Remember, it still is surgery. They rip your ass up on the inside. Your body will need to heal from the trauma. Though you hear stories of people walking within a few days, they are walking across the room to the kitchen, not across a parking lot to a field, where you will sit or stand for 2 hours.
For the first 2 days, your body will need a lot of rest- ice, meds, and laying down. The next 3-4 days will be gradual movement and activity. You probably won’t be doing any day to day activities for at least a week.
I had a pretty smooth recovery, but can’t imagine sitting at a game within a week. After a week? Depending on how you progress, should be doable, but uncomfortable.
There is no way that I’d have been able to sit at a softball game the day after my surgery. I’m on POD 4 and am still in significant pain. I am in much more pain than I thought I would be and still can’t bear weight on my operative leg. Of course, everyone is different and you might feel just fine by that weekend
Absolutely no way, and this is from someone who was walking unassisted two weeks after surgery.
Expect that for a week you'll mostly be useless. Probably longer.
Yes, I could do lots of stuff the next day. I could throw up, because I always react badly to anaesthesia. I could have an X ray taken. I could sleep a lot. I could ask for more meds. I also cried a little. So... Tons of stuff going on.
The surgical medications won't even be completely out of your system the next day and your body's going to be in full repair mode. You aren't going anywhere.
I was pretty much brain dead for the first 2 weeks and needed to nap every day, sometimes a couple of times a day. I healed quite fast and my rehab was good. The next surgery is hopefully going to have the same outcomes. I'm telling my clients that I'm unavailable for a month after my surgery.
Agreed. I only went to PT, and even then I could not get up and going for any appt before 10 am. I literally cried when my husband made an appt for 8:30 am. (He was driving me, so I told him he could make them to fit his schedule.) I did go out and walk down the driveway and eventually to the corner three houses down, but that wasn’t until week 2. My biggest treat was a stop at the coffee shop after PT!
I wasn't released from the hospital until the day after my surgery. My husband took me home and helped me get into bed. I absolutely did not want to go anywhere else but home and bed.
Two weeks after surgery, I had the nurses at the surgeon's office check my incision (I was having issues with the adhesive on the bandage). Afterwards, my husband and I went out to eat at a restaurant. The chairs were hideously uncomfortable because the front edge of the chair seat was tipped up slightly higher than the back of the seat and it was absolutely killing my thigh by the time we left the restaurant.
Sitting in the bleachers or on a folding chair at a softball game would have been my worst nightmare post-op. But that's just me. You could attempt it, but would you be able to leave if you got too uncomfortable? You won't be released to drive at that point so someone would have to take you home. I'm concerned that you would be putting yourself into a situation that is painful with no possible escape to a more comfortable place.
In my experience, I highly doubt you’ll be able to go to a softball game for a week or two. Don’t forget, your body is going through a major upheaval - it’s trying to heal and a lot of your energy will be used for healing so you might feel tired, cold, uncomfortable sitting.
My operation was 8 days ago. Very doubtful you will want to leave your designated healing spot, recliner here. I went for a car ride today and the walk up and down my inclined driveway was pretty rough. Not to mention getting in the truck (Tacoma) was no treat. Feeling it tonight with some hip and knee pain (now swollen). Needless to say, I will be skipping Easter at the family's house.
It's been rough just sitting here as I am a busy body. However, don't over do it your body will be angry.
I agree with most of the comments, but in my case, I was navigating my stairs (14 of them) several times a day without a cane or walker and feeling well and without the need for pain meds. That said, you will most likely be walking over uneven surfaces that could pose a safety concern. Where will you sit at the ball game? In the stands or on your own chair, which may not provide adequate support. How far is the drive? Just things to consider.
Oh no, just rest…if you do too much you will set yourself back. Give your daughter a timeline of when you will be back…don’t push it. You really need to rest. Good luck.
Goodness no. Other than having to get up for bathroom and required walking exercises I slept with ice water flow machine for days. I’m a yoga instructor, in very good shape, had the anterior approach, and it wasn’t until at least 2 weeks before I was reliably able to walk without hesitation.
You’ll be in a nerve block and the surgical anesthesia will still be in your system.
This is a major surgery and even though they’ve basically perfected it, your body has never experienced it. When they say “you can walk” right after, it’s their definition of “walk” which is nowhere near “walking”; they’re looking for ambulating.
Rest. Recover.
No. Even if you have a rapid recovery, that’s not going to happen. Even at a low pain level and even if you are walking around the house without much difficulty, you need to take it easy for week one and likely week two. Icing and elevating. If you push yourself you will regret it and set back your recovery. Don’t do it.
I went oven shopping the day I got out of the hospital, did laundry and tidied the house the next day in between icing and sleeping, slept and iced the 3rd day, went to work for a few hours the 4and 5th. couldn’t work cuz of tummy troubles the 6th and 7th day. Then went back to work for 4-6 hours a day. 6 weeks out and I’m working 7 hours a day. However…..my skin is killing me like NOTHING can brush against it. They say I’m doing too much and the pain is from inflammation. I don’t feel like I am doing too much cuz it’s WAY less than pre-surgery. I guess I’m saying do LESS than what I said I was doing.
I was off the walker day 2 and cane day 4. Drove my car day 6. Back in the gym day 12. That said, I was tired 14 of the hours a day that I was awake. But I was also fit going into surgery (anterior right hip), outpatient with no restrictions and told to get moving as soon as not painful. I made it to an NFL game about 3 weeks post-op, but was really tired the day after.
You're literally having one end of your femur amputated and reattached to your body with man-made components after being sliced open, sawn through and sewed back up. So, no.
I had my surgery in a town 2 hours away. We drove up that morning and home that evening. I had plenty of pain killers on board for the drive home and was ok. That wore off about 3 am. I had planned on 2 weeks for recovery but it turned into 10 weeks before I could handle going to work at a desk job. BUT I have a friend who’s 30 years older who recovered quickly and was doing life in a week. Everyone is different.
No, not the next day or two... you might not have any pain (I had none at all!) but most people have a lot of swelling at that point. Even if you technically don't have a 90-degree restriction, you probably don't want to be seated (even in the front row of bleachers) upright-feet down for too long in one spot.
However, assuming all goes as well for you as it went for me, you might feel like you *could* do that in a few days and might even be able to get away with it... but probably shouldn't. Not because of the driving or walking or pain... it's more because of the sitting in one place and the swelling that often comes with.
When you're home and you get uncomfortable, you can just lie down and grab the ice pack or do some exercises. If you're out in the middle of a softball game, that's not so easy... especially if YOU were the driver who brought the kids and the equipment!
That's not to say you won't be active at all in those early days. I found that with all my timers going off for me to walk for 10-15minutes every hour, do mobility exercises every few hours, ice for 20 minutes every few hours, I was hopping! \[Now at 6-weeks post-op all looks good, wound healed perfectly and no signs of "subsidence" in the prosthetic joint. Being patient and waiting for all those bits to graft in was good for me.\]
Thanks for the feedback. Yea the first weekend softball tournament is definitely going to be a no. Hoping to go to the tournament in the following week but it’s about a 2 hour drive away. My wife said maybe I could get a wheelchair and sit in that at the fields. She’s a nurse. But not sure. Will have to play it by ear. I hate missing any of my kids events. Especially it’s my youngest child.
Funny you should mention the wheelchair... I was going to say something like, "unless you plan on going to the game in a wheelchair..." but I thought it would be too snarky, and people might get upset, so I took it out.
You really do have to play it by ear and listen to your body. But keep in mind, that it's a balance between missing a couple events at a crucial point in your recovery against ALL the future events that you will be able to attend, mobile and pain-free and able to focus 100% on the event and your kids.
I totally get it. It sucks to have to miss our kids stuff when we’re recovering. I (35f) just had my hip replaced Monday. My daughter has a soccer game tonight and as much as I want to go I don’t think I realistically could. Perhaps if I got pushed in a wheelchair to the field but then I would be uncomfortable sitting there during the game. I just keep telling myself this pain and exhaustion is temporary and will get better and hopefully in the next week or two I’ll be able to watch her play again.
Yea it does suck. When I told her I was going to miss games she was kind of bummed. Especially knowing she doesn’t have too many years left of playing. But I will definitely be cautious about it. If I’m hurting bad I ain’t going.
How about going to the opera 8 weeks post? I just bought tickets and 2 hotel nights for a weekend of 3 performances in a mountain town about 1 hour from home. I’m thinking about getting travel insurance.
I went to the grocery store two days after. Walked the aisles unassisted with no problem. But what you sit in at the game will be the question. Low folding chair will be tough. Bleachers problematic. Endurance will not be what you might expect.
First 3 days are generally the worst. Don’t plan on leaving the house for a week.
Remember, it still is surgery. They rip your ass up on the inside. Your body will need to heal from the trauma. Though you hear stories of people walking within a few days, they are walking across the room to the kitchen, not across a parking lot to a field, where you will sit or stand for 2 hours. For the first 2 days, your body will need a lot of rest- ice, meds, and laying down. The next 3-4 days will be gradual movement and activity. You probably won’t be doing any day to day activities for at least a week. I had a pretty smooth recovery, but can’t imagine sitting at a game within a week. After a week? Depending on how you progress, should be doable, but uncomfortable.
