Frustrated with physical therapy

Hi Carol. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "push your foot down with the good leg for leverage." An extra boost would help if I can picture what it is that you do!

Cormacrobert, if this horrible Georgia summer weather would finally come to an end, I could get out and walk more! It is still too hot even first thing in the morning. We did have one nice week and I was walking half a mile. Do you find that your range of motion is improving without any PT?

I can relate to your heat issue...I live next door to you in S. Carolina. Everything is improving with time and exercise. It's not easy but the end game is worth it! Mornings and evenings with the cicada's. What could be better? 

Twenty years ago at age 55 I had my hip joint replaced using the posterior approach and made a very quick and easy recovery by just walking. No physio and not given any exercises to do. I really did not spare my hip during those twenty years doing heavy building and farming work and it was fantastic.

A few months ago due to the poly cup having worn through I had a revision using the same approach. Apart from a accident where I was thrown into the floor of the passenger ambulance taking me home from hospital that was thought to have caused a crack to my pelvis and meant bed rest for five weeks I've made a quick recovery.

I was sent home with sheets of exercises to do and the offer of physio which I declined.

Cheers Richard

Temperature was in the high 60s this morning so I went on my walk. Not a cicada to be heard, but the birds were chirping away.

Carol, I think I understand what you mean. I will give it a try tomorrow. I like to reassure myself by seeing how easy it is with the non-operated leg so I know it is definitely a result of the surgery!

Carol, the groin pain is something that bothers me a lot. My daughter, who is also a PT, said that it could be transferred pain from another area. This morning I decided to try putting on socks and tying my shoes before going for a walk. I have been wearing slip on shoes. I struggled with my non-operated leg (which needs surgery) and was able to get a sock on. But I absolutely could not do that with the other foot and I also could not tie my shoes. I feel so pathetic at times!

Hi Anne. If it makes you feel any better, I can't do it either. Lol. Gotta laugh or we might cry! (And yesterday I did cry a little) When I left the hospital, I was given some kind of contraption for putting socks on but I haven't figured it out yet and just do without socks. I feel so helpless having my husband dress me. Got to keep thinking it WILL get better. My other hip is great and was replaced 5 years ago. I'm not sure whether to do pt today or not after my mistake step yesterday. Still getting my first cup of coffee. Let me know how your day goes. Keep smiling.

Desire, I dread having that second hip done! I am taking things slowly, but only because that's the only way I can move! My lack of patience with the whole process is the real problem. I'm glad that your second hip recovery is going well.

Sandy, I'm at 4.5 weeks now, so I'm starting to feel a lot better. But I do understand how you are feeling. I would cry every morning when I woke up and had to struggle to get out of bed. And getting back to normal seemed like an impossible dream. I'm still far from normal, but I do get out and walk half a mile. If I don't walk uphill I won't make it home! But it is a lot of work.

I have groin pain so I use an icepack placed right there after exercising. My other hip needs replacing, too, so I have double groin pain!

I had 22 staples in my incision and at two weeks I was so happy to have those things removed. I think my scar is ugly, but everyone tells me that it looks fine and that it will eventually be a white line, barely noticeable. I have been massaging that area with Vitamin E oil as my muscles are rock hard and need to loosen up. When my staples were removed the nurse put on strips to keep the incision closed. They were supposed to slowly fall off, but they did not so I eventually used a lot of oil and removed them, which then left lots of sticky adhesive! So much fun.

I did a lot of lying around too and I felt very fatigued most of the time. Now at 4.5 weeks I'm beginning to get some energy back.

Apparently attitude is very important! And mine has not been that good. I haven't cried in a few days, so that's an improvement! 

Are you using a walker, walking cane? I was able to ditch my walker fairly quickly. I did not want to be seen using that thing! I now walk without a cane, but I still have a lot of stiffness in my hip.

I understand how you are feeling and I was where you are at ten days. Try to look forward to getting those staples out. That felt like a landmark for me. I was not allowed to drive for four weeks as it was my left leg. I still have to help my leg when releasing and applying the emergency brake.

Post-surgery depression is very normal, but I usually felt better after a good cry. Hang in there. It will get better. 

Where in Georgia are you? I live in Warner Robins.

thank you sooo much for commenting...I am about 40 miles North of Atlanta near Alpharetta.

So many of the comments said you will have less pain after 2 weeks, but i am 10 days, as mentioned, and cannot see the pain subsiding that much. 

Yes, I think the staples are pulling. But it is scary to think they come out so quickly and that the skin could stay together. I tried my best to not look at the incision, but the bandage fell off. I knew I would do a little freak out...I cannot even cut up a raw chicken from the store.

I have read so many people complaining about the tendon next to the hip surgery and the groin area  ( iliopsoas?) not getting better, and I am scared about that.

