Blessed
Posted , 12 users are following.
I am 50 years old and am in good shape sine I am A personal fitness trainer. I had total hip replacement on June 14 of this year, 11 days ago. Rehab is going great, although still on alot of pain meds for the unreal pain and stiffness. I am driving now and I am fine, with the exception of getting in and out of the car. My question here is, I am going back to work this Thursday which would be 15 days out from my surgery. Doctor has cleared me if I feel like working, but most of my clients are in the medical field that I train and think I am coming back to work to early. Confused just thought I would see other people thought.
1 like, 36 replies
vickie06043 Hank81
Posted
I wouldn't go back to work at only 15 daus post op...I'm a retired nurse...
Wishing the best for you..
TC Vickie
Hank81
Posted
vickie06043 Hank81
Posted
Hank,
If you doctor has given his approval and you feel physically able to go back to work then do so. I would just encourage you to listen to your body. Be kind to your self & don't push to hard or over do...
TC and let us know how it goes..
God bless.💙
Vic2
vickie06043
Posted
That should have been "Vickie" silly smart phone lol
Dsilk05 Hank81
Posted
Hi. I went back after 7 weeks. I was good to go after a month but my doctor wouldn't release me until my 6 week check up with him. I had an easy recovery with no pain. Just a lot of stiffness. I would say take your time and let yourself heal some. That was a major surgery and traumatic to your body. Be good to yourself .....
leah35183 Hank81
Posted
Hello, you are still in a lot of pain and stiff, and taking pain meds. It doesn't sound to me like you are ready to go back to work. Not sure what your pain meds are, but driving may not be a good idea either. I don't mean to sound, well mean, but half of us are on this forum because we have obtuse doctors. If there is no rush for you to get back, take it easy and try to wean off you're meds. Take care and hoping the best for you, Leah.
renee01952 Hank81
Posted
dear hank,
warm welcome to this hippies forum where we share our personal experiences and stories -
good to hear how great you are doing .... did you get the anterior approach?
if so, then you might be able to go back to work if, like your surgeon told you, you want to and are up to it ---
from what you wrote, it doesn't seem that way though ..
I agree with all the previous responses that it sounds a tad too early to me too -
no matter which approach you, it still is a major surgery and not "just a procedure"
Was an xray taken recently and was surgeon happy with the result?
would it hurt to wait another 2 weeks at least ?
please let us know how you are getting on ...
allow the healing to take place, hank
big warm hug
renee
sylvie123 Hank81
Posted
I'm just astounded, You speak of unreal pain and still on a lot of pain meds. By 11 days I was nearly off mine. Isn't this a warning sign that it is too early. You are also driving - should you be!!! Mentally I could have returned to my part time finance job after 3 or 4 weeks but physically I was still building up my strength to walk a distance. It all came together at 6 weeks for me and I returned to driving, work and everything else I do for my family. I do think you should be kind to your body, it has been through major trauma as many people here will tell you better than me. You may also suffer mentally if you put too much pressure on yourself.
I thought it was the norm to have a 6 week check up at which you were given the all clear to return to work. I was given a 6 week sick note when I left hospital. Were you given one? I don't understand your doctor's attitude - is it your GP or your consultant saying this? Just thought perhaps you are in the US?
Look after yourself and think carefully about what you are doing. Good luck.
RichardKen Hank81
Posted
Excellent result which is much like I experienced with my hip replacement twenty years ago however I was not having the pain and stiffness or on pain meds but I took a couple of weeks off before returning to work!
I do urge you to delay your return to work until you are feeling more normal and off your pain meds.
Best of luck. Richard
Bowling_Julie Hank81
Posted
I'm no expert but i think that sounds too early . My op is 18 aug I was looking at mid October. I suppose it depends what you do. Dont undo all the good you've done . Julie
kimberley38758 Hank81
Posted
Hi Hank,
It's so easy in the early stages to be doing great which gives a false sense of being able to push for more. The soft tissue around the hip takes 12 weeks to completely heal. Until that point you can easily do too much causing setbacks or even worse... damage.
