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THR And now the healing begins

Thanks for sharing the sentiment.
Only one month to go now. Wishing you comfort as you wait. I hope any pain is manageable. I remember good days, then bad days leading up to surgery. Hopefully you have some good ones too.
Have a nice holiday weekend!
@wander03
 
Happy Three Month Anniversary as you embark on the journey once again in four days.
We’ll be your loudest cheerleaders…that you can count on.
Hugs and best wishes for the weekend!
@wander03
 
@Layla Thank you! The support of BoneSmart and the staff has been of immense help during the last three months and before that after the complications with my knee replacement. I tell people who say they are going to have a joint replacement about the forum. I hope it will help others as it has helped me.
 
Thank YOU for your kind words in regard to the forum and also for sharing BoneSmart with others. It is much appreciated as are your contributions here. We’re happy to help where we’re able. :friends:
@wander03
 
I was very disappointed this afternoon when Tiffany called and said my check-in time on Monday is 10:30 AM, and my surgery is scheduled for 11:51 AM. She told me on Tuesday that I was Dr. Bradshaw’s second surgery of the day and my check-in time would be 7:30 or 8:00 AM. but that it would not be official until I was called today. I asked why my surgery time was changed. She said that a procedure came up that Dr. Bradshaw thought he needed to do before mine. I am obviously not happy about the change, but there is nothing I can do to change it.

The most difficult thing for me is not being able to drink water after midnight. I always have a bottle of water with me. I asked Tiffany how many hours before my surgery am I not supposed to eat or drink; that if midnight works when I was supposed to be there at 7:30 AM, how many hours before my surgery am I not supposed to drink anything? She said eight hours. So I need to abstain after 2:51AM or maybe 2:30 AM. When I check in early, there are less wakening hours for me to go without drinking liquids, so I guess I will have to stay up longer and go to sleep later. I know this is a small thing in the greater scheme of things, but it is a bummer for me. Who is happy about it? My daughter who doesn’t’t hard to get up as early as she had thought.

Oh well. Life goes on.
 
Hi @wander03
I understand your disappointment. We all want to “get it over with”, so waiting until noon with instructions to limit food and liquids for eight hours pre-op feels like a double whammy. Have you heard that some surgeon’s allow and even recommend fluids up until two hours pre-op? Normally water, Gatorade, black coffee. It doesn’t seem to be catching on quickly, but I’ve read it here more than once over the past year or so. I believe, Zoebichon, who is currently active on the forum was allowed to drink up until close to her scheduled surgery time. If I think of anyone else, I’ll share their name or thread so you can read for yourself. Interesting, huh?
I hope you have a relaxing weekend before your big day.
 
Here are a couple more mentioning instructions to drink Gatorade up until close to their scheduled surgery time. Obviously you need to follow your surgeon’s instructions, but you may find this interesting, as I do,
SpaceGirl - # 38 Thread
Jws. - # 233 Thread
Linda1 - # 11 Thread
MEPil - # 69 Thread and #157 Thread
 
I had not worked in a while, but I was called about working on a leasing project on June 11, so I have been working since then. Since I work in my home office, I can work whatever hours I choose. I have only worked a couple of 8-hour days; most are 6 hours or less. I am paid for actual time worked. When I sit for a considerable length of time, my left hip sometimes hurts a great deal. It is helpful that I can get up and take a break by sitting reclined in my lift chair. The stretching out helps some.

The man I work for on projects knew from the beginning of this project that I have surgery scheduled for Monday, so we arranged for me to take my work files to the office today and hand them over to the person who heads up the leasing. I prepared copious notes so she would be able to pick up where I left off. Then the boss man took us to lunch at a nice Chinese restaurant. We had an enjoyable visit, and he gave me a check for the work I’ve done the last couple of weeks. It is usually four or five weeks after statements are submitted before the client pays so we can be paid, but he pre-paid me so that I could get the money in the bank before my surgery. I think that was very thoughtful of him. He said that when I’m ready to come back to work to let him know; that I can either finish up the project I was working or start on another one if this one is basically finished. I told him I’ll probably be ready to go back to work two or three weeks after the surgery.

I am fortunate in that my experience is completely different from that of people who are pushed to go back to work whether or not they are ready to do so. However, my situation is different from that of many in that I am an independent contractor. I can work whatever hours I want, just so I get the work I am assigned done. I have known and worked with this man for decades, so that is a plus. It’s great to work with someone whose abilities I respect and who understands that one needs to recuperate from major surgery before returning to work. I think I live a charmed existence. Lucky me!
 
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@Layla Thanks for the information, which I am going to review. I suppose I need to follow my surgeon’s directions, but it would have been nice if he were one that allows water up to two hours before the scheduled surgery time. Not eating is not a problem for me. It’s just not being able to drink water. So, I am going to have to make not drinking water not be a problem for me. I have until the wee hours of Monday morning to make that mind shift. That‘s doable.
 
