THR Apprehension prior to surgery?

Titanium hipste

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I have T minus 3 days before surgery. My apprehension is increasing. My mind wanders; am I doing the right thing( I am ) should I cancel (I'm not). I assume this is normal. I picked a fine day to stop drinking coffee. Lol.
 
@Titanium hipste We were all in this space pre-op. Even those of us who had a second THR.

Keep busy. Keep posting here - it does help ease the nerves. And yes, you are doing the right thing. I predict you will come back post op and say "why didn't I do this earlier".

Did your OS tell you to stop drinking coffee? Do be careful and ease off it gradually if you are a big consumer. Cold turkey stopping all coffee can cause withdrawal symptoms (headache, groggy feeling, agitation). Been there, done that!
 
Oh, yes! Right up until I walked (hobbled, lol) into pre-op. At that point, a kind of calm came over me. That was BEFORE any drugs. Although, later they helped even more. Lol. Pre-op keeps you plenty busy getting you ready. You’ll have never been so popular. The trick is staying that kind of busy between now and then. You sound like you’ve got this (you do!) but also you just sound human. It’s all part of the investment for a great return. Sending you blessings for calm and a great uneventful surgery ahead of time. We’ll be looking forward to seeing you on the healing, recovery side.
 
I usually start my days 5:30-6:30 a.m everyday so I start coffee through the morning till 12 or so. By then I have downed 2 pots of black coffee. So I am trying to cut back to at least 1 pot or less. I have stopped cold turkey several times. Never really experienced any withdrawals as such. I just like coffee. I'm just pre-op antsy right now.
 
I think I'm getting on my wife's nerves, Bless her heart, she's trying to get the house ready and make sure I have good recovery. I am in her debt immensely. I am trying my best not to be cranky. Just nerves.
 
I'm just pre-op antsy right now.

I think that’s normal. A little nervous energy. We’ve all been there. I’m sure your wife understands your apprehension, after all she knows you best. The most beneficial thing you can do is stay busy, keep yourself distracted. Unfortunately you’ll have to find out this out yourself, but after surgery you’ll agree that all of the worrying and ruminating you did before surgery was so unnecessary.

I have something to help occupy your mind. Consider reading through the Recovery Guidelines while you’re still clear headed. If you read through and have any questions, let us know. Wishing you comfort as you’re waiting.

Here ya go....

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
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
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website

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 the at each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
You won't have to quit coffee they'll serve you a cup with you're breakfast the first day of your recovery. Good luck with your surgery I just had mine nearly two weeks ago and the whole process was a breeze.
 
You won't have to quit coffee they'll serve you a cup with you're breakfast the first day of your recovery. Good luck with your surgery I just had mine nearly two weeks ago and the whole process was a breeze.
I'll be going home at the end of the day after surgery. I'll have a cup at home and a toast to you on your recovery. Glad to read it was a breeze.
 
It is amazing after surgery, how soon it is when you can have a light meal and coffee, if that's your thing. You are like my husband, he loves his coffee and uses a huge mug.
The next few days will go be fast. At least mine did and I hope that is the case for you, too.
 
Apprehension is normal, I asked the admitting nurse if I could leave as my hip wasn't hurting too bad. She said she didn't care one way or the other. Once you get admitted and go through pre-op next thing you know it's all over and the next phase begins.
 
I was apprehensive but after waiting 6m for my surgery date I knew I would not cancel. I could not deal with the pain for one day more. As nervous as I felt I wanted it done or maybe I just wanted the anesthesia so I could finally get some sleep. I am sure your wife understands your crankiness and just wants you to be back to normal again. Have a peaceful night. Just a few more days and you will be all done and recovering.
 
Leejaa raises an excellent point about wanting the anaesthesia just to get some sleep... my problem with that is, you don't know you're asleep until they force you to wake up and talk to them :heehee:

Go mow the grass! If that hurts, water the flowers. Anything to get outside in that feel-good fresh air. Or go set up a Netflix or Amazon watch list. Oh! I know! A friend just reminded me that today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day-- bake a batch of cookies!!
 
Titanium hipste,

Yes the surgery is much less painful than you imagine it will be pre op. You've found a great place for help with your anxiety and to find out what to expect going into the surgery and the best way to recover.
 
I usually start my days 5:30-6:30 a.m everyday so I start coffee through the morning till 12 or so. By then I have downed 2 pots of black coffee. So I am trying to cut back to at least 1 pot or less. I have stopped cold turkey several times. Never really experienced any withdrawals as such. I just like coffee. I'm just pre-op antsy right now.
Love this! One of my concerns pre-op was getting a caffeine withdrawal headache by the end of the day. I was puzzled as to why I never got a headache but then realized that the total of 2 grams IV acetaminophen on board likely prevented that.
 
Hey there :wave:
Tomorrow is your big day. It’s finally here and it will quickly be gone.
Take a deep breath, you can do this! Super excited to see you on the recovery side when you’re feeling up to it. You’re going to love the result of this great surgery! :)
@Titanium hipste
 

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