WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A NEW BIONIC HIP
Good morning from me and my new hip! Just over a week ago, at the grand old
age of 60, I had my left hip replaced. (If you missed all the reasons for
this - my hip dysplasia etc - then you can catch up on that part of the
story
HERE.)
Today I just wanted to share what's been happening over the last couple of
months and how I'm going post Total Hip Replacement (THR). Thank you to all
of you who've passed on messages of encouragement and prayed for me over the
last few weeks.
I won't go over the years that led up to needing this operation (I covered
that
previously) but I will say that they were nothing compared to the last 6 months or
so. I've had pain and problems on and off for a long time, but things
escalated late last year and I went from physio, to pain meds, to a
cortisone injection, to my GP, and then to an orthopedic surgeon.....all in
a matter of a few months.
|
| My hips before surgery - my left hip is bone on bone and very unhealthy |
My ability to walk pain free went from a twice daily walk (totalling an
hour or so) to a short 15 minute walk with a limp, then to a small walk at
the shops, then to limping around the house. My sleep was a mess because I
couldn't roll over or settle easily without pain, and bending, sitting on
low furniture, or crossing my legs were all things of the past. I was taking
prescribed anti-inflammatories and pain killers every day, but my quality of
life had gone down the toilet - so the operation was brought forward (an absolute miracle) and I started
pre-hab.
Apparently pre-hab is the recommended way to go before major joint surgery
- it strengthens your muscles that aren't being used much, and speeds up the
recovery process. I went to an hour class each week and then did the
exercises at home on another day. It certainly helped my thigh and butt
muscles and that gave me the added bonus of more hip support and slightly
less pain while waiting for surgery.
THE HIP REPLACEMENT OPERATION
I had a posterior approach THR and was surprised at how straightforward it
was. Things have certainly come a long way for such major surgery. It used
to be a week long hospital stay, but now it's all about getting you stable,
up and about, and heading home as soon as practicable. I went into hospital
in the morning and was prepped for surgery - with spinal anaesthesia and
then GA. I was out of surgery within a couple of hours and awake in no time.
I didn't need to have a catheter, and I was helped out of bed and walking
with a Zimmer frame within a few hours.
|
| from this to this in a couple of hours - modern medicine is amazing! |
I think I would have been the poster child for hip replacement if I hadn't
had a major reaction to the Tramadol pain relief medication they gave me.
The vomiting was horrible and not being able to keep fluids or food down was
tough. I had a drip put in for fluids and the medications changed. After a terrible night's "sleep" with a headache added into the mix, I was happy to see the morning light and began to slowly feel better. Keeping breakfast down was so good, and I started to feel
much brighter after that. A shower, some walking with elbow crutches supervised by
a physiotherapist, and I was approved to go home - 24 hours after my op -
absolutely amazing! To be home in quiet, familiar surroundings - with a very
helpful husband was so nice. And the first thing I did was go to bed for a much needed nap.
ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
I was surprised at how pain free I've been throughout my recovery. I had an
icepack for the area and some pain relief, blood thinners, and
anti-inflamatories. All in all I hurt less than I did with my old hip. For
six weeks I'm not allowed to bend past 90 ° , twist, or cross my legs (so I don't dislocate my hip by accident while
the muscles are healing - highly unlikely - but better safe than sorry), I couldn't do those things before surgery anyway, so
it's not a problem. I'm just being careful, doing my exercises, and resting when I need to. I keep reminding myself that it was a big operation and to take it
easy.
Eight days after surgery I had an appointment with the surgeon's nurse to have my wound
dressing removed. She told me I could get on with living - the wound had healed well, I could walk for as far as I felt able, and I didn't need to use my crutch unless I was tired or in a busy area. I was amazed that I was progressing so quickly! A few days later, I was ready to see a physiotherapist
to start some rehab for the following few weeks to get my muscle strength back. I'm returning to work after 2 weeks for a few hours to help out, and driving at the 4 week mark, and then I'm booked to see the surgeon for a 6 week final
check. From there on I don't have to follow the hip precautions and will be on my way to walking everywhere and having my life back
again - pain free.... I can't wait!
