How long did your doctor want you to use a walker and cane?

Dear Jujube, I do not live in the UK, but also has an uncemented hip replacement. My doctor said only one week with the walker and I felt I was carrying the walker instead of using it that much. The cane for 2 weeks, by the 3rd week driving and 6th week for followup walked a distance from the car to the appointment. Some doctors are very particular about their patients following orders. Sounds like you are doing well. At almost 6 mos out, I forget at times that I had the surgery done. Hope you feel the same, too. Good luck with the rest of your recovery and new life, Susan

Dear jujube 

Welcome to this wonderful forum of fellow hippies, where we share our personal experiences ... the good the bad and everything in between ..

Interesting .... how are you walking - I mean, how is your gait? wobbly or unbalanced or straight and comfortable?  maybe he thinks that it might be better for you to still walk some aid ?  I don't know, really - I thought my Physical therapist made me walk unaided too soon ... I was / am limping and so unbalanced - it doesn't help that other hip's cartilage has gone bone-on-bone ... do you have physical therapy ?  

I don;t think he wants you to go backwards though - 

Listen to your body and go at your own pace, one step at a time  

warm hug and be gentle with your self 

renee

Hi there

I only had a frame for 1 day in hospital and then on 2 crutches. I was using one crutch in the house after 2 weeks and 2 crutches if out and about around other people for 4 weeks. After that it was one crutch when out and about and starting to do a bit of walking unaided at home. I am now 8 weeks post op and am walking mostly unaided for short journeys. Might need one crutch if I was walking any great distnce.

I don't know your health history - is there some reason your surgeon is placing these restrictions?

At 5 weeks post op, my surgeon seemed quite happy for me to do what I liked according to how I felt, obviously just erring on the side of caution. I have uncemented THR as well

Wishing you well

Kind regards Linda

Hi Jujube!

like my fab on-line friends below, I had minimal use of crutches, aids, etc.

personally i'd ask a physio as the advice given seems strange , very,

At your stage of recovery, unless there is a medicalistory we are unaware of  ?

renee talks of gait. i've been keen to do alexandrer technique lessons and tai chi to improve mine rather than a walker - builds the muscles too!

take care, and greetings from Exeter. My physio incidently wanted everyone in my cohort to hand all walking aids in at their 6 wk review!

mic

x

Hi,

I was exactly the opposite. I attended my appt. at 9 weeks, they cancelled the previous appt. they were running over an hour behind and roped in a Registrar who clearly did not want to be there. He told me that they had given me a new hip....use it! He said I should not still be using crutches, and he was making an appt for 3 months time. He wanted me on 2 sticks...no, 1 stick and no sticks when I returned. He said it was lack of confidence and ground his finger into his forehead indicating it was all in my mind. I actually found this really offensive. When I started to explain that I really could not see me being without sticks beyond my home because of the extensive neuropathy in both feet, he looked at them as if he found it news to him (it probably was, he clearly had not read my history).

I tried to do as he said, but was getting problems with  disorientation. I get flashes in my peripheral vision which make me very unsteady. Anyway 2weeks later, I fell over backwards hitting my back on the garden roller and my lovely new hip on the concrete path. I ended up spending the evening in A&E, witha badly bruised spine, lower back, bum and hip. I was lucky that hip not damaged. I am 13 weeks now, and use 2 sticks when out. My vision still causes me to lose balance and I really do not think I will ever be safe without some support when out. My feet really do have a will of their own and are not always where I think they are.

I think the surgeons, consultants etc sometimes have tunnel vision. They see a damaged hip, they replace it......all should be well, however we all have different histories, with other problems that may affect the outcome.

Trust your body, take care of your new hip, but unless there are medical reasons for your not throwing those sticks away, I cannot see why you would need them. Your GP should be able to give guidance, he would know your history and anything that would affect your new hip. Also, he would have an idea of the timeline in your healing.

My new hip feels great, its just the other things affect what I can or cannot do. We know our bodies, and I think in the main, we do try to take care of them. It sounds asif you are doing great.xx

Hi Jujube

I'm about the same age as you (58) and had an uncemented RTHR just over 5 weeks ago.

I had a walker for a day, then on to 2 crutches for 4-5 days, and then 1 crutch for another 4 days... then a walking stick/cane for trips out of the house, until the start of this week (although had been walking around the house with no aids from about day 11-12.)

Everyone goes at their own pace, and meanwhile it seems that all surgeons have their own bees in bonnets about what they think matters.... mine has a very different view it seems and this extends to the physio too - both encouraged me to try to shed these things as soon as I was ready.  How expert is your surgeon?  Is he/she a high volume one?  As far as I can understand, those who only do THRs from time to time are more conservative/more fearful than those who do large numbers, simply becuase they don't have the same level of experience of different outcomes and eventualities.....

Good luck

Neil 

Hello Judy. I'm 59 as well. I had my op 4 weeks ago today and I used a walker for 2 days then a cane which I still use. Around the kitchen I can do without it but really I am not confident. I gave up painkillers and anti inflammatories while still in hospital purely because I felt so ill, so yes I feel every little movement etc. But really my point is and I have mentioned it before that it depends on the type of surgery. Anterior, posterior, super path. Mine was a classic posterior which from what I read takes the longest to heal. I do a lot of walking but there is a magic limit where my body says enough! I measure progress by the straightness of my gait measured against distance. By the time we reach our age we know our bodies so ultimately, as others have said listen to it

Andy

Hi Jube,

mu mu irt hip wa walking with Walker for 6 weeks. It he damage was severe and recover went well. I was not steady it hou a alike. A therapy  gain back strength in m legs. Alo help to do the bed exercises especially the butt squeezes to tighten mucsl tone in th core.