I 'get' what you're saying.

Toni x

OscarLali

Thankfully, I did manage to get a better nights sleep last night so that was a very welcome relief and also, was also able to speak to my doctors this morning who have agreed to prescribe separate pain meds so I can stagger them more throughout the day so hopefully that’ll help too xx

Janlyn

@OscarLali That's all so good to hear, you're going in the right direction. Take care.

dandy

I am currently waiting to join you 'hippies' and have only just joined this community. This is the first post I have read and it is already apparent that besides eveyone being different, having their own personal concerns, you are a wonderfully supportive group, that I am delighted to have found. So thank you for that and thank you all for your contributions as I think your personal journeys will be more helpful than any hospital 'instructions' on how to cope.

OscarLali

@dandy i am so glad this has given you so much encouragement already. I’m a 48yr old woman who’d never been ill my entire life, so I’m not ashamed to admit I was scarred witless about going into surgery, but finding this group has been the best thing for my mental wellbeing during the process. I’m not a big ‘sharer’ but reading other peoples experiences helped me immensely in dealing with what lay ahead and I’m so glad to have shared my story too now in the hope you/others can take some comfort in the process ahead xx

Anna

Hi @dandy

Just wanted to welcome you to the online forum, and so glad to hear that you have found support and advice from our lovely members. Looking forward to seeing your posts!

Anna ( Moderator)

Janlyn

@dandy Welcome, although sorry you need to join us.

I got lots of information before my surgery by reading post and you are right - real people's actual experiences are so helpful. The hospital instructions are useful but nothing beats talking, even virtually, to someone who has been there. We are all different but there are also lots of similarities and we do try to understand and help so please ask away if you've any questions.

adrianh

@OscarLali I am now in my 5th week since my new hip and it already seems like a distant memory/nightmare (depends on the day I am having!). It is a real rollercoaster ride and it will get better. I remember the night I plucked up the courage to sleep on my unoperated side - best nights sleep in years! Now it’s 2025 I want to get on with walking, driving and “normal life” but being very careful not to do too much. Good luck with your recovery.

OscarLali

@adrianh isn’t it weird how time distorts everything, lol. For me, today is now only 2 weeks from day of surgery, yet already it feels like I’ve been recovering for longer, for ages, in fact, lol. Still struggling to find that ‘balance’ where yesterday I had an amazing day again, felt great, felt more comfortable putting an bit more weight on the repaired hip, and managed 3 separate short walks outside, only to wake up with my bum cheek like a bowling ball this morning!!! My head is definately more recovered than my physical body, but I do have to stop and remind myself that it is only 2 weeks still. Like you I’m chomping at the bit to get back to normal. Get the staples out on Saturday which I’m both excited and dubious about - keep imagining how much it’s going to sting having them out, but again, compared to what we’ve already been through, it should be a walk in the park.
At only a few weeks ahead of me, keep us posted as to how you are doing xx

Nurina

@OscarLali For me, getting the staples removed wasn't painful at all and it was so quick, maybe two minutes so far. I asked the nurse to cover the wound because it was very tender with some scabs and I didn't want to get it rubbed with the clothes. After a couple of days, dress out and a nice shower.

About getting back to normal, two weeks is still early days but you are doing very well. In my 2nd week I hadn't imagined how well I would be in my 5th week. For the first time in two years, I can walk without limping and without crutches. I still prefer to use one if I go to the supermarket or I want to walk further because I'm terrified of getting sore and feeling pain again. With one crutch, I can make 6000 steps without any proplem, maybe a little back ache and burning bum probably due to the adaptation to the new posture. In my case, the mental damage has been much worse than the physical. I feel I'm having some sort of PTSD.

With the new year, I feel my new myself too and I'm planning to come back to my job and start new projects when boys return to school from next week. I've dusted my abandoned bullet journal making new calendars and weekly timetables. I feel so positive and alive.

Take care x