I have a date!!!...with my new hero!!!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nana2-8

senior
Joined
Apr 24, 2016
Messages
420
Age
77
Location
Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
Gender
Female
Met today for the first time with my new hero - OS!!! We settled on an agreed upon date - July 28th! It seems a little silly to be so excited...but I am! So far...he's great! Very likeable and kind. He also assured me that if we were there to talk about my right hip.....I'd be outside golfing! AND...he's going to do the 'superior' (Super-path) method. He's done this method for over 5 years and has done over 200 of them. He was pleased to tell me I'm the perfect candidate (whatever that means). ~ If I could kick up my heels and dance the Irish jig, I would! ~ ~ Picked up my two-wheel walker, and since I am 5'10", yes, got a raised toilet seat. AND....got the Parking Permit form to use Handicap Parking spaces (just while I need it....can't wait to give it up!) ~ I'm a happy camper today.......thanks to all the reading I have done here.....and the pals I have made along this journey. You're the best!
 
Congrats!!! It is totally cool to be excited!! Not long now [emoji176][emoji3]


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Well done on getting your op date! Now you can start collecting all your tools for recovery.
 
OH my heck, somehow I missed your thread! Congrats on your surgery date! Do you have your "Lady Lair" all ready to go? I found getting everything ready for the big day to be very therapeutic and it took my mind off of the anxiety that goes hand in hand with the pre-op period. xo
 
I'm working on it, CC, working on it! Since I have my 'little rays of sunshine' visit me regularly, I can't exactly attach the toilet riser until just before....(I can just imagine the big eyes on those two if they ran to our powder room only to find they 'can't reach'!) I have my walker (red), my cane (Royal blue....to match a fancy-shmancy dress I'll be wearing to a wedding the Saturday before surgery). I think I have my 'going-to and coming-home' outfit planned but may change my mind due to weather. Thinking maybe a t-shirt dress (easy, peasy) ~ I'm putting together things into a small bag to take to hospital....chap stick, phone charger, packaged crackers, note pad and pen, ear-plugs (maybe?....don't want to miss a thing!!!) a can or two of my favorite soda. What have I forgotten? ~ ~ As to my Lady Lair...@Cynthia777 .....HELP! I think that since you're cruzin' along so beautifully, you ought to escape your heat and plan a visit to beautiful Wisconsin the last week in July....and come and help me! Again.....since I will be in the family room, on the sofa, I can't set up too much until just before D-Day! xxoo
 
I'm going to make a little list of what I considered my "must haves" post-op and I'll post it here on your thread in the next day or two. Did you happen to see the photo I posted of the deep pocket apron I attached to my walker? It was the best purchase I made (bought it on etsy).

Boy I wish I lived nearby you...I would LOVE to help you post-op! We would have quite the time! :)
 
Now keep in mind I had the anterior approach, so I didn't have any restrictions post-op.
My must haves (other than the usual recovery items, such as grabber etc.)...
1. Apron with three deep pockets (I tied it to the front of my walker and slung it over my shoulder when I moved to a cane).
2. A small thermos to carry my drinks in (it fit nicely in one of the pockets along with my coffee cup).
3. Three pairs of reading glasses located at each of my recovery areas (bedroom, family room and outside (or a chain to keep the glasses with you wherever you go).
4. Notepad and pen next to all sitting/sleeping areas.
5. Small chalk board that I used to write down when I took my meds
6. Assurance extra large disposable wash cloths (purchased online at Walmart).
7. Four week pill box.
8. Magnesium (400 Mg's twice a day) that I used to avoid constipation.
9. Trash bag next to all sitting areas.

I'm sure I'll remember more items later, so I'll post them when I do.
 
@Cynthia777 ~ Thank you so much, Cynthia! I've been collecting and gathering my "supplies," but you've given me some great ideas for a few more things I'd most likely realize I needed once I got home! So great to have it all ready for as easy a transition as possible!
 
@Nana2-8 & @DizzyBlond - my hip replacement surgery was 5 weeks ago and I had the posterior method.

Below are some of the recovery items I have found helpful along my journey. Some of these were particularly helpful due to the angle restrictions of the posterior approach.

1. Grabber sticks- 1 for general use and a second one to retrieve stick #1 when it gets dropped. These have been really helpful reaching/retrieving things.

2. Raised toilet seat with bars to hold when sitting and standing.

3. Shower bench

4. Ice packs/ice gel packs - I found one on Amazon that wraps around waist, sitting on hip area, and is secured with Velcro. Icing really works wonders.

