Results Are In And Hip Must Go

Hey Bear,hard to answer your question. If your in good physical shape it will help. definately keep active,

even if its just doing some leg raises a couple of times a day to strengthen your butt!

I used one crutch for 2 days?? was good otherwise. Others need more. Its an individual environemnt.

I think most use at least 2 crutches for a week or two and then wean themselves to one then just aa cane.

Im 55 and was in ok shape. not overwight ad have a pretty high pain threshold. ( this is good and bad)

Good luck and dont let yourself wimp out on the excersizes pre-op it will really pay off!

Hey Beard!

 

I well remember the pain that drove me to my doctor and surgeon – the good news is that pain WILL go with the THR although there is a recovery period that takes getting used to!

My first piece of advice is for you to take a good long read through the resources provided at the front end of the Discussion page - THR - Useful Resources. It also links you to Graham’s website (another member of the forum who has created a super summary of good advice, discussions and a timeline for a typical recovery). He calls it a layman’s guide to Total Hip Replacement (Rocketman54).

What you need to buy depends significantly on where you live (we have members from the UK, US, AU and Canada) as practices about this, about surgical approaches, and guidelines pre and post surgery and medications and aids prescribed vary a LOT across practitioners - as you will find from discussions in this forum.

It might be more efficient if you did some of this reading then come back with specific questions.

In the interim, anything you can do to strengthen your core and quads beforehand is time well-spent.

I am 64, live in Canada and had a LTHR posterior in late Feb. I am doing okay now (but full recovery takes longer than you might think) and will have my other hip done late this summer.

L

Hiya Beardorr, I'm in a very similat position, male aged 52, had slight pains since 2010 (felt like a trapped nerve) but told by Dr's that the X-Ray looks bad but my pain level is too low to operate on. Wait until I'm taking pain killers like candy, then it will be time to operate. 

I walk with a bad limp, can't run at all... but am in no pain. I keep up the leg/hip exercises and wait for the pain to start !

I've tried the joint tablets, had accupuncture, but nothing helps. I still ski every year, but just easy on piste stuff. I walk up hills and walk my dogs a lot. If I know I'm going to be VERY active I take co-codemal for pain relief, but on normal dog walking and day to day stuff I don't need anything.

Hi,

My husband, age 56, and in otherwise good health had a THA on March 18. In the couple of months leading up to the surgery he walked as much as he could (limited by the hip) and went to the gym every 2 days to do some overall muscle strengthening. He has since said that he believes this was beneficial.

He was only in hospital 1 night and came home with crutches and had home PT. 1 week post op the PT moved him onto 1 crutch and then about 10 days after that moved him on to a cane (after which he transferred from home PT to out-patient PT).  He started working from home at week 5 post op and then went back to his office the following week. By that time he'd completely ditched the cane and was able to travel to work on the subway in the usual way. We are now at week 9 and he is continuing to work with PT and to improve.

Hope all goes to plan with you. 

Hi sorry your having so much pain you came to the right place. Your Doctor was right you know when you just any take it anymore I too waited a couple of years. I am 9 weeks post op now and walking again at a great gait. Still doing PT for strengthening. No hip pain but needing pain pills for lower back pain having to lay in my back is torture as I had aback problem before. I have a very small house so could only use Walker in parts and just cane in other rooms but I did fine, you will feel like your leg weighs a ton but that's only for a couple of weeks. Keeps us informed and any other questions you have we have all been there done that😊

Hi Bear , sounds like you are good to go and have a good set up at home which is always helpful. I went home on day 3 using just one crutch , but everyones different. Im 57 , bit overweight but usually pretty active . I went back to work at 6 weeks ( ft nurse) and would think generally 4 weeks is a bit early but you may well be fine . I found sitting the most uncomfortable so was better either upright or lying on my back. I would suggest if you are going back at 4 weeks you have a graduated return if possible - half days or similar. I do wish you good luck with it all, and i hope you will be glad to get rid of all that horrible pain xxx

Sounds like your ready for it, I used two sticks, can't remember for how long but used one stick after that until I was just over 10 weeks. Got back to work this week on Wednesday, 13 weeks post op. I had posterior, they reckon recovery is quicker if you get anterior, if that's what your getting.

Hi

Your experience sounds very much like mine.  I am 53 and pain had been getting slowly worse over the last 2 years and I was getting totally fed up.  I was still swimming and going to the gym but I wasn't enjoying it and was fed up taking diclofenac every day so I took the plunge.  I had my THR on Feb 2nd.  I went back to work at 6 weeks but was doing a bit of work from home before that .  You won't be able to drive until at least 6 weeks post op when you get the all clear from your surgeon.   I don't think I could have gone back to work full time at 4 weeks which is really very early as you are still healing. 

I do think that the fact I kept fit and active before the op helped me a lot.  I am now almost back up to full speed back at the gym and on my bike.  I had posterior approach (no choice) but it seems to have worked really well for me. I have no restrictions now and hope to get back skiing (sedately) next winter.

You will see though that all people heal at different rates and it is not a competition.  I really needed the rest post op and would often lie down in the afternoons.

Best of luck! I am sure all will work out well.

Best wishes

Alison