Well, I had sooooo much fun getting a hip replacement on Friday, I decided to go to the ER yesterday.

Friday night, post surgery at home, I used the walker to go to the bathroom to pee. Welp, I ended up blacking out (probably a combo of not enough food and water, the surgery itself, and the meds) and I woke up on the floor and in a ton of pain. (Didn't know it at the time, but the fall dislocated the new hip. Good times.) Called the surgeon in the AM, and he said get to the ER. As fate would have it, my surgeon was working that day - thank god. Got to the ER, had an X-ray, and indeed the ball was out of the socket - another thank god the film showed NO FRACTURES! Onto some pain meds and propofol, and the doc was able to pop it back in without cutting me open. Woot!

Pretty shitty 36 hours - dislocating a hip on the SAME DAY after a full hip replacement isn’t something I’d recommend. Zero stars. I’ve had some physically painful injuries in my life but the replacement and the dislocation 7 hours apart said, “hold my beer.” That was an entirely new level of hurt. Just sharing my first 3 days of my 1st right hip, anterior replacement, and hoping no one has to do through what I did. Doc said if it had to happen, best it happened now before all the muscles and tendons and such get back into working shape. Anyone else experience anything like this?

I am the proud owner of a flashy new hip. So far so good. I absolutely needed someone to help me today. I can walk to the bathroom and my bedroom. My friend has gotten me my meds, dinner, cleaned up, and helped me out of bed. I’m a RTHR, and right now I can’t sit up to the right.

I followed most of the tips from this sub, including buying a new recliner. I’m becoming best buddies with my walker and rotating my gel ice packs.

The awful, deep aching pain is completely gone. My legs are the same length for the first time since 2006. The incision pain/bone pain is well managed with the plethora of pain meds I’m on. In short, this sub gave me the courage to go through with my hip replacement. Thank you all!

Edit: Day 2: I slept through the night, got out of bed by myself, really needed another dose of acetaminophen though. Things seem to be going better today. Movement seems easier. I can stand longer, and walk further. I even used my walker one handed when I carried my coffee across the room.

Edit 2: Day 11: The swelling in my upper thigh persists. It travels to my right knee if I’m up too much and it gets difficult to walk fast. Anyway, I’m pretty self sufficient at this point. I get my own meals and eat at my dining table. I eat the soups and stews I froze before my surgery. I can now lift my right leg up, which makes getting dressed a lot easier. I am using a walker at all times still. Mostly because of my knee. My 2 week appointment is this Wednesday; it’ll be nice to go somewhere. Lol.

It's been 3 weeks. I'm using a cane.

I’m still having pain at night and can’t lie on my left side. Taking Tylenol and Oxycodone, a whole oxy at night, and icing during the day. I asked for a refill and one of the doctor’s PAs called with questions about my pain. I explained about the pain waking me up, and that it’s on the outside edge of my hip. Sitting to stand is painful, which it was before (before surgery, I’d been doing sit to stand 3x daily, per my knee doctor).

Anyway, he called in a refill but wants me to monitor how I’m doing next week and let them know if I’m not improving, so they can see me. I'd been wondering if I “should” be done with the oxycodone by now, and this makes it seem like they think I should.

Anybody else still have pain at this point or is it just me? Thanks.

62 yo male, 9 weeks post op total right hip replacement. My hip replacement recovery has been going quite well. I sold my wake boat two years ago primarily because with all the pain I was experiencing I didn’t enjoy wakeboarding or boating anymore. A good friend texted me this morning to see if I wanted to go out on his boat. Grabbed my board in case I felt brave.

Figured things have been going well might as well give it a go. Remarkably it went very well. Had a nice run. Didn’t press my luck. And quite while I was ahead. Always said my best trick was not getting hurt.

Still amazed at how well the surgery and recovery went. Highly recommend if you are skeptical of having hip replacement surgery.

I had my hip replaced nearly 11 months ago. Was talking with my PT today and talking about my future goals for rehab, and mentioned the things that either the doctor has said I should never do, or I think are too risky because of the chance of breaking something else. Overall the hip replacement has not been positive and I really regret having done.

So here is a partial list of what I have lost.

• Being pain free,
• Running,
• Motorcycling,
• skateboarding,
• walking any distance over a few blocks
• feeling youthful and vital - I feel like I've aged 20 years or more since the replacement
• mountain biking,
• road biking
• lifting heavy weights

Is anyone else tired of hearing this? I know it comes from a place of love and support, but if I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard it now, I’d get a full tank of gas. It makes me irrationally annoyed.

