anxious 12 more days till my surgery

[Jamie]

If you go to rehab, you should not need anyone to stay with you overnight when you go home. In fact, many people go directly home from the hospital and do just fine. The rehab will give you confidence and strength, so it's a good idea. You won't be allowed to leave the hospital until you can pass a few "tests" like go to the bathroom, walk, get in and out of bed and negotiate stairs. You'll be amazed at how well you do!

Driving is another matter. Most doctors tell you to wait 6 weeks to drive. Not everyone does that and some drive sooner. But you must be off prescription pain meds to drive, so that and your ability to make emergency stops will be the factors to determine when you're ready to drive.

If you have specific questions about your surgery, I suggest that you start a thread of your own so that we don't end up derailing Healthgal's thread.

 

[Poppet]

@healthgal46 - I found out that no amount of planning my surgery timeframe worked. I didn't dream that I would have a very successful surgery, only to end up in ICU for the next five days and one day in HDU and still to this day three years post my surgeon and anesthetist do not know what happened - Just goes to show all surgeries are different

 

[Me2]

I was one of the goofy ones! I took the prescribed Hep-a-something shower at 4 a.m., at hospital at 5, nested in room at 6, to OR at 7, surgery at 7:30, out of surgery 9:30ish, to room at 11:00. Dressed, contacts in and make up on by 11:15.

I have to say I was not groggy for either surgery. First surgery, I had a drug called Ketorolac that gave me a faint high by no groggy. I still am amazed at how alert and , I was immediately after surgery. Maybe it wasn't just a faint high Second surgery, I asked for and got only Tylenol (no high); and they would only give me 500 mg. I did get nauseated first day for second surgery and fever but otherwise just fine. Much less pain than before surgery even with no drugs.

I'm an every day shower person, too. And make up and hair done everyday by 6 a.m. I bargained with my doctor that I would stay for the 2-3 days he wanted if I could shower; otherwise I was out if there. I got shower first surgery--not til day after, but considering I had shower just before leaving for hospital, I did feel very clean immediately after and rest of day. Second surgery, I was okay with sponge shower/bath. But, I did use plenty of water and soap -- they may as well have let me shower! I didn't have staples, just the steri-strips, and they changed the bandage each day anyway. They allowed me to do my own though offered to help. Actually, I was surprised how much privacy in bathroom they gave me -- I was not so certain how to maneuver but I was on my own. I didn't have any shower restrictions at home, just no bath or submerging the wound til completely healed. It was okay to get wet, and the nurses actually encouraged taking bandage off and carefully washing area and patting dry. Now, I quite agree that if a

hot male nurse aide

had come along I might have needed some help with the shower .


On the weight issue: after losing 30 pounds in the three months before first surgery, I was worried about gaining it back. But, I determined not to worry. I upped my calories by 250-300 with mostly more proteins and fruits like prunes, spinach, oranges, and bananas. I still lost another 10 pounds the first 8 weeks after surgery. I kept eating the extra calories as I was okay with not losing anymore weight though I am really happy to say I lost another 10 pound before second surgery. Now, over 11 months after surgery and 14 months after starting, I lost a total of 60 pounds ---- this healing business has been great for my new weight fanaticism!

You are doing okay @healthgal46 !! How many sleeps now?

 

[healthgal46]

hi Sheryl what do you mean sleeps? i am going for surgery next Monday. haven't lost sleep yet. as for showering definitely shower before surgery and have to have a sponge bath in bathroom and hubby can help but what i want to know is how the hell do i wash my hair i wash my hair 2 times a day. just one of those nutty peeps. am going to attempt to put some makeup on before visitors that is if i get any. lol! oh yeah as long as i am not stupid groggy.

 

[Poppet]

@healthgal46 - I suspect honey that you will be too groggy to even think about makeup or being able to wash your hair twice a day - time will tell. However, if it helps with your pre op jitters to plan, then plan

Not long now...

 

[healthgal46]

yeah i know poppet sounds silly huh? i may be too groggy i guess you can say i am a set diva in some sort of way, i only look like death at home. i mean lol! i have to put makeup on just to go to gym. and than i get there and i am like an you put makeup on because. i don't sweat a lot unless doing cardio but i kill myself laughing really. at least i don't put tons of makeup and have to have my hair perfect like some i see to get men's attention. i am just wanting to look decent and as for the bathing and hair washing twice i if i have to will beg them to let me wash up. i doubt they will let me shower that day of surgery but even if i get in the br and sponge bath while hubby by my side i will be a happy camper. just wondering how i will wash my hair. hmmmm

 

[copsham]

Hairwashing was difficult i for me mmediately post op! Couldn't shower, tried to bend over bath with shower attachment keeping 90 degrees but head was too woozy for that. I eventually settled for "dry shampoo" which tided me over for a few days.

We are all very different I enjoyed sleeping at first, then felt too busy with the practicalities of eating, toileting, washing, medication, in between sleeping. If some one is on their own post op I think it is really important to get meds organised so that they are not taken too often or not enough.

It is certainly a complex time but the progress can be amazing. X

 

[Aussie Jill]

Healthgal,your post resembles my thoughts as I am 12 days out. I'm gonna take in a hockey game Saturday with my anesthesiologist . Maybe if I buy him a beer , he will keep me at peace.

Good plan Paydro!

 

[FiFi]

Hi @healthgal46 im from Australia I have been reading your thread I haven't heard of coming out next day I have been told I have to be in for 5 days I wonder if it's country or OS you haven't got long to wait now I will keep checking In it will sort its self out I hope I'm feeling a bit like you I don't even go in till April 14 so nerves getting a bit stressed oh we'll I'll keep in touch Fiona xxx

 

[webbie73]

Hi @healthgal46 im from Australia I have been reading your thread I haven't heard of coming out next day I have been told I have to be in for 5 days I wonder if it's country or OS you haven't got long to wait now I will keep checking In it will sort its self out I hope I'm feeling a bit like you I don't even go in till April 14 so nerves getting a bit stressed oh we'll I'll keep in touch Fiona xxx

Fifi! I don't know if is a difference in countries or OS. I had surgery on a Tuesday and was discharged on Friday. This will be the same schedule for my left hip. I don't know of anyone who has been discharged the next day, not even direct anterior approach people. My neighbor had direct anterior approach and still had a hospital stay.

 

[zauberflöte]

I am one of those who was discharged the next day! At joint class, which was all for the same OS, us hips were told "usually one or two nights". Mine was the first surgery in the morning, and evidently I was stable by the next morning.
The routine for patients going home (as opposed to rehab) included several in-home visits by a nurse and by a PT. So in theory I would be seen by medical personnel every day.
Early discharge is a way for the insurance company to save some $$, as well-- and it may even be those companies, "managed care", driving this.
I had a hysterectomy at age 37 in 1989. I got five days in the hospital. Nowadays I believe a one night stay is routine-- I cannot imagine!! All I can say is, going home the next day from a THR at age 61 was 50 times easier than going home five days after (traditional style) hysterectomy at age 37!
And of course Medicare is a whole nother set of guidelines, but I don't know what they are.


My phone sent this using BoneSmart Forum, clever phone!

 

[healthgal46]

@healthgal46 - I found out that no amount of planning my surgery timeframe worked. I didn't dream that I would have a very successful surgery, only to end up in ICU for the next five days and one day in HDU and still to this day three years post my surgeon and anesthetist do not know what happened - Just goes to show all surgeries are different

hi poppet, what happened that you were in the icu unit and the other one for five days after surgery.

 

[craftdee]

Well you know Fiona @FiFi that I had three different schedules as far as hospital stay went; at the pre op appointment I was told 4 or 5 days, at admission the form read 5 to 8 days (THAT wasn't going to happen) and in fact I stayed 3 days... I think it depends on how you fare, of course your OS will have some say in it, but I have the sneaking suspicion it's not much The hospital basically "had the bed put aside for me" for the 5 to 8 days (allowing longer for Posterior approach than Anterior), said there's no rush... until I said I think I'd like to go home tomorrow, then it was "here's your hat, what's your hurry!! They even asked if I really needed a shower before going home... after I was already nak-it in the bathroom. Guess they found another taker for the bed It was a Monday too, so a lot of scheduled surgery and appointments would have been taking place that hadn't over the weekend (it was pretty quiet while I was in, which was good)