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8 weeks after total hip replacement

Posted , 15 users are following.

shirley28014
shirley28014

I am 8 weeks into total hip replacement surgery , and most things are going fine with the exception o the following .

My legs and feet are still so swollen and painful this is both legs and feet

not just the operated leg

When sitiing on my buttocks it is so painful  its like sitting on a pile of rocks.

Has anyone else experienced the above

Kind regards shirley

 

7 likes, 41 replies

41 Replies

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  • Hailea
    Hailea shirley28014

    Posted

    Hi Shirley

    sorry you are going through this. I went through exactly the same with my first hip replacement back in April last year. My surgeon told me to put my TED stockings back on. Lay flat on my back on my bed and raise my legs up on cushions off the sofa till my legs were above my heart then apply ice / bags of peas to the swollen areas. I promise it does work. 

    I hope you get past this part of recovery soon I know it isn't pleasent. sad

    • shirley28014
      shirley28014 Hailea

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your advice , will certainly try it out.

       

    • Hailea
      Hailea shirley28014

      Posted

      No problem Shirley. If the TEDs seem too tight go back to the hospital ward you were on and asked to be re measured for a bigger size. 
  • carol98191._UK
    carol98191._UK shirley28014

    Posted

    Hi Shirley

    I am 11 weeks post op now and my op leg and foot is still swollen, I have been told it's just part of the recovery, also have pain in my buttocks which I thought would be gone by now, but no, every time I sit it's like sitting on a pile of rocks grrr!!!! 

    Recovery is is a long slow process, and think all this is quite normal.

    I long for the day when I sit down without this horrible feeling, .......

    I find sitting down on hard chairs or low toilets painful, roll on the day when I'm back to normal and this is just a distant memory 😃😃

    Good luck on your recovery

    • shirley28014
      shirley28014 carol98191._UK

      Posted

      Thanks Carol

      Its good to know that this is normal

      How did you get on with sleeping when lying flat, because i still get the rocks feeling even when lying down , i am longing for a good nights sleep .

      How did you manage?

       

    • carol98191._UK
      carol98191._UK shirley28014

      Posted

      Hi Shirley

      I still have problems sleeping (it's now 3.30am), I've got lots of pillows and I bought a mattress topper so that it would be a bit softer!!!

      I can now sleep for short periods on my good side, however on my op side it's still uncomfortable.

      Like you, I long for a good nights sleep 😃

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK carol98191._UK

      Posted

      A good night's sleep - that must be on every hippies shopping list !

      The discomfort of being on your back, the constant pressure of the duvet on your toes, the constant running (OK, limping) to the loo ........... oh yes!

      Graham - 🚀💃

    • shirley28014
      shirley28014 carol98191._UK

      Posted

      Hi Carol 

      Thanks for all your advice i am so gratefulf to have spoken to someone who is experiencing the same problems as me .

      Is it ok to sleep on the good side now, consultant said ok to sleep on side of operated leg , but that is too painful as the incision is at an angle and is at least 15 inches and goes round onto the top of my buttock. and is till sore

      Very best wishes for the future , please let me know how you go on

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK shirley28014

      Posted

      I would say that as long as you take care and proper precautions (pillow between the legs), you can get onto whichever side is most comfortable once your consultant has cleared you to sleep on your side.

      I am still unable to sleep on my operated side, the lower end of the incision site is still too sore, but I am fine on the other side, except for a sore shoulder.

      Graham - 🚀💃

    • shirley28014
      shirley28014 Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      Thanks for your comments graham . My operated side is also too sore.

      My consultant did ok my sleeping on my operated side. But i am going to try sleeping on my other side with all the right precautions

  • susan47173
    susan47173 shirley28014

    Posted

    Sounds awful Shirley but sounds like good advice from the replies I've read. I'm coming up to 6 weeks and took off my teds this morning to wash them felt better all day but have noticed my ankles started to swell, will put them.back on tomorrow when my friend visits.

    Still early days for us take care

    • shirley28014
      shirley28014 susan47173

      Posted

      I think i might put the stockings back on . My feet and legs are so swollen that they are pinful, its agony for the sheets to touch them

       

  • brenda92532
    brenda92532 shirley28014

    Posted

    Thank you everyone. I'm only 3 weeks post op and I'm having the same problem with my foot and leg. I didn't know how long to leave the sock on and I think it's been off a week. When I think about it it's when my leg started getting worse. The doctor or nurse never said anything about it when I have complained.
    • Hailea
      Hailea brenda92532

      Posted

      Hi Brenda

      you should be leaving both stockings on for at least 6 weeks. You are so swollen and in danger of getting DVT for taking them off way too early. Please put them back on. If they are too tight go back to the ward you were on and ask to be re measured for new ones. 

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK brenda92532

      Posted

      Ooh Brenda, take note of Hailea there - put them back on, and get re-measured, or at least checked out by the hospital (you need someone familiar with post-hip operation care, not a GP).  

      You really do NOT want DVT.  My father had a Pulmonary Embolism (PE) following a DVT which was caused by a stroke.

      Graham - 🚀💃

    • brenda92532
      brenda92532 Hailea

      Posted

      Hi Hailea

      Thanks for the advice , my husband helped put my socks back on last night. I think they have been off about a week. I thought it was only after the op and for a couple of weeks no-one advised me. I have seen the nurse and doc and physio about the swelling and told me I should have them on.

      Brenda

       

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK brenda92532

      Posted

      Oh, that's good Brenda.

      So relieved you have resolved it so quickly.

      Big sigh.

      Best  wishes.

      Graham - 🚀💃

    • Hailea
      Hailea brenda92532

      Posted

      No problem at least you have them back on now. 

      It is highly unusual for you not to have been advised of this Brenda eek

      are you you taking blood thinners also?

    • brenda92532
      brenda92532 Hailea

      Posted

      Hi I'm taking aspirin and a small blood pressure tablet. How did you go on with the physio. I've only seen mine once and they gave me exercises to do at home. I've done the exercises this morning and the one where you lay flat on the bed with one leg bent and the bad leg straight. Lifting it slightly and taking it out to the side and back. I seem to have pulled the groin and now I have trouble lifting it. Is this normal.

      Brenda

    • Hailea
      Hailea brenda92532

      Posted

      I wasn't given physio for the 1st hip back in April. But my surgeon has booked me for physio this time because so much more was done but I can't start it till after my 6 week check to make sure I won't dislocate I am having to ware a leg brace at the moment too so until I get the all clear after my next X Ray I can't really do much. 

      Can an I suggest that you get an app called the pocket physio? 

      It will show on video the correct way to do each excersize for different stages of your recovery. I would say the groin pain you are feeling is because you have either forced the muscle or done too much so take a few days out from any excersize and start again more slowly. 

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK brenda92532

      Posted

      Oh yes, those exercises can be difficult at first. Take them gently, don't push too far to quickly.

      Graham

    • brenda92532
      brenda92532 Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      Hi Graham, Well I've persevered with the exercises they are getting easier. I know it's only 4 weeks since my op but my big concern is the feeling of my operated leg and foot. The foot is still swollen, I know some of the remarks on the forum say it's ok up to 6 months but it really concerns me how doctor and nurse keep telling me it's too soon to tell. I'm going to physio on Friday and doctors again on Monday. I just want a nerve conduction test to see if there's any nerve damage. I think this started before the op. Do you think I'm in order doing this.

      thanks Brenda 

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK brenda92532

      Posted

      Of course it's in order - if only to put your mind at rest.  Sometimes we imagine all sorts of things are going on, when they aren't, but occasionally your intuition is right, and you need to be sure.

      Better safe than sorry.

      Graham

    • AnnieK
      AnnieK brenda92532

      Posted

      A swollen foot 4 weeks out would be worrying to me. My foot was never swollen. And the fact that your leg is still so swollen this far out would have me really wondering what might be wrong. It can't hurt to ask for the nerve damage test. I'd be a squeaky wheel at this point.
    • shirley28014
      shirley28014 AnnieK

      Posted

      Hi Annie

      Thanks for your advice .

      My consultant and GP seem to think that it is normal and that every person is different.

      They both said it is early days yet.

      But if it perseveres for many more weeks i will go back to my GP and ask for a nerve damage test

      Kind Regards Shirley

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