And I have a new tee shirt to celebrate (I wore it home from
hospital).
RELATED POSTS
Disclaimer: I am not a
medical professional nor am I providing medical guidance.
This post should not be taken as specific health advice,
it relates only to my own THR journey. I advise you to speak to your
own Doctor or health professional if you have concerns in regard to
your health.
BEFORE YOU GO:
If you'd like to know when I write a new post, please click HERE for email updates.
If you'd like to comment but not here on the blog, feel free to email
me at
leanne.crestingthehill@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you.
And please share this post by clicking on a share button before you
go.
So glad you are doing well! Take care and speedy recovery
ReplyDeleteThank you so much - I'm really happy with how it's coming along - just need to get the bruising and muscle soreness to reduce over the next week or so...
DeleteI'm glad your recovery is going well. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Deb - it's been a big thing for me, so I'm just relieved that it's turned out to be better than I expected and that things have fallen into place so well.
DeleteWonderful to hear. Keep ace-ing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Judith - and that's the plan - I reckon I'll be out walking the neighbourhood like my old self in another few weeks - can't wait!
DeleteI am SO glad to hear it's gone so well for you!! I felt like you were telling my story - all the way to the Tramadol! Except for my issue is arthritis and not dysplaysia. Wow. So, SO happy for you. I can't wait to be pain free.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathleen - the arthritis was my problem too - it just got set in motion by having such a shallow hip joint and the extra wear and tear on it. That Tramadol was not my friend at all and I was very glad when they finally agreed with me and stopped it! I hope you have your second one in the not too distant future - living with that constant grinding pain is so wearing isn't it?
DeleteHi, Leanne - Your positive recovery is wonderful news. And I absolutely LOVE that t-shirt. It's so cool.
ReplyDeleteSending you warm vibes for continued healing.
Hi Donna - thanks so much for your good wishes. As you would know with your mum, hip replacements are amazing - such a huge surgery and yet so efficiently done and the subsequent recovery process is much more straightforward than I expected - I thought I'd have to baby myself more.....but no.....I'm "up and at 'em!"
DeleteHi Leanne .... thanks so much for your very informative THR blog. I have very much enjoyed travelling this journey with you and wish you a speedy recovery and return to normal a.s.a.p. So good that you are well on the road now. Due to arthritis I had a THR on my right side in 2020, my left side with need a prosthetic within the next 12 months. I want to ask you about the pre-hab strengthening program you used prior to surgery. I have not heard of this before (not suggested by my surgeon in Perth) and believe had I used it in 2020 my recovery would have been so much quicker. I took around 12 months before I felt okay and therefore was not looking forward to THR # 2 anytime soon. I have made a copy of your exercises to use following the operation and will make use of them when the time comes.
ReplyDeleteHi Kerry - my surgeon's rooms recommened the GLAD program (a hip and knee physio program developed in Denmark - https://gladaustralia.com.au/). The physio down here who uses it suggested I do a mix of hip specific + GLAD exercises - they run hour long classes with 3-4 people in them - kind of Pilates meets physio that was geared to each person specifically (there was a hip (me), a knee, and an ankle rehab in my class and it worked well.
DeleteI'm seeing my physio one to one tomorrow and then back to the class for maybe 3-4 sessions to make sure I'm not 'waddle walking' like I used to. I just really need to strengthen the muscles that were cut. I'm sure that you could get a much better result 2nd time around with some prehab thrown into the mix. Let me know how it goes and feel free to email me any time. :)
Yay! I'm so happy for you!!! I know several people who had hip replacements and they're all really well afterwards, one is back to biking all over the place at 85+ and one seems more fit than I am at the moment! Pre-hab was a new concept to me but it really makes sense. I'm sorry about your reaction to Tramadol, sadly it's not uncommon, I was actually surprised to hear they still use it as post-surgery pain treatment!! In Sweden where I used to work (old nurse here) they've switched to Oxycodone + Paracetamol.
ReplyDeleteHi Susanne thanks for the cheer! - the Oxycodone + Paracetamol mix is working well for me and I just wish the pain management team were more aware of the adverse reactions to Tramadol. It seemed to take them a long time to figure out what the problem was (despite me trying to tell them what my gut feeling was!) I'm really hoping for a continued speedy recovery and it's looking good so far - being able to sleep on that side is my dream - give me another week or so and I'll get there!
DeleteSo glad to hear that everything is going so well!! That is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joanne - I'm really happy with how it's all going - I'm much further along than I expected to be after less than 2 weeks post-op. I just hope it keeps heading in the right direction and that my muscles heal and strengthen over the next few weeks.
DeleteCongratulations and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery. Sounds like you are well on your way to pain free living!
ReplyDeleteHi Suzanne - I still have a way to go, but I'm surprised at how mobile I am. The pain is there from the operation - but not from the hip. Healing pain is easier to deal with than chronic pain!
DeleteSo happy for you! And so glad you were able to move the surgery up. It is amazing what they can do these days, medically.
ReplyDeleteI still see it as a miracle to get it done 6 months earlier than planned Pat - to not have to 'grin and bear' it for all that extra time makes me incredibly grateful - and modern medicine blows my mind!
DeleteI am so glad your surgery was a success. You look fantastic and im sure you will be an inspiration to other women facing hip replacement.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much - I feel so much brighter without the constant nagging pain. Still have a way to go to get on top of the muscles that were cut etc, but it feels so good to be moving forward and not stuck in the waiting time while trying to manage it all. Life is very good and I'm grateful beyond words.
DeleteThis is great to read Leanne, I've been thinking about you! To be pain free and able to walk will be fabulous for you (in a few weeks) and you are the poster girl for a hip replacement! Love the shirt too.
ReplyDeleteHi Deb - I feel so happy with how my recovery is going so far. I was prepared for it to be much more difficult, and am pleasantly surprised by my progress. I still have a way to go yet with getting my cut muscles strong again, but my hip is smooth as butter - bring on the walking!!
DeleteHi Leanne, I'm so glad your recovery is going well! You can definitely see the 'bone on bone' in the before xray and how amazing is the after xray! Hopefully it won't be too long before you're healed, feeling stronger, and back to normal activities!
ReplyDeleteHi Min - that xray really surprised me because I hadn't realized how ragged and worn out my poor hip had become - and it explained the grinding pain I was dealing with. I feel so much better internally with my hip and now I just need to get the wound and muscles sorted - it'll take a few more weeks, but it feels like a miracle already.
DeleteThanks for updating us Leanne. I'm amazed at how quickly you've recovered. There was a time when the hospital stay for a hip replacement would be a couple of weeks. You won't know yourself once you're able to walk further. You must be feeling so relieved that it's over and knowing that you will be pain free.
ReplyDeleteOne of the nurses told me it used to be 10 days bed rest - and at least 4 days before being allowed to leave your hospital bed! I can't even imagine what that would have been like! To be able to get up and to go home so quickly was a godsend and a testament to modern medicine. The body takes time to heal, but I'm so happy with where I'm at in the process - life is very good indeed.
DeleteHi Leanne you must be feeling so relieved that it's almost over and you will be able to get your life back to normal and pain free. I'm amazed at your fast recovery time.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer - I'm beyond relieved to have it all behind me and to know that my recovery is now just a matter of time and physio. I'm walking a bit further each day and in another couple of weeks I won't know myself :)
DeleteLeanne,
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear you did so well after your hip surgery...The pre op and post op course is pretty much the same here in the USA for hip and a bit different but close to knee replacement surgery. Having my knee surgery was the best thing I ever did!! Prayers for your continued recovery!! Thanks so much for stopping by and for oyur kind comments!!
Hugs,
Deb
Hi Deb - I think hip recovery is much easier than knee recovery. I looked after my mum after both her knee replacements and she was in a lot more pain than I was with my hip. It's more the muscles that need to recover - all the bending and leg moving is smooth and easy. I'm so glad it's done and I'm on the road to getting back to normal again.
DeleteIt is so good to see your news and how the surgeon has given you the go-ahead to 'get on with life'. It's wonderful to know how life will be for you going forward. Yay!! Thanks for being part of the link up for Wednesday’s Words and Pics and sharing your post. It’s always great to see you join in. See you next week…and it’s November already! Denyse.
ReplyDeleteHi Denyse - I'm so grateful that I don't have to baby myself or sit around waiting for my recovery to get started. To be up and around from day 1 and to feel stronger every day is almost beyond belief. Another few weeks and I'll be skipping!
DeleteI am so glad to hear of your speedy recovery, Leanne. It is pretty amazing how far orthopedic surgery has come. I'm sure it helped that you are listening to your body and taking good care of yourself as well. Carry on!
ReplyDeleteHi Christie - I feel like I did all I could to be in the best possible condition for the surgery and I'm following all the rehab to the letter. It helps that I'm not overweight or elderly - but there's still a degree of taking responsibility if you want a great result (and I do!)
DeleteIt's great to hear that you are recovering well. I found this post helpful because I need surgery on my hip. Not a replacement yet, just a cleanup, but I'm nervous about it and have been delaying. Replacement will come eventually. Sharing your experience has helped me feel better about it. Thank you, Leanne.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found it helpful - I was pretty overwhelmed when I found out that I'd need to have such a big surgery to get myself back on track, but I think as the arthritis gradually took away more and more of the little things I enjoyed, it got easier to accept. I've been so pleased (and relieved) to have had so little pain or problems with my recovery. I'm sure you'll be just as pleased when your time comes. Don't leave it too long - the sooner you get it sorted, the sooner you get back to pain-free living :)
DeleteWell done to you, bionic woman, you! I love finding someone else in the second half of life blogging! Nice to meet you Leanne!
ReplyDeleteHi! You'll have to add your name and blog next time you comment so I can return the visit and check out all that you're writing about. And yes, being bionic beats being crippled with pain any day!
DeleteYou must feel so relieved Leanne that the operation was done much earlier than expected. You will be running around in no time. You certainly prepared well for the op which would have held you in good stead. Thanks for the update and take care
ReplyDeleteHi Sue - I really believe that being prepared mentally and physically gave me a much better outcome and speedier recovery. You can't skip the process, but you can certainly make sure that the outcome is as good as you can possibly get. I have a few weeks of rehab exercise classes to go, and then I'll be out an about greeting my neighbourhood again - I've missed it.
DeleteHi Leanne, This is wonderful news. I'm glad to hear you're recovering well and quickly. Cool t-shirt! Keep up the good work. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie - I'm so pleased with how it's all come together and to be on the mend after the last 9 months. I feel very blessed to have had the operation happen earlier than planned and to have had such a great result.
DeleteSo happy your recovery is going well! Hip replacements can be truly miraculous.
ReplyDeleteHi Janet - it certainly feels like a miracle to me. The lead-up, the operation, the recovery....all so smooth and much less painful and debilitating than I expected. Such a relief after the last 12 months.
DeleteIt's so great it all went well. I do beleive Drs can do anything (Tho I am sometimes devastated I am wrong, more often than not, it is correct). And glad the recovery went well. My dad had his hip replaced and I couldn't believe how quickly he was out of hospital and recovering. It's a big op and yet....
ReplyDeleteI think surgeons are pretty fabulous too Lydia - and the ability of the human body to mend itself afterwards boggles my mind. I feel a little bit stronger every day. 2.5 weeks post op and no crutches!
DeleteLeanne, I'm so glad that the surgery went so well. I know you are already so glad you did it. Your smile says it all. You look great.
ReplyDeleteHi Marsha - thanks for the lovely compliment - and yes, I smile every day with how blessed I was to have the op go ahead and to be getting my life back on track.
DeleteYay! That is so great to hear!! I agree with Marsha..you look great!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kirstin - it was a long journey to get here - but so great to be on the other side!
DeleteThank you for sharing your story!! I have left hip dysplasia too and get my new hip in a little over a month at 47 years old!! I can’t wait to not be in pain all the time!!
ReplyDeleteYou will not believe the difference it makes! To be up and about and moving, to see improvement almost daily, and to realize after a few months that your hip is strong, and painfree, and stable......it's amazing. I hope it all goes well - don't overdo your recovery and don't push too hard too fast - life is about to recommence :) xx
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