6-8 weeks, depending on the type of procedure you had is about the average time for those who don't have physically demanding jobs.
I'm happy for you that you have done well so far, but don't push your luck.
Take care and best wishes!
Hank81
Posted
sylvie123 Hank81
Posted
renee01952 Hank81
Posted
well, you are pretty determined to go back this coming Thursday .. and I understand ... living alone and having to do everything yourself is a challenge - but you are doing it ... and it can be very lonely ..
very honest of you to say that you need them, your clients - to feel useful and needed is great ...
however, this is major invasive surgery and healing process has just started ... tissues, tendons, muscles etc. are still so fragilethat hey can snap when you put them to work too soon - and then what?
You are still on medication for the pain eventhoug you have cut it in half -- one of the hardest things is that you are not in control but your body is - allow it to do his job at hisown pace -- there is hardware where once was a joint , and one in your femur -- that is trauma from which your body needs to heal and repair and accept the foreign objects ...
Good that your surgeon is happy but an xray is needed to make sure everything is in the right place ..
please be kind and patient with your self -
who knows, you might be doing extremely well, which I wish for you
please let us know how you are getting on, okay ...
we are all rooting for you
big warm hug
lynn66084 Hank81
Posted
A friend of mine has a brother, he is a farmer, had his operation and went back to work at 4 weeks (UK) He now limps worse than ever, didn't give himself enough recovery time. Suppose a lot is based on whether it was posterior/anterior.
Mine was posterior, I used a walking stick until 11 weeks, went back to work at 13 weeks and it was still difficult then, but it's about a year and a half since I had mine done and I'm pleased I waited. I feel great and don't limp at all.
You don't need to rush things. take care.
kimberley38758 lynn66084
Posted
Lynn,
I was advised to take the extra time off work if at all possible. I went back to work after 9 weeks. I'm so glad that I didn't rush things. It's been almost a year now and I'm doing fantastic. There are just too many things that can go wrong in the early stages. I've been a member of this forum for 8 months now and I've lost count of how many times i've read about people overdoing things because they feel so good. It generally results in a longer recovery time. Unfortunatly you can't rush the healing of body tissue. Nor can you rush physically getting back into shape again. These things take time and lots of patience.
RichardKen lynn66084
Posted
Dear Lynn
I tend to share your concerns for Hank though I have to admit to pushing myself....perhaps something to do with having been self employed for fifty years and a reluctance to sitting around!
I'm now six weeks post op but suffered an accident in the ambulance that set me back many weeks. I was banned from weight bearing until a week ago and only started doing non weight bearing exercises about a month ago.
I'm now in the last couple of days walking about the house without any aids for much of the day and have just got back home after a lengthy walk of about 1.5 miles some of it without using the one crutch I set out with. I take my time and concentrate establishing a good gait and a good stride length.
Although I push myself I think that I'm not taking risks. I'm doing all my own cooking and housework. The grass area is going to have to wait for a few more days as it involves using a strimmer and I think the swinging action may be a bit of a risk today!
Cheers Richard
RichardKen lynn66084
Posted
I too was farming for part of my working day until quite recently and well remember my next door neighbour saying with some feeling that there is no easy job in farming! I should just add that we were both hill farming which does make a difference.
It is a mistake to push too hard but this has to be a personal division as we live by the consequences!
Cheers Richard
lynn66084 kimberley38758
Posted
Exactly, it can take a year or two for your muscles to heal properly, Don't want to pop the hip.
lynn66084 RichardKen
Posted
Be careful, I can't remember how long it took me to ditch one stick, but I did get about the house earlier than the 11 weeks I actually ditched it. I overdid the walking twice, once I couldn't sit down, it was like I locked up, that frightened me. The other time I got more pain.
lynn66084 RichardKen
Posted
RichardKen lynn66084
Posted
Dear Lynn
I'm doing my best to be careful but being active. Once the washing machine has finished and I've put the bed clothes on the line I'm of for a walk in the lovely sunshine we have here this morning...without any aids!
