Were my expectations too high?

[kimberly52]

Hi everyone,

This nas been bugging me and I am unsure whether my expectations are too high or if I am experiecing some sort of setback.

I am now 5-weeks post op and just not feeling like myself.  My pain is minimal about 80% of the time.  The only real pain I get is in my groin and my thigh, and stiffness when sedentary. Whenever I try to do my leg lifts, stretching, or get in and out of the car my groin kills me.  My thigh is still tender to the touch and it is like my skin hurts and it is just really tender.

The other thing that has been happening is that my entire rib cage is still tender and aches as well as my entire pelvis.  Although I am sleeping about 9 hours a night, I still need to lay down for an afternoon nap!

I am out of work until at least 5/22 and really need to get myself going.  I am normally a very high energy person but since week 3 post op, I can't seem to muster up nearly 1/2 as much energy as I previously had and these weird aches and pains are not getting any better.

Has anyone else experienced any of these weird things?  I am taking multi vitamins plus a prescription iron supplement, and 325 mg of coated aspirin daily.

Thanks,

Kim

[Dannywayoflife]

Kim you are still under early in your recovery! You had a massive trauma (your operation) also the anaesthetic causes havoc and takes a long time to fully leave your body. Keep well rested and keep good nutrition going in and you'll be fine.

Danny

[Roboclimber]

Hi Kim,

You are very early on in a recovery from major surgery. Don't get too caught up in the hype from the fast-healers. Every one of these surgeries is different, and that is the first thing you need to understand.

We are all so keen, but if you're like me, you are more likely to overdo the exercises and physio - especially after waiting so long to be healthy again. Read around, keep posting, and give it time. I have had multiple spinal surgeries but these hips can take a while to heal and it is real easy to overdo it and get bummed.

Good luck with your healing!

[packman]

Hi Kim - just a little ahead of you at 7 weeks plus
I don't have the tender to the skin touch on the thigh or the ribs but do have the groin stretch and thigh muscle strains when in certain positions - like getting out of a car, sitting in a chair for over 60 minutes in an L like position. Takes me about 30 seconds of walking and then I'm loosened up.
One aspect of this, is that I have totally learned to love walking - it is an exercise that makes me feel totally normal whether in the woods with our dog or on a hard surface like a mall
Walking works to restore my energy, so can only suggest that to you.
I actually hate driving for more than 40 mins (right hip op) as I can feel myself tightening.
I took the advice of Chuck in an earlier post about the leg lifts - I am backing off on the # of times I do them in a day (only 1 session maybe 2 rather than 3) until I speak with my Doc - I think my own expectations may have been too high
I hear you on the naps - I am back to work last week and felt the energy drains (even with the vitamins etc.) - be careful on pushing yourself - time is on our side and quality counts not speed

[Marco Polo]

Kim:  Have you had a follow visit with Dr. Clarke? It is probably just part of the healing process, but I would make him aware of your symptoms and follow his guidance regarding how to deal with your thigh and groin pain.

I agree with the advice about avoiding straight leg lifts early on in the healing process.

All the best,

[obxpelican]

Kim,

Have you taken your temp lately?  Not trying to scare you but sometimes infections can make you feel like crap.

It's probably nothing but a recovery issue, nothing serious.


Chuck

[Dee Dee]

Hi Kim,
Whenever I had symptoms that didn't fit my expectations, I contacted my doctors office to get some answers and reassurance.  I also checked the search feature here to see how others handled their recovery.

You could be overdoing the exercise and stretching, but your doc should tell you that.

 I am almost 6 months on the left hip and one year out on the right and I' m really just now starting to feel stronger than I can remember in a long time.  After my second surgery, it took me well over 12 weeks to get my energy levels to where I felt like I could do normal daily activities(cooking, cleaning, working part time) without tiring and trudging around. 

Hang in there. It is a marathon not a sprint to full recovery.

Dee

[hippy hippy shake]

Of course everyone's comments are in line, and I support them.   But, I don't remember others mentioning rib cage pain in these forums -- I'd ask your doctor about that.

I would also like to add a thought about allergies.  This is my allergy season and those darned oak flowers are all over the place right now.  Even people who don't normally have specific allergic reactions (itchy eyes, sneezing, etc..) can feel a general malaise from all of the pollen.

Hope you feel better soon.

[chuckm]

Kim, if you don't have a foam roller I recommend you get one. I have had a few times where I forgot to use it for a few days. When I would get some nagging groin pains and thigh pains, that was my reminder. It takes less than 5 minutes and you get instant relief. Sometimes I have spent 10 - 15 minutes and really worked the entire area. A couple of times I have stood up after that and it felt like I never had surgery!

Chuckm

[PattyM]

Hi Kim,
I am 8 wks today on my left hip. this was my second the first was done 9 mos ago
on the right. I seemed to bounce back (energy ) easier the first time. This time
I am still feeling like I get tired easily, even though I get plenty of rest.
You are still early in the healing process, give yourself a break and
don't get discouraged !!
I was told not to do straight leg lifts.? I did plenty out to the side Abduction.
Sitting in the car for long periods awful still.
Keep walking and stretching .
Definitely talk to your doctor about any concerns, that's what they are there for.
Good luck!

[podgornymd]

Hey Kim,

I am sorry you are having a difficult time. I am only 3.5 weeks out so i am new to all this but i do have a medical background which helps me to give you some advice.