5. Leg lifter to help get leg in bed at night. Only used this at the beginning, but was nice to have when leg felt its weakest and heaviest. It has a loop you put foot in to gently pull it in the direction you need.

6. Stool softeners/prunes/figs/high fiber cereal/popcorn/chia seeds/apples to help promote bowel function.

7. Sock aid to put on socks. Easy to use and helpful to have. Usually part of assembly called "hip kit" found online.

8. Hand sanitizer- easier than hand washing at times.

9. Putting frequently used items at waist level (easy to reach) in bedroom and kitchen.

10. Notebook and pen to record/track medication and light snacks and ginger ale to avoid taking medicine on empty stomach.

11. Bedside potty- while I only needed a few times, it was good to have as option early on during middle of night or in morning when bladder is screaming "gotta go right NOW" and restoration leg is saying, "I'm trying- I'm working on moving and getting you up- give me a minute."

12. Pillows and wedge cushions to elevate seating in chairs.

Hope that helps a bit ...
 
Wow @Cynthia777 and @Sommers16 !!!! See.....this is what I LOVE about it here.....all this sharing! Great ideas from you both.....thank you, thank you. I drink Pepsi Max all day, every day....in a Styrofoam cup with a lid and filled with ice. I have a cobbler apron with three deep pockets. I figure I will set up a 12-pack near the sofa, and when I am up to the potty, I will fill the cup with ice and head back to the sofa. Thus, will have a trash bag nearby for the empty can! So all I'll be carrying is the cup of ice! Also nearby will be my crackers to take with meds - and since I'm a sweet nut, I'll have packaged cookies too - plus dried prunes and fig newtons. Guess I could pull out the carafe for water (for the pills) and have a chart ready to keep track of meds also (it's easy to forget....or hard to remember when ones brain is a bit foggy) ~ I already asked my OS if I could take a Colace the night before surgery to 'get a head start' and he thought that would be acceptable. I intend to have my ice packs ready to go and keep them rotating. Yup....the many pair of cheater glasses can be rounded up and put in useful places. Once DH runs to the office, I intend to leave the front door unlocked....in case anyone shows up....so I don't have to get up!
When I had my mom recuperating with me years ago, I gave her the sweetest brass bell to ring for me whenever she needed me. I inherited it and thought I'd use it last year.......only to have DH sleep right thru it. Now I just know - positively - that if CC were anywhere within a mile.......she would hear it and come running (well.....gliding) to see what was needed......with a smile on her face....and a quick wink!
If I think of anything else (like having a mirror nearby - UGH) I'll keep adding here! xxoo
 
@Cynthia777 - More great ideas! Thanks so much, my hippie friend! :) I'd been thinking about the advantages of comfy, long stretchy dresses and bought a few online, thinking they'd be a better option for recovery than yoga pants - hadn't even considered the added benefit of more air circulation to the incision! I already take 400 Magnesium for its other benefits - it'll be so easy to just up the dose for the possibility of "plumbing issues!" (I've already got reading glasses in every single room of the house - :)) You are SO sweet - so appreciative of every single prayer!!! <3

@Sommers16 - I can't explain how much it helps to hear from the voice of experience! Thank you!!! Your kindness in listing the things that helped you will be added to my list of things to put together! In fact, I'm going to take a look at the ice pack on Amazon as soon as I'm finished here!

@Nana2-8 - It's getting real, isn't it!? How are you feeling as surgery gets closer and closer?

A few questions I'd love everyone's input on (and I'm sure there'll be plenty more in the coming few weeks!) -
* Pillows!
Please share the specifics of how many you needed and how you used them. I saw a picture of stacked pillows on someone's thread here - apparently leg elevation is going to important, correct? (For how long?) Someone on BS even suggested a foam leg elevator device she found online - I checked it out, but I just don't know that I want to spend $130 on something that I'll be using for what I'd assume is a short time. @Sommers16, you mentioned wedge cushions. Can you tell me how you used them? I'm reading that I'd better be ready for a few weeks of sleeping on my back, and people have mentioned having a pillow between the legs while doing do. Any sort or sice of pillow?
What about pillows for the car? What did you use? I looked at hip replacement needs on Amazon and found a big square foam pillow (quite thick) - would something like that be helpful? I'm concerned about the ride home, as my husband's car (mine as well, for that matter) has low seats. (Hips will almost be lower than knees.) How propped up should I be?

My apologies for jumping on here, @Nana2-8! :flwrysmile: (I wonder if this is the time when I'm supposed to start a new thread? :eyebrows:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,180
Messages
1,597,058
BoneSmarties
39,364
Latest member
All2Gd88
Recent bookmarks
0

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom