Kicked out of PT "nest" today (hip replacement)

[Bill Ashton]

Well...today was last day of PT for me following hip replacement last March...second to last guy done 3/16 before hospital shut down all surgeries.

Had "anterior approach," so was up and walking pretty quickly, but just not progressing like I thought I should...then...gulp...fell off a step ladder at work, about six feet hitting a file cabinet before the deck, but not on the replacement side...but file cab did enough that frankly I think I still feel it.

PT says I have 115 degs (of whatever that measure is) and can do all movements she requires so I am good to go. Clearly made much improvement over past month or so, but not "just like new." Guess it will never be that way. Thinking I had it done too early, I was still walking fine, just had lingering "groin pull." Glad xrays showed this was the only one I needed...probably years of getting out of Lieut's side of old Maxim fire truck and landing on right leg...probably the most non-ergonomic fire apparatus ever produced! The body remembers...

 

[usedto]

Wifey had a total hip replacement May 3. PT (twice a week) started June 1, ended July 9.

 

[Bill S]

Well...today was last day of PT for me following hip replacement last March...second to last guy done 3/16 before hospital shut down all surgeries.

Had "anterior approach," so was up and walking pretty quickly, but just not progressing like I thought I should...then...gulp...fell off a step ladder at work, about six feet hitting a file cabinet before the deck, but not on the replacement side...but file cab did enough that frankly I think I still feel it.

PT says I have 115 degs (of whatever that measure is) and can do all movements she requires so I am good to go. Clearly made much improvement over past month or so, but not "just like new." Guess it will never be that way. Thinking I had it done too early, I was still walking fine, just had lingering "groin pull." Glad xrays showed this was the only one I needed...probably years of getting out of Lieut's side of old Maxim fire truck and landing on right leg...probably the most non-ergonomic fire apparatus ever produced! The body remembers...

That's a long haul. Glad you're doing better.

 

[Ohighway]

Curious as to why you had PT for so long? Were you encountering unusual difficulties?

I had my right hip replaced in 2003 at age 51. Quick surgery, out of the hospital after 2.5 days. Off pain meds by day 5. Back to driving my truck after 10 days ( I've always used my left leg for braking) and really didn't undergo much PT after surgery.

I was probably the opposite of you in that I waited too long. Pain started in 1994, I kept having doctors recommend waiting as long as I could. Used a cane and toughed it out. By 2003 morphine pills could not dull the pain so..... finally had surgery. I'm assuming that 115 is degrees ROM (range of motion). Not sure what mine is. I do know that I can sit cross legged indian style, even though I'm not supposed to..... lol.

 

[highvoltage_]

...PT says I have 115 degs (of whatever that measure is)...

It means that you can move your leg anterior (forward) to posterior (backward) a total of 115 degrees. Hopefully it's split evenly so you have about 58 degrees of forward motion and about 58 degrees of backward motion.

 

[Bill Ashton]

Yeah, dunno...only that when she bent my leg up to my chest it just sort of "stopped" rather than me asking her to
stop because it hurt.

Perhaps I was expecting too much, plus I really was not in the agony that I saw some people in when I went to "hip classes" before
surgery. One "radar-aimed" cortizone shot following early PT was great, lasted about two to two and half months. My primary care said
the second one never lasts as long...make that maybe a week?

In one respect, if I had to get it done, it was the right time in relation to everything getting locked down...just did not effect me...and because I was post surgery
I was able to have PT at home for a few weeks. Normally here hospital stay is just over 24 hours, with intensive PT and OT before they spring you. I got maybe
18 hours post surgery, one walk up and down stairs, OT tech watching me get up off toilet and I was gone! (One website I saw had U of Indiana keeping you in for a week,
and then discharging you with no follow up PT, so I guess there are all different ways of doing it. Makes sense though, is some farmer that had to wait until the last
minute to get it done, going to travel 150 miles or more to get PT?...not likely).

I have no sense that my PT tech strung me along, but it was just "is this supposed to hurt now?" and because answer was "probably not" we continued. Had to sell
my beloved Hyundai Elantra-Touring as I just could not get in and out of it...and if I did, could only drive for about 25 minutes. I must say my new Santa Fe is quite
nice, though I have not developed the love for my previous as yet, but in and out and sitting over an hour and a half yesterday for COVID testing was not an issue.
Being 6' 2" may have something to do with it.

Frankly, not sure if its the hip replacement or the stupid fall I did is what lingers...stupid, stupid, stupid!

Interestingly, on my first return trip to surgeon my roomate was there. This poor guy had both knees replaced, one hip replaced and at our meeting had the second one
done. No PT ("I know the exercises") and was walking without a cane. Damn! Just guess we are all different...