r/TotalHipReplacement

Originally posted in my mom support group but it was removed for not being related to parenting, even though this has everything to do with our ability to parent. I just need to talk to someone please….

I feel rage. I feel disappointment. I feel frustration. I feel immensely sad. I feel empathetic. Jesus fuck I feel so many things right now. I just want to scream and sob.

He’s 36, we have two kids (7 and 4), and he’s taken so little care of himself that his hip joints are rotting in his body. For years I’ve asked him to cut down on the beer. For years I’ve begged him to quit smoking. To address his skin issues so he can get off prednisone.

Now it’s all coming back to bite him us in the ass, and I am so. fucking. angry. I want to slap him upside the head and scream I TOLD YOU SO!

FIVE years he has had debilitating hip pain. FIVE. FUCKING. YEARS. And he’s let it go and let it go and let it go.

SEVEN FUCKING YEARS he’s been on prednisone, despite every doctor he’s ever talked to about it being like OMG WE HAVE TO GET YOU OFF THAT. It provides small, temporary relief for his skin condition so he just stays on it because he’s so overwhelmed by the process of finding a new medication, injection, treatment, whatever.

36 years old and he can’t keep up with our kids. And now he body is literally falling apart. He’s going to need one hip replacement, three months off, then another one six months to a year down the line with another three months off. Time we literally cannot afford.

I want to rage. I want to shake him. But he needs support. He’s terrified. He’s disappointed in himself. He’s angry at himself. He needs to know that we’re in this together, even though it’s hard, even when it gets harder. Help me sort out my feelings so that I can do that. Tell me it’s going to be okay even when it’s hard.

I’m so grateful it’s his hips and he didn’t drop dead from a stroke. Fuck.

I’m curious, when did you ditch the shower seat and toilet seat riser if you ever had one? I know that everyone’s recovery is different, but I feel like I’m using the toilet seat riser as a crutch at this point lol.

Also, my mind is blown thinking that one day in the next couple of weeks, I’ll be allowed to ditch my walker (I’m a 6 weeks pure walker girl) and just walk?! Like, how does one do that 😅

Edited to add that I have been instructed by my surgeon to only use the walker for 6 weeks. I was told not to use a cane or crutches so I have been sticking to his instructions.

I'm on day 5 post-op thr and I'm wondering if anyone else experienced an aching bone pain that comes in waves, starting at the hip/groin and traveling down the thigh and into the knee? It comes and goes but boy is it a zinger when it happens.

Also, I'm getting a sharp groin pain with movement at times. Is that normal? I'm so scared of messing something up even though I have no restrictions.

I feel like I shouldn't still be in so much pain but I am. I was given Norco 10/325 and 750mg methocarbamol as needed. I've been on low dose opiates for chronic pain for years so I'm not naive to pain. I guess I just thought I would be further along than I feel right now.

Everybody says a knee replacement is a much harder recovery. (If so I’m never having it done).

But if that’s true; how so?

It would seem to me it would be much easier to isolate the knee joint either for rest or rehabilitation.

You can’t put a brace on your hip to protect it while you recover. You don’t have to sit or try and sleep on your knee. Way easier to cover it up to shower. And it would seem far fewer muscle and nerves to carve through to get at it.

Anyway, if anyone here is unfortunate enough to have both procedures done, what is your take on relative difficulty during recovery

I suffered with my primary total hip replacement for 19 months before it was revised. I retained the parts. What I saw was both rotational and rocking wear on the liner. Surgical notes said there was a significant amount green-black fluid between the cup and the metal liner. From what Dr. Google says and my surgeon, and my PA, the only way for the liner to disassociate from the shell is through a traumatic event, or the liner never have been seated correctly during surgery.

I found a Stryker document that in my mind acknowledges that there is a issue with proper seating of the liner https://www.stryker.com/content/dam/stryker/no-index/training-and-education/jr45/season-3/march/resources/MDM_Surgical_protocol_JR_GSNPS_SURGP_1003536_EN_US.pdf page 14 in text under the caution in the box.

So Sryker in my mind has said this is a know problem, look out. So is Styker at fault for creating a joint that is difficult to install correctly in surgery, or is it surgical error and was my doctor just being careless in surgery?

At the end of the day I had a failed hip due to metallosis, I lost my job because of my ongoing pain and from what I now realize was cobalt poisoning. I am amazed at how fast post op the symptoms of the constant headaches, nausea, itching, changes in vision, ability to speak, ability to think have improved. One of my friends was telling me about the Iron Man 2 and Palladium Poisoning

While Metal Man (2008) ignores metal toxicity, Iron Man 2 (2010) centers its plot around palladium poisoning.  

My friend said my face looked like the Iron man character's makeup - he was surprised at how accurately the movie created the look of metal poisoning - which he saw in my face.

Thoughts - again I know I obsessing, but I think most people would want to know why a really bad thing happened to them. Thank you for your kindness

Just looking for some good vibes and any quick advice! I can't wait to start getting better! Thx

Hi everyone. Im kinda freaking out and need your perspective on things to adjust my mental state on my situation.

