HR 1 week post op with Mr. Moss

[kate71]

Hi

My name is Kate and I have just had a resurfacing to my right hip at age 41.

13 years ago I was walking down the road in London where I lived at the time and felt my hip 'go' along with a very sharp pain completely out of the blue.  I had always been sporty doing everything from tennis to netball, aerobics, hockey etc! It didn't happen again for about a month and then only once in a while - I just put it down to being one of those things!

After the birth of my son the pain started to be more regular and I visited to doctor who did various xrays and MRI scans to finally discover arthritis in the right hip joint.  I have no family history or previous injury on this hip so I was very surprised! my first op was to have a cyst removed from the top of the femur and bone graft applied to smooth the joint in the socket.  this lasted a couple of years and then started to get worse.

6 years after having my son, i was pregnant with my daughter and the pain disappeared completely even though I was probably the heaviest I had ever been in my life.  But as my doctor said at the time you can't be pregnant for the rest of your life!!

After my daughter was born in 2011, the pain has just got worse and worse and I was starting to take regular ibuprofen before and after any walking and sport just became too painful. Then I knew I had reached the end of the road and that a hip replacement was the next step, that was until I visited my doctor and he explained the idea of resurfacing to me.

This seemed like the logical next step to me so I decided to go ahead and have the operation.  I had this done on 17 May and a week later I am sitting here typing this after a day where I managed to walk to the local park with my kids (with crutches and very slowly!).  whilst I know there is a long way to go and i keep getting soooo frustrated as I am usually a busy working mum running all over the place,i know in the long run my life will be, fingers crossed, improved no end.

This website has already given me some very useful information in the short time I have been on here and I cannot thank you enough for providing a forum for something which is quite frankly quite scary!  Talking to others in the same boat helps no end and I look forward to sharing my progress with you all across the Atlantic!

[hernanu]

Welcome Kate! The best thing about this site is that it has many people from all over. There is a good sized contingent of folks from the UK, so you have many compatriots on here with you.

Congratulations on having it done, take it easy and well on your recovery and you'll hopefully have great results.

[Dannywayoflife]

Welcome kate! Wherein the UK are you? Who did your op for you?

Danny

[kate71]

I am in Haslemere - had the op in Chichester, west sussex by Mr Moss

[Dannywayoflife]

Ah I know haslemere! I'm near Brighton

[evant]

Glad you're doing well.

Interesting story leading up to your operation - lucky you had a helpful GP who was knowledgeable about resurfacing.

Best of luck with your recovery.

[kate71]

I do feel very lucky that my GP knew about resurfacing as an option - since then I mentioned to a friend who had said his GP had said his only option was a THR and he was younger than me! I suggested they ask for a resurfacing instead and this is what he has now had done. Thanks for your friendly welcomes to the group 

[kate71]

now day 10 and feeling better in my hip area by the day:-). however my knee and ankle are still really swollen and painful and my lower back is agony every time I lie down in bed.  Has anyone else experienced these symptoms and any suggestions to improve them?!

[Dannywayoflife]

Ice Ice and more ice. Sounds normal to me

[hernanu]

Rest, Ice and Elevate - it helped me to put a pillow under my knee when lying in bed. Usually both knees, it helped me to relieve the stress on my back.

If I was watching TV, I would make sure my leg was elevated, resting on a bench or ottoman. When lying down on the couch, I would take a couple of pillows and raise my leg on them.

The soreness will pass. You are early on, and it is not easy early, but the more you walk and move, the better for your body. Then rest a lot (I know, complete opposites).

You need a good balance. At two weeks, I walked three to four times a day (with crutches) for as long as I could, then walked about in my place. Rested in between, took a scheduled nap every afternoon.