I think all the advice you got up until now is excellent.

My gut feeling is this is all related to the surgery and you will get better wtih rest and slowly getting back to exercising, but there are other things that could be causing this . If you were on the sightly anemic side before surgery it is possible you could have lost a significnt amount of blood especially if you are a small petite female and you havent got back to your normal levels .Your doctor can get that checked out with blood work.

The other thing that i have to mention which is unlikely and not trying to scare you is a blood clot that goes to your lungs called a pulmonary embolus. It can cause chest pain, rib pain Shortness of breath and feeling tired. It is very unlikely especially if you are moving aorund and took blood thinners.
i really believe this is all just normal stuff but like anything else you should call your doctor and let him know .Hope that helps .Keep us posted. Good luck.

 

[kimberly52]

I think Hippy Shake was on to something.  I started taking allergy meds a few days ago and now beginning to feel better.  I meet with Dr. Clarke next week and will discuss if the tender skin continues.  I had surgery in 2011 and remember that my rib cage was sore and tender post op then also and eventually went away.

Talked to my therapist about the groin thing today and he said that as I build the strength it should subside.  He wants me to continue the straight leg raises and has me using a 2-lb weight.  Again, another topic to discuss with the doc.

Chuck, I bought a foam roller today and love it.  It is a bit rough at first but it just takes a bit of getting used to since I am still tender.  And you are right about walking Packman, it feels so much better to walk than be sedentary.

Thanks for all of your feedback.  It certainly is very helpful to hear about other people's experiences.

I'm going to keep plugging along here.

Kim

[hernanu]

Talked to my therapist about the groin thing today and he said that as I build the strength it should subside.  He wants me to continue the straight leg raises and has me using a 2-lb weight.  Again, another topic to discuss with the doc.

.
.
Thanks for all of your feedback.  It certainly is very helpful to hear about other people's experiences.

I'm going to keep plugging along here.

Kim

Kim, if the pain continues, why not try the leg raises without a weight?  It really shouldn't be something you force your way through - it should be difficult, but actual pain is not something you should push.

[chuckm]

I've posted this before - watch out for those therapists who want you to do leg lifts. Especially weighted leg lifts. During surgery, they have to cut your hip capsule 360 degrees around. Then they are able to suture together the posterior side of it. The anterior side remains cut and needs six weeks or more to heal. The psoas tendon that you employ to do straight leg lifts runs right over this area and that is why it is so painful and weak in the beginning.

Chuckm

[kimberly52]

I think I will heed this advice from both of you.  Even the unweighted lifts are painful after about 5 of them. So with that I think I will do it to the point of the pain without the weight and then stop.

OMG! 360?  Yikes that is scary!  I have avoided learning any details about the surgery other than the expected outcome because it is too disturbing for me. I can't even watch Grey's Anatomy and that stuff is fake!

Why don't they suture the entire capsule?  No wonder there is groin pain. Thank you for saying this because I was becoming concerned about it.

[chuckm]

To perform hip resurfacing the surgeon needs to completely dislocate your hip and then rotate your leg so your hip is facing out the incision. As they are rotating your leg they are able to cut the capsule all the way around. Then they can work on installing the new device. But, when they put the newly resurfaced ball into the new socket, they can no longer access half of the capsule they just cut. So they suture that part they can see back together. This is if you had the posterior approach for you surgery.

Lifting the let was so painful for me I asked my surgeon directly exactly what is it about this surgery that makes the groin so painful. That's what he told me.

I ignored all the leg lifting but did most of the other exercises. One day it just altogether stopped hurting to lift my leg and never hurt since.

Chuckm
 

[hernanu]

I had a rule for my recovery - any exercise that caused pain was to be avoided. Now if some pain was present, or unavoidable, then fine, but any extra exertions with pain was my body telling me no. So I listened.

It was very difficult, since being a full contact martial artist, pain and I were competitors, but in this case, you want to be the last arbiter for your recovery. Especially early on.

I had no problem telling my PT(s) I was not going to do A or B until later. If you can do 5 without pain, then 5 it is until it's 10 without pain, so on. You're in a long distance thing, not a sprint.

Don't be scared of the surgical specifics - we've all gone through this and most are doing well. Keep the exercise up, but be the master of your domain.

[kimberly52]

Good rule that I will adopt at my visit with him tomorrow.

As for the details on the capsule, that certainly makes the groin pain crystal clear and I look forward to that day when it just goes away!

Thanks so much.

Kim

[kimberly52]

Spoke with my therapist yesterday and told him we are no longer doing leg lifts with weights and I will only do them without and only to the point of pain.  Went through all the other exercises and had a much better night sleeping last night and today I am not in agony like I was with that weight.

With all of the walking and stair climbing that I have been doing since week 1, I don't think that weight has ever been necessary.  I am up to walking a mile 2x/day and pedaling 2.7 miles 2x/week in addition to all the stretching, gardening, and mild resistance I am doing.

I am just wondering why both of the PT guys were pushing the weights on me.  Guess it doesn't matter and I will chalk this up to a learning experience and hope that they do too and not push the next person.

[hernanu]

I think they are trying to do their best, and eventually the weights can be introduced and help (I know they did with me), when you decide you're strong enough.

You have to be the final decision maker, though - it's good for you to regulate PT based on your needs, not some expected schedule.