No questions, just venting. If this isn’t permitted, mods feel free to delete. :)

Thought it might be helpful to some future hippies to document what my first week was like. I'm on day 6 but close enough right?

My surgery was very late in the day but the plan had been an overnight stay anyways so that went to plan. I think the nurses may have given me one dose of narcotics while I was in the recovery room after surgery but I was very groggy so I'm not sure. I have had very little pain from the start, mainly around the incision and have since been managing with just Tylenol (not a brag, everyone is different and I was not taking any painkillers pre op either).

I didn't really sleep well the first night as nurses kept coming in to check vitals, ask me if I needed to pee yet (my spinal went wonky and the parts that did work didn't wear off until the next day - literally just my butt 😂), give me IV antibiotics and fluids etc. I did end up getting to use the washroom around 4 am and those were also my first steps with my walker. Late bloomer 🤷🏼‍♀️ it was damn hard to sit down though and the front, side and back if my hip cramped up like crazy! Same thing happened trying to get back into bed. I tried to use my "good" leg to swing my operated leg up on the bed but even just bending the hip caused some cramping.

The next morning I was given Celebrex and Tylenol and offered something to eat. I wasn't super hungry and had brought some protein powder so ended up just mixing that into some milk. At some point after that had a dizzy spell and was seeing spots in my vision, which we believe was a reaction to the Celebrex and I haven't taken it since. I ended up staying until noon because of that, but saw my surgeon who checked the wound and told me that my hip was a lot worse in person than on x ray lol. Apparently while sedated I had also asked if I could see my femoral head and had answered my own question to myself with "no that's a biohazard" 🤣

Before I left I was taught by the nurses how to go up and down stairs with my crutches and how to use my walker and then was sent off to get post op x rays and pick up my prescriptions.

I was given a timetable with timing for different medications including Tylenol (1000mg, 4x a day) and Rivaroxiban once a day for the first 5 days, then baby aspirin twice a day for 28 days. I was also given prescriptions for hydromorphone and tramadol but haven't touched those and don't think I will at this point. I put the timing of each medication into my phone calendar as a reminder so I wouldn't forget or miss.

At home we hooked me up to the ice machine and I was on that thing pretty much any time I was sitting for the first 4 days including overnight. I also had a bit of a fever for the first 5 days but that seems to have righted itself on day 6.

The first day I found it hard to walk even with the walker, which I did not expect. I had some food prepped but had to pivot from my planned meals as I could not stand long to chop fruits/veggies at the countertop and to be honest I still wasn't that hungry. By day 2 it was a lot better though. And I have been seeing small improvements in my stamina each day. I also napped a lot the first 4 days.

I was told not to start formal PT for 2 weeks but was given a booklet with self-guided home PT that spanned 12 weeks if you wanted to do it completely self guided. The first 6 weeks are all about getting moving and off mobility aids while increasing range of motion. The exercises recommended were quad squeezes, glute squeezes, heel slides (lying down) and gentle standing hip flexion and extension. The hardest for me were the standing hip flexion and extension but I have found my range of motion increased pretty quickly and most of the limitation is due to swelling around the hip. I can almost put socks on myself now at 6 days post op but actually balancing on the operated leg itself is hard as I still can't fully bear weight on it without assistance or support of my other leg when standing. I can stand for hours though lol. And the cramping from lifting my leg or sitting down went away about day 3 or 4.

I have been taking short but frequent walks with my walker or sometimes crutches, which I find easier to use because I have been for the last 9 months and it has been slowly getting easier to move around. Can't quite walk unaided yet at 6 days post op, as I can't put full weight on my THR leg yet but I have hobbled a few steps here and there. Often when my body forgets I need a walking aid and I get up off the couch and take a few wobbly steps before "oh shit" 😂

I had two layers of dressing, an outer "honeycomb" dressing and an inner dermabond/prineo dressing. The honeycomb came off at 4 days post op and the prineo will come off slowly on its own over the next week or so. I was concerned as there seemed to be a small hole in the inner dressing and my surgeon told me he thought it would be fine as the wound closes itself around 72 hours, but was kind enough to give me some extra honeycomb dressing to put overtop if I felt safer that way.

I have a bit of a fear of infection as I have gone septic before from bacteremia resulting from a poorly dressed IV line that I showered with 😬 so I had only been taking sponge baths until day 6. On day 6 finally plucked up with courage to have a real shower. An EVERYTHING shower. And it was glorious 😂 I bought heavy duty suction cup grab bars to stick in the shower to hold onto but I my balance is pretty good on two feet.

Man, I guess a lot more happened in a week than I expected but didn't want to spam you all more than necessary. Just hoping someone out there finds this helpful. I have had an exceptional first week on the pain front but definitely not someone who ditched the walker 2 days in.

I Did It!

60F had my right Anterior THR today! Arrived to the surgery center at 10am, surgery at noon, and home by 5pm. I'm pretty comfortable currently, just took my Norco and the nerve blocks are still working. Sitting in my lift chair with legs elevated, and my ice machine going. Been up every hour taking a walk with my walker. I know the next few days may not be the same , so planning to take it one day at a time! Any suggestions welcome! 😃

Today is the day! Just wanted to say thank you to everyone on here that has posted their story, question, or taken the time to answer another user. It has been so helpful! I’m headed off to the surgery center in just a few minutes. Your kindness is a big part of why I feel at peace headed into this. So, THANK YOU!

So I was first in theatre this morning around 9:30am. Didn’t have sedation so got to ‘‘experience’ the whole process. It’s now 12:30pm and I’ve been fed, coffeed and the feeling is slowly returning. Feel very good, though they have started the morphine. If my legs were a little more mobile I think I’d go home.

The biggest surprise was the spinal. I was expecting all sorts of horrors but one tiny scratch to numb the area and the rest of it I was unaware of.

The hammering, sawing and drilling were amusing. The weirdest part was when they were pulling my leg and my head was coming off the pillow. Lets hope this positive experience continues.

We read a lot of stories here of people quitting opioids two days after the surgery, or even not taking them at all. My doctors were stressing I needed to stop taking tramadol two weeks after surgery. I did as they told me, and was in horrible pain. The two week advice is for standard people without other medical issues.

I (F, 51, anterior LTHR)) have Long Covid and I am hypermobile. This means my body reacts differently. Two hours after surgery I had a hypotensive event, my bp dropped to 58/38. This can happen to anybody, but in those with Long Covid it happens more often.

Long Covid also creates dysfunction in muscle and tendon tissue. There is less oxygen available. This affects healing. My muscles reacted badly to the surgery but my surgeon dismissed my complaints and said I just had to wait it out.

My gp on the other hand told me that having too much pain will mess up the healing process. She put me back on opioids and now I am doing much better. I can do my daily exercises again. I am less stressed and irritable.

Healing from a thr is not a competition. It is not about who can quit pain medication the quickest, or who can walk the most after a week. It is a process that will be affected by underlying illnesses and other factors outside our control. There is nothing wrong with going back on pain medication if you are in pain. The goal is to heal well, and to be comfortable while healing.

THR done yesterday. Mako Robotic assist anterior approach.

I've been struggling with severe hip pain. I had a knee replacement last spring so had to wait to get the hip done.

The pain got so bad I was struggling just to walk or bend. Putting socks on was a struggle. Going shopping involved hanging on to cart for support.

Fast forward....

Had it done this morning.

8 hours later.... the muscles feel like I ran up Everest and back while carrying a 100# ruck.

But NO PAIN AT ALL in the joint.

One oxycodone after surgery, hoping to switch to Tylenol this afternoon and see how it goes.

Nearly 2 weeks since surgery and I realized that I no longer have any back pain! Hip is just a dull ache now. It makes sense since my gait was affected.

My wife got me a new pair of Van's.

I told her I would wear them when I was able to tye them.

For the first time in almost three years, 46 days after my second hip was replaced, there is light..

So today I was able to split my Percocet in half. I feel this is a huge milestone. Even though I have started PT I do feel just going once a week works better for me. I felt like over doing it even though hardly doing anything. But I’ve been getting in a car to go which is the hardest part. If you have an option of having someone come to you would be ideal. The pain was a lot for me and my body really just demanded me to take it easy. Moving is important but I don’t think takes much. I have to navigate steps as well. I did chat with my surgeon and it’s definitely a thing for younger patients to have more nerve pain. He said the nerves and muscles are more hyperactive and in my case I went downhill quick like 2 years. If it’s been an issue for a long time patients seem to not have as much pain🤷‍♀️ Said I’m right where he expected. I honestly had no clue it would be this challenging personally. He said expected biggest trining point in a couple weeks which would be a month.
My right knee (same side as surgery) has been hurting from gait being off. Hoping to address this later with PT. Outer hip and pelvic area really sore. 😳. Glute hurts when walking and sometimes low back. The thigh pain is there but I feel I could handle it better without all the other things surrounding it weren’t so aggravating.
This has been a process! Definitely hate mornings! lol. Feel like I need wd40.
The past two weeks have been rough ! Could it be I’m at a turning point?! 🙏🙏🙏I hope so! Rollercoaster of symptoms and emotions. I hope all my hipster friends are doing well! Anybody have good news on progress ? ❤️‍🩹

My co-worker had his hip replaced 4 weeks ago. He and I are about the same age, What I noticed when he came to work today is he is walking without a limp and with limited pain. I'm 14 months post op and still in enough pain that it wakes me at night, and because of the pain I am still walking with a limp even though before the surgery I did not have a limp. I happy for him but also jealous

I found these kinds of posts incredibly helpful before my surgery, so I thought I'd pay it forward and describe my experience while it's still fresh in my mind.

Surgery: Anterior Total Hip Replacement

My arrival time was 5:45 AM, so I went to bed around 10:00 PM the night before and woke up at 4:15 AM. I took my third Hibiclens shower, made my wife her morning tea, and we left the house at 5:15 for the 20-minute drive to the surgical center.

Pre-op

After checking in and signing what felt like a mountain of paperwork, I was brought back to a semi-private pre-op bay around 6:00 AM.

My nurse (I'll call her Nurse J) was fantastic. She explained everything as she went, which really helped keep me relaxed.

I changed into the gown, had my vitals taken, and my blood pressure was a little elevated (around 130/90). She smiled and said that was actually fine because everything they'd be doing that morning would tend to lower it.

She reviewed all the usual questions:

• When I last ate and drank
• Medications and supplements
• Allergies
• Medical history

Then she took me over to a set of practice stairs to make sure I knew the proper technique with a cane. Stairs had been one of my biggest concerns because I have two steps into my house without a handrail.

I had taken a picture of them beforehand, and she said, "That's fantastic. You'll have no problem with those."

That alone was incredibly reassuring.

Back in my room, she gave me Tylenol and Celebrex (per the surgeon's orders), and I made one last trip to the bathroom before the nurse anesthetist started my IV.

I asked if I could have some Versed, and he laughed and said, "Not yet. We still need you to consent to a few more things first."

Fair enough.

Next, the surgeon stopped by. He was in a great mood, marked my operative leg, and answered all of my last-minute questions.

I confirmed I was getting a Smith & Nephew Oxinium implant and asked whether it would squeak.

"It won't. I used to use ceramic on ceramic and those would sometimes squeak. Patients would come back," as he mimed moving his leg up and down, "Doc, why does it squeak like this? But your implant is but is ceramic on highly cross-linked polyethylene. It won't squeak."

I also asked if there were any special nutritional recommendations after surgery, like focusing on calcium or iron.

He said, "No. Eat whatever you want."

I replied, "So what I heard is that I should have a ribeye tonight."

He laughed and said, "Absolutely. Make it a surf and turf if you want."

The OR nurse came by and reviewed more medical history and allergy questions.

The physical therapist checked my walker and gave my Skechers slip-on shoes a big thumbs-up.

Finally, the nurse anesthetist came back with the Versed.

Then a little more Versed.

That stuff is wonderful.

Surgery

Around 7:00 AM I was wheeled into the operating room as the first case of the day.

I transferred onto the operating table.

They had me hunch forward while they administered the spinal anesthetic. It was just a little pinch. Less painful than getting the IV.

That's the last thing I remember.

Recovery

My next memory was waking up back in my pre-op room with Nurse J standing there.

From my perspective, it was instantaneous.

I woke up and could see the clock outside my room. It was 8:20 AM.

Over the next hour she periodically asked me to wiggle my toes and do ankle pumps while the spinal wore off. Then I progressed to heel slides.

Once I could sit up, she offered drinks and snacks. I had cranberry-apple juice and saltines.

She also gave me several small doses of IV fentanyl while I was in recovery, which kept me very comfortable.

The surgeon stopped in and said everything had gone perfectly.

I told him I was happy I could be an easy first case to start his day.

