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6 weeks post op and can't lay on good side or stomach

Posted , 9 users are following.

noplaybarbie
noplaybarbie

I was wondering is their a time limit on how long before a person can or is able to lay on their good side or stomach? I have tried a few times to lay on my good side (with pillow between legs), but can only lay like that for a few minutes and my leg starts hurting in the thigh, femur area and sometimes all the way down to the knee or foot. Last night I attempted to lay on my stomach for the first time and after a few minutes pain in the thigh, femur and also a even more severe pain in the pelvic area. I had never had this pain before so thought I better turn back over. I am just curious, and I don't know if it is from the hip (think the femur pain is) or from the fact that I also had a fractured pelvis that the surgeon had to repair...so tired of trying to sleep on my back and also have a bad left hip that I have to get replaced soon, and it is so bad that laying on my back makes that hip hurt in the buttock area....Seems like I can't win and no matter how I lay I hurt....Thanks Barb

0 likes, 22 replies

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  • renee01952
    renee01952 noplaybarbie

    Posted

    Hi Barb, 

    I am so sorry to hear about your problems ... I also was allowed to sleep on my unoperated side 2nd day post-op with pillow between my knees - It was not so comfortable (pulling sensation of wound) but I think that having a choice helped me - 

    I think that having hd a fractured pelvis, healing is even more extensive than with straight THR - I am not a stomach sleeper so can't help you there -

    Sleeping on operated side took longer for me - I had pillows on that side and sort of leaned against it instead of lying on sensitive scar --

    there good tips here ...

    big warm hug

    renee

    • noplaybarbie
      noplaybarbie renee01952

      Posted

      Hi renee, yes their certainly are some good tips here. I am making use of all of them and will keep a lot of them in mind for my next hip....Hugs back to you renee....Have a great day....Barb
  • thegreatbosco
    thegreatbosco noplaybarbie

    Posted

    hi, thanks for posting your question, as i was considering asking exactly the same.

    im also a side/front sleeper and i am nearly at my wits end! i have tried a combination of pillows between legs etc, but i am awakened by pain in side/hip/femur. i suppose it's just time and patience!

    on the positive, i hope, like me, you are experiencing less and less pain, generally, day by day?

    best of luck.

    • noplaybarbie
      noplaybarbie thegreatbosco

      Posted

      Hi thegreatbosco...yes for sure experiencing less and less pain. I remember the first time I tried to lay on my good side...I wasn't able to turn by myself and asked my husband to give me a hand so I could turn to my side, no sooner than he helped me I was yelling, oh gosh, pull me back, pull me back...It hurt way to bad. I can actually lay like that for a few minutes now and it isn't near as painful as before but still starts to hurt and just not comfortable yet...best of luck to you also...Barb

  • Msky
    Msky noplaybarbie

    Posted

    I think since you had a fractured pelvis it is making things more difficult for you.I have that fractured femur and I get a pain that radiates from the fracture point inward and down the back of my thigh and then to my ankle.I am going back to the Dr tomorrow so will see what the F/U X-Ray says. Meanwhile just keep trying twice a week until you can do it without pain.So often I think the answer is that each of our bodies are different,and we heal at different rates. Continued good healing
    • noplaybarbie
      noplaybarbie Msky

      Posted

      Thanks Msky....yes that is so true...I am still seeing continued improvement. I was so happy that the past few days I have been able to walk with a cane instead of crutches. Then this morning when inside the house I have been walking unaided. I will do this as much as I can, but if it starts hurting then I will use the cane. A lot of my problem still is my left hip. It is pretty bad, bone on bone and hurts all the time even when I am sitting or laying down I don't have to be walking for it to hurt. I think if it were not for that I would be walking pretty good (no waddle). I tried again last night to lay on my good side I think I lasted about 10 minutes and then it started to hurt, not real bad but just enough to make me a little uncomfortable so I turned back over. So it is improving. I think more time to heal and I will be able to sleep like that.....Hope you have a great day....Barb

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