[kate71]

thanks so much for your advice - i have been walking more on crutches and enjoying being out of the house!!i will try your suggestions and report back! had staples removed yesterday and all good so feeling like I have made another landmark to recovery! next step to relieve the back pain so I can sleep :-)

[kate71]

Thanks so much for the pillow under the knees tip - it worked a treat and I have now had a couple of nights where I have not woken up at all! THANK YOU!!!:-)

now day 16 - walking with one crutch in the house - still 2 crutches outside but feeling stronger and can walk further.  Getting very frustrated and as I feel better its so easy to forget to not bend over and pick something up or not leaning forward to stand up.  reduced painkillers to just ibuprofen 3 times a day.

my new motto: slow and steady wins the race!! thinking about having a t shirt made!!

[mjbostock]

Kate, I just replied to your kind post on my own thread...

I grew up in Petersfield - just down the road from you.

You've already had some great advice in response to your post, but let me reiterate:

it takes time.  you must do what your consultant and physio tell you to do.

Be patient, even when it drives you mad!!!!

In the early days everything seems SO slow.

But here I am after 4 months walking for miles and playing a bit of tennis.

It can be done!!

But don't rush it.  Build those muscles slowly and steadily.

I walked 13 miles yesterday (4 months in). I wouldn't have believed that was possible 4 weeks in!

Best.

Martin

[kate71]

Hi Martin

Small world! Thank you for your support - I am so grateful for your kind words and everyone's support on this website - it really means so much that people just get how you feel (when everyone else is a bit bored of hearing you talk about it!!!!!) - I am so pleased I found it!!

I will keep remembering your words and take it slow...cant wait to play tennis again and be able to run around with my kids.

Look forward to exchanging achievements!!

Kate

[kate71]

hi all

coming up for 3 weeks on friday, but still getting a lot of pain in and around the hip joint - is this normal? I am completely paranoid! but Mr Moss had said to me when he did the HR the bone was quite soft as I had not been weight bearing properly on this leg for a few years.  so this worry is what is in my head.

logically I am sure the muscle around the joint is going to hurt as much as anywhere else, but it hasnt been hurting as much until now??? I did do the longest walk so far on Sunday but would this be affecting me now?

Any thoughts anyone? much appreciated!
 

[Dannywayoflife]

We all heal differently Kate. Have you done anything that could of damaged the device? If not I'd rest and ice and I'm sure it's just one of those weird recovery things that happens to us all. If your concerned tho speak to your surgeon.

Danny

[Anna]

Hey Kate!

Congratulations on your new shiny hip!!

Sounds like you are doing just great. I hope you have a speedy recovery and get back to being the busy mum sharpish.

Keep updating us

Anna x

[packman]

Hi Kate - yes I would think that a long Walk Sunday could manifest itself in subsequent pain 2-3 days later. Depends how you supported yourself - I would think by now you are cane/stick?

I know I gave up the crutches and went to the cane/stick just before week 3. For week 3, I was pretty heavy on the cane for support until beginning of week 5 when I started doing maybe 100 yards without the cane/stick followed by 300 yards with it, and GRADUALLY working myself up. The important thing is your gait balance and letting the walk flow naturally. If you feel a limp or wobbles, go back to the cane/stick until your leg strength improves.

Sounds like you had little to no pain during the walk itself which is a good sign but ice baby ice and do not try to fight thru any pain but rest is best. The consistent advice on this site, is for YOU to listen to your body and be patient as you will get there at your own pace. Yes - you will have numerous doubts as to not measuring up vs. someone else's story or expectations - Don't fall into that trap of thinking you are "Abby normal" or slow - ev1 is different
Bonne chance!

[kate71]

thank you all for your wise words and support - resting today and getting a friend to do the school pickup for me!

will keep you posted!

[hernanu]

Hi kate, you've gotten some good advice, I'll just add that there's nothing wrong with going back on the crutches for a day or two to let your body catch up if that makes things easier.

Any time I did an exercise further or more intensely than before, I knew there was a chance of soreness, so unless it persists, that's probably the cause.

Good luck and keep it up, you sound fine.