|
Post by PinkCarnation on Aug 17, 2020 11:58:35 GMT -6
Hi everyone, on the morning of June 11th I had a freak accident in my driveway. I fell and fractured my left femur. Yelled out in pain and some neighbors heard me, came over, and called 911. It took the paramedics giving me fentanal to get me up off off the driveway. They started with morphine. I have never been in pain like that. They took me to the hospital and I had total hip replacement surgery that afternoon.
I have a question for anyone who has gone through this or knows someone who has. How long does your leg hurt? I am starting my 10th week post-op and this is the beginning of my 4th week back at work. I do get up probably at least 50 times a day from my desk and I am moving, but healing ever so slowly.
My MIL had the exact same thing happen to her about six years ago when she was about 77. She had no pain, either from the fracture or the surgery.
I still use my cane alot.
What is wrong with me?
|
|
|
Post by MammaMel on Aug 17, 2020 16:53:57 GMT -6
Sue Ellen, I have never done what you did. Please do NOT do it again. However one thing i do know, we all experience pain differently. I have been told I have an extremely high pain tolerance. I may have, when it comes to headaches. However touch my lower back, evening lightly and you might just get kicked when I react to the pain. Please be patient and kind to yourself.
|
|
|
Post by thursdayschild on Aug 17, 2020 18:14:09 GMT -6
My mom fell and broke her femur a few years ago. She didn't need hip replacement but it delayed her next knee replacement. She fell on her new titanium knee instead of the old once needing replaced anyway.
I can tell you that it will take a while. I'm assuming they have you doing physical therapy? Make sure you're following the therapist's orders. And be careful. Don't go off without that cane until you're healed. My mom probably doesn't need hers but prefers to have it for less than smooth surfaces.
Children are the most delightful pledges in a loving marriage. They are the best wool on the sheep. - Martin Luther
|
|
|
Post by ginakay57 on Aug 19, 2020 22:06:52 GMT -6
As Mel says everyone reacts to pain differently and also heals at different speeds. For one thing you went from resting for 6 weeks to going to work full time. Going from physical therapy a few times a week & resting to working full time, involving getting up & down, constantly overnight is going to play havoc on your leg. Is there a way you can work from home (bed) a few days a week?
|
|
|
Post by eyeofthestorm on Aug 20, 2020 7:20:45 GMT -6
SueEllen, I agree with Mel. Everyone has to travel their own path with this. I broke my ankle six years ago this month. While it was a bad break (3 fractures + a dislocation), it wasn't as involved as a hip replacement I don't think. I had NO PAIN at all - none - until post-surgery. After surgery, for a very long time, honestly, it was a rare day that I had no pain. The day I broke my ankle, I walked 15,000 steps. It took me a year before I could walk that much again. TAKE YOUR TIME.
That doesn't mean it will be like that for you, but I do want to share that you're not crazy, and it will get better. It's hard to be patient. Yes, a year to get back to the level of walking is a long time... but it was less than 2% of my entire life! Think of it that way - a life event you are traveling through.
A lot of things getting better involves listening to your doctor and TALKING to your doctor. At first, my doctor was firm that I should expect pain to getter better/recede. Then she flat out said - you shouldn't be in pain at this point (12 weeks). It turned out I had an infection. She prescribed an antibiotic, not a pain killer, and an enormous amount of pain disappeared. So listen to your doctor and TALK to your doctor.
Do the physical therapy. I can't stress that enough.
Be open-minded. I realized pretty quickly, once I was mobile, that MOVING reduced the pain, as counter-intuitive as that might be. There were times I'd step out of church or just get up from watching TV and tell DH I had to take a walk. It was the only thing that helped in those situations. Othertimes, a hot pad or an ice pack might help. For me, when pain flares, movement is still the most helpful. This is a large part of the reason that I continue to study tae kwon do. There are movements I don't know that I'll ever be able to learn in tkd, but there are others that I couldn't do at all after my injury. Movement helps with flexibility and strength, too.
Hang in there. I know it's SO hard to be patient, but it WILL continue to get better.
|
|
|
Post by hidi74 on Aug 26, 2020 22:52:53 GMT -6
I have no good advice except to give yourself grace. I’ve had to learn that myself the last few months. Especially how to slow down because it’s not easy to heal faster than God intended. Even for stubborn old me. So many prayers.
|
|
|
Post by PinkCarnation on Dec 1, 2020 12:42:36 GMT -6
I am 5 1/2 months post of fracturing my femur and total hip replacement surgery and I am still having issues. I hope one day my leg will be back to normal, but I thank the Lord that I still have my leg and I can walk.
|
|