Re: 3 weeks post op and miserable

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

I feel really bad for you because of all the pain. I'm only one person and can't refute what your doctor tells you. However, I had a right THR on January 7th. I was swinging a golf club 14 days later and played a full 9 holes within 3 weeks. I'm 53 and in good shape. I now am walking and playing a full 18 holes with no pain, no medications.

I would suggest taking pain medications, and strong ones, because I believe the pain will keep you from exercising and doing physical therapy. It was critical for me to stay active and to push myself to walk. I was initially worried that I'd get hooked on the pills but I stopped as soon as the pain went away. It was about 3 weeks until I didn't need any pain medication.

From everything I have read and learned your situation does not sound right. Not sure but perhaps I'd get another opinion from another doctor.

Good luck,

-----Original Message-----From: [mailto:signmanillinois@...] Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 3:00 PMJoint Replacement Subject: 3 weeks post op and miserableI had Left THR on the 17th of Feb. Because i am only 30 yo I have metal on metal hip non cemented. For 3 days after the surgery I had muscle spasms every 60 seconds the froze my body in pain. I am still getting the spazams 1 or 2 an hour. It's like being hooked up to a light socket; my body is frozen stiff with mind numbing pain and I can't move till the spasm goes away. My doc says it's normal and it will get better. My doctor has me on non weight bearing for another 4 weeks. I havn't slept since the surgery (maybe an hour a night) and my doc said it will be 6-8 more weeks before I can go total weight bearing and sleep on my side. I am trying not to take anything for pain because I am tired all the time and the meds just make it worse. I keep reading about people walking with a cane just weeks after surgery and sleeping with no problem. Is there any advise or tips to being more comfortable. I am scheduled to get the other hip done in 4 months but at this rate I will just live with the pain. I don't want to sound like a wuss but what I have gone through so for is MUCH worse that the pain I was having before surgery (mind you I was told if I didn't have the surgery I wouldn't be walking by July and the pain was guite severe). So am I a worst case scenerio? is there any relief in sight?

[Guest guest]

Wow ...Thats scary,,,especially for me. Im about 5 weeks away

from surgery. What type of surgery did you have? MIS, 2-4 inch

incision or more? Really interested. Wish I could give you some

advice, ......

> I had Left THR on the 17th of Feb. Because i am only 30 yo I have

> metal on metal hip non cemented. For 3 days after the surgery I had

> muscle spasms every 60 seconds the froze my body in pain. I am

still

> getting the spazams 1 or 2 an hour. It's like being hooked up to a

> light socket; my body is frozen stiff with mind numbing pain and I

> can't move till the spasm goes away. My doc says it's normal and it

> will get better. My doctor has me on non weight bearing for another

4

> weeks. I havn't slept since the surgery (maybe an hour a night) and

> my doc said it will be 6-8 more weeks before I can go total weight

> bearing and sleep on my side. I am trying not to take anything for

> pain because I am tired all the time and the meds just make it

worse.

> I keep reading about people walking with a cane just weeks after

> surgery and sleeping with no problem. Is there any advise or tips

to

> being more comfortable. I am scheduled to get the other hip done in

4

> months but at this rate I will just live with the pain. I don't

want

> to sound like a wuss but what I have gone through so for is MUCH

> worse that the pain I was having before surgery (mind you I was

told

> if I didn't have the surgery I wouldn't be walking by July and the

> pain was guite severe). So am I a worst case scenerio? is there any

> relief in sight?

[Guest guest]

My husband is 56 and now 2½ weeks post-op. He had muscle spasms while he

was in the hospital, but they weren't as frequent as yours. However, they

would jerk him awake when he tried to sleep while he was at the hospital.

He had a hard time sleeping, too. It seems that the younger people do have

some problems with this surgery that the older people don't have. My

husband does a lot of body workout and has really developed his muscles. As

a result, his hip muscles are tight and he has more pain after the surgery

because of the tight muscles that many people in their 70s and 80s don't

have. At least that's what the doctors told us.

Charlotte in Iowa

[Guest guest]

--- ,

I too had muscle spasms like you had after surgery. My OS ordered

muscle relaxants and they sure did help. I still had spasms after I

went home but the muscle relaxants did the trick. TAKE you pain

meds as my OS said the pain is what causes the spasms and ask your

OS for something to help you sleep - rest is what helps the healing

process. All people heal and recover at different rates so don't

try to compare you recovery to others as we are all different. This

was one of the hardest things to overcome for me. I saw people

walking and playing golf after five weeks and I was still on

crutches. I too wondered if I had done the right thing in having

the surgery - now I know it was the only thing to do. Hang in there

as things will get better. I had LTHR on Nov 11 and really started

feeling a lot better and walking with no limp only two weeks ago.

Jim

In Joint Replacement , " "

<signmanillinois@y...> wrote:

> I had Left THR on the 17th of Feb. Because i am only 30 yo I have

> metal on metal hip non cemented. For 3 days after the surgery I

had

> muscle spasms every 60 seconds the froze my body in pain. I am

still

> getting the spazams 1 or 2 an hour. It's like being hooked up to a

> light socket; my body is frozen stiff with mind numbing pain and I

> can't move till the spasm goes away. My doc says it's normal and

it

> will get better. My doctor has me on non weight bearing for

another 4

> weeks. I havn't slept since the surgery (maybe an hour a night)

and

> my doc said it will be 6-8 more weeks before I can go total weight

> bearing and sleep on my side. I am trying not to take anything for

> pain because I am tired all the time and the meds just make it

worse.

> I keep reading about people walking with a cane just weeks after

> surgery and sleeping with no problem. Is there any advise or tips

to

> being more comfortable. I am scheduled to get the other hip done

in 4

> months but at this rate I will just live with the pain. I don't

want

> to sound like a wuss but what I have gone through so for is MUCH

> worse that the pain I was having before surgery (mind you I was

told

> if I didn't have the surgery I wouldn't be walking by July and the

> pain was guite severe). So am I a worst case scenerio? is there

any

> relief in sight?

[Guest guest]

I had a posterior 12 " long incision. Full hip replacement with some

resurfacing of the socket. My doc has me on full restriction for

another 3 weeks (1 1/2 months after surgery.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the note Jim...... I am trying to keep a positive outlook

on things. It's hard listening to everybody saying how easy

everything was and how quick they were walking. I figured being young

and stong as an ox would help my recovery but thats not the case. I

am keeping up with my PT 3 times a week and will keep a positive

attitude.

[Guest guest]

> I had Left THR on the 17th of Feb. Because i am only 30 yo I have

> metal on metal hip non cemented. For 3 days after the surgery I had

> muscle spasms every 60 seconds the froze my body in pain. I am

still

> getting the spazams 1 or 2 an hour. It's like being hooked up to a

> light socket; my body is frozen stiff with mind numbing pain and I

> can't move till the spasm goes away. My doc says it's normal and it

> will get better. My doctor has me on non weight bearing for another

4

> weeks. I havn't slept since the surgery (maybe an hour a night) and

> my doc said it will be 6-8 more weeks before I can go total weight

> bearing and sleep on my side. I am trying not to take anything for

> pain because I am tired all the time and the meds just make it

worse.

> I keep reading about people walking with a cane just weeks after

> surgery and sleeping with no problem. Is there any advise or tips

to

> being more comfortable. I am scheduled to get the other hip done in

4

> months but at this rate I will just live with the pain. I don't

want

> to sound like a wuss but what I have gone through so for is MUCH

> worse that the pain I was having before surgery (mind you I was

told

> if I didn't have the surgery I wouldn't be walking by July and the

> pain was guite severe). So am I a worst case scenerio? is there any

> relief in sight?

[Guest guest]

, I've been reading and contributing to this board since Oct

right after I made my decision. I have decided people, including

myself!!, exaggerate about how easy it is after surgery. I really

had a tough time for a few days in the hospital, including not being

able to get a sleeping pill for two nights, but things are so great

now (6 wks post op, no cane) that I have forgotten the bad stuff. I

would definitely agree the positive attitude helps. Also, I don't

see anything wrong with asking your doc for an Rx for Ambien or other

sleeping pill. I just cannot fall asleep on my back, so have been

taking Ambien since I got home. I am normally a good sleeper so I am

not worried about stopping taking it in a couple more weeks. Stay in

there!

Janet

> Thanks for the note Jim...... I am trying to keep a positive

outlook

> on things. It's hard listening to everybody saying how easy

> everything was and how quick they were walking. I figured being

young

> and stong as an ox would help my recovery but thats not the case. I

> am keeping up with my PT 3 times a week and will keep a positive

> attitude.

[Guest guest]

My husband is taking Ambien and it's helping him, too.

Charlotte in Iowa

[Guest guest]

totallyhip is great! Thanks for the link and support.

> > ,

>

> I hear you. This was the hardest thing and still is to not compare

> yourself to others. My OS had me on restrictions for 16 weeks and

> the norm is usually 90 days so you are about norm for that. This

> recovery just takes time and the main thing is not to rush it. The

> one thing that really got me through this first four months has

been

> being able to read and get pointers from other people in our same

> situation. There are two other boards that I have visited which are

> Totally Hip and Hipuniverse with Totally Hip being the one that

> really got me through this. Be sure to go to Dicussion Board 1 on

> the Totally Hip site. I have listed them below for you and good

> luck. Remember that recovery just takes time.

>

> Jim

>

> Totally Hip

> http://members.tripod.com/totallyhip1/index1.htm

> Hipuniverse

> http://groups.msn.com/hipuniversesupportgroup/technicalhelp.msnw?

> all_topics=1

>

>

>

>

> Thanks for the note Jim...... I am trying to keep a positive

outlook

> > on things. It's hard listening to everybody saying how easy

> > everything was and how quick they were walking. I figured being

> young

> > and stong as an ox would help my recovery but thats not the case.

> I

> > am keeping up with my PT 3 times a week and will keep a positive

> > attitude.

[Guest guest]

Hey, !

Sorry to hear about your problems. I had my left hip done March 15th, and I

WAS doing great until I went for a bike ride...a steep hill near my home

caused my hip to *pop* and seems to have set me back a little!

I had those spasms, too. Man, that hurts! For whatever reason, they went

away. I think they might have something to do with muscle atrophy and

weakness.

I was able to go to full weight-bearing immediately after surgery. I went for

walks with my kids as often as I could stand it. That makes the pain go away! It

seems like, once you're able to start using your muscles, that everything

loosens up and begins to feel much better. You will probably be fine once

you can get up and walk normally, and get your muscles back in action. They

don't like being so lazy! It's like when the astronauts come back from long

periods of weightlessness...they have severe pains until the muscles start

coming back. Hopefully in a couple of weeks you'll be able to get more

efficient exercise...that seemed to eliminate my pain, and those weird spasms,

very quickly.

Good luck, and God bless you,

Glenn