Post hip replacement problems

I have been using a rollator to get around on when out & about with my husband and also a cane if it is a short distance to see the Dr.. I am fortunate that my husband is still in great shape and I realy on him. I have had PT to strengthen my muscles, which I can't really see any difference. I had back surgery almost 3 yrs ago, which did not stop my back pain and it keeps me from walking and standing upright. I have to lean on it due to the horrible lower back pain. The back surgeon says there is nothing more he can do for me. I feel like I am just falling apart. I do get very depressed although I try not to, but it is hard not to feel like I am such a burden on my husband. However, I keep plugging along. PT was very hard for me to try since standing up is quite the problem. I have strong legs & arms, though, it's just the rest of me.
Oh well. I am a survivor. I tell myself all the time that is could be worse.

I'm not surprised! You had major surgery 13 days ago. Give yourself permission to heal. If you go with your husband tomorrow, have him stop for takeout on the way home. You'll feel to tired to cook, and that's okay.
I promise both you and @susanfalcon52 that it does get better. Just the i cision takes a good month to heal inside and out, not to me tion everything else they messed with. "Normal" can take a while - then one day you'll realize you haven't thought about your leg for hours...
Rest, elevate and ice as much as you can.
Sue
PS. I have a little experience, having done this 5 times. Now I rarely think of my hip, unless I get a touch of bursitis. I wish the rest of me felt as good!

I am exactly 6 months post op today. It is only in the last few weeks that I feel “normal”. The reports I got from my doctor and other who had hip replacement gave me a false sense that 4-6 weeks after surgery I would be back to normal. When that didn’t happen, I was depressed. I had a great PT who to.d me that I was progressing well. I am still not back to my pre op strength, but I am working out in the gym and walking 4 miles several times a week. Give yourself time to heal!

I was told I needed a hip replacement last year. I was shocked because I have had no pain. I have had both knees replaced and got along fine. My right knee had caused horrible pain and the Dr said I needed a replacement. Once it was replaced, no more pain. About 7 yrs later, routeen check up for the replaced knee, the Dr said my left knee needed to be replaced. I was surprised because there was absolutely no pain. He showed the xray to me and I coud see it was bone on bone. Still, I said I wasn't having any pain and as long as there was no pain, I didn't want surgery. By the next year checkup, I still had no pain, however, I could feel the knee bones knocking as I used the knee. By this time, I was 80 yrs old and in great health, so I told the Dr. Ok for the surgery, which went even better than the right knee. Now I am 84 and at the next knee checkup, I was having some issues with sharp pain in my left side, so they xrayed the hip along with the knee's. That is when I was told I needed hip replacement even though the Dr. didn't think the sharp pain I was having was caused from the hip. It was a shock to me because there was no pain at all in the hip area, just the sharp pain in the side. So I again said no to the surgery. After several months, I decided to go ahead with it, except my Dr now has second thoughts & is reluctant to do the surgery due to my age. I decided to get a 2nd opinion and the new Dr. said he is not concerned about my age that he has had 90 yr olds have it and no problems as long as my health is good which mine is. However, he says "if there is no pain, don't have surgery". He compared my old xray (which I had gotten from the first Dr.) to the new xray and it showed very little difference. It is bone on bone and full of arthritis. It is hard to believe it isn't causing me great pain, but it isn't. So----no surgery. My regular Dr. is concerned about the hip because she is afraid the hip could cause the leg to "give way" and cause a fall which also concerns me as there have been at least twice where it did, but I was able to keep from falling. I am at a cross road. Do I have the surgery or do I continue the way I am? I really don't know what I should do. Sorry this is so long.

My neighbor was about 88 years old when she had her hip replacement. She is an active busy woman. She is very intelligent. She had a great surgeon who I also used after getting her recommendation and doing my own research. She is doing great with the hip but she fell down the stairs and hurt her back and had to have minor surgery. She is 92 now and swims every day.
Before I had my hip done I couldn’t walk up the stairs without taking one step at a time because I could feel myself collapsing on my left side. I have also fallen twice and broke my wrist and years later broke my arm. I’m sure these falls were the result of being unstable on my left side. After surgery and now six months later I feel like my left side has been shored up. What a difference. My surgeon thought I was young at 74 years of age which leads me to believe that he is doing surgery on people more ch older than me. This is a tough choice for you. Recovery might take years. Only you can determine the quality of the life you want to live.

My hip replacement is now 3 weeks and 4 days old. I have posted about this a few times. I should report on what I’ve been up to.
The surgery was on a Monday and I went home on Tuesday. I didn’t work that week, of course, but the following week I went to work (reduced schedule) on Wednesday. I work from home doing telehealth- I’m a psychotherapist. So I did a few sessions the second week. Last week and this week, I have worked full time.
I’m going to PT 3 times a week.
I also have significant animal chores that I am responsible for. I have resumed all of that.
I have urban chickens and two elderly dogs. One is 20 years old, blind, on insulin. 🙂
This week, I started driving. With limits.
Okay. The bad news. This is probably too much. I am exhausted. I am in pain. Sleeping poorly. This morning, when I got up I started crying. Just because.
I have figured out- mostly from the help of people on this site- that this is a long recovery. I’m still adjusting to that reality.
I do love this support group.

This is so encouraging to me! I also read about those people who were back to normal at six weeks. All I can say is good for them, that’s not me. I am eight weeks out and most definitely not back to normal. I just gave up the cane, but there is a definite limp when I walk and there is occasional thigh pain. The physical therapist tells me both will go away eventually. So I am trying to be patient and follow her exercise instructions. It is comforting to know many of us are in “the same boat.” Thank you for your post. I look so forward to my daily two mile walk….eventually.