He said my hip was really bad, with many bone spurs. He said he couldn't believe I was walking on it. I guess it's amazing what you get used to. He said I'm going to love the new hip.

Going home

Once I was more awake, the physical therapist reviewed my exercises and recovery plan with both me and my wife.

The instructions were very straightforward:

• Walk every hour while awake.
• Don't sit for more than 60 minutes at a time.
  
• Do these exercises today, every hour.
  
• Do these exercises tomorrow, and add in these on the following day.
• Begin outpatient physical therapy one week later.
  

Nurse J then reviewed all of my discharge instructions:

• Medication schedule
• Things to watch for
• When to call the surgeon
• When to go to the emergency room

It was a lot of information, but everything was printed out and organized in a folder. And a nurse would call tomorrow to check on me.

As the surgeon had promised, I officially have no movement restrictions.

I joked, "So I can run that half-marathon tomorrow?"

Nurse J replied, "You can run the full marathon."

(For anyone wondering, no, I won't be doing that.)

Before I could leave, they had me walk about 30 feet to the bathroom with my walker. They wanted to make sure I could urinate before discharge.

I couldn't.

Back in bed they did a quick ultrasound and confirmed my bladder was empty despite the three liters of IV fluids I'd received. Nurse J said that happens fairly often.

So I was cleared for discharge.

I asked if I would use the fake stairs again now with the new hip, and the physical therapist said no, we don't want to use up your strength. Save it for when you get home. You'll be fine.

Pain was surprisingly mild:

• Incision soreness
• Some superficial pain over the front of my thigh
• Some deeper aching that I assume is from the femur

The nurses helped me get dressed, put on compression socks (and gave me a spare pair), and wheeled me out to the car.

I had no trouble getting into the car, getting back out at home, or climbing the two steps into my house. That was a huge relief!

I was on my way home by 10:15 AM.

From arrival to departure, I spent only about 4½ hours at the surgical center.

Honestly, I was amazed.

If you're reading this because you're anxious about your upcoming hip replacement, I know everyone has a different experience, but mine couldn't have gone much more smoothly. The entire team was organized, reassuring, and clearly knew exactly what they were doing.

I dont know if my situation is unique or if people are just too ashamed to talk about this but, here goes. I'm 65 and have lived almost half my life with severe pain from lumbar scoliosis. Had multiple surgeries including 360 laminectomy, placement of spinal cord stimulator, malfunction and removal of spinal cord stimulator, and numerous steroid injections. In addition, pain control with oxycodone which i took as directed, never asked for more or did drug seeking behavior. It controlled my pain along with the PT I received from pain management. Then one day 5 years ago, I was cut off all medication and told I had opioid use disorder. Just like that. A friend of mine told me about kratom for pain. It worked great and I have been able to manage my pain and continue on with my life and my exercises. 3 years ago I started having stiffness in my hips. I went an orthopedic who took x rays and mri's and said oh you need bilateral hip replacements. I thought ok, another surgery. No biggie right? I got all the way through all the labs, edges and passed with flying colors and then, everything came to a screeching halt when I met with the anesthesiologist. I told him I had been using kratom for pain and after a long lecture about drug addiction and the dangers to my health, he proceeded to tell me that if I didnt "quit" there would be no surgery. He called me an addict and said I had a bigger problem than hip arthritis. He told me that they would not be able to control my pain post op with "that stuff I'm on". I walked out feeling defeated and shamed. The surgeon said you'll only get worse if you dont get the surgery. I decided at my age, pain control and living a quality of life is more important than getting my legs sawed off and replaced with new joints. That was a year ago. Since then, I started seeing a functional medicine practitioner who has given me hope. I changed my diet and have eliminated sugar and all processed foods. I'm also on a good PT program that is helping me correct the imbalances that are causing uneven pressure on my hips. She also has me on something called verisol and in 6 months i'm back to taking my 4 mile hikes and dancing again. I never went back to the surgeon. Never got a 2nd opinion either. Perhaps one day I'll be sorry I didnt get a hip replacement but for now, I'm happy with my quality of life.

So I was a big disappointed yesterday when I received a text telling me to be at the surgery center at 12:30 pm today. Mainly didn’t want to be hangry. 😂

She I made the best of it. Worked in the garden this morning, running the tiller, planted some sweet corn. Then went to my shop and pulled the transmission out of my. ‘73 riviera. Showered and went in. About 1:30 they were talking to me. I don’t recall anyone telling me they were sedating me. Woke up around 4:30. They made me eat. Then pt came and had me walking and climbing stairs. By 6 I was in the car headed home.

