THR 6 months apart. Chronic pain 1 year after last hip

I had total hip replacement done in June of 2016 for the first hip (right leg), and again in Dec of 2016 for the second (left leg). I should also note that at the time I had osteoporosis related to a hormone deficiency, which has resolved somewhat through replacement therapy. I still have osteopenia. I'm a 50 year old male who was very active at the gym (5 days a week for 2+ hours each visit for weightlifting).

The first hip (right leg) went without issue, and within 6 weeks I was up and around and back at the gym. Mobility was still somewhat limited due to the remaining hip but I was in a good place.

The second hip (left leg) was a different story. The surgeon indicated that the plate initially sunk into the pelvis like it was made of warm ice cream. They had to do some last minute adjustments to place a larger plate and joint (successfully). This required some adjustments to the height of the implant but they were able to get the lengths to match even though the implant heights were slightly different. They also had an extremely difficult time getting the hip out of the socket during the replacement. The muscle had become so short and tight there was a lot of damage done to them during the process. Recovery was very slow. Over the next 6 months I would have 6 courses of PT, with most in-home but some out of the home as well. The home ones went fine, but the ones where I went to a facility did not. I have severe rib pain, which has gotten worse since the surgery. It makes laying on my sides or back excruciating. I've suffered from stress fractures to the spine, pelvis, tibias, femurs, and ankles. The therapists didn't seem to know how to deal with someone in my situation so I was forced to drag myself around on the table for various stretches and exercises. I looked like a fish trying to walk. All while in horrible pain. In the home I could at least use a bed for the PT and it was a bit easier on my ribs.

I finally asked for another in home PT session a few months ago (it's been a year since my last hip replacement on the left), and that one went very well. I regained all of my flexibility and range of motion (my replacements are ceramic with very big joints allowing me a wide range of motion). Unfortunately on the very last visit I seemed to pull a muscle in my right thigh and my PT sessions ended ended on the assumption it was temporary and it would heal. During all of this, I was experiencing severe pain in my knees (directly below the kneecap), in my arches of my feet, and in the quadriceps). Walking more than half a block or so would cause very sharp, extreme pain to my knees. If I continued walking beyond that, it would also start sending spikes of pain into the arches of my feet.

The knee and arch pain affects both legs. The quadricep pain affects only my right leg (the first hip replacement). My left hip replacement is largely without issue.

The surgeon has been telling me for a year that I must continue to stretch and the pain will resolve. All of the imaging shows perfect implants with no issues spotted with the hardware. I just had an hour+ MRI with contrast, and the only item of note was a new stress fracture above my right knee, approximately 2 inches above the kneecap. The same leg that hurts, but in the wrong location for the pain.

The problem I have now, is that when I do exercise, I get a 'tearing' sensation in my right qaud, and then my leg wants to buckle as if the muscle has been cut. Initially this pain started as a 'popping' when I was laying on my my back and I moved my leg left and right with the knee bent. It would pop in my hip, with my legs about 3-4 inches apart at the knees. After about 5 pops, a deep ache would start. This popping only happened with my knee bent at a specific angle. This popping later turned into this tearing sensation which I have today. This tearing pain has been ongoing now for about 4 months. This pain also prevents the leg from bearing weight once it happens. It resolves after 2-4 days.

I've started back to the gym doing very low weights and high reps. I am able to finish my workout this way, but I am typically unable to walk for 2-3 days after a workout session. When I can start walking again though, my motion is less painful and I have more strength.

At this point, outside of the fracture, which is painful but less so than the quad pain, my only options seems to be to take a lot of opioids and muscle relaxers, and just work through the pain. I take tramadol for pain, methocarbamol for a muscle relaxer, gabapentin for nerve pain, and a single Tylenol just to help as well. Without these I can't function much at all. I'm often forced to resort back to my walker around the house.

I don't know if I'm looking for general suggestions, or just venting. I've been through so much physically I don't know how much more I can tolerate. I've managed through a stroke, all of the fractures, a year in ankle braces, the THR, and now 2 years of using a walker and a cane and largely unable to walk any distance. It seems like I can walk a bit further, but doing so will usually put me on my back for the next 2 days recovering. I see people posting about gardening, or mowing lawns. None of these are possible for me at the moment. Its extremely frustrating not being able to DO things. Just going to the gym is a big help, and either the trip itself is having a positive effect, or the strength exercise is helping somewhat.

It's difficult for me to even bend over let alone get on my knees. Any stretching sets off the same pain. Working out seems to allow me to avoid it if I'm careful but I often still end up unable to walk due to pain. I'm only doing 5 different exercises or so on the legs (leg press, calf extension, lower back extension, hip abduction, and leg extension. Each of these has very low weights (ranging in the 10-30 pound range). I'm not overly concerned about the rip pain, the knee pain, or the arch pain. Those didn't exist before the surgery and I'm hoping they are due to inactivity and having to learn to walk again with my weight in a slightly different place on my pelvis.

The thigh pain though is bad. It prevents me from working or even walking much for days at a time. The MRI was clean though. The doc still insists it's just tight muscles. It feels like it's ripped open to me. 

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