I should not be surprised that how I feel corresponds so well with the medical recommendations. The first six weeks after surgery, one cannot help but focus on recovery. By the seventh week, everything begins to be easier.
For some reason, I was thinking that people normally go to work after six weeks. This is wrong. Unless one has lots of flexibility in work scheduled and works doing sedentary activities, I doubt the wisdom of heading back to work so soon. I may feel differently when it comes to recovery from the surgery on my second hip.
In my mind this week, I was ready to get things done that I have pushed off since surgery. The first weeks I could not think about getting things done, and later, the extra time required to do even trivial things and need to rest after each activity meant not much got done in a day.
I was ready for action, which translates to burned out by the end of the week. When the physical therapist came, we started through the exercises. They were harder than usual, and then, on the most difficult one, I found myself feeling unsteady, even with one hand on the railing. I had to ask to use a crutch to steady myself. It is important to note that when the muscles get tired, my balance suffers. I can no longer use pain as a guide to when I’ve done too much.
In the past, I’ve learned the signs of throbbing beginning in a joint. If I walk much past on the unhappy joint, it will feel inflamed and awful for several days afterwards. The pain in the replaced joint is different. Part of it is standard feeling of muscles tired from walking too far and there is another different kind of pain in the places that first hurt after surgery – feeling, I guess, deep in the bones. It does not hurt a lot, but seems a signal to rest.
I can identify the signals, so now I need to learn how to use them to pace myself.
I was surprised on Friday, when the therapist decided I did not have to repeat the exercise set. Even with him standing right there, he did not like to see me that unsteady and tired. Instead, he worked on my arm for the rest our time.
I did not go out on Friday and now Saturday, I realize I need to be judicious with pushing myself. It is a fine line between doing enough and doing too much.
Hip Joint Venture 
Aug 20, 2011 @ 16:22:15
a sense of freedom sounds good from outset! my ft was somewhat better last 24 hrs after had overtaxed it, and i recalled how awful it is when something is draggin you down and pain is in your mind. what an impingement on your whole life and mindset. this pain in the new joint area you describe, i hope that goes away ove time and will not be permanent. see i was saying on arthritis, my toe joint will only get worse. exer will continue to keep it at bay as long as possible, but arth will get worse again. now your bad area is OUT, so can there be no more arth in that area or what?
Aug 22, 2011 @ 16:37:33
You make an excellent observation that day by day, being close nearby or even involved in a recovery, that it is difficult to appreciate the progress one is making. But when you consider the additional activities you are doing, many of which would have been impossible even 3 weeks ago, you are really challenging your body. So monitoring the effects of increased activity is so important. Also, kit will be 12 weeks when you receive your second surgery. I wonder if progress in incremental or the other way (can’t think of the word which means mathematically more complex.).
Aug 23, 2011 @ 06:13:33
can’t believe this long already. goes fast to me, but i’m sure not when you are recovering. when it is this long sice the next one, will be very much fuller recovery. you can imagine when bad hip now is like good one, you will be in such shape, you won’t even recognize self. now, do you have terrible pain in old hip now, like you did pre-surg with the new hip?? it got so bad during these waiting weeks? sounds like the other one is better than that, true? why? is it better?
Aug 23, 2011 @ 10:29:23
I am doing much better than I was a month before the first surgery. Now I have one leg that I can stand on, full weight, without much pain. When I walk, I may get tired, but that side does not hurt or get irritated. I am using crutches to keep as much weight as possible off of non-operated leg which is enough so it does not get irritated in the house or on short walks out. The operated leg does most of the work. And I’ve learned how to stand and move to make it hurt less.
Aug 23, 2011 @ 13:59:55
speaking of arthritis–THAT is base of your problem, yes??–i found out the deal with my toe/which reall means my whole foot as far as function and pain. it was so much better for 6 wks, incredibly better. but i didn’t go on any BIG walks. then when went walking in city on the third day all of a sudden, really started hurting and hurt rest of time walking there and then after, exacerbated by walking in house without supportive tennis shoes with orthotics, which i absolutely cannot do. it starts hurting right away, like does my hip if lie directly on it. then worse shoes, quite walking so much, and got better but still had to have advil to sleep it. so restless and nervous and agitated lying in bed, i hate it. i have this tremendous urge to stand on it and put weight on it and walk around and walk it off. walk on plane all time and even compute long, foot and lower leg like goes to sleep or gets sore and have to STAND on it. so yesterday went city walk again, good shoes and orthos. toward end of day got bad, did not walk so FAST or any particular strain, just walk. by end of day limping, killing me. that’s story. i have to walk. but need elliptical for exer cardio. i wonder if ellip will NOT be same strain on foot as walk. what is your take on the arthritis angle of this story?
Aug 23, 2011 @ 16:23:23
Try out elliptical at Zs to see how it works for you. You won’t have to bend your toe on it, so might be better.
In general for osteoarthritis the point is to exercise as much as you can tolerate, but don’t get the area inflamed by doing too much. You have to find that magic point between the two which is not easy.
The amount of weight you are carrying with you makes a big difference also.
With a few days of walking as little as possible it should repair itself – anti-inflammatorys like advil help repair.
Pay attention, like you seem to be doing, of each of the variables until you understand what works and what makes things worse.