The First Two Weeks
What the first fourteen days really feel like
Safety first
Most recoveries go smoothly, but knowing the warning signs early is the kindest thing you can do for yourself.
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1
Protect yourself from falls
Clear loose rugs, wires and clutter, wear non-slip footwear, and move slowly when standing, especially if pain medication makes you dizzy. Light a path to the bathroom for night trips.
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2
Don’t live in fear of dislocation
A modern hip will not pop out from normal, careful movement. Stay sensible, follow your precautions, but don’t move through your day terrified.
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3
Signs of a possible blood clot
New or severe swelling, pain, redness or warmth in your calf or lower leg, especially one-sided, that doesn’t settle when you elevate. Tell your team straight away.
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4
Signs a clot may have reached the lungs
Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough that feels wrong. This is an emergency. Call emergency services immediately, do not wait.
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5
Signs of wound infection
The wound turning red, hot, swollen, leaking or draining, plus fever or feeling unwell. Infection near a new joint is serious and needs to be seen quickly.
Your precautions
Precautions are real, but they’re not the same for everyone. They depend on your surgical approach. Confirm yours with your team.
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1
Use your walking aid, your way
Walker or crutches, whatever feels right. After surgery one I used two crutches for a week. After surgery two I barely used anything. Lean on it as long as you need.
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2
Don’t bend your hip past 90°
Often a rule in the early weeks. No folding forward deeply or sitting on very low seats. A raised toilet seat and a firm higher chair help.
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3
Don’t cross your legs
Not at the knees or ankles, often for six to eight weeks. Clear low tables and footstools that tempt it.
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4
Don’t twist on the operated leg
Turn your whole body rather than rotating at the hip when you change direction.
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5
Sleep on your back early on
I slept on my back for three weeks. Around week three I tried lying on my side with a pillow between my legs. The moment it hurt, I went back to my back.
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6
Showers yes, baths no
A shower is usually fine once your team clears it. Skip baths. Climbing in and out is too much in these early weeks.
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7
Wait to drive until cleared
Never drive on strong pain medication. For me it was around week three after my second surgery, week five after my first.
Your body
Healing is mostly invisible in these weeks. That doesn’t mean nothing is happening.
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1
Expect swelling, let it lead you
Your leg will be swollen and heavy. With my first surgery, all I did was rest and take tiny walks. That was the right call. Don’t fight it.
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2
Ice the area
Apply ice regularly through the day, with a cloth between the ice and your skin, around 20 minutes at a time. It helps more than people expect.
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3
Elevate the leg the right way
Get the leg above heart level when you can. If lying flat, raise it higher than your head.
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4
Healing is invisible
It feels like you’re doing almost nothing, but inside, cells are rebuilding. An enormous process is happening that your eyes cannot see.
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5
Eat well, even when appetite drops
Lean into protein, iron-rich foods, fruit and veg, fibre and water. Soups are golden. They nourish, hydrate, and go down easily on hard days.
The exercises
No strict numbers, no fixed schedule. A couple-of-second squeeze, released, repeated when you remember. A short walk every hour or two. Always check anything new with your team.
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1
Ankle pumps, from day one
Point your foot up and down slowly, then circle the ankle. The one I wouldn’t skip. It keeps blood moving in your lower leg.
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2
Muscle squeezes
Tighten the muscle, hold for a couple of seconds, release. No counting, no pressure.
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3
Towel squeezes under the knee
Roll a towel under your knee and gently press down. A simple way to activate the leg when lifting still feels like too much.
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4
Leg lifts, only to what you can
Lift only to whatever level you can. The effort counts, not the height.
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5
Walking little and often
Every hour or two, get up and walk a bit. Around 10–15 minutes at a time in week one was plenty for me.
Your mind
The slow, invisible mental game, the part nobody warns you about.
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1
Stillness is not failure
You’re used to doing and producing, and now you’re lying still. That feeling is normal.
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2
Count progress in weeks, not days
Up close it moves at turtle speed. Looking back, it’s faster than you think. Days will lie to you, weeks will tell the truth.
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3
Don’t let a bad day undo you
Recovery is not a straight line. Dips are part of the path, not a step backwards.
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4
Listen to yourself over the noise
Opinions, protocols and comparison will tempt you. The most important voice in the first two weeks is your own body.