Cheers Richard
lynn66084 RichardKen
Posted
Hi Richard,
Sorry I'm late in replying, but I bet your doing even better now, well done.
RichardKen lynn66084
Posted
Dear Lynn
Good to hear from you. Progressing well I'm happy to say. I feel most of the time back to normal and am not really aware that I've had a hip revision apart from if I've been sitting at the computer for several hours and get up to go to another room and I'm aware of a slight stiffness but I think I felt this before the twenty year old hip wore out. I would just say that I've been taking great care getting in and out of the car.
No pain but slight discomfort when I turn over in bed sometimes and have given up sleeping on my back thankfully.
When out walking I test myself by trying to keep up with chaps in their thirties for example and fall behind after a few minutes. I seem to have the same stride pace so my stride length must be what is letting me down, but you can be sure that I'm working on it <BG>
If you or anyone would like to share notes on the phone feel free to message me. I think actually talking one to one allows for far more useful information to be passed rather than via a keyboard especially a phone one such as I'm using today.
Hope everything is going well for you.
Cheers Richard
RichardKen
Posted
Been walking now for three and a half weeks. No aids for nearly two weeks. Can quite easily manage three mile walks at a pretty decent speed with absolutely no limping.
Cheers Richard
AnnieK RichardKen
Posted
That is so good to hear, Richard! 👍🏻
RichardKen AnnieK
Posted
Dear Annie
Thanks. I think I've been lucky both times!
Cheers Richard
lynn66084 RichardKen
Posted
Hi Richard,
I hadn't realised you had a revison, that last hip of yours lasted quite a long time. Hope mine goes that long lol I'm really envious that your getting along without your walking aids too. Though I think I lost a lot of muscle tone with limping so long. But all the same in the end, a hip that works.
I found it extremely painful and difficult getting in a car at the beginning, once to come home and once at 3 weeks because I was leaking some kind of fluid. and didn't go in one again till my 11 week check.
Good to hear you are doing so well.
All seems to be going well with me, a couple of gyps with my other hip, doc said it may need doing in 3-4yr which will be less time now lol.
RichardKen lynn66084
Posted
Dear Lynn
Yes it did just over twenty years and much of that was doing heavy building work including roofing plus hill farming. The materials and design certainly stood the test of time and the replacement ball and poly cup are as I understand it are the same except my surgeon used a larger ball and correspondingly larger cup.
It's a mistake to delay surgery when it is clear that surgery is needed and loss of muscle strength is just one drawback.
In my case I had to wait a couple if months for the revision which caused a bi of Ann issue
RichardKen
Posted
Sorry my previous posting went before I had finished. As I was saying there was a bit of an issue. Once the hip failed the joint was metal on metal through my continued walking and this caused a metal gunge to build up in the area of my failed hip. Whilst my surgeon managed to remove most of it he could not reach it all and some had drifted up towards my stomach.
I was warned that the gunge might give me problems in the future but so far nothing that I'm aware if. Additional surgery would be needed to get rid if which of course I want to avoid.
I wish you all the best with your recovery and for when you have your other hip done.
Cheers Richard
lynn66084 RichardKen
Posted
Hello Richard,
It has been a good strong hip then, that's very physical work.
I didn't know I had a bad hip, I thought it was just muscle problems from when I had an accident 6yr before. Couldn't stick the pain anymore, went docs found out in the November 2015 I had severe osteoarthritis, saw the consultant in Dec and had the op in the Feb 2016. Was also told I was too young for a replacement but she could still refer me. I said no at first, and changed my mind a week later. Pleased I did.
Lynn
RichardKen lynn66084
Posted
Dear Lynn
I had to wait several years until I was considered old enough to have a new hip and I was 55 when I had it. I was fully active up until the opp which I'm sure played a part only very quick and pain free recovery.
If you are finding walking pain free may I suggest using two crutches or walking poles until you are really walking well with a good strong gait.
All the best
Richard