Knees & Hips

Pompa! You are a very naughty man! Now where's that oil.......?

Mishap - thanks for the tip. Do hope you are feeling better soon. I always think weekends are the worst when you are not well or are on your own (or both). I heard today that DD and family are off to Guernsey for Easter and DS and co are going to Germany and Vienna. I'm pleased for them all but was also a bit weepy as we won't be going anywhere just yet.

DH had to go out and buy me a new chair today. The sofa that the kind man from Medicare (or somewhere) came and raised for me is far too soft (knew it would be). The new chair is 20" off the ground, has arms and an upright back. DH got it from our local cut price furniture store. It was only a sample and they wanted to keep it but he gave them a big sob story and they let him have it.

I ache all over today. I don't know whether I've overdone the exercises or whether it is because I am reliably informed that 'they throw you around like a piece of meat once they get you on the operating table'.

Mishap I am not surprised you are struggling. Constant pain and having to wait so long to recover are bound to be draining. I hope you will be able to find reserves of strength to keep you going.

I was interested in your comment about your surgery having triggered off heart problems and depression. I am wondering if my recent diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is connected to my THR three months' ago. A sort of delayed reaction to the physical trauma.

Well done NTO - I have a blow-up rubber ring (well actually it is square) which I have in the bed under my bum. It makes thing more comfortable, and makes it possible to lie on my operated side for short periods during the night.

Charleygirl - thanks for the tip. I have put an extra pillow on the bed now and am hoping for better sleep tonight. Last night was a nightmare.

I am doing well on the crutches and managed to get down our gravel drive and a little way along the road this morning (Day 4 post op) so felt quite pleased with myself. I also keep doing the exercises.

Mishap - so sorry to hear you are not recovering as quickly as you expected. I was actually told it can take a year to get back to maximum health but that doesn't mean you won't get operational much sooner than that, so don't be downhearted.

It's a bummer isn't it Mishap, I wish that things were better for you.
(((Hugs))) x

I plan to go to GP and ask for blood test to see if there is any infection floating about. Had one about 6 weeks ago and it was OK. Talked to physio friend of my DD's who said that some people get over THR in a few weeks and others can take up to a year - no-one said this before I did it!! - not that I could have let things continue as they were. But I had certainly hoped that I would be better quicker - and that the problems with my heart and the depression had not been triggered by the surgery - definitely did not plan for that! Been feeling very low the last few days and life is a bit of a struggle - but I am ploughing on.

NSO, glad all went well (knew it would . It's amazing how soon you can get up and about after such invasive surgery. Keep at the exercises, some may seem impossible, but they will come (I never thought I would lift my leg off the bed ever again). My biggest problem (my wife was still working) was making a cup of tea, had to put it into a bottle to carry it to my chair with crutches. You will get used to sleeping on your back.

Re your itchy bum, get your DH to rub some oil into your bum - it won't help, but it will cheer him up

Glad all went well NotTooOld and hope your recovery is quick.

Mishap Sorry you are still having problems. I also think you should insist on seeing someone sooner.

Mishap The pain radiating down your leg and making your foot numb could be coming from your lower spine. I still think that you should see an orthopod soon because your symptoms are not normal after this length of time following a THR. You are being fobbed off.

The infection, if any, could be deep seated and may not necessarily show up on an xray. Have you had blood tests? It does sound as though there is a trapped nerve somewhere, either hip or back. Sorry I am not the bearer of good news but you must be seen asap, please!

NotTooOld pleased to hear that you are home again and appear to be coping. Lying on your back to sleep for 6 weeks is a pain but would it make it easier if you had maybe 3 pillows behind you so that you were partially sitting up but not so that you were putting pressure on your rear end? It is mega difficult when you cannot turn around in bed and sort it out yourself!

thank you loopylou.I am improving slowly.

amarmai that's dreadful to hear, you'll feel very bruised, battered and shaken up for a while. I do hope you feel better soon

NotTooOld I'm very pleased to hear you're home and bionic. Good luck with crutches!

to you both x

Great news! Well done you - onwards and upwards.

Mishap I do think you have to do something! You cannot go on in that sort of pain. Monday?

PS My worst problem is having to sleep on my back as I never do normally. I fall asleep ok but then wake up with backache. I'm also having trouble remembering not to cross my legs although the pillow between the legs helps..

I'm back home!

Hurray! It's all over. New hip in place and everything ok so far.

I opted for the spinal which was fine, didn't hurt at all. The anaesthetist and the surgeon got me into place (gently) and secured my position with clamps (didn't hurt). After that they wheeled me into the theatre where I think I was given the sedative as I knew nothing else until I woke up in recovery. It took two hours altogether, 30 mins in 'prep' - that's various tests plus the spinal injection and getting you into place - an hour in the theatre and then 30 mins in recovery.

I was a bit woozy as they wheeled me back to the ward but 'came to' pretty quickly. Shortly after that DH arrived to see me, and after that two friends turned up, so it was all go for a little while.

Someone on this thread advised to accept all the painkillers offered, so I did and was glad of it. The hip obviously aches but the pain killers dull it off quite well and by Night 2 I had a good sleep. Unfortunately yesterday I developed some sort of itchy rash on my bum and was given Piriton. I think this reacted with the other drugs and I spent a bad night last night, just unable to wake up properly. It took until 9am this morning to get the Piriton out of my system and now I feel ok again.

I'm off now to practice some more crutch walking.

Thanks to everyone who gave advice or told me of their own experiences. It has all been very helpful.

