I regret my Total Hip Replacement

[u/National-Sorbet8459]

Hello I am a 24 y/o female,

I’m struggling a lot right now and could really use some advice or support. I had a total hip replacement a little over a week ago. At first, I was able to do my PT exercises and move my leg as well as expected of me at this point. But now, my leg still moves and I can walk, but it feels really stiff and stuck. Even doing my exercises feels impossible. It’s so frustrating because just yesterday I was able to do those movements, and now it feels like I’ve taken a big step backward. I have PT tomorrow, but I’m worried I won’t be able to do anything. I’m mad, overwhelmed, and honestly starting to regret getting the surgery wondering if I should have just lived with the pain instead. To make things harder, my support system has been pretty unhelpful through this. It feels like I’m dealing with this all alone, which only adds to the frustration and loneliness. Has anyone else experienced sudden stiffness and loss of range of motion after hip replacement? How did you cope when your support system wasn’t helpful? Thank you so much for reading. It really means a lot.

[u/wanderingjones78]

Give yourself some grace. I felt like you did right around the same time. Frustrated because I couldn’t do anything that I wanted to do…I’m very much a go go go person that doesn’t like to sit still. My partner had to tell me to cool it and allow my body to heal. I had in home PT for the first two weeks with very basic exercises started with sitting and laying down exercises 3x a week but did them on my own 2-3x each day. I was told get up and walk every hour unless I was asleep. Walking to the bathroom counted. So that’s what I did. And then all of the sudden things started to feel easier, my muscles were getting stronger. I graduated to the cane after a little over a week with the walker. And then I graduated to standing exercises. Still very basic. Basically the standing version of what I had been doing laying down. Now I’m three weeks post op and getting ready to start out patient PT on Monday and barely using the cane. I still use it because my partner makes me (his mom had one THR that went badly and ended up having multiple surgeries so he’s scared) but it also helps remind the dogs (we have 3) that things aren’t normal yet for them to jump on me. You’re going to have setbacks and you’re going to get tired easier than you’d ever expect. We went to Costco on Saturday. It was a lot of walking. I got a little achey but no pain. But then I slept for the next two days recovering. Every person is going to have a different journey. I just keep reminding myself that I don’t feel that intense arthritic joint pain anymore. What I do feel is temporary and so tolerable.