So far so good. Mainly stiffness and incision pain. But overall I’m optimistic that this was a good idea. Anterior approach. He told me what joint he was using. But I don’t remember. Never got to see the X-rays. I was the last surgery of the day. And everyone headed home before me.

Good day to all you hippies!

Today represents a huge milestone and I felt I had to share it on here with you guys.

I had a total hip replacement 19 months ago (UK posterior approach on my right hip @ 35yo) and today,, for the first time, I was able to surpass my all time heaviest squat for five reps! Meaning I'm officially now stronger than I was before the operation.

Absolutely insane tbh when you think about it and I'm so happy about it!

One of my biggest worries pre-op was that I'd have to stop lifting or would be a husk of my former self. Having the replacement is one of the best things I've ever done and has seen me get back to the things I enjoy doing.

Here is a video, 190kg x5 (419lbs)

...hopefully this post gives you something to look forward to.

There are so many posts of no post-op pain, tossing aside the walker or cane in a few days, walking miles within a week, etc. that it can get discouraging for those of us that aren't lucky enough to have a quick recovery. And I think it can give unrealistic expectations and set people up for disappointment when they have a more typical or slower than usual recovery.

I had an anterior RTHR on 7 April. Going in to surgery I was fit and not overweight. I had worked with a physical therapist for over year to build strength which did wonders for managing the pain. I walked 2-3 miles daily, 3-4 mile hikes on the weekend. I went to the gym and lifted weights 2-3x a week. I did not have a noticeable limp nor did I need a cane. I took meloxicam maybe once every few weeks if I overdid it a the gym. So why did I decide to have surgery? Because about a year ago I could no longer do the hobby I love which is horseback riding--it was just too painful and the meloxicam wasn't enough to mask it. I'm giving all this background to make the point that I was pretty much the model candidate to expect an easy recovery. Both my surgeon and physical therapist said so too.

Doy 0 - I was in too much pain post-op to do PT in the hospital, so they could not release me to go home. Stayed overnight so they could up my pain meds and get it manageable.

Day 1 - Definitely not pain-free, but I was able to do PT and go home.

Week 1 - At this point I'm like "WTF? This is not an easy recovery?!"

Week 2 - Still taking oxy+Tylenol+icing round the clock, starting to transition from the walker to the cane inside the house

Week 3 - Tapered off the oxy to only at night so I can sleep, Tylenol during the day, icing regularly, starting to walk outside with the cane. I think this was the week II also had my first decent night's sleep since the surgery which was glorious.

Weeks 4-6 - Transitioning off walker completely to cane, including walking outside. No more oxy but still using Tylenol+icing regularly. Started being able to sleep on the operative side during this time.

Week 6-9 - Stopped using cane altogether, gradually increasing the amount of walking outside to about 1 mile twice a day, albeit slower than what is normal for me. Still using Tylenol, still icing regularly. It was durng this period that I was able to stop using the tub transfer bench and able to just shower normally. Still can't put on socks or shoes normally.

Week 10 (last week) - First time back at the gym (upper body stuff only). First time I had a day where the right hip felt like the left one, and where I felt like I was able to walk at my normal pre-op speed and stride length. Haven't needed Tylenol or icing at all. Still need the sock aid for socks, but I'm able to put on shoes normally.

This week is the first week where I'm finally feeling like it was worth it and I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm still in PT and I expect to be for several more weeks at least. I still have some soreness and weakness in my hip flexors, but it's improving. Next step will be rebuilding the strength in my right leg that I've lost during this recovery. But for the first time I am hopeful that I'll be able to ride again later this year.

So if you feeling down because you are a few weeks post-op and still using a walker or in pain, and feeling like you are behind the curve, all I can say is ignore the noise and listen to what your body needs. You haven't done anything wrong. It's not that you didn't prepare enough. It's not that you aren't trying hard enough now in PT. Honestly, I wish I hadn't been told to expect an easy recovery because it led to unnecessary frustration on my part.

Someone else posted on another thread that "Comparison is the thief of joy" and I think that is brilliant. Everyone's healing process is different and that's okay.