@wander03 , best wishes for a successful THR! I had mine on 2 June. I was allowed to take my usual morning medications with some water on the day of surgery (they said up to two hours before the operation was fine).

Alternatively, maybe prepare some ice chips and ask your anaesthetist whether you could suck on a few of those a couple of hours before surgery?
 
@Boofit Thank you for the best wishes and the suggestion. I don’t take any medications, so that was not discussed. I am to arrive at 10:30 am, and my surgery is scheduled for 11:51 am. I think that time seems strangely specific. Anyway, I will have already gone through 6 1/2 hours of the no liquids regimen by then. I have decided that I will put water in my mouth when my mouth becomes very dry and will then spit the water out. This is my third joint replacement surgery, and I have had difficulty with this requirement every time. When I was arriving at 7:30 am, it did not concern me as much. For some reason, the later schedule and being awake more hours without being able to drink water is a concern for me. I keep a bottle of water with me at all times, so I am used to being very hydrated. I’m just going to have to put on my big girl pants and get with the program. :) And quit complaining about it.
 
I just got a call from the hospital and I can drink water up to 4 hours before surgery and then can take my pills etc with plain water up to two hours before surgery. The nurse told me the anesthesiologist likes his patients to drink Gatorade 4hours and then some plain water two hours before surgery so that we are not dehydrated.
 
Hi Wander!

Yes, my OS encouraged clear liquids, including black coffee, up to 2 hours before my check in time. I had read some good things about pre-surgery clear drinks that claim patients will wake up from surgery feeling so much better than those that were NPO after midnight. I bought a 4 pack of those drinks and had 2 the night before and 2 the morning of and I did wake up feeling great. They were Ensure products.

I was told to expect a 5:30 AM check in time and I was so worried that I wouldn’t have enough time to empty my bowels before surgery! I even had a dream of pooping during surgery! Disgusting!

So I was surprised when the scheduler called and said my check in time was at noon. Plenty of time for drinking water, black coffee, Ensure pre-surgery drinks, and of course, pooping, all before my hibiclens shower!

I hope your OS let’s you have your water! Good luck!
 
@skigirl and @Zoebichon I certainly do like the procedures your surgeons use more than mine! My thought was that they don’t want the patient to urinate during surgery, hence the “nothing for eight hours.“ I will not be able to talk to a nurse before 8:00 Monday morning, but it seems to me that if their procedure allowed me to drink anything, the written instructions I have would have included that.

I certainly will be dehydrated! The one thing I remember about the recovery room was that my mouth felt cottony, it was so dry. And they would not let me have water to drink until I got to my room. While @Zoebichon enjoyed the extra time to drink water, black coffee, and more, I wanted a very early check in time because I am not allowed to have such a pleasant morning. Oh well. I will survive. Probably. :bawl:
 
i just re-read this thread from the beginning. I thought being reminded of the path to recovery would be beneficial as I set out on that path again, and I was correct. I feel even more prepared now. I now know that days four and five after surgery were my most challenging and painful last time. So if that happens this time, I won’t be surprised as I was before. Since I have the Lounge Doctor and think I will be able to get my legs on it from the beginning after this surgery, I am hopeful that will help to alleviate the swelling to some extent. I also know that icing for extended periods of time, or virtually all the time, is acceptable and recommended by the people on this forum who were so generous with helping me during my recovery.

I particularly want to thank Layla, CricketHip, Klassy, Mojo333, and Eman85 for their guidance, consistent encouragement, and acknowledgment of the challenges I faced in the beginning of my recovery. The advice and opinions you gave me were extremely useful and helped to keep me on track - and get me back on track when I strayed, particularly from maintaining control of my physical therapy. :)

So I am starting the journey again. Knowing what is along the way will probably make the journey smoother. Having the guidance I’ve had from members of this forum will continue to be of assistance. I thank you all.
 
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You have navigated #1 beautifully, I think, and even though beginning again with #2 must make you a bit anxious, your positive attitude and willingness to listen to your body certainly puts you ahead!
Sending healing hugs in advance @wander03 :friends:
 
Aww, such a lovely post, wander03, I’m happy that you’re feeling prepared this time around. Looking at the clock, I’m assuming you’re sleeping and in the process of receiving that shiny new hip that will allow you to get back to all you love in life, minus the pain.
Given your experience with a recent THR recovery and your cheerful, positive outlook, I have every confidence that you will do well. I look forward to following your progress and cheering for your accomplishments along the way. Sending a hug and best wishes for your comfort. Hope to get a :thumb: from you soon.
@wander03
 
Oh Wander, what a nice post to read when logging in, thank you.

I hope by now you are resting easily. :ice:
 
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