"The risk about physio method of recovery"

I went through the total hip replacement surgery recently and I was discharged from the hospital four days later. 

I have received input from the Rehabilitation in the Home team physio. 

I want to share my concern but rather complain about the suggestions I have received from physio 7 days after I was discharged from hospital. I am aware the physio has provided those suggestions in a goodwill. 

They have encouraged me to throw out one of the crutches and to be more courageous to walk, to exercise and to do everything possible by myself.

As I have tried to walk with one crutches in front of the phsyio and go up and down the little stairs and exercise my left leg and prepare breakfast by myself in the kitchen in front of them. I have told physio I feel not confident yet and I feel dizzy and weak ( all my body was shaking). Then they advised me to rest and try again.

In general, physio advise me to walk and behave courageously, no matter how weak my body is and my hip - only one week after the surgery.

I am aware this is the way the rehabilitation of those modern days is provided but I am sure it would not be applied in the same way to everybody.

For me, it was not good as it was too early and there were consequences.

So, I have followed physio's instruction no matter what and a few days later, (it was my first check-in with Orthopaedic Specialist at Rockingham Hospital), I was walking with one crutch only and very courageously.

Everything was OK till the 1 hour after this appointment as I went to the Rockingham Medical Center to see my GP. I walked through the main entrance and then I turned myself left to reach the lift at the left-hand side. And that was it. My left hip has, I believe, been dislocated painfully and soft tissue was harmed as well, as I have turned my left leg to the left to get the lift.

I was not advised by physio during their home visit that I should be very careful with turning my left leg and keep it straight at all times. Instead of it, I believe I was deeply and enthusiastically encouraged by the physio to move and to exercise with no fear and push myself a bit and that this is safe to me. So, I have followed all those suggestions.

To make this story short, the consequences of this painful hip dislocation and harm soft tissue are that I could not move, walk and even sleep with my legs on a bed.

First night after this dislocation has happened, I slept with my legs on the floor as I could not even lift up my left leg even with some help of my spouse. It was too much pain.

Next morning I went to the Emergency Department at the Rockingham Hospital to be checked by the Doctor as soon as possible and to get an X-ray.

Fortunately overnight my left hip was back into place as I tried to make it happen with a small movement of my body and experience a huge pain. Soft tissue around my left hip was still harmed and it needed time to cure.

Since then I refused to go through the rehabilitation process with the physio (I have informed them to book me in for the next month) and I decided to rest at home, do what I feel to do, to cure my soft tissue and feel better.

After more than one week of that accident, I could walk with no pain again but with 2 crutches again. I gave myself and my left hip time to cure and prepare myself to be ready for the next step with physio.

As the summary, I want to say to all physios, please do not push your patient too quickly after hip replacement surgery to move, to exercise, to throw one crutch and to move courageously no matter what because we are not all made the same way, not every organism is the same. I feel it could be dangerous to apply the same instructions to everybody with a lack of proper focus on how really this particular patient is feeling about pushing themselves or what they are capable of at the moment.

Please consider carefully what I have shared with you here.

In fact, I do not blame that physio. I believe they were trained in that way and were acting in goodwill. 

Maybe it is worthy to make some important updates about how and in what manner you train your physiotherapists who are the first contact with the patient after the surgery who relies on them and their advice totally.