Thanks for the advice - I understand that you are concerned about the possibility of infection. The last x-ray (about 2 months ago) showed no evidence of this and I had a blood test which also gave no hint of infection. But both these are some time ago and I have more pain now. It is a job to know what to do. They said that new bits are healing and causing new pain, but I have the evidence of others with new hips and they are not going through this. Whenever I say this, they say that everyone is different and I just have to be patient.

If I do get a further appointment I am not sure what he can do - if the hip is in the right place and there is no evidence of infection.....what is there to be done?

That there is some nerve involvement is clear, as I have pain down my leg and a numb foot some of the time. But I also have local stabbing sore pain.

I think I will wait till the end of the week and see how it goes. It is very tiresome.

Six months on from my knee replacement, I have at last turned the corner. Been walking quite a lot over the last 2 weeks, plenty of aches etc, but the knee is pain free and working well. I now have equal flexing in both knees.
Been digging in the garden for the last 2 days, no ill effects. I still get a disconcerting clunk, but it does not hurt.

Second your advice to Mishap,charleygirl. To keep the record straight i beleive it was a different driver who made the other hit. No broken bones- not that kind of pain. And yes,sleep is restorative.

Mishap I do not want to worry you any more than necessary but you need to contact your physio to get an urgent appointment with the surgeon.

Until you have been seen, my advice is to do what you want/can to do and no more, you do not want to exacerbate the problem. Is there any redness around the wound area- does your hip feel warm? Apart from the pain, do you feel okay? Please do not wait 2 more weeks before you ring her.

amarmai that is horrendous. I only hope that you have not broken a bone. It does sound as though that lady's driving days are over, hitting you was bad enough but for you to be the second casualty is too much. I hope that a good night's sleep will work wonders.

thank you annodomini.I was checked out by the paramedics and they drove me and my bike home after i declined going to the hospital. I'm babying myself-hot bath with sea salt , ice packs, knee support, arnica rubs, aspirin, herbal teas etc. If i am feeling no better tomorrow ,i'll take myself to the hospital.I'm ambivalent about 'throwing the book' at the driver as she is 82 years old and her passengers looked likewise. But the policeman made the decision and mentionned i was his second cyclist that morning hit by a car. Glad my bike had all necessary bells and whistles as one of the passengers was photographing it and me?? Hope i can get up the nerve to ride my iron horse after this.

amarmai, what a horrible experience. That must have been - and still be - very painful. Did you have to have any treatment? I do hope they throw the book at that motorist.

Adding myself to the painful knee and hip brigade . I was hit by a car today as i cycled sedately along in the bike lane , when a car violently hit my handlebar and i violently hit the road with my left hip and knee taking the brunt of the impact. Police ,ambulance and fire truck arrived ,sirens blaring, lights flashing ,while my growing audience gathered around. The driver has been charged with 'failing to share the road with a bicycle ' .Hope i can walk by the time the trial date arrives.

One thing I learned, from bitter experience, when I was having some really gruelling chemo, was to try to do something, then if I couldn't do it, to stop, especially if my body didn't like it.

It is hard, with something that is progressively getting better, like our hips etc (sorry, Mishap!) not to over do it slightly. DON'T!!! Find a happy medium between the right amount of exercise, each day, for your body, and yours alone, and doing too much because you feel you must.

Mishap You and me both about conflicting physio info. Do it - don't do it! I cleaned those bedroom windows I could reach this afternoon. Made me feel better anyway but have had sharp hip pain since yesterday, so came to bed half hour ago to see if it willl go away with rest. I have been up since 8am and awake since 6.30am. Trip to hospital today for physio, wound check and dressing. Very awkward in small car. I spent a lot of time on crutches (nowhere suitable to sit in hospital). Came home and sat down for quite awhile. I, too, am just trying to find right balance. Where exactly is your pain? Physio has given me lower and upper back exercises as I seem to pull these muscles, which make me rest my op hip whilst I am trying to sort this part of the body out. Looking at other posts, they are encouraging. I am going to attempt a trip around the supermarket tomorrow - and then come back to bed.

I have had an x-ray and the new joint is sound - it is in the right place.

I am being given mixed messages about activity and exercise. One the one hand I am being told to walk a lot and do as many of the exercises as I am able, but to stop when I am in pain. Since I am in pain all the time and when at rest (i.e. before I even start to exercise!) then what exactly am I meant to do? If exercise is what is needed, then I am happy to do it if it will solve the problem; but as I am being told to stop when it hurts I am left concerned that I might make it worse.

When the physio told me I had to walk as much as possible, I described to her what walking I was doing each day; and she then said it was too much! And when I asked what I should be doing then, she had no answer! I have no idea what to do for the best.

When I come back from a walk I am in lots of pain and worry I might have humbugged it up more; but when I rest I am concerned that this is not good either!

Boy is it frustrating! A friend is coming round tonight - he had his op 8 weeks after me and is absolutely fine - I will have to grit my teeth and be pleased for him - which of course I am, but it is hard to smile!

Mishap Really, really sorry to hear of your pain. I was told today that I have to wait and see consultant in 3 weeks to see if I am ok. As mentioned somewhere by me, I was misdiagnosed for years and eventually could not do anything - even sitting down I was in great pain. When I was on holiday last October, I went to Turkish hospital and paid £45 for Xray (which I was never given here) and had consultation with surgeon who spoke excellent English. I was stunned when he showed me the Xray. Moral of the story. Ask for Xray. I will be when I go to the consultant in a few weeks, but that may be the case anyway. Whilst I am in pain, it is nowhere near what I had pre-op. Pain I now have is my fault as I keep thinking I can do when actually I cannot.