Straw poll - when were you completely pain free post op ?

Rose, we are all different, and I hope you will be pain-free soon! How far along are you now? From what I have read, many people are pain-free by 4 months or so, although some are earlier and others later.

Sorry to say that I am 7 months and still have pain and limping. I have some complications that most don't have, though, and tomorrow I will see a different orthopedist for his diagnosis after looking at various scan results.

HI Rose,

Wow, you do have exhausting tasks to handle.  Hope your husband gets well and also your one child who is sick.  

Unfortunately, in my opinion, for whatever it is worth, there is no conclusive time frame when one feels pain free.  It is so different for everyone.  And it depends on which method was used for your surgery.  

My first THR was the anterior method and I was completely pain free withing five weeks and walking unaided.  The lateral method takes longer.  Just hang in there and grab the rest you need as often as you can.  When we are exhausted, everything can look bleak and endless. 

The good news is that each and every day that passes, whether you feel it or not, your body knows what it is doing and is healing every minute of the day.

Hugs to you

Dawn, USA

Rose - About 12 weeks for my first hip, till I was walking to the corner store, about half a mile or so.

Although still having problems with stairs until about 6 months or more.

One day somewhere about 8 months realised I had no problems at all with right hip.

Now left hip, the disaster area, I was 12 months yesterday, and have finally made some progress with the weakness in that hip. The pain I have been having in my left leg has been explained as not coming from my hip at all but from my lower back, so maybe about the same as above when the pain from the hip became the pain from my back about 12 weeks.

Now just have to work on getting the muscles stronger in my hip, buttock, and lower back, and keeping swimming as instructed by the physio.

Yesterday the physio stripped me down to my undies and again went through strength and flexibility and praised me for my swimming, (treading water) and rowing with my arms while floating, said she is going to recommend it to some other hippies as a series of exercises they should be doing regularly. 

I could do a plank, on elbows and knees, and hold it even when she pushed on my back, lying on back knees bent lifted pelvis into the air, and again I can hold it even when she pushes down on my hips, can rag doll, from the waist, (not a recommended exercise I think) and of course my ability to do situps impressed her once again, surprised even myself just how strong I was. Gave me alot of confidence that I can do more than i think I can.

Rose, if your husband is ill and you have an ill child and a well one, you need to have help! If you try to do it all, you will set your recovery back and hurt yourself. Please reach out to as many friends/relatives as possible and ask for on-the-ground help. Have the well child go to a friend's house for an afternoon/evening (picked up by the other mom!), see who might be able to come in your house to help with chores and the sick little one, perhaps even paying someone to come and help. This is crisis time for you. I couldn't have done hardly anything for anyone else when I was at your point after surgery. I feel so sorry for you!

hello darling,

just checking in with you -  

I have not reached the totally pain free zone yet - to be honest, I don't remember when the last time was that I didn't feel hip or hip related problems -

at that time I just kept going: I could do that now too if my  body wouldn't  take so much energy to heal ... 

just do your best - remember  ? 

it is all right, right now 

Hi Rose, I have just had my second done (I week today) and I guess like childbirth I had forgotten just how tough the first few weeks and months are, I am remembering fast!

I had my first done last June and during recovery it was hard to tell how well hip 1 was doing because hip 2 moaned louder!! I now know that hip 1 has been healing very nicely and can easily hold up the recently remodelled number 2 without any pain.

I now know that, for me, I will be looking at good results, less exhaustion, no pain by 6 months which is exactly why my surgeon would not do the 2nd one earlier. You need to give yourself a chance to recover from this major op, I wish I could wave a magic wand and get you back into your life but take as much time to rest as you can - it's not selfish, it's selfcare.