3 weeks after my THR would love some moral support

Omg you are on track!!

I am 5 weeks post op and I understand your frustration but please remember you have had major surgery.

I am 57years old and a keen sports person but have been sensible post op. I am walking everyday and do exercises that my consultant has prescribed and nothing more.

I understand your frustration as I still can't put my shoe in on my operated side but that will come.

Please take time to heal and to reiterate you are definitely on track x

Beverley - you are doing really well! The odd paracetamol!! I'm still on co-codamol (nearly 4 weeks post bilat THR). I understand your frustration - i too am normally v active - gardening, decorating, walking, cycling.

Be kind to yourself - you are putting yourself under too much pressure. I have told myself i will not attempt anything in the garden until at least 3 months and no digging for a good while after that. Same with decorating etc. Neighbour mows my lawn, my sis hoovers for me. I Am walking my dog, but changing how i do stuff - instead of walking her on lead (won't attempt this for good while) to our usual field, i drive to different one where i can let her straight out off her lead. I then walk with 2 crutches (for safety and quality of walking - i walk around house with 1 stick or unaided) and throw her ball with thrower - it feels great to be able to do some of my usual things, even if in different way, but am happy to leave others until am healed. It won't last for ever. Again, you are doing brilliantly - make most of having the luxury of taking things at slower pace for short while - you'll be chasing around again before you know it.

Big hugs! Xx

You are doing fantastic if you are using 1 stick and the odd paracetamol.

This recovery lark is frustrating.  I stopped work the day before my op, then had 5 months off due to surgical and hospital errors . By the time I got back to work I felt like an idiot, a total beginner. I had to learn everything again.

Then there was the mowing, gardening, shopping (all my tasks usually), so we got a local gardener in to mow the grass and trim the worst. Got the shopping delivered for a change.  In short, use everything you can to help you through this time.

Sleeping on your side .... don't get me started ... I had to have revision surgery 10 weeks after the operation, so had to go through 6 weeks more sleeping on my back, unable to get intimate, more blood thinners and painkillers, more exercise and physio .

If you want to see what my progress was like, it's in my blog on my website, along with tips from other hippies on this forum. The website address is in my personal info here ...

   https://patient.info/forums/profiles/rocketman-sg6uk-907025

and at the bottom of the moderator's "useful resources" page at

   https://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-487147

Best wishes

Graham - 🚀💃 🤸    ¯\_(?)_/¯

Dear Beverley

Take your recovery at your pace and if you have any tendency to limp which I'm sure at this stage you really should be using two crutches whilst your muscles are recovering strength. Oh yes and keep doing those boring exercises!

All the best

Richard

Oh Beverley, I know where you are coming from. You are doing brilliantly. I remember well as someone who was always busy having to rely on others. Having my hip replacement taught me patience. I had to rely on help from extended family for the first 5 weeks. Your daughters can help out more as you were working previously and also did else. Use a rolled up towel in middle of back when laying down. You will take some time to recover phyisically as is major surgery. Xx

Hi Beverley,

I had a few crying spells when I would wake up and feel overwhelmed by all that I couldn't do! I think, as you are used to being so active, that you are now bored to tears. You sound as if you are doing very well. My operation was eight days ago.

I do feel sorry for you not being able to sleep on your side. How long do you have to wait?

Hi beverly36063 please be patient with yourself. I had my 1st ATHR on May 15th and ny 2nd on August 28th of 2017. I am two days post op and this feels totally different because I was mentally prepared for the pain to come. I have great support here at home and this time around I'm going to take my time and be extra patient with my recovery. I'm looking forward to playing with my grandson and Zumba classes! It will get better.

Hi Beverley

I'm 14 months post op (and going in for my second THR next month), at 3 weeks I was still taking oxycodone and using 2 crutches, so as other have already said, you are doing brilliantly - we all can't be wrong! 

I suggest you stop concentrating on what you can't do, and instead do what you can. Why not take this (albeit, enforced) opportunity to do something that you've always wanted to do - read all those books, watch films, catch up on TV boxsets, start a new hobby, catch up with friends, write letters - you get the idea.

Instead of worrying that you can't garden, why not plan for next spring and design and plan a new flower bed/veg garden.  Planning a new flower bed and working out where to plant what, what flowers when etc is half the fun - then when you're physically better you can carry out your plan.

Again with decorating - plan what you want to do, what colour scheme do you want to use, research on line for the items you want to buy - and then surf the net to find it cheaper.

Regarding side sleeping - unfortunately, that's one thing that I can't really be positive about.  If you're a side-sleeper then I know that trying to sleep on your back is a form of torture.  The only thing I can suggest is trying a V-shaped pillow and just catnapping for the next 3 weeks - it does pass, but that's not much help at the moment. Sorry about that!

Finally, remember you have had major surgery, be kind to yourself and try to be a patient patient (my husband has just read this sentence and said that he hopes I remember to practice what I preach)!

Anyway, good luck and don't be so hard on yourself.