?‍♀️Hip Replacement #2 ?‍♀️ (Knees Welcome!) ?‍♀️

Happy Birthday silverlining enjoy your day and your few days away. A good walk today without too much stopping to get my breath so I will repeat tomorrow but a bit further . It’s very annoying having a perfectly good hip now but not being able make the most of it . ?

Thanks everyone fir the good wishes.
We are back from our lunch (apart from being over billed by £20). Luckily I noticed it on the bill. Cheeky.
Yogi think it’s not too unusual to end up a bit taller on one side. I could do with levelling up, woukd really help my bmi.
Glad you stop noticing after a while. Was concerned it might affect somewhere else as time goes on.
Susie still early days, hope you enjoyed the walk. It’s nice here and hope it’s the same where you are.
Cheers all, think it’s gin o’clock any time now.

Susie I did a walk a couple of days ago, 11,500 steps and just as we were almost back to start point I just couldn’t go a step further and dh had to get the car.
It was annoying, we were so close to the finish, but had to accept it was enough and no more.
My goal is to do the Dover cliffs walk but that’s a lot longer and know I am not up to it ....yet ! It’s only 10 weeks remember. I still can’t put my sock on. can you?

I've had both knees replaced, and though it was painful and recovery took a long time (and isn't quite complete yet) my main emotion is mild irritation at myself for not having them done earlier. Otherwise, it's great!

Re differing leg lengths: I was told to dump old shoes as they'd be worn down in places. If that's not the problem would it be possible to use insoles to even up your gait silverlining?
Pen50 - me too! It's great to get my pain free mobility back.

Having jumped the queue for a hip replacement, I fell over in the garden and sheared the ball off the top of the femur, I am on the way to recovery. When I was discharged 3 days after the op I was not given any excercise advice nor was I told I would have a follow up appointment at the hospital.

I've been sort of blundering along doing whatever I feel capable of, I even went on holiday 10 days after the operation. But I'm not sure when I can do certain things wihtout doing damage so I would appreciate any advice anybody can offer. I want to know when can I drive? When can I bend over and put my socks on? When can I sleep on my side again? I have a spinal condition which is aggravated by having to sleep on my back, so any answers to these questions and anything else you can think of will be gratefully received.

5 years ago I had my 2nd hip operation on my left hip. I had been pushed onto the road (a cobbled one) and my leg shattered. The surgeon used cheese wire to hold my leg together (Hope there was no cheese on it), walking is not too much of a problem, but sitting on the floor! is painful! and getting up, impossible. Judging from the airport scanners I gather the cheese wire is still in there! I'm still having physio for it, but find it quite remarkable that I can walk at all.

missdeke there are lots of supportive posts further back on this thread, it’s awful that you have been given no advice. You willlalso see that advice is very different depending on the consultant/ physio. I was told not to bend or raise my hip more then 90degrees . Only allowed sleep on your back which I found really difficult . Have a read and I personally would contact the hospital for some physio .

Thanks for this , great to find it just under 3 (painful) weeks after partial knee replacement . Been following great physio advice to the letter and pain declining a bit . ( When does that go ? It’s a bit of a pain tbh ! ) Just walked
3500 steps round local lake with crutches , trying to up it daily and strangely it got easier as I walked. Ice pack is a great soother and I feel a nap is now fully justified . Quick Question !
Knee is said to be more painful recovery than hip . Does anyone know how partial knee recovery compares with full knee ? Blessings to all fellow travellers on the Hobble Highway ! ?

* silverlining* well done for walking such a good distance. I have discovered that my muscles are no way as strong as I thought! I’m finding the resistance band exercises very difficult ! I hope to go swimming this coming week . Definitely feeling a lot better . I’m hoping that this never ending serial of ill health has now resolved. DS popped in to cut the grass , I think I maybe able to manage next time in a couple of weeks . I have always managed the garden myself ( late DH never interested!) sad to see it so bedraggled now .

SusieB50

missdeke there are lots of supportive posts further back on this thread, it’s awful that you have been given no advice. You willlalso see that advice is very different depending on the consultant/ physio. I was told not to bend or raise my hip more then 90degrees . Only allowed sleep on your back which I found really difficult . Have a read and I personally would contact the hospital for some physio .

Thank you SusieB50

I had a hip replacement 3 years ago. I was warned that one leg sometimes turns out to be slightly longer than the other, but I haven't noticed any difference.
The first few post-op days were very painful. Getting in and out of bed and getting myself to the loo was agony, and I found myself, like a junkie, longing for my next fix of morphone. I dreaded being discharged.
The first week or two at home was painful. Not so much the walking around, which I coped with quite well with the aid of a wheeled walker, but the lifting of my leg to get into bed. I was told to sleep on my back for 6 weeks, and it was too painful to do otherwise, but after a month I found myself waking on my side, quite comfortably. Putting on shoes and socks was quite a challenge, for some time, but gradually improved.
I pushed my little trolley around the house, and made small trips outside, and gradually built up my strength. After a few months I felt much fitter, and confident enough to drive again. All my pain was gone, and what I suffered for a while, after the op, was nothing compared to the pre-op pain I had had for a year before.
Good luck to everyone undergoing a joint replacement, or recovering from one. It's no picnic, but a few weeks of pain is infinitely worth the benefits you get afterwards. I'm almost 83, and can happily walk 5 miles without any hip pain. Pure bliss!

