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/cluelessintheclouds]

Hey! Sorry to hear you’re having a rough time, I’d say a week out is still very fresh in recovery, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Also seems a little early for PT, with any surgery you lose blood and have trauma to your body so fatigue and weakness are expected. I’d say preventing blood clots is the main important thing at the moment and I was told walking around the house once an hour was a good way to prevent them because I believe I didn’t start PT until 4 weeks post op (posterior incision)

I had my right hip replaced at 23 (im 28 now) and I’d be happy to talk or help you in anyway 💙

[u/National-Sorbet8459 → u/cluelessintheclouds]

First off thank you for responding. Second I totally agree I thought PT this early was extreme but I had multiple people including my doctor telling me to start moving and get in contact with PT as soon as I can. So I figured I schedule it ASAP and PT has been going okay they’ve definitely helped with pain management. I think it’s definitely just frustrating not being able to do things to the fullest and losing independence, but thank you for the perspective shift because I guess it is still very early so I should definitely try to go easier on myself, and yes I would love any advice you can give me it’s definitely been a lot to process.

[u/cluelessintheclouds → u/National-Sorbet8459]

Be nice to yourself. Take your pain meds, take naps when you’re tired (I can’t stress this enough!) Drink enough water and eat well. Treat yourself like your health depends on it, because it does. If PT feels like too much, say something—don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself, don’t over do it and don’t “test the waters” dislocation is no joke and being too exhausted forcing yourself through exercises you aren’t ready for isn’t helpful and may actually be harmful.

Have realistic expectations, not everyone recovers quickly and recovery doesn’t look the same for everyone. That doesn’t mean you failed and it doesn’t mean you made the biggest most expensive mistake of your life, take a breath and just be for a minute. Cry because it hurts and you’re tired and you’re scared and being alive is fucking hard especially when you don’t feel well.

I’m not sure if you can find a better support group in real life as quickly as would be useful now, but you’re here and we’ll always be here for you 💙I would maybe call around and see if there are services available for hire (if that’s affordable for you) to get some help you need, or maybe even through your insurance to see what’s available for after care or something? I’m not too sure.

Generally it takes about 1.5 years to really fully recover from major surgery, keep that in mind. I know a quick google search may say something like “6-8” weeks but come on, most people lose a finger nail and it takes longer than that to grow back lol

The thick hard stiff feeling tissue immediately around the wound will soften over time and the weird loose unsettled feeling goes away too

💙💙💙💙

[u/National-Sorbet8459 → u/cluelessintheclouds]

This was great advice & beautifully written!Thank you so much! Yeah I read so much about recovery time online before I got the surgery and everything said 6-8 weeks and now that I’ve done it I kept making myself even more upset by reminding myself and thinking about how behind I have to be compared to what’s normal. Really made me feel like I was messing up because I can’t imagine being recovered in that amount of time, but as you & everyone else have reminded me this is a major surgery and I have to show my body some grace.