Post hip replacement problems

You have been through a traumatic experience. I was led to believe from others who had THR that it was a walk in the park. Well. Not for me. I was told by my physical therapist that my scar was larger than most. I shuddered when I had to look at the 32 metal staples in my hip. Still cannot believe that I had major surgery at all. I read that this surgery is life changing and it is. I feel like I’ve joined an exclusive club one that I would have avoided at any cost. I’m six months out but still petrified of falling. Not sure when or if that will go away. I try not to be petty. Makes me crazy when I have to make small talk with one of the neighbors in our association. I avoid that as much as possible. How can I comment on the fact that the grass is not as green as it was last year. WHO CARES. Trying to lead a quiet peaceful life for the time being. So be kind to yourself. Take one day at a time. Do the things that make you feel peaceful, whatever that is.

Yes, yes, yes! I too have been extra emotional after my THR a month ago. I'm a sensitive, emotional type anyway, but I've really been down this past month. I attributed it to missing out on a few activities and missing church. I mostly sit in my chair in front of the big window in living room and watch the birds eat and drink. I have very little interest in trying to do anything. I Do make an effort to see the grandkids as they are the bright spots in my life. I'm sorry you are depressed and hopefully this phase will pass quickly!!

I had the home care worker came to my house the day after surgery. She took one look at my stairs going to the second floor and told me that I could not go up until my 6 week post op exam! House is over 300 years old with twisty stairs. Well the bathroom downstairs does not have a shower or tub. So for six weeks that tiny room became my base of operations. Can I just say that showers are overrated! That there are wipes for everything. I shower every day at around 5:30 am. This was a huge challenge for me. All clothes and toiletries were in the tiny bathroom. I sat on a chair in the living room wearing a headset to drown out the news on tv that my husband would watch ALL day! If it hadn’t been for watching shows on my iPad I would surely have lost my mind! Reading books on my phone and play games on my iPad along with watching movies saved me from going crazy. I shared the tiny bathroom with a washer and dryer. I remembered that I had a very long handled bbq tong in the attic. I used that to pick up the accumulated laundry and I became very adept at doing the wash. Where there’s a will there’s a way. I have always been a very independent resourceful person and it served me well during the first awful six weeks. “This too shall pass”.

I experienced depression and anxiety after my THR, for the first time in my life. It was very dark. I met with psychiatrist and it helped me a lot. I also learned from a friend who is an anesthesiologist that anesthesia can bring on depression.

Regarding the post surgery grief - yes, somewhat. I am almost three weeks out and I have become frustrated which made me cry - then the crying morphed into sadness.
I do think I was less prepared for this recovery than I could have been. Too many upbeat stories about easy or fast recovery. My leg hurts, my thigh is bizarrely numb, my limping is causing my back to hurt, I get tired easier, and I feel kind of anxious that I really won’t recover.
When I had my two week check up with x-rays, the surgeon said it looked good. He and the NP both seemed happy. So, I guess all is well.
My best friend needs a hip replacement and has for years. When I decided to go ahead with mine, she told me that I would be her role model and she would finally have hers. My plan was to encourage her, but now I feel that I have to be 100%
Truthful about this snd leave out no details.

I agree that the stories I heard about how easy the THR was for others has not been my experience. I had surgery July 5 and have thigh pain, swelling, and numbness but really don’t want to take anything more than Tylenol for fear of constipation. Even so it took a week for me to get some results from the laxative regimen prescribed. I was really hoping to be able to get around without a walker but now I’m afraid to for fear of falling . I’m 76 and just retired from nursing on Jan 31. This Is not the retirement I planned and it makes me sad and angry.

I f we disregard all of the happy success stories that we heard before the surgery and focus on the other stories, it would still seem that recovery is in our future. Just not as fast or as pain free as we had hoped.
I do go to physical therapy three times a week and that is very helpful.
The PT works me pretty hard and it’s good to see that I can do it. Usually, I feel better after. He is encouraging and knowledgeable, so it gives me a chance to ask questions 3 times a week.
Everyone who sees me thinks I’m doing great. Including medical personnel. So…..I think maybe we are doing well and that we are on schedule for recovery. We just weren’t educated about what that would really look like.

I, too, compared myself to others’ speedy recoveries. My surgeon told me “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” And said that it takes a year to recover. It’s hard not to compare, but we must. I experienced the same as you.

Your job is to get yourself well. Don’t worry about what to tell your friend. Everyone has a different experience. My surgery was more complicated than the surgery of the two younger people who told me it was a walk in the park. I am six months out and yesterday I felt fine. Just a bit of thigh pain but nothing I couldn’t handle. I am not prone to depression even though it runs in my family. I get up every day and feel very grateful to be alive due to having had three dvt’s in the past 23 years. I have no idea what it would feel like otherwise. I wish I could be more helpful. They say we are born with a certain personality and it pretty much stays the same throughout our lifetimes. I would have been skeptical about that but I look at my two middle aged daughters and still see their personalities as when they were toddlers.

You are absolutely correct. We were NOT educated on what to expect. That has led to suffering, mental and physical.