Misdeke before driving, to keep your insurance company deliriously happy you should really have a doctor's approval before driving. One has to be ready to make an emergency stop- do you think in theory you could do that?

Do not bend over to put your socks on- you will dislocate your hip. As you have had surgery x2 it may take 3 months before you can put your socks on- again it is up to a doctor to help.

You need to get in touch with the consultant's secretary re physio. She will contact him.

If in doubt, please do not.

Please feel free to contact me via PM if you wish.

Thank you Charleygirl3. I did think that Insurance for driving may be invalid without approval. I do drive an automatic so everything done with the right, uninjured, leg.

Well done Fanny glad you are back and as cheerful as usual.Heres to a pain free future eventually. A few runs round the block should do it.

Missdeke it’s nearly 13 yrs since my hip replacement and I can honestly say that I’ve never looked back. I was 54 and still working so was off sick for about 11 weeks. I couldn’t weight bear for 9 of those weeks and used arm crutches for mobility. Presumably the District Nurse will be calling soon to remove your stitches so why not have a word with her to get some advice about your recovery plan. I followed all of the advice the medics gave me, did my exercises daily, and just let my body tell me when it was ready to move onto the next step. I could not drive until 9 weeks after my op and only flew on holiday to the Canaries about 14 wks post op with the agreement of my Consultant. Fortunately my “new” hip is still going strong and I’m so relieved to be pain free. Good luck with your recovery.

ah, walking poles. i've been thinking about those for a while. where do you buy them and how do you know what length?

Quite new to this site, and interested in this thread. I have just had a hip replacement ( 1 week old today) and am struggling. I think I am trying to do too much too soon as feeling ok.
The worst thing I am finding is swollen legs has any one else had this and what is the best cure

mysticgirltracer Congratulations on your new hip and welcome to this thread, if you read back through the previous thread (Fanny put on a link) you'll get lots of perspectives on the range of everyone's progress.
One week post op is very early on your journey and there is a lot of healing to be done. Can you be more specific about what you're struggling with? A swollen leg is normal at this stage and will sort itself out, no cure needed. I'm now 4+ months down the line, have had a pretty straightforward recovery and feel 20 years younger. But those early days were difficult and I took it slowly, reminded myself of the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare.

As it is only a week since surgery, I agree swollen legs are fairly normal but can you get help to raise them, on pillows to reduce the swelling?

Do not rush- take things gently. You have had major surgery and it will be at least 3 months before you begin to feel yourself as you will be feeling less tired by then.

Hil1910

Missdeke it’s nearly 13 yrs since my hip replacement and I can honestly say that I’ve never looked back. I was 54 and still working so was off sick for about 11 weeks. I couldn’t weight bear for 9 of those weeks and used arm crutches for mobility. Presumably the District Nurse will be calling soon to remove your stitches so why not have a word with her to get some advice about your recovery plan. I followed all of the advice the medics gave me, did my exercises daily, and just let my body tell me when it was ready to move onto the next step. I could not drive until 9 weeks after my op and only flew on holiday to the Canaries about 14 wks post op with the agreement of my Consultant. Fortunately my “new” hip is still going strong and I’m so relieved to be pain free. Good luck with your recovery.

The stitches came out 10 days after the operation, all she told me was don't bend more than 90 degrees, as it was so soon after the operation I hadn't thought of all the things I would need to ask by then. Unfortunately I wasn't given any excercises to do so I have tried googling, but there is so much conflicting advice I'm not sure which way to go. I have made a telephone appointment with my GP to see if he has any advice to give me.

Some days I feel much more capable than others and even tried some weeding of my raised beds but I ached a lot afterwards. I can walk reasonably well with my walker and can manage quite well with crutches or even with my walking stick. But I don't feel confident that I'm not going to fall, I am known for being very clumsy and can trip over a matchstick.

I assume my own recovery may take some time as I am 74 and already have osteoporosis and osteopoenia. Thanks very much for your advice and information regarding your own recovery, it's good to hear that you are stil going strong.

I had a good ice pack designed for hip replacement patients. It fitted round my waist and neatly over the op site. Of course with fabric between it and the ice pack.
Elevation and icing are very helpful with swollen limbs as is just plain walking about which is the best exercise of all -its what our legs and hips are for!

misdeke it would be better at such an early stage to watch the weeds grow rather than remove the weeds even though the flower bed is raised.

There appears to be an obsession on this thread with gardening- please do not just yet.

re walking- use your walker until you are ultra-confident and then use your crutches. Please remember to allow yourself time to get back home- do not walk too far and become overtired. You are not in a race, if it takes you longer it really does not matter. It takes 12 -18 months to fully recover.

Charleygirl5 Thank you, I'm trying to be patient but when you've lived alone for years not being able to do things is very frustrating, I must smack my wrist when I try to do too much .

My lovely neighbours came over and spent 6 hours grubbing out all of the creeping sorrel out of the gravel so at least that's done.

You find out who your friends really are don't you? I certainly did and they weren't necessarily who I thought they were. You nieghbours sound really great missdeke.