Is it unrealistic to hope to walk 4 blocks a few weeks after surgery?

Lerwick8

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Greetings,

Having an anterior LTHR next Monday. One of my biggest fears is being trapped at home and unable to go outside for a few months.

I do not have a car and rely on the bus to get around. That said, I was told that I would not be permitted to ride the bus for 4-6 weeks because of the jerky movements of the bus.. This leaves me with the walking option. I usually walk a lot anyway.

I live two blocks (round trip four blocks) from a coffee shop and park. I feel that it would make a huge difference in my mental state if I am able to go to the coffee shop/park!!!!

If anyone who has had the anterior approach could please chime in on how realistic this is, I would be most appreciative. I do, of course, realize that it is different for each person.

My OS is quite optimistic based on my age/fitness level; however, I would really love to hear about some first-hand experiences from patients..
 
Hi @Lerwick8
I went on an outing 4 days after my surgery, to my place of employment to visit. By two weeks out I was walking with no aids, I was in my barn doing things I shouldn't be doing. I took my crutches, and walked up and down my dirt road .2 mile increments probably at about one week out. But at my two week appointment, I walked into my doctors office with no aids, that was my goal, and I bet you will too. In our heads we play out the worst case scenario, it's good to know what can happen but good things can happen too. My OS told me I could do it, I did not believe him. Everybody does heal differently, and a positive attitude helps a lot, but I certainly didn't have one but I do now :)!


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Hi @Lerwick8
I didn't have the anterior approach since my surgeon only does posterior.

In the Library underneath the blue header bar at top of the page, you'll find under the letter "A" Activity Progression For THR which I think is just general info no matter which approach was used.
It's interesting, I looked at it a few times during recovery.
Check it out....
 
@Lerwick8, I had posterior but if your OS is optimistic, you should be too!!

Are there benches or other places to sit if you need to? That might help, or if you have a walker that has a seat, you can walk and rest as needed. Take it easy, but you should be able to get out of the house!


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Hi @susan12369 ..No, my walker does not have a seat, but I do have a separate "Seat Lift Deluxe Chair Cushion" that I purchased on Amazon.

There are benches :) Getting out of the house would be amazing, especially as we are about to enter into our Indian Summer (well hopefully anyway). As Mark Twain so aptly noted, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Well, suffice it to say, it has been just plain gloomy here for the last few months, and I can even count the number of times I have the sun on less than ten fingers:((

Our best seasons are typically September/October, so it sure would be nice to have even a brief opportunity to bask in the sunshine during recovery.
 
Have faith!! I left the hospital with crutches and was doing short walks (about a block) very quickly, and a little over 2 weeks after was doing longer walks with rests.

Keep the hopes up!!


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@Lerwick8 Sounding like a broken record but I must say this again - the approach has nothing to do with your recovery rate. It's all about how your body reacts to the procedure and how your pain is managed post op.

No - you will not be able to walk 4 blocks just out of surgery. But if you start a very slow and gentle walking program as soon as you feel confident on your feet you will be able to increase the length of your walk gradually - building up to that 4 blocks.

Meanwhile, can you ask friends to visit or perhaps take you out to enjoy a coffee? You will be mobile when you leave the hospital. But the energy drain can be significant. Being able to get back home and rest when you need to is key.
 
I agree with Jaycey 100%. You MUST be more caring of your body during your recovery and not force it to do things that will harm it. Follow the programme in the Activity progression article.

You might find it helpful to read the rest of the recovery articles too

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
@Lerwick8 I was not referring to just out of surgery as walking for any length of time can be quite challenging just post op. If you start the program I referred to and build in stages you should be fine. Read the link Josephine left in item #5 above. That should give you an idea of timescales.
 
I really think you will want to get out for walks once you are confident on your feet. My strategy was to walk for half the time I thought I could. If I had no issues with that length I added just a bit the next day. See how you feel 2 weeks out and build from there. I was pretty mobile at 4 weeks out post RTHR. But we all heal differently.
 
@Lerwick8 I can relate to your housebound concerns as I was having conniptions about it as I get antsy yet none of my concerns materialized. Chances are, you may not feel like leaving your house in the first week or so but if you do, try walking aids and rest stops. It feels like being a turtle in a world of hares whizzing past you. Inclines and declines were tricky and I mostly stayed on flat surfaces.

You will happily be more mobile than you realize, maybe not for long walks at first but it will come. BS advisors know their stuff and I found their timelines and tips spot on for a good recovery.

You'll likely have to rein yourself in, day after I came home I walked outside and had a chat with a neighbor. Next day was out sitting in the backyard in the sunshine having a coffee, fifth day out shopping at WF on crutches with a friend and then out for a coffee afterwards -joined the ODIC that day and learned my lesson! My other hip was still bad, you are fortunate your other hip is good which will really help you out.

It's useful to note I was clear headed and had good balance before I ventured out as I was off strong meds rather quickly. Sounds like you are active and in good shape too and will probably be up and about quickly. It is amazing how much you're able to do :)
 
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Hi @Lerwick8 just adding my few cents...there are so very many variables that it's impossible to predict what you may or may not want to do. Approach has nothing to do with it, really. It's all in how YOU will find YOURSELF feeling after YOUR hip.

After my first hip, I was walking almost 2 suburban, FLAT, blocks 2-4 times a day by about 3 weeks, but I started and ended at my front door, and went in and iced, elevated, and rested. This hip, I think I did walk a hilly half-mile at three weeks, started and finished at my front door and ice etc. I didn't repeat that until several days ago, and now I seem to walk nearly 1/2 mile twice a day happily, at almost 5 weeks. You will very likely want to get out in the first few days, and there's not much stopping you from baby steps!-- is there a close-by bench for a goal? I do it by mailboxes or driveways, as we are suburban. I increase the walk by one driveway per day or so, one walk of each days' quota.

As far as walking aids go, I'm afraid I'm not normal. For both hips I went aid-free very very soon-- this one just about the second day I got home. I have felt unbelievably solid on this hip, quite unlike the first! If I were walking to a coffee shop, now, I'd take the cane, as much for a signal as for help n the way back. I haven't bothered with the cane on outdoors walks for a week or so-- don't need it in the morning, and at night I'm carrying a nubkin' big heavy Mag Light (leaving cute typo lol) and need to shift it from hand to hand. But again, I am NOT normal in this regard. If I needed the cane, I'd use it!

Get a friend to walk with you? I was about to say, "that way, if you get stranded, they can come pick you up from a bench and give you a ride home". But nobody has a car, do they? Ahhhh for the urban life, walking is such a pleasure of that! But they can cheer you on, and support you, and tell you you have to stop here and rest, etc?

This is really the situation where we say, your mileage may vary, and it will vary from day to day! I really think you will be pleasantly surprised at how mobile you are For The Short Distance, right away. No need to consign yourself to indoors.
 
No, no...don't go for a walk too soon! I'm scared you'll fall, roll down one of those crazy, steep San Fran hills right into the bay!! Kerplop!

All kidding aside, you will clearly know when it's time to venture out. Just don't set lofty goals....everything in moderation. Hopefully you have a deck, courtyard, terrace or some area you can sit and soak in the beautiful Cali sun.

You'll do splendidly......I just know it @Lerwick8
 
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@Lerwick8 and @Layla clearly I have never been to San Francisco, flowers in my hair or no! :rotfl: So, I certainly wasn't thinking the right way about all those hills and steps and all that. Nonono falling!!!!!! Nonono cobblestones!!!!

And Layla is right, you are going to do splendidly! Once all this pre-op worrying is out of the way, your mind will slow down and give you some peace and quiet. :)
 
@zauberflöte and @Layla ... Luckily the streets of San Francisco in my neck of the woods are all flat, so no hills to worry about.

I so wish that I had some outdoor space, but I live in an apartment building. That is the hitch..the park is a 4 block round trip walk. That said, there are plenty of nearby driveways to walk to as @zauberflöte did.

Right now I am contending with what I hope are just allergies and not a summer (summer in San Francisco--well that is kind of a joke!) cold coming on. Have had some chest/sinus congestion with lightly colored mucus (I won't get too graphic). The mucus part only shows up when I wake up and then seems to resolve itself. No fever and don't feel sick, just worried something is going to stump up my surgery.
 
@Horseshoe .. a cautionary tale for sure! Yikes..at Whole Foods on your 4th/5th day. I cannot imagine I will set foot in there for at least a month at minimum.

Indeed, any ventures out will all be dependent on so many factors.

I certainly do not plan on pushing myself. That said, just getting some fresh air can be a huge mood-lifter for me even now. Indeed, about to head down to Japantown (as there is the very rare sight of the sun today) and sit in the Peace Plaza for a while.
 

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