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Encouragement from physio today

Posted , 8 users are following.

Pippyj
Pippyj

I've been following discussions on the forum since my THR in mid April. Today, after a long shopping trip yesterday with daughter, husband and grandchildren, I was feeling pretty despondent as I was in pain. I try not to take painkillers unless absolutely essential. Out of the blue the physio I haven't seen since week 4 rang to see how I was. I told her I was fed up with the slow progress as I'd been reading about how many on the forum are walking miles by this stage - and how I can't. I still need a stick for shopping trips and am often in pain late in the day. She said I'm perfectly NORMAL and everything is as she would expect. She also told me to take paracetamol when necessary. For those like me I thought I'd share her words of encouragement!! We will get there eventually.

4 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • barbara920
    barbara920 Pippyj

    Posted

    Hi

    Just to let you know you are not the only one. I don't really have much pain just sore but without the cane I walk like a penguin. I feel like I had a few too many I wish. Some days not so bad others a little worse. When I walk with the cane no problem. I am 8 weeks post op today. Can't wait for it to stop. Just have to NE patient.

    Barbara

    • kelly1205
      kelly1205 barbara920

      Posted

      Barb, i totally get it, I am now 5 weeks post op still needing the cane when i go up and down stairs and when my leg feels tired. I am back to working 12 hours shifts at the hospital and really cant use the cane when i am working so my leg gets so tired and I start walking like a penguin too...trying to be patient  and let the healing take place is the hardest thing especiallyl since we have been so immobile prior to the surgery, all we want to do is get back to walking the way we did prior to our disability.
    • madla39168
      madla39168 kelly1205

      Posted

      Dear Kelly,

      Im working in nursing gome and went back to work after 13 weeks, 12 hours on your feet not suprise you are tired . Im working

      only 7 hours and my leg is tired and some days hurt. Im nearly 10

      months after hip replecement and i wasnt alowed to go back to work after 13 weeks. Take care and take it easy.

      Hug Madla💗

  • renee01952
    renee01952 Pippyj

    Posted

    hi pippy, 

    I know ... our expectations are different from reality - some recover faster than others and that is okay --- remember how majorly invasive this surgery was ? not sure if you have watched the video on youtube ... IT IS BRUTAL ... 

    your PT is right regarding taking painmedication - maybe Advil or paracetamol -

    can you describe your pain?  is it muscle pain ?

    I don't know about you but the time leading up to THR surgery were years of slowly getting less mobility, more pain etc .. somehow we expect that we can just stand up and walk like we did way before there was a sign of OA ... 

    You are doing good - 

    keep up the good work and be kind to your self ... it is a lot of work

    big warm hug

    renee

  • RichardKen
    RichardKen Pippyj

    Posted

    Dear Pippy

    I can understand the frustration you feel but on the positive side you have got rid of the pain in your hip you had before the surgery.

    IMO the speed of one's recovery is determined by many factors which are unique to ever one of us so try not to be too despondent.

    I do think based on one total hip replacement that lasted twenty years and was a fantastic success and a recent revision of it that whilst your muscles are,recovering their original strength that you take steps to make sure that you have good posture and are walking really correctly and in a balanced way.....no limping! If you need two crutches, two sticks or a pair of walking poles then just do it.

    Speed is not the important thing but quality of walking is.

    Good luck

    Richard

    • Pippyj
      Pippyj RichardKen

      Posted

      Thank you everyone for all your comments. I know I'm not alone. The pain I get after walking too far (for me) is down the front of my thigh. I now have one leg slightly shorter than the other and I feel this could be part of the reason I still walk like a penguin. Hopefully my body will eventually balance itself out. I'm trying to strengthen the muscles in the whole leg as of course I limped before the surgery. Even though I feel and apparently look much younger I have to remember I turned 71 last month. Onwards and upwards

    • barbara920
      barbara920 Pippyj

      Posted

      Hi Pippyj

      Just went yesterday for my 2 month post op exam. Like you I told my surgeon that I feel like a penguin. He checked my walk, checked the hip and said after my ankle surgery on Tuesday we will look at the hip and walk again. If I am still swaying he wants me to go for more PT. Not saying that you have anything with your ankle but I needed both surgeries and we decided to do hip first. But he said with my age being 68 that I may need more PT for the hip. Try more PT before anything. Good luck and stay with it

      Barbara

  • RichardKen
    RichardKen Pippyj

    Posted

    Dear Pippy

    I can understand the frustration you feel but on the positive side you have got rid of the pain in your hip you had before the surgery.

    IMO the speed of one's recovery is determined by many factors which are unique to ever one of us so try not to be too despondent.

    I do think based on one total hip replacement that lasted twenty years and was a fantastic success and a recent revision of it that whilst your muscles are recovering their original strength that you take steps to make sure that you have good posture and are walking really correctly and in a balanced way.....no limping! If you need two crutches, two sticks or a pair of walking poles then just do it.

    Speed is not the important thing but quality of walking is.

    Good luck

    Richard

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen

      Posted

      Apologies for the double reply. Sometimes I find that my reply looks as if it has not gone after several minutes so I may see a spelling error which I correct and think the fact that it has allowed me to do this shows that it did not go and then send only to find that two versions have added on the forum which seems very strange!

      Cheers Richard

    • barbara920
      barbara920 RichardKen

      Posted

      Good morning, Richard

      I am sure that no one is going to hold a double reply against you. Thank you for your replies to alot of the concerns on the forum.

      Barbara

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen barbara920

      Posted

      Dear Barbara

      Thanks for your reply. First of course I felt a bit embarrassed and second I wondered if others had experienced the same thing when posting. Perhaps it relates to my responding from my phone. Just interested.

      Thank you for your kind comments about my contributions.

      Cheers Richard

    • Cindybud
      Cindybud RichardKen

      Posted

      I once sent one three times hahaha, wouldn't worry too much you are not alone 😘 

    • renee01952
      renee01952 RichardKen

      Posted

      hi richard , 

      same here from lap top - Lap top is kind of old (2012) and hesitates before it actually sends the post - impatient as I am, I push "send" again ...

      but worse to me is that everything disappears !!! still not sure what I did ...

      thank you for your encouraging posts and valuable tips ...

      slainte

       

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