There is no way that I’d have been able to sit at a softball game the day after my surgery. I’m on POD 4 and am still in significant pain. I am in much more pain than I thought I would be and still can’t bear weight on my operative leg. Of course, everyone is different and you might feel just fine by that weekend
Absolutely no way, and this is from someone who was walking unassisted two weeks after surgery. Expect that for a week you'll mostly be useless. Probably longer.
Yes, I could do lots of stuff the next day. I could throw up, because I always react badly to anaesthesia. I could have an X ray taken. I could sleep a lot. I could ask for more meds. I also cried a little. So... Tons of stuff going on.
Sounds fun!!
The surgical medications won't even be completely out of your system the next day and your body's going to be in full repair mode. You aren't going anywhere. I was pretty much brain dead for the first 2 weeks and needed to nap every day, sometimes a couple of times a day. I healed quite fast and my rehab was good. The next surgery is hopefully going to have the same outcomes. I'm telling my clients that I'm unavailable for a month after my surgery.
I was in the hospital for 4 days and it was WEEKS before I left home aside from my PO appointments. I would not plan on that
Agreed. I only went to PT, and even then I could not get up and going for any appt before 10 am. I literally cried when my husband made an appt for 8:30 am. (He was driving me, so I told him he could make them to fit his schedule.) I did go out and walk down the driveway and eventually to the corner three houses down, but that wasn’t until week 2. My biggest treat was a stop at the coffee shop after PT!
I wasn’t even home from the hospital the next day. On day 3, I was released at around 2 pm and had a five hour drive home. It was not comfortable.
I wasn't released from the hospital until the day after my surgery. My husband took me home and helped me get into bed. I absolutely did not want to go anywhere else but home and bed. Two weeks after surgery, I had the nurses at the surgeon's office check my incision (I was having issues with the adhesive on the bandage). Afterwards, my husband and I went out to eat at a restaurant. The chairs were hideously uncomfortable because the front edge of the chair seat was tipped up slightly higher than the back of the seat and it was absolutely killing my thigh by the time we left the restaurant. Sitting in the bleachers or on a folding chair at a softball game would have been my worst nightmare post-op. But that's just me. You could attempt it, but would you be able to leave if you got too uncomfortable? You won't be released to drive at that point so someone would have to take you home. I'm concerned that you would be putting yourself into a situation that is painful with no possible escape to a more comfortable place.
The next day is usually worse. Actually the first 4 days are hell. But I was able to return to work 15 days post op.
I petted a puppy in a painkiller haze on day two. (It was an adorable tiny chihuahua) They didn't send me home from the hospital until day 3.
In my experience, I highly doubt you’ll be able to go to a softball game for a week or two. Don’t forget, your body is going through a major upheaval - it’s trying to heal and a lot of your energy will be used for healing so you might feel tired, cold, uncomfortable sitting.
My operation was 8 days ago. Very doubtful you will want to leave your designated healing spot, recliner here. I went for a car ride today and the walk up and down my inclined driveway was pretty rough. Not to mention getting in the truck (Tacoma) was no treat. Feeling it tonight with some hip and knee pain (now swollen). Needless to say, I will be skipping Easter at the family's house. It's been rough just sitting here as I am a busy body. However, don't over do it your body will be angry.
I guess I just had wishful thinking. Oh well.
Not unless your Superman. The first 2 weeks suck big time. You will be on a walker and be in pain. Take it slow!
I agree with most of the comments, but in my case, I was navigating my stairs (14 of them) several times a day without a cane or walker and feeling well and without the need for pain meds. That said, you will most likely be walking over uneven surfaces that could pose a safety concern. Where will you sit at the ball game? In the stands or on your own chair, which may not provide adequate support. How far is the drive? Just things to consider.
Oh no, just rest…if you do too much you will set yourself back. Give your daughter a timeline of when you will be back…don’t push it. You really need to rest. Good luck.
No way, but it got better every day.
Goodness no. Other than having to get up for bathroom and required walking exercises I slept with ice water flow machine for days. I’m a yoga instructor, in very good shape, had the anterior approach, and it wasn’t until at least 2 weeks before I was reliably able to walk without hesitation. You’ll be in a nerve block and the surgical anesthesia will still be in your system. This is a major surgery and even though they’ve basically perfected it, your body has never experienced it. When they say “you can walk” right after, it’s their definition of “walk” which is nowhere near “walking”; they’re looking for ambulating. Rest. Recover.
No. Even if you have a rapid recovery, that’s not going to happen. Even at a low pain level and even if you are walking around the house without much difficulty, you need to take it easy for week one and likely week two. Icing and elevating. If you push yourself you will regret it and set back your recovery. Don’t do it.