Yes, I am very tired, and my house is filthy. My husband of 28 years has been babied by me way too much, and just doesn't see dirt.

Whoo boy. 

 

Sent one other post but forgot to ask at how many days out from surgery  did you start walking the 1/2 mile?

That's been fairly recent, so probably in the last week or so after I was done with in-home PT, close to the four week mark.

I have been fortunate that my husband has been an angel about taking care of everything. But he's also been good about letting me take back the things that I can do. Are you taking pain medicine? I wasn't able to take the heavy duty stuff, but I did take extra-strength Tylenol. I also take Tylenol PM to help me to sleep at night.

The skin does stay together after the staples are removed, but they do put those strips on just to be safe. I did not like seeing my incision either, but it really does look a lot better now.

Did you have the anterior method or the posterior method of hip replacement?

Tell hubby what you need done around the house. You will feel a lot better if your surroundings are cleaned up.

Had the surgery that is on the front, they use a special table called a "Hanna" table. Researched the doctors for almost a year , and probably waited a year too long.

But a pipe had just broken in our basement ceiling, and I was in charge of the basement renovation as the general contractor, so I kept pushing the surgery later and later  By the end of the construction about a week before the surgery, I couldn't even take one step.

Yes , I am taking Hydrocodone. I was taking it for the year before the surgery because of the pain. Tylenol, Aleve, Advil dont do a thing.

In fact, I have been having to double up on the pain pills  the last 10 days, and need to cut that down, but jif I let it go 30 minutes past the 4-5 hour mark, I can feel the surgery really really bad.

And yes, I have to take an Ambien to get to sleep because I am not a back sleeper, so sleeping had been incredibly hard.

I have had 2 children , one without pain medicine, so I feel like I can tolerate some pain. With that pain, however, it has a definite end date. ( Until they come back home to live with you) ha.

Having started the day in so much pain , and having started the chat with you, maybe because of you, I feel a tiny, perceivable it better...So, thank you.

 

Sandy, why are you sleeping on your back? With the anterior method you don't have that restriction. I tried it for a couple of nights just to be extra-protective, but I couldn't sleep. Now I sleep mostly on my non-operated side which is my preferred side and I have a pillow between my legs because I feel more comfortable that way. But I can now also sleep on my surgical side without difficulty.

The first thing the surgeon said to me after surgery was "No restrictions!" But I've still been very careful about bending over, etc. 

 Hello all. 9/29 and  15 days out on right knee replacement. Pain is still a deep pain , sometimes sharp if I take a sideways step...Seems a little less big not a big change at 2 weeks like alot of people say . BUT before the surgery, it was getting so bad, I couldn't even take one step with out screaming pain in right hip. I am still mad that I didn't have a choice of what to do...Fix the hip or wheelchair or bed bound.

But problem is my attitude and feelings again. 

Daughter returned back to New York last week, I received very good care from her and emotional support. Husband works 15 hour days, so now I am alone alot. Kind of rural, so no friends dropping by . All I would do is complain, I don't see the bright side yet, so why would anyone want to be around me?

PT says progressing normally.. 20 Staples out, 20 x pulling out what felt like thorns...

But I can get up and walk around and do a few  house things, then leg/incision seems to tighten up so I have to go lay back down.

I am doing the 3 page of exercises 3 x per day.

The only thing that helps is lying flat in bed, and even that is not comfortable.

I am so sad, and just cannot see the end to this pain and restriction. 

I am trying to cut down on the hydrocodone, but, when i take it,  that seems to lift my mood, so that, in itself is scary. Does anyone have a natural type pain or mood lifter "pill"?

In the evening, when my husband gets home, I can sit on the couch for about an hour and watch tv, then I get stiff, and have to move around. 

I can't get comfortable in bed, to sleep, so I have to take an Ambien just to get to sleep, or i just lay there shifting around, not being comfortable.

I feel so sorry for Hurricane people, and feel so guilty for complaining that I even have a bed to be uncomfortable in.

I can't bend over which limits trying to get anything around the house done. 15 days into a 56 day recuperation. Counting the days, and hoping , praying and talking to the big man in the universe that sometime I will feel normal again. Kind of hopeless right now.

Going to use this forum as sort of a diary, thank you all who read for this site, letting me put my feelings in writing.

Mostly hope that when I can get further down the road, I can help someone else with these insights.

Entertainment:  I did just read "The Immortal Life of Henryetta Lacks" , an Oprah recommended book. It is a bit scientifc, a bit folksy about a lady who had her cells for DNA taken, and sold without her permission. Free e book from library.

I rented an older movie 'Under the Tuscan Sun" with Diane Lane. About a lady who got a divorce, went on a trip to Tuscany, bought a 300 year old fixxer upper, and found a new family and friends.

Thanks for listening.