22 weeks post-op, still can't walk unaided...

I've had some pains in my pelvis that can be caused by uneven leg length or unequal weight bearing, so I have been making a big effort to try to stay as straight as possible and not favor one side or the other when walking/moving around (aided), and most of those pains haven't returned or gotten worse, thank goodness. I do not take many steps without aids because the limping can only hurt me.

I could feel it and see it the first time I stood up after my surgery, I had to bend my left knee to feel even across my pelvis, and or lift my right heel off the floor to feel even.

Apparently, or so the Dr's tell me, only a small number of patients are bodily aware, well I am one that is.!!!!!

Maybe its from my mother telling me to stand up straight, my entire life until I left her house, we lived in victorian spendor, never dined without the table being silver service set, never slopped on a chair, never left the table without excusing ourselves. etc. that how she was brought up, and I'm sure she was determined to pass it on to us.

Her grandmother who lived with mums family, was considered the leading lady of the county, having being brought up in Oxford in England, and educated there.

Mum was a tailor, did an apprenticship during the second world war, after local tailor's boy went off to war. and made the entire families clothes, beautifully tailored blouses, suits, trousers, what ever we wanted wedding dresses, and suits for the boys as well.

The Dr's at the hospital completely dismissed my concerns, that I coudn't balance on my new left hip joint, it just coudn't find my point of balance, and could not undertand, as I had a previous THR 13 months previous on the other hip, and knew what I supposed to be feeling. GRRRRR how dare they treat me like I'm some kind of idiot.

Even my own GP when i showed him the imbalance in my hips, said swelling, from the surgery, weeks when past with no improvement, so I started researching my condition, in the local library, found a book on congentital leg length discrepancy designed for podotrist, and it spoke about LONG LEG X-RAY for troublesome cases, and I tought thats me. So went back to GP (squeeky door gets the oil) and said i wanted a long leg x-ray, and I even had discovered a clinic that did it, lots of phone calls later, he again dismissed my concerns, I got cranky with him, and said lets just do it to prove me wrong if nothing else. He agreed, saying you are going to have to accept its all in your head. Yeahhh right, I thought. My LLx-ray is really interesting, I have 10mm below my knee, 12mm added to femur length from surgery, + and - other small discrepanies that deem me needing a 10-12mm lift under my right foot to make up the differences, the 10mm below my knee, because I have grown with it my entire life does not need taking into consideration from my understanding. Still learning, and still reading as much as I can find as even lift has not entirely soved my problems.

That's fascinating about your history, so different from mine! Lovely images...

When I lift one leg for a step while walking, my other leg is supporting my full body weight. I am unable to do that except for a fraction of a second, thus necessitating a quick jerk of the good leg and a limp. I can balance on my good leg alone for a long time, but on the surgical leg, only for a fraction of a second during which time that leg is buckling.

I do well when standing on both legs at the same time. Yes, the PT was aware of my inability, but no strengthening exercises, or stretching, or balancing exercises made any difference in my ability to bear weight on the surgical leg. He had me on a balance board (standing on both legs), side-to-side and front-to-back, doing it for minutes at a time. I did all kinds of things for balance, but always holding on with my hands.

Happy Holidays to you, too! I am sitting in a quiet house, with my beautiful tree, waiting for my husband and daughter to arrive. Should be a good day.

Tendon/muscle damage could be my problem as well. I had asked the surgeon about an MRI, but he says that the areas around the titanium device come out cloudy because of the metal. Perhaps if the damaged area is far enough away from the prosthesis, it would show up on an MRI.

My physiatrist did say that there are other scans that can be done if these treatments we are trying now don't help. I suspect that may be my next step. Will be seeing him on Jan 4, and will mention the possibility of tendon/muscle damage.

Is your tendon/muscle damage a result of the surgery? Or possibly from the original fall?

Merry Christmas to you!

He also has ordered up an MRI of my lumbar spine which is next monday night.

I will bet you that it shows some problems, but and I kept repeating to him that I HAD NO BACK PROBLEMS before my surgery, although I am willing to admit that back problem may have been silently brewing and the LLD has only caused the problem to show up sooner than it would have given time.

I have negative psoratic arthritis, or some form of rheumotoid also serum negative when tested, and we tend to get all sorts of bone spurs and abnormal growth, you should see my poor hands, not pretty, although better than my late grandmother's claws, only because I have been pro-active and got onto treatments early, more than a possibility yes.

The tendency to get bone spurs sounds difficult, to say the least. My sister has some on the bottom of her heel which makes walking very uncomfortable for her.

I had no back problems pre-surgery either, aside from an injury I had 4 1/2 years ago that healed with no subsequent problems. I, too, am willing to admit that it is possible that my back is causing this, but will be surprised if it turns out to be the case.

I think it really might be a tear in a gluteal tendon, like Linda has (see post above), so am asking to have an MRI for that, too.

I also have been reading up on this condition since my nursing director sister (sibling) she also holds the position of Tutor sister, but I'm sure this is the old description, told me about it she said look up stenosis, when I was complaining.

She very good goes know what she is talking about, and gives me the correct terms so I can look up what I am whinging about.

I also have just crossed over into osteoporosis status in my lumbar spine. But I only have a little bit of lower spine pain, and that only when it's been a really long, strenuous day.

I wonder if like me you lost weight before the operation.

I lost so much, my muscles have shrunk, and so I need much more exercise to bring the muscle strength up to normal.

Graham - 🚀💃

Thanks for taking time out right before your revision surgery, Graham, to reply to me! You are incredible! And I'm so sorry that they couldn't fix what was wrong with your prosthesis. It's hard to believe that using their tools the surgeons couldn't budge the part that was put in at the wrong angle, but it is not as easy when they are attached to living tissue. May you recover much more quickly this time, and not have long-term consequences from this. 

Let's hope they get to the bottom of your problem, and that you don't need revision like me.

The way I see it, I was given so much love and support with my first operation, I want to give some of that back to others in similar position

This forum gives me faith that there are really good people out there.

Graham