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This is my 2nd THR

Posted , 9 users are following.

jb2154
jb2154

I am 60 yr old, had my left hip replaced July 22, 2014. I came home the same day & did well but as with many of you sleeping was the challenge. Don't care how I tryed it was ruff, I did the afternoon naps & it helped. Still woke up around 3 in the morning for several nights. My 1st & 4th weeks were the worst. I did & do my excerizes 2-3 times daily. You need to keep moving, it's helped me. I went back to work (equipment operator) the 6th of October, worked about 3 weeks and on November 4th had my right THR. Just went in for my 6 week check up and will return back to work January 12th. I've had good days as well as bad with both THR but am so glad I had them done. The pain from before (arthritis) was unbearable. This second one has been alittle harder on me than the first, some pain from time to time but figure it's from one of my excerizes I will stop for a little while. All my rehab has been done here at home by myself, excerizes givin to me from my surgeon along with walking seems to be working out ok. I wish you all the best from your THR and the key to it all is not to give up, it's painful at times but well worth it in the end. Good luck!

2 likes, 18 replies

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  • patricis
    patricis jb2154

    Posted

    Congratulations....its a great feeling isn't it!!!  Just the little things like getting into your car without lifting your leg.

    The nights were the worse for me also, the first 4 weeks felt like a truck was sitting on the shin of my operated leg and had severe heel pain....

    You are brave to have both surgeries so close together and going back to work.

    My right hip was done August lst and the left will be done next summer...I don't know how you got them so close the specialist I'm seeing will only do them one year apart because he is so busy (or at least he says he is).

    All the best in your recovery,

    Patricia from Toronto 

    • maggiemac2362
      maggiemac2362 patricis

      Posted

      Hi Patricia, how are you getting along? As you know I had my right THR on 14th October, well I've just had my left THR done last week on 9th December.  Exactly 8 weeks apart to the day !!!!!  This second one has not been quite as good as the day after the op a "helpful nurse" !! Decided to swing my legs into the bed and in doing so tore some muscle. I was doing so well before this assistance. My surgeon has been fabulous and arranged a ct scan on Friday before I got out of hospital and a follow up ultrasound was arranged for today wed 16th. So far we are hopeful that the muscle has not detached from the bone, but I need another scan in afew days. This was a little disappointing as I have had great results so far with the right hip. Hope you are keeping well and managing to get out a bit. Wishing you a great festive season  lots of love  Maggie from Scotland xxxxx
    • patricis
      patricis maggiemac2362

      Posted

      Merry Christmas Maggie, I'm sooo happy to hear from you!

      But I'm sorry to hear what you are going through - can't even imagine how fustrating that must be for you.

      Hope it is just a setback and you will recovery completely in time.

      I don't think I could cope with getting both hips done so close together, maybe because I am on my own and it was tough getting help the first time...I think if I called the same people so soon again, they would all have the excuse they are going to Florida for the winter!!!!!

      Actually that is where I would like to be...we had our first bad snowfall a week ago and for two days the world almost stopped...but after the first fall we cope ok for the rest of the winter.....someone told me that Canadians aren't happy unless they are complaining about the weather - too hot - too cold!!!

      It was such a blessing to hear from you, Eileen, Joy and Hippychick just prior and after my surgery...it gave me such support from people who understand what I was going through.....many thanks again and have a great holiday with your family,

      Love Patricia(still in Toronto with the snow)

    • maggiemac2362
      maggiemac2362 patricis

      Posted

      Merry Christmas to you too Patricia !! Can you send me some snow !!!! I love it (especially now I'm not working at the moment).  It has been very mild  where I live, today we are in double figures !  We Brits are exactly the same as you if it were not for the weather we would have no conversation !!! I hope it's not so bad that you are snowed in ?? That's not much fun after a while.  If you are going out tread very carefully !  Lots of love Maggie xxxxx
  • juliette39133
    juliette39133 jb2154

    Posted

    If the waking or sleeping badly is due to pain, there really is no need to suffer. Effective pain relief is an option. I had difficulty falling asleep due to lack of exercise during the day but I found listening to the radio with earphones helpful. I also took a nap after lunch.
  • sue87388_UK
    sue87388_UK jb2154

    Posted

    Hi,

    Its great to read about a good positive outcome following THR's.  Well done to you and getting back to normal.  Merry Xmas.

