@Megsmum75 Welcome to BoneSmart. It is totally normal to feel anxious about having major surgery! Keep in mind that everyone involved in your surgery from surgeon, to anesthesiologist, to nurses, etc are professionals and they do these surgeries nearly every working day! They all have your best interests as their main goal. If you have never had surgery before or if you had a uncomfortable experience with surgery in the past, do tell the nurse when you first get to the hospital and they can give you something to calm the anxiety.
You should be able to manage OK at home though getting up those stairs the first time will be slow and probably a bit difficult. Will you have folks available to give you a helping hand? It looks like you live at the school where you teach so maybe another teacher or friend at the school?
Usually it is recommended that you allow 12 weeks before trying to return to work after a hip replacement. Healing from major surgery take a lot of energy and many people report feeling very fatigued for weeks. Plus pain medications .... which you will need for a while .... can cause you to feel mentally fuzzy. Every one is different in their joint replacement experience. You MIGHT be able to go back to your classroom but will probably need at least a cane or perhaps crutches and need to sit as much as you can. Do talk to the administrators of your school and to your surgeon about what you might need to return to your active work.
And, teacher, you will do some additional learning! Patience being a big lesson! Trying to do too much too soon can actually cause set backs and complications. HEAL FIRST is the mantra to hang on to.
Hip: pre-surgery considerations
If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic hip?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?
If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?
And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads in
stories of amazing hip recoveries
Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary.
2.
Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
3.
Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4.
PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5.
At week 4 and after you should follow this
Activity progression for THRs
6.
Access these pages on the website
Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications
Wound Care In Hospital
The Recovery articles:
Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
BIG TIP:
Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.
We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.