Just found this now, thankfully it’s not just me feeling this way, 3 weeks post op, have found the last 2 weeks hard, feeling I should be doing better. (Listening to other people who knew someone etc etc)
I’ve weaned off the strong painkillers which was awful as I’m on them so long. I’m now getting really sharp pain in my wound, I presume it’s from muscles etc being cut. Back sleeping is the worst, but having no hip pain is the best after 2yrs of agony, living like a 90yr old.

I hope your recovery is going well, I found that once people knew I was having a replacement EVERYONE knew someone and had advice. Ultimately, we’re all built different, heal in our own ways and struggle with different things. So please you found this space helpful!

Not sure where everyone is from, so I’ll mention I’m in the UK 🙂

Today is exactly 4 weeks since my hip replacement. I wasn’t given time limits except for using crutches for 6 weeks (although that could just be one crutch – which I’ve used for about a week now) and I am obviously being careful with certain things. However I am able to put my own socks on now which felt amazing the first time! 😂 (I have long arms which helps!!!!).

My biggest problem was that I listened to too many people beforehand – those who had relatives who had the same op and “were up and about really quickly”. Yes I was up and about quickly but it’s the discomfort that got me down (can’t say I’ve been in mega pain, but the discomfort was off the charts!)….it started me worrying i was being weak or a wimp because of what others had said.

I also work in admin and had so many people say “well you’ll still be able to work from home won’t you”. So yep, I also worried that people would think I was faking because I wasn’t working from home!

My anxiety went through the roof the first two weeks – everything I did I questioned – was I trying to do too much, or too little, that kind of thing. I did do 2.5 hours of work, where I sat in one position on a laptop …not a good idea! After that I followed my GP’s advice and stuck to the sick note I was given!

If I ever get anyone asking me for advice should they be about to have a hip replacement, I’ll tell them to make sure they do their exercises and follow all instructions given by the hospital. Apart from that I’d say not to listen to how other people coped as everyone is different!

I do know that this blog and the comments have made me feel quite a bit better about it all so thanks guys! (Sorry for the long post!)

4 weeks into recovery from 2nd hip. Surgery was postponed for 8 weeks because I caught Covid. This meant that I did the pre op exercises for much longer than last time – what a difference it makes. I’m more mobile almost off my one stick no pain no painkillers and good walking gait. Couldn’t agree more with the post about serious preparation. Back sleeping still a nightmare though!!

The back sleeping was the absolute worst part of it for me. Made me ache more than necessary!

Sleeping! Arghhh, what a nightmare! I have never been a back sleeper but now, what choice do I have? I`ve been lucky if I slept for more than an hour and a half at a time, so now I sleep when I feel tired, as uncomfortable and as unnatural as it is to me, often just lying there, waiting to drop off again. I have now accepted this as an evil necessity in order to get to where i want to be.

Prior to the operation, my doctor told me, the ones who recover the quickest are the ones who build up strength in their damaged side but I only had this information a week prior to going in, so I would advise you, if you have plenty of time before your op, spend time (if you can) exercising and building strong hip and leg muscles. I know this is easier said than done, as if like me, you were in so much pain – how can you possibly exercise in this way?!

I can now safely move up and down the stairs without a crutch but definitely holding on to the handrail – BUT once I get to either top or bottom of stairs I am in need of support for walking. So, I`m getting there slowly – strength, balance and confidence! You know the funny thing is… sometimes I will have walked from the bedroom to the bathroom, for example, to clean my teeth, and when finished I look around for my stick to support me out of the bathroom, but subconsciously I had walked there without my aid. Am I going mad, losing my mind, or am I taking small steps without aid and without realising it?
Thank you for reading….. Alan

You are so nearly through the really hard bit! I hope your recovery continues to go well – soon there will be far more steps forward!