Question
QUESTION: Had two hip replacments three months apart. the second is ten weeks old, with more scar tissue and had a hematoma.Will this left side take longer, and will this swelling subside. I still have some groin pain, not bad...Im having trouble returning to walking(on a trail) because of some arthritis and stiff muscles around knee. Is this common, how long will it take to reasonable normally walk a mile a day..Im still stiff and balled up on that side and they cut meds to two darvocets a day which doesnt cover nightime pain.Any help please. I want back to normal.

ANSWER: Hello Susan

Ten weeks is not a long time to heal from THR sugery.  The rule of thumb is that it takes at least 3 months to get back to yourself and then at least six months to go back to most activities full time.  Walking a trail is not something I would suggest, unless your doctor has told you that you are healed fully enough to walk that type of trail.

I have found that in early healing, a mile is quite a trek.  When you have hip surgery, the knee is sometimes affected because of all the trauma of surgery, so knee pain is not uncommon.  I would say, and this is an estimate that you are pushing yourself too hard for one mile a day at this early stage.  Don't forget, you had two major surgeries in a very short amount of time, although for an active woman such as yourself, it seems like this healing phase will last forever.

If the darvocets are not enough pain relief, (darvocet is not a strong pain medication), tell your doctor that information and perhaps ask for something stronger at night, since that seems to be your worst time.  Try a heating pad, or electric bed warmer at night, and be sure to sleep with a body pillow so you don't cross your legs in your sleep.  

Another suggestion would be for your doctor to measure your legs.  If your legs are not the same length, that could be causing pain as well and that problem is an easy fix with a shoe lift inside your shoe of the shorter leg.

I fully understand, (after 8 revisions myself), that you want normal, and I can promise you that you will return to a state where you can find a equalibrium with your life, but this surgery takes time to recover.  If you push your body too hard, you will hurt yourself.  Let your body and your mind heal, you are still in the early stages of healing.

There are always going to be things you can't do because of the surgery.  You will have to accept that fact and learn to live with it.  You have to be thankful that you can be, and will be free of the pain you had prior to the surgery.  Please don't take this in a bad way, but I found, for myself, that seeking help from a therapist helped me put things in perspective.  Most THR patients go through a short mourning period of things they cannot do, and as soon as you can find a place for yourself and reconcile that, you will also feel much better too.

I wish you the best of luck.

sharon

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: oh goodness you had eight revisions..I guess Im expecting too much and yes my knee bothers me ..I can walk about two blocks,,,period.buthow did you handle eight revisions.I know Im not healed enough I just wasnt told much,are you able to do much athletically>walking I mean.

ANSWER: Yes, I had eight surgeries.  I had my first set put in at age 16, then every 10 or so years, I had to get revisions.  I am 49 now and had thee revisions on each hip.

When you walk the two blocks are you in pain or just out of breath?  If you are in pain, see if you can figure out if it is bone pain or muscle pain.  The reason is that when your prosthesis is put in, the surgeon has to cut through the periformus muscle which is large muscle mass that goes from the backside to the hip.  That muscle takes a long time to heal.

I was never much of an athelete in the past, so I guess I am not in the position of missing much.  I did however, ice skate, which I can't do anymore, I won't sled or do contact sports.  I do swim, and bike ride and I was never much of a walker, but as long as I can do my daily tasks and work my job, I guess the limited activity doesn't bother me.  I will say the only time it does bother me is when we go on vacation.  I can't walk very long distances on walking tours and such, and I always make sure I have a pain prescription when we go away so in case I have pain, but frankly, my feeling is that if this surgery was not available to me, I'd be in a wheelchair, so dealing with any limitation I may have is a small thing.

Sharon

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Sharon Thisis Susan I am three months out of second hip replacement.Is it common to have pins and needle sensations occasionally, Im able to walk one half mile three times a week, anything more stresses me right now, also the replaced joints sometimes ball up with a feeling like theres two fists in there but goes away.Some days are better than others..Im just now trying the healing phase(early) some people dont understand this, there was no leg length problem though.THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer
Hi Susan

The only time I had pins and needles feeling was when I had nerve damage in the leg.  It came and went and my doctor told me that if it does not go away in 18 months, it will not go away.  Well, it never went away.  It's not a big deal, and has lessened, but it's still there.

Three months into the THR still is not a long time.  My rule of thumb is that 3-6 months is more of a indicator for healing.  Is your pain better?

Sharon