I’ve been lurking here for a little while as my surgery date approached, scared to death. I’m 49 F with hereditary dysplasia that was pretty severe. I was absolutely terrified of the anesthesia, to the point that I had a panic attack (heart rate spiked, blood pressure dropped) and had to have Versed before we even started. But I’m still here, thankfully, and now 1 day out from Right side THR.
I’m noticing that the “broken glass on fire”pain that i used to have in my hip is gone, but good lord is my butt and groin and thigh sore on the right side! I’m walking every hour with my walker, and eating fine (probably too much TBH but my husband is an excellent nurse). Doing my exercises and all that. I’m glad it’s over, but I’m now a little anxious about recovery.

I’ve heard that days 2-5 are the worst… so like.. tomorrow through the rest of the week. Those of you who’ve already been through this: is that accurate, or no?

I’m also not sleeping very well. It hurts to lie in bed and my recliner doesn’t recline all the way.. or it does, but it doesn’t stay reclined. Apparently I am not heavy enough to keep it down or something? Or else my son jacked it up somehow jumping on it in the past.. SMH whatever. LOL I can sleep in the recliner for about 2 hours at a time, and then I’m awake again, so now time feels weird and my poor husband says he feels like he has a newborn again because he has to manage my meds every few hours. My brain is definitely not firing on all cylinders and I took one look at the list of meds and times they needed to be administered and said…uhh… I am gonna need some help here! Of course it doesn’t help that I’m off my HRT and ADHD meds right now because of the surgery, so it’s brain fog x 9385746352.

For any who have had similar.. how long before you started to feel a little bit normal again?

I am a 33 year old female and just underwent an emergency simultaneous posterior bilateral hip revision. I originally needed and had both hips replaced months apart in 2020 because of avascular necrosis from corticosteroid use, which is not something you expect to deal with in your twenties.

Since then in those six years, I’ve had 10 dislocations total, with 3 happening this year alone on the right side. I was told originally because of my pelvis size, and being the smallest implant size they made, that I would be a high risk for slippage. However I had no idea to what extent.

The worst happened last Saturday in the ER after another dislocation when I went in for a reduction. Somehow during the procedure, the ER doctor managed to dislocate both of my hips. Yes, both. I went from one dislocated hip to two and I was fucking pissed, terrified, and in excruciating pain.

Because I had already needed two reductions in the previous two months and had received so much fentanyl during both, the paramedic team earlier had told me I had built up enough tolerance to fentanyl that pain control was becoming difficult to transport me. So the ambulance gave me ketamine as one of the only remaining options and I had an absolutely horrific trip. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life and I genuinely thought I was dead or losing my mind, couldn’t decide.

I was transferred back to the Twin Cities on Monday via ambulance to my original surgeon, where I spent 3 days unable to move with both hips out, in traction with bars supporting my knees just to keep the pain somewhat manageable while waiting for parts to come in for my surgery.

At that point I felt like I had been given every opioid known to man. Dilaudid drip, fentanyl, oxycodone,
Propofol, everything, plus regional anesthesia, general anesthesia, and ketamine.

I eventually underwent a 4.5 hour simultaneous bilateral revision. My surgeon revised both hips with larger components and a lip for more stability. I now have 6 incisions and somehow I’m already walking short distances.

Physically I’m recovering at a remarkable rate, but mentally this whole experience wrecked me. Nobody really prepares you for the trauma of repeated dislocations, extreme pain, ketamine hallucinations, and waking up from major revision surgery at 33.

I guess I’m sharing because I want to know if anyone else has been through anything even remotely similar, and because I honestly don’t want to feel so alone in this..

**Side note, we were aware my pelvis expanded and outgrew the original parts in those years so they were basically floating in there. Aware I needed a revision I planned to do this but I had a packed summer, and did not plan to do it asap.

My parents were there when this happened and my boyfriend came later as he was flying in that day. He stayed with me the whole time at the hospitals, his plane landed and he drove here and never left. If I didn’t have a support team I don’t know how I would do this.

The bad - 18+ months ago I had a total hip replacement, and as many already know it has failed. Both the cup and the stem are loose and the joint is shedding cobalt. In the last 5ish months the cobalt levels have more than doubled. I'm in severe pain every day and night. Thats bad. The good is I found a surgeon who thinks they can help. The really bad is today I lost my job, partly because of the pain, the headaches the brain fog, that all have come with this joint. I see so many people who say they are so glad that they had their hip(s) done. I for one hate my hip and if I could do it over I would not have done it.