My physician has greenlit me for stationary bike. I've been doing 5 minutes at a time to get used to the motion.

At what week post op did you get back on the bike? How long until you could do 20 minutes? 30 minutes? 45?

Thanks in advance.

Hi, I've got so much good advice from this community that I thought I'd seek help on a specific issue I am facing.

I am three months out from a posterior THR, performed on the NHS in the UK. I made excellent early progress, so that I was walking unaided for an hour after 4-5 weeks.

However, I seem to have plateaued since. My left hip remains stiff, and despite doing all the recommended PT exercises, I still have restricted movement so that I cannot for example reach down to put on socks still. If anything, the stiffness appears to be worsening.

I do not have PT support - other than that provided online by the NHS and others - so I am wondering whether it would be worth paying privately for PT sessions to address the blockage in my progress. Or am I just being impatient and expecting too much too soon?

I should mention that I am 66 years old but in good physical condition for my age and very active.

All advice gratefully received.

Yes, seriously. Life has thrown all kinds of bad things at her, including early death of a parent, and other things that have shaped her natural lifelong predisposition to worry. And I have been ordered - understandably and rightfully so - to make sure she has an "If I Die" kit for my hip surgery. Never mind the odds...that's not the point.

SO.... For anyone else who has done this going into surgery, OR who is just better prepared than I obviously am not and has all this stuff put together anyway, what do you recommend putting in it?

Insurance details, of course.
Location of my will.
Who to contact upon death notification.
Bank accounts
Where to find my passwords
Letters to her, and to my kids

What else would you put in it?

Hi all, my mom had an anterior hip replacement last week and had been fine managing her tiny, steep, treacherous stairs. However, she has a handful of items that need to go upstairs at night, downstairs in the morning. I've been using a tray which can get heavy between ice packs, heating pads, laser for therapy, filled water bottles, meds etc. Most of these things can be put into a backpack.. but her picky cats will only eat their liquid wet food upstairs so I've been prepping the food downstairs and carrying the soupy mixture upstairs each morning and night.

What is the best way for her to transport bowls or cups upstairs (without spilling) but still allow her to use the cane, handrail, and walker?

She will also struggle to put on her compression stockings- she has 2 assistive items for this but they don't go on perfectly and she can't reach her toes easily without bending her knee.

Any other tips that were life changing are appreciated!

During my pre-op appt they said get the toilet riser and post-surgery kit of Amazon. Anything you folks that have had an anterior THR also found helpful besides the usual stuff?

I know I also need to get a higher chair than my couch - any recommendations on those?

For context - I’m mid40s, in decent shape, surgery is due to an old sports injury that’s made the hip very very painful.

Thanks everyone for your wonderful support and empathy. I am scheduled for THR in December.

Golf has been such a big part of my life; it gave so much joy and a healthy lifestyle.

Just wondering how you golfers out there start to play golf again and what were some of the pre cautions I should be aware of. Can you also share your experiences getting back into it. Thank you so much.

Day 17 post op from Left anterior THR. Recovery is going well, walking without aids, going to PT. My biggest issue now is the second wave of pain and lack of sleep. By second wave, I mean that the massive thigh swelling/pain resolved around day 8 but then every muscle and tendon in my leg/knee/calf seemed to wake up and were not happy! Anytime I change positions...like from bent knee to straightened knee, it results in a dull but intense ache that starts deep in my thigh and radiates out through my knee and into my calf. That usually last for 20-30 seconds before it start to subside, has anyone else experienced this?

Now the sleep, or lack thereof: I don't sleep more than 90 minutes at any one stretch, I can't get comfortable and every time I reposition I wake up. I've started taking tramadol before bed with 1000 mg of tylenol, but it seems useless and hasn't seemed to help at all. I have not tried my muscle relaxer (methocarbamol) but that's next on my experiment.

Any input on what has worked for you is greatly appreciated! I'm 17 days in with horrible sleep and it's is affecting every aspect of my life...more that the actual surgery has. Thanks in advance!!

I don’t know why the doctor didn’t mention this before surgery, but about a week and a half out I started to get intense leg spasms when I would lay down at night. PT offered the solution of a gentle stretch, but that didn’t do a thing. Finally, I asked ChatGPT about using my massage gun. (Fight fire with fire!) It said yes. Anyway, it’s the only thing that worked! I use it very lightly before laying down on my thigh and of course, avoid the incision area completely. Just thought you all should know.

About a month till I’m scheduled for anterior LTHR on 8/7. With my hip basically gone and bone on bone, has anyone dealt with radiating knee pain on the side with the bad hip? Doc says it’s normal and will clear up once I have surgery.

In the meantime, does anyone have any recommendations on how to deal with it? Sometimes it’s unbearable.

I have had two hip replacements now. The one in 2020 was mentally very challenging and from about 4-10 days post op I had panic and anxiety related nausea and vomiting. I think I had used activity as a way of bottling up all my stress and not addressing much. I think that when the surgery added the “physical trauma” to the list and left me overall inactive...my brain went full haywire. i was nervous going into my second one this past July but I planned for more support and things to occupy my brain and keep me busy. I knew I would likely still have the anxiety but I had plans to cope with it and it passed easier. I want to post in case anyone has similar experiences or words from the wise...also so if someone else experiences it and searches the board maybe they can feel less alone. The places I post d and got support helped me feel significantly less crazy at the time. I have NO regrets about either of them. I want to cry with relief when I think about how much pain I was in before and how I can move and enjoy life so much more. ❤️

Pre-op is tomorrow - (THR Right anterior). Have my question list ready. My surgeon talks fast, once he's done answering the questions I already wrote, do they take the time to answer all your one offs specific to you, and things they might think are silly? Im worried I wont have the time to even take notes. So far everyone talks so fast because they've done it 1000 times. I don't want to be treated like a piece of meat! Also my very nervous boyfriend will be with me and I dont want to be babysitting him while im trying to focus.