I had a total right hip arthroplasty about 4 days ago. I'd been putting it off for 11 years cause the doctors always told me to.. the joint was basically destroyed by the time I got to the OR, so I'm aware that may have complicated things going in.

Overall I feel like I'm progressing by having a little less pain each day but I've been struggling to find honest accounts of what recovery actually looks like, because everything online feels weirdly cheerful.

A few things that are on my mind:

>Leg length discrepancy:** I have this strong feeling that one leg is longer than the other now. Is this something others experienced? Did it turn out to be real or just a sensation that went away as muscles settled? And if it was real, what happened next? More surgery? Physio to compensate? A shoe insert and that's it?

>The first month specifically:**How was yours? How much medication were you on and for how long? When did you ditch the walker or crutches? Was there a day it suddenly felt different, or was it so gradual you barely noticed?

>What actually helped?** Not what the pamphlet/doctors/youtube says what genuinely made a difference for you. A specific type of support, a habit, something someone told you, anything.

Given that my joint was in rough shape for over a decade before surgery, I'd especially love to hear from people who also went in with significant pre-existing damage to make a fair comparison but obviously would love any helpful input.

Thanks in advance*

I’ve tried twice the first time I went off of the walker to the cane, which was five days after I could not lay in the bed without my leg aching

Then again last night on the 16th day, I tried it once again. Again I only lasted five minutes or so before my leg started hurting.

I realize by talking to others that this is common, but at what point will my leg feel better where I could actually lay in bed and not in a recliner to sleep?

My mom 54 fell and broke her hip. She needs surgery. She already lives with me and I am at a total loss for what comes next. How much time realistically will I need to take off work to help her, how much and how soon can she do stuff like going to the bathroom on her own? Will the hospital provide a walker or do we need to buy one. I'm posting this at like 11pm and we see the surgeon in the morning.

I am getting both hips replaced on the 22nd. Bilateral Osteonecrosis. I'm getting it done two hours away where my girlfriend lives. Basically I can stay there indefinitely to a reasonable extent. I don't want to move in and I have my own house to maintain. I'm just wondering if I can drive there, rehab till I need to come home and drive home or get picked up and dropped off at home in case I can't drive home and be stuck leaving my vehicle there.

Would I be safe to drive after a week realistically? I know they say 3 to 4 weeks but I hear about people driving the next day but with both being done I'm sure recovery is going to be a little more intense.

I've been sitting in my house since January and slowly losing my mind and keep coming up with questions so I apologize for my blabbering. I am smoking weed for pain lol.

Anybody do combat sports?

Severe arthritis. No cartilage left and I’ve taken all the pain I can take so THR it is.

I’m a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, want to get my black belt, and teach in retirement. I’m 62.

I’ve had my mind set on dual mobility. My doctor says dislocation with single large ball is very rare and recommends it to avoid potential problems with an extra part.

I’ve found that dislocation with dual is much less likely than traditional, but I can’t figure out if traditional means small or large single ball?

A little help if there are grapplers here?

Iv needed and put off a hip replacement for about 9 years since I was first told I would need it; took a hard fall in service and tore my labrum in the left hip.. since then the pain has gotten much worse, the right hip is also now a candidate for replacement from over compensating and Iv been relying on long term narcotic pain management for coming in 4 years. I’m 29… half the surgeons didn’t want to even do it because of my age the 4 others have wanted to do it upon consult. I keep getting consults expecting better answers but I feel fairly confident with the surgeon Iv found now. I feel silly writing this thinking about how bad it is and has been and I still am think of canceling and pushing of a while longer. I climb trees and am an arborist and am so worried about being able to provide for my young children if I can’t do this any more. Any words of encouragement are appreciated. Any reasons to postpone would be appreciated, and I don’t know what to do but I’m having a very hard time not canceling and limping for another Decade god willing.

I'm 25 and i feel like i'm one of the youngest here ahahahah

I am having THR on May 20. A friend offered to lend me her 2-wheeled walker but I hadn't thought about the logistics of carrying a plate of food from the kitchen to the dining room, or even preparing a meal in the kitchen using a 2-wheeled walker. Seems impossible. Has anyone started out after surgery using a 3-footed cane instead of a walker? I have a pre-op assessment mtg. this Wed. and want to raise this option. I think I would end up walking around the walker to get mundane tasks done at home alone but for sure don't want to have a stumble or fall. I am very independent and do not want someone staying with me more than one day. Also I have a basement (5 steps, landing, 12 more steps) and think I would need the cane plus hand railing to navigate those, safer than a walker.

