Robert,
Recovery is going well!!! Probably better than I anticipated. All my fears which were probably a little on the paranoid side were gone the moment I was up and walking in the hospital. This was 3 hours after surgery!!! My pain was never more than maybe a 5 on a 1-10 scale. I know everyone is different but by comparison it was never worse than a “bad hip day” pre-op. Mostly just sore and stiff for the first week. Never really needed pain meds (Vicodin w/ acetaminophen) except for overnight. Also, walking around the house every hour or so really helps!
It’s certainly easy to over do it in the first two weeks, but you’ll definitely know it. You’ll start stiffening up and getting tired. I’ve been icing constantly (every couple hours and mainly just around pelvis) and my swelling never got too bad or went past my knee. I helped my wife cut the grass yesterday and it was tolerable as long as I stayed on flat areas and didn’t make any jarring movements.
After the first week there was a noticeable improvement in my strength and energy level each day. This was very encouraging! I suppose everyone is different and a lot of how you do in recovery probably depends on preoperative fitness, the surgeon and the approach (anterior or posterior). I’m in pretty decent shape, but am in no way a triathlete. Those folks probably do really well in recovery. I’m doing my physical therapy everyday, eating well, staying hydrated and feeling more like myself each day. Good luck, keep us posted and let me know if you have any more questions!
Will