THR New here - planning for late June THR

@NextStep Can you ask your OS or PCP for a pharmaceutical to give you some relief? My OS gave me a prescription for meloxicam in the months before surgery; it helped get me through most days. My PCP prescribed tramadol for extra bad days. The dose made me somewhat drowsy so it helped a lot with sleeping and on very bad pain days a half dose gave some relief without too much drowsiness. At any pre op visits to either provider, I let each know what the other had prescribed so they were aware.
I was required by OS to stop the meloxicam and any other NSAIDs about 7 days before surgery; he wanted to nix the tramadol also but told me I could have it if absolutely necessary. It wasn't awfully difficult to do without for that last week because most of my prep work around the house was done and I didn't feel bad about resting up.
 
Lots of sympathy regarding chronic pain and lack of sleep leading up to hip replacement.:sad:

Nothing seemed to touch the pain once I got to the bone-on-bone stage...and I sure tried.

I was so happy to look forward to at least my surgery nap....being so desperate to sleep!
Hope the next few weeks fly by.
 
Thankfully your migraines are somewhat under control. I’m so sorry to read of what you dealt with, it sounds miserable and exhausting. I do recall the issue with sleep leading up to surgery, you often can’t get comfortable even feeling pain while lying still, definitely contemplating every move you want to make beforehand. I’ll lift a prayer for your comfort and strength to get through the next couple weeks until your date on the 28th, with no roadblocks. :prayer:
@NextStep
 
Well, an infusion of Reclast had been recommended, and I was able to get in for an appointment today. So my next medical appointment is actually the surgery day itself, two weeks from today!
 
Nine days and counting...spent time with friends today, one of whom recently had a THR after a hip fx. It was encouraging to see how well she's doing.
From this point forward, friends are encouraging me to limit how much I'm out and about so that I don't risk illness that would delay surgery. Part of me wants to go and do while I can, yet I can see the case for caution. To delay now would be tough!
 
Part of me wants to go and do while I can,
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you progress back to normal. Obviously it’s a process, that takes months to fully complete, but within a few weeks you can usually venture out comfortably for a meal or coffee with friends, which actually does a body good. I think we yearn to be part of the world again and short little trips out in those early weeks do help with the monotony early recovery can bring. I hope you’re ready for your big day. Not long now. :) A great end of the week to you!
@NextStep
 
@Layla thanks! My surgeon said he'd figure around three weeks, when I asked how long to plan for on returning to the office - that it could be a little earlier, or could be longer, but that's a good time to target at least initially. (I do have a fair bit of flexibility so can take a break when needed, or even split the day into two if I felt it necessary when I got to the office. I'm blessed!) I just know that the discretionary stuff might be limited, especially since driving will be limited for a bit.
Now, for my more immediate concern today. (Question is for anyone) I'm awaiting a call from the surgeon's nurse, and sure hope this thing isn't pushed off at all! A couple nights ago I made a misstep, and almost lost my balance, landing on my to-be-operated-upon leg, and reaching out to steady myself with my recently-operated-upon arm. Therein lies the challenge. It is aching a bit more, and while I think it's within fairly normal limits for a joint which had surgery around three months previously, I would hate to be told the morning of a scheduled hip replacement that they won't proceed. So -- I called the office to check in, thinking that if they need to confirm anything, it's better to do it prior to surgery day.
My guess is -- since the shoulder is a little more sore than the elbow, I may have slightly pulled a muscle or just tweaked something, and that it's within normal limits for three months out from radial head replacement and ligament repair, nothing too much to be concerned about. Right now I can still use the cane pretty much as I have -- which is with a fair bit of weight-bearing. My question here is: How much did you find yourself needing the walker or cane to actually bear weight through upper extremities, and how much of it was to steady yourself, making sure you didn't fall? How much (% or pounds) of your weight could you put on your new hip within that first week of surgery?
 
I actually use forearm crutches which are a little easier on your arms. I put very little weight on my arms---in fact I did not even use the crutches in the house most of the time..
 