I need help. I had a Right THR December 3, 2025. I noticed skin sloughing from my genital area and groin 3 days after the surgery. I had a rash from the right glute down to the back of my knee. The rash was noticed a little over a week after surgery. I awoke many times with the bed and my clothes soaked in my sweat for about three weeks after surgery. From my surgery date to Christmas I was doing well in physical therapy. Three weeks to the day of my surgery I came down with a severe case of strep throat. From then on, I’ve had a low-grade fever, swelling in my thigh around the incision area so bad that the incision is now an indentation in my skin. I also have a hand size discoloration of skin on the right side of my incision. The discoloration is usual red but sometimes it turns bluish/purplish. My thigh is very sensitive to touch. Sometimes it is warmer than the rest of my body. I am in pain every day. I can’t sleep on my right side. Sometimes I wake with my right thigh throbbing. I now use a cane to get around and a walker whenever I have to walk long distances. I had to stop physical therapy. I’ve been to my surgeon and he’s ruled out blood clots with three ultrasounds, and three MRIs. My blood work has been all over the place. At one point my WBC was 11. My surgeon has also told me over and over again that he feels like this will resolve itself overtime. I’ve been taking Percocet for the past two months and now my surgeon has decided that I need to take over-the-counter medication and get a full body bone scan. I have good range of motion in my hip but it feels like I’m lifting a dead weight when I pick my right leg up. I’ve gone to get a second opinion and they said to go to Infectious Diseases. They wanted me to get my hip aspirated. My surgeon decided to do a hip aspiration to check for infection at my last appointment. No fluid was collected. So infection has not been ruled out completely yet. Infectious diseases doctor wants me to do pain management, get a third orthopedic opinion, and try physical therapy. My physical therapist and my primary care physician want the surgeon to find out what is wrong with me. I’m at my wits end. I was a normal healthy person with hip pain before this surgery. Now I’m disabled and struggling at my job, financially, and at life in general. I’m just wondering if anyone out there has had any of these symptoms and if they did then what was the answer. 😢

Hi all. I am writing this as a concerned girlfriend who does not know what steps to take next, so any feedback is appreciated.

My boyfriend had his right hip replaced 19 days ago. He had hip dysplasia and bad arthritis, so he did a full hip replacement. He did not get a nerve block and has been in pain the moment he became conscious after surgery. He is in his early 30’s, very healthy (we watch macros, calories, processed foods, etc.), physically active (gym 5 days a week, triathlons, backpacking, etc.), and has a high pain tolerance. He does not have a history of knee injury or pain prior to his surgery.

He has been seeing PT 2/3 times a week and they have been doing typical exercises and said he is doing well, but also that this knee pain is not normal. They said the activity he is doing is great and he is doing a good job of moving while listening to his body to know his limits. The therapist did soft tissue manipulation and it seemed to relieve it slightly in one area, but soon after he has still been having immense pain from the knee down on the outside part of his calf. He has been using the ice therapy machine on his hip that cycles every 30 minutes while he is down (most of the time because of the pain) and also keeps ice packing his knee and leg at the same time. His knee and leg down are not swollen. He originally was taking Percocet and ibuprofen for the pain, but after calling back about the pain, he is also taking gabapentin and muscle relaxers.

However, nothing is touching the knee and leg pain. He has not been able to sleep because of it, despite sleeping aids. The doctor at the follow up said the more muscle that is there that they pull to the side, the harder the recovery; however, this pain after this long does not seem normal and I am lost at this point. We have called the doctor and left another message asking for them to look at it to see if there is something they can do to alleviate this pain.

Does anyone out there have a similar experience or any ideas on what it is? If it is normal? I understand they have to pull the muscles to the side, so the muscles are angry in that area, but by now I would assume they would return to normal. I feel so helpless because he has been in so much pain and starting to get really depressed. If anyone can provide any insight, suggestions, or share their story on this it would be greatly appreciated.

my surgery was scheduled for may 26, but a couple of days ago they asked if i would be okay with moving it up to the 12th. that's four days from now. the last few days have been a whirlwind of pre-op appointments (many of them on the phone, thank god) and blood draws.

i haven't had a lot of time to prepare, but i do have a list of things i'll need afterward. most of it i ordered last night. here's what's on the list so far:

* folding walker and skis for it

* rigid folding bag that straps to front of walker

* tray that straps to top of walker to act as a table

* "hip replacement kit" with a grabber, a sock thing, an almost comically long shoehorn, a dressing stick, a loofah on a long wooden handle, a telescoping scratcher, and a leg lifter

* two more grabbers just in case

* raised toilet seat that's on a frame with legs on either side of the toilet. it also has a bucket if you need a bedside commode (which i probably won't, but multitaskers are good on general principle)

* two large freezer ice packs designed to strap on your hip (20 minutes on, 20 off means each one has 40 minutes to get cold again)

what am i missing?

what do i need to know that the surgeon's office might not have mentioned?

they said i might have to stay overnight - how likely is it? they said once i demonstrate that i can walk and climb stairs, i can leave. i'm planning to pack a bag and my travel cpap, then leave it in the car until we know if i'm starting over.

how can i help my husband help me and support him in it?

thank you in advance for any advice. i'm a little freaked out. i hadn't started planning for after surgery yet and suddenly it's almost here.

I'm supposed to have hip replacement surgery in 4 days, and my doctor didn't bother indicating In His Clinical Notes that I was off of nicotine Vapes, so now they're holding a Peer to peer because Insurance denied, and I have not had a nicotine Vape in over 4 weeks... hopefully the peer-to-peer can be done by Monday but my doctor's office is pretty incompetent. Jeez!

Should I be worried that I have to postpone the surgery?

What to do - what to do..?