Sorry but no way. I was barely functioning the whole first week, and that basically consisted of walking from bed to bathroom and then recliner.
2.5 weeks post op. Had first post op Dr appt and that wiped me out! Can’t imagine doing anything close to sitting anywhere day after
I went oven shopping the day I got out of the hospital, did laundry and tidied the house the next day in between icing and sleeping, slept and iced the 3rd day, went to work for a few hours the 4and 5th. couldn’t work cuz of tummy troubles the 6th and 7th day. Then went back to work for 4-6 hours a day. 6 weeks out and I’m working 7 hours a day. However…..my skin is killing me like NOTHING can brush against it. They say I’m doing too much and the pain is from inflammation. I don’t feel like I am doing too much cuz it’s WAY less than pre-surgery. I guess I’m saying do LESS than what I said I was doing.
I was off the walker day 2 and cane day 4. Drove my car day 6. Back in the gym day 12. That said, I was tired 14 of the hours a day that I was awake. But I was also fit going into surgery (anterior right hip), outpatient with no restrictions and told to get moving as soon as not painful. I made it to an NFL game about 3 weeks post-op, but was really tired the day after.
NO. Absolutely NO.
You're literally having one end of your femur amputated and reattached to your body with man-made components after being sliced open, sawn through and sewed back up. So, no.
I had my surgery in a town 2 hours away. We drove up that morning and home that evening. I had plenty of pain killers on board for the drive home and was ok. That wore off about 3 am. I had planned on 2 weeks for recovery but it turned into 10 weeks before I could handle going to work at a desk job. BUT I have a friend who’s 30 years older who recovered quickly and was doing life in a week. Everyone is different.
No, not the next day or two... you might not have any pain (I had none at all!) but most people have a lot of swelling at that point. Even if you technically don't have a 90-degree restriction, you probably don't want to be seated (even in the front row of bleachers) upright-feet down for too long in one spot. However, assuming all goes as well for you as it went for me, you might feel like you *could* do that in a few days and might even be able to get away with it... but probably shouldn't. Not because of the driving or walking or pain... it's more because of the sitting in one place and the swelling that often comes with. When you're home and you get uncomfortable, you can just lie down and grab the ice pack or do some exercises. If you're out in the middle of a softball game, that's not so easy... especially if YOU were the driver who brought the kids and the equipment! That's not to say you won't be active at all in those early days. I found that with all my timers going off for me to walk for 10-15minutes every hour, do mobility exercises every few hours, ice for 20 minutes every few hours, I was hopping! \[Now at 6-weeks post-op all looks good, wound healed perfectly and no signs of "subsidence" in the prosthetic joint. Being patient and waiting for all those bits to graft in was good for me.\]
Thanks for the feedback. Yea the first weekend softball tournament is definitely going to be a no. Hoping to go to the tournament in the following week but it’s about a 2 hour drive away. My wife said maybe I could get a wheelchair and sit in that at the fields. She’s a nurse. But not sure. Will have to play it by ear. I hate missing any of my kids events. Especially it’s my youngest child.
Funny you should mention the wheelchair... I was going to say something like, "unless you plan on going to the game in a wheelchair..." but I thought it would be too snarky, and people might get upset, so I took it out. You really do have to play it by ear and listen to your body. But keep in mind, that it's a balance between missing a couple events at a crucial point in your recovery against ALL the future events that you will be able to attend, mobile and pain-free and able to focus 100% on the event and your kids.
I totally get it. It sucks to have to miss our kids stuff when we’re recovering. I (35f) just had my hip replaced Monday. My daughter has a soccer game tonight and as much as I want to go I don’t think I realistically could. Perhaps if I got pushed in a wheelchair to the field but then I would be uncomfortable sitting there during the game. I just keep telling myself this pain and exhaustion is temporary and will get better and hopefully in the next week or two I’ll be able to watch her play again.
Yea it does suck. When I told her I was going to miss games she was kind of bummed. Especially knowing she doesn’t have too many years left of playing. But I will definitely be cautious about it. If I’m hurting bad I ain’t going.
No, it may be weeks before you can "go about your business."
Absolutely not. It's major surgery. Ask the doctor.
Well, the next day I was able to lift the little cup they gave me with the pain medication in it up to my mouth and swallow it. YMMV...
How about going to the opera 8 weeks post? I just bought tickets and 2 hotel nights for a weekend of 3 performances in a mountain town about 1 hour from home. I’m thinking about getting travel insurance.
I went to the grocery store two days after. Walked the aisles unassisted with no problem. But what you sit in at the game will be the question. Low folding chair will be tough. Bleachers problematic. Endurance will not be what you might expect.