My surgeon said he'd figure around three weeks, when I asked how long to plan for on returning to the office
To be honest, this sounds rather ambitious and you may not be feeling ready to return at this point. This is major surgery, as you know and many tire more easily for weeks to a few months post op. Often due to not sleeping well for lack of comfort. Also, our concentration isn’t always the best in the short term post op. I know mine certainly wasn’t. Lastly, often when people return to work, your co-workers assume that because your back that….YOU’RE BACK. Meaning, “hop to it“ per usual. We normally advise a Phased Return to Work at twelve weeks. You’ll find it better explained HERE

I’m sorry you tweaked your arm.
In most cases you can put full weight on your hip post op. Some rely and lean heavily on their walker, others not so much. I used mine for about 11-12 days then moved to a cane for a week or two at most. On the other hand, my 81 year old mother came home from her surgery site with a cane only after her hip replacement. She received a little lecture from a few of her grown children (me, being one) and begrudgingly used the walker for a few days more until she flat out refused, saying it slowed her down and got in her way! So as you see, we’re all different. A walker does steady you, and offers security if you’re feeling unsteady on your feet. Ice and rest your arm as much as you’re able before surgery next Tuesday. I think you’ll do fine. You don’t do a lot of walking the first few days post op anyway, aside from trips to the bathroom and kitchen to get a drink or snack, so you’ll still be able to rest your shoulder somewhat then.
 
Well, it looks like the time is coming...assuming all goes well with OT for a separate issue, I'll have a pre-op appointment for hip surgery early in June, and then the surgery June 28th on an outpatient basis. The outpatient bit blows my mind a little, but my surgeon is good, so I'll trust him to adjust that if necessary when time comes.

A few quick questions, since I'm six weeks from surgery date:
1) Are there things you wish you'd known ahead of time, that were not covered in Joint Class?
2) What sorts of things did you need the most help with in the days immediately following surgery, say within the first week? By the second week, were you able to do most basic ADL's on your own, even if they took longer than normal, or did you still need daily help?
3) They say I'll need a walker at first. Is there a certain type (wheels, no wheels, folding or not)? Is this something you'd borrow, rent or buy?
4) I do have a trip planned for just six weeks post surgery, and the surgeon expects to clear me for flying across the continent. I do wonder if a walker, cane or trek/walking poles would be advisable, even though I would likely accept wheelchair transport in the airport due to length of the trip. Thoughts?
Thanks in advance for any insight or observations based on your own experience!
First off congrats on this next step! It is such an amazing journey of recovery once the surgery is done and over with.

The first thing I think of from joint class that I wish I had been told about? That everyone will experience pain differently. I was really shocked and a bit confused when immediately out of surgery, the only pain I had was in the front of my thigh(Hamstring). Patients go into those surgeries with different anatomy and issues to begin with, so the recovery is different from patient to patient. I wish I had been warned of some of the possibilities of where I may feel pain.

The best thing I was told about, is the ice machines. GET ONE if you can afford it. I relied more on that for pain management than I did pain killers.

I required help to get in and out of bed for the first 5 days(I may have been able to do it on my own with a lot more pain and time). The leg strap that goes under your foot to swing your leg in and out of bed is a must if you are on your own or have limited help. The grabber and shower bench. I never used a walker and used crutches instead for about 7 days until i graduated down to 1 crutch and was aid free by 2 weeks(again everyone heals different! Don’t judge your own recovery to anyone else).

If you are going to travel, I would take a cane or crutch with you to visually ANNOUCE to people who don’t know you, that you are injured. This is a protection tool to make sure that people are more visually aware that you are injured or recovering from something, and give you more space and not bump into you.
 
I used a walking frame initially at night to help me get from bed to bathroom which I found really helpful, and I used crutches otherwise. I found that my hands got a bit sore using the crutches so I wrapped some foam around them which helped. The leg raiser proved invaluable, especially as I live on my own. I would really have struggled without it. You could also use a bathrobe cord for the same purpose. A long handled sponge is really helpful, as is the grabbers, and an aid to put in socks if you need to wear them. Good luck with your surgery, I hope you have a speedy recovery.
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,180
Messages
1,597,060
BoneSmarties
39,364
Latest member
All2Gd88
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom