No, I am going to be dramatic here. SIX WEEKS AFTER MAJOR ORTHO SURGERY NOBODY IS "BACK TO NORMAL"! I don't even know where that crazy idea came from.

Maybe it comes from our society that expects everything to happen instantaneously? You have been anesthetized, cut apart and put back together, with artificial parts added!

How many people would go ahead with surgery if they were told how long it would take, and how much work was involved in recovery?

First, being released from care just means you are past the acute post-surgical phase, the highest risk of infection, dislocation and other problems.

Second, at 6 weeks, the bones, muscles and nerves are NOT back to normal, they are still healing.

Third, for most THR recipients, it took us years to get to the point of replacement. We were in pain, other joints were affected by favoring or limping, maybe a little weak or stiff...it stands to reason recovery will also take time.

I have a truly genius physical therapist, and we have talked a lot about recovery. His specialty is tough cases and chronic pain. My previous PT specialized in rehab from complex joint replacements. Both of them told me the true recovery time from a total hip is ideally 6 months but can be longer depending on complexity or other medical conditions. They say full knee recovery is also 6 months, but a year is not unusual either.

As the veteran of 10 ortho surgeries, let me assure you that every one took longer than I expected to rehab. But I would do every one again without hesitation - they have allowed me to stay active and with less pain for almost 30 years now.

One day, you will wake up and not think first of your aching thigh. Soon after, you will realize you can go down the stairs without hesitation or pain. And finally, a day will arrive when you don't think about that hip for a whole day. And then you will realize it was worthwhile.

Hang in there. Next time someone tells you you should be "back to normal already" ask them if anyone ever sawed up their femur!
Sue

I am 10 weeks post op and still not back to my normal. It is frustrating because i was told before the surgery “you should be back to normal, in 6 weeks”. The pain is much less. I still have numbness in the front of my thigh. I had one day when i did too much exercising and I had pain for a good 36 hours. My ROM is just about 100%, but the strength is lagging. I am going to physical therapy twice a week and will do that as long as I can. I also go to the gym. Hang in there. It will get better, it just takes more time than expected.