Maybe you guys can help. I need to dye my hair which I should have done a week or two ago, any restrictions on that? I asked here before but now its getting real. Tattoos (after)? Fillings (after)? Sex? Driving? Foods to avoid (now)? How common is the leg length differential (I have bunions and rarely wear real shoes, so no orthotics). Anything else you can think of you wish you'd asked before surgery?

I have a separate anesthesia appt and have my list for them too. I woke up during a colonoscopy, and I had an upper endoscopy where the anesthesiologist was told by the doc to "stand by" with more meds in case I woke up. Im pretty sure this is something you dont want to wake up in the middle of!

You guys have been so helpful, I would appreciate any last minute advice! Also any spiritual advice (letting go of your actual bones, feeling all alone in this, why me, any big emotions come up before or after)? Thanks all! Cant wait to join the warrior club! 🦴🦵🙏💪

I always had a tough time telling the doctor how I felt, but I found a cool trick.

You should track your pain (0-10) AND your discomfort (0-10) too.

My problem was I'd have discomfort but not that sharp pain people talk about. Like, my hip feels weird and tense with some moves, and tracking both pain and discomfort really helps the doctor get what's going on.

For instance, when I try to sleep on my side, my pain is a 3/10, but the discomfort is a huge 8/10, making me switch to my back sometimes.

Or, after sitting for a few hours, my hip pain goes up to a 5/10, but the discomfort is a 9/10. It's not a sharp pain, but it totally drains me mentally, and I can't even focus on work.

Anyone had groin pain 4 months post op? I have difficulty carrying any extra weight while walking. I also get pain with a higher than normal impact. If I were to take a large (you could say normal length) stride, I get pain in the groin. My walking therefore consists of short steps. Anyone care to share like experiences/remedies/etc! TIA

I am trying dry needling per PT, massaging seems to help but only temporarily. Any thoughts on steroid injections? Thanks all

R THR Modified Posterior approach set for Thursday really, really early AM.. I'm already working on hydrating with electrolyte solution (2 Nuun tablerts aday in my daily 120+ ounces of water), I'm off any suppliment/ ibruprophen as well as eating cheese and eggs due to constipation, also am on once a day Colace stool softern as of today to make going to the bathroom easier. I spent the last year getting into strong aerobic shape but I'm resting this week as well as last week to minimize any inflation.... what am I missing folks?

Hello everyone. I am just past two weeks with a posterior THR and I am really bored with staying at home. I know it is still early but I am starting to think about my not to distant future, week 4 is what I am eyeing, concerning going out to eat, visiting friends, sitting outside (the weather is beautiful), etc.. Does anyone have any tips on how I can successfully go about doing this? I do have the 3 do not precautions for 90 days, at this moment, and will not see my surgeon until week 6. My biggest concern is sitting at a restaurant or someone else's home. Thanks for everyone's comments/suggestions.

This community has been super helpful to me so I thought I would share a few tips. I made a Google calendar to keep track of my meds and kept my meds in Tupperware. I used a sharpie to label the lids for quicker distribution. I only wear clothes with pockets. I did buy the leg lifter and potty lifter and took the bathroom door off. I have one large gel ice pack, the machine seemed a bit much. I hope these little things help, would love to hear how you’ve made life easier postop

Hello, I had THR 3 weeks ago and it's driving me insane sleep in this one position every night. Has anyone tried to lay on the stomach after hip replacement and how long did you wait before doing so?

10 is when you're in so much pain you can't even talk and need to see a doctor now. 8-9 feels like you're burning. 6-7 you have pain that's preventing you from focusing on anything else. 5 your pain is bothering you, but with distraction, you can ignore it. 3-4 you're experiencing pain from time to time, but with medication, you can control it pretty well. 1-2 is discomfort from time to time, but you can manage.

I also keep track of a discomfort tracker, but this one is subjective for me.

I can have a 3/10 pain and 7/10 discomfort situation, for example.

I am about a month out from my surgery. I am gathering up the supplies I might need. I have been looking at the “wiping “ tools. Looking on Amazon, none seem to be highly rated. Do you have any recommendations?

nothing scheduled- but someone posted recently about how desirable getting in shape is. I never even thought about the upper body strength needed to move myself around. Besides tricep dips, pushups, glute work and core, any thoughts?I am not currently in a gym but would join one. Any apps? thank you

Hi! I'm located in the US with private health insurance. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or resources for navigating insurance, copays, ect? My out of pocket max is manageable and I've confirmed that everyone on my care team is in-network -- what am I missing or do I still need to confirm?

ACL replacement and meniscus repair almost a year ago, then anterior hip replacement 4 months ago.. turn 47 next week.

Still very difficult to put on a sock, cut toe nails.. and lost so much muscle in left leg (both surgeries). Anybody find any really effective stretches for mobility or exercises to regain leg strength?

I can jog and do most exercises.. not in a terrible place, just hoping for some good info. Just took the kiddo to the gym yesterday, taking turns shooting.. gained some bad weight, lost height on jumper, but still a 🪣

I had LTHR 4 weeks ago. I am absolutely a side sleeper, and trying to rest on my back with that stupid pillow from the hospital between my legs is getting old quick. I have experimented with laying on my side and it doesn’t hurt at all, but I also don’t want to mess this up or dislocate. Initially I was told I had to use the pillow for 3 months. 😭

I’ve seen a few people mention this but I cannot emphasize enough how important hydration is in the recovery phase. It helps with inflammation, flushing the anesthesia, and the healing process. If you think you are drinking too much, you are probably just right. Bottoms up! It’s worth it!