  • davyboyok
    davyboyok jb2154

    Posted

    Thanks for y,our encouragement, things are easing a bit at present.
  • milliejean
    milliejean jb2154

    Posted

    you've done remarkably well, good for you! I was told that basically it down to us after the surgeon and med's have done their 'bit'. We're all different but we need to do as we're told if we want to improve! I had my right hip replacement in July (25th) am just turned 70 smile I still limp but am thankful for how it's gone so far. It's great not having the arthritic pain and being able to bend down, small things we take so much for granted! I wish you well and trust you will continue in good fettle, happy Christmas and all the best for 2015! smile

    • bud05770
      bud05770 milliejean

      Posted

      could anyone tell me if they had the epedural or not

       

    • jb2154
      jb2154 milliejean

      Posted

      thank u Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2 u as well
    • jb2154
      jb2154 bud05770

      Posted

      yes bud i did & so glad on both of my THR but u must watch when u get home not 2 over due it
  • milliejean
    milliejean jb2154

    Posted

    Hope you don't mind me adding......take care and don't overdo it especially at this time of year!!

    • jb2154
      jb2154 milliejean

      Posted

      Lol I don't mind at all, I found out when I had my left THR afterwards I walked with a waddle, this was because when they did the operation they made my left leg alittle longer knowing I was to have my right THR so now I'm all evened out again. Recovery seems hard & very slow at times but in given time all will be great I think. Merry Christmas 2 u & ur's as well & Happy NewYear's!
  • Jodi-France
    Jodi-France jb2154

    Posted

    Thank you so much for writing this thread. It seems in the last few months since I eased back on following ite site regularly it has been taken over by stories of people who have had difficult or challenging problems coming back after the THR surgery.

    Keep in mind folks when you are reading these stories that often times the writers have other complicating health issues, that they don't discuss much, instead focusing simply on the THR, when there really are other isues. MOST of us on here after 2 months have a real good recovery and result. This is why I am so appreciative of you writing this thread jb2154.

    FWIW my takeaway haivng fully recovered, and yes from time to time I get a little tingling in the leg beween the thigh and the kneee and I had my survery 7 months ago. Is it completely 100% like I never knew I had an operation, well no. From time to time I "fel it" but it is like 98% better and I can live with it like this the rest of my life. It is never that bad, bad enough to even take a pain reliever.

    Sleeping- Universally almost all of us had big torubles sleeping, lots of advice on that with the biggest being you mst take prescription pain releievers sufficeint to allow you to sleep. I could not take morphine nor Tramadol (read the side effects of Tramadol) and i got huge relief with a pill of Codeine (25 mg) + 400 mg Tylenol.  I started with 2 before sleep and like everyone gradullly cut back to not needing it at all. Codein is terribly consitpating so you must take a stool softner & drink prune juice, which I did and it turned out fine.

    The two principal complications seem to be either nerve damage or tendonitis.

    If your groin pain is tendonitis or injury to the Psoas muscle this article is helpful

    http://www.bjj.boneandjoint.org.uk/content/84-B/7/991.full.pdf+html

    Test by laying down on your back flat on the bed. Try and lift your leg without bending your knee, using only your grin/hip muscles. If you cna't do that your probably have an issue with the psoas muscle.

    Nerve damage I never had but it seems to me that it involves tingling pain or searing pain which is much different than psoas pain which you really only get psoas pain when you are moving in a way that the posaos muscle doesn't want you to move. Psoas pain is limited to striclty in your groin whereas nerve damage spreads throughout the legs and back and is a much sharper searing pain. If you have groin pain, exercizing will make it WORSE, not better. By Exercizing you are only continuing to injusr the tendon's psoas muscle, putting in more tears and making existing tears deeper. I had it and I really didn't do any exercizing for 4 weeks as I was focued on not aggravating it and letting it heal. It did heal and then at round 4 weeks in like 4 days I went from using a walker to walking completely on my own. The push towards exeercizing can be really bad advice to people who have groin pain so be aware of that.

    In closing most of us come through it okay and we are glad we did it. Our lives ARE better, so much better after the surgery. 2 years ago I took a trip to Malta and had to sling my arm on my husband's shoulder for support to walk, we ended up having to take taxi's becasue of my hip pain. 2 1/2 months after my THR I was on vacation in Barcelona and walked for the whole trip only taking tylenol at night to fall asleep. Good luck to all and happy holidays to everyone.

     

  • DawnDedee
    DawnDedee jb2154

    Posted

    Wonderful!  You seem like a very strong courageous person!  My best to you as you progress!

    Dawn US

    • jb2154
      jb2154 DawnDedee

      Posted

      thank u dawn, it's been a battle at times but with alittle work & lots of walking it just keeps getting better
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