THR Ariel back on his feet (almost)

Ariel

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Went into surgery five hours ago and am back on the ward, all went well. Anaesthesia was spinal but I opted for minimal sedation so I was awake for the procedure, this was interesting rather than disturbing and I would recommend it. I was talking to the anesthesia team for much of the operation and this helped to pass time rather than sleeping. I was hoping they would get me on my feet today as fI was first in this morning but I am told I will not be stood up until tomorrow, this means an unpleasant night of weeing into a bottle.
 
Glad all went well & that you can now start your recovery @Ariel
It will be good when they get up & you can test that new shiny hip.


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Welcome to Recovery.
Following you'll find the Recovery Guidelines. I hope you're resting comfortably and have a peaceful night.
Congrats on your new hip!

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
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. @Ariel
 
Congrats and wishing you a speedy, uneventful recovery!
 
Well I am not using a bottle as I could not go due to after effects of the anesthesia so the fitted a catheter and a nice staff nurse gave me oral morphine for the pain. I should be able to sleep as I have been awake for 18 hours but am too hyped up to let go. Thank you for the replies.


K
 
The first couple of days are pretty unpredictable, in terms of adjusting to pain, pain meds, sleep, etc. I hope you are able to get a bit of sleep so you are rested as you move into the next few days! Isn't it crazy how one can be so tired and so medicated, and yet be unable to relax enough to actually sleep!?!? Best of luck to you as you begin your recovery:)
 
Brave one for opting to "be there" when you got this hip replaced.
:scaredycat:
I didn't want to participate in the least.:nah:
Hope all "goes" well today and that you will soon be on your way home.
 
Thanks, it may sound bizarre but it was ok, the minimum amount of sedation took the edge off my instinct to panic and I could follow what was happening by the sounds of saws/augers etc, the sound and shudder my body took when the joint was dislocated was particularly striking. If I had to have it done again I would opt for this approach. Still waiting to see PT but they assure me that they will be with me soon. The morphine seems to be working but we will see once i try to get out of bed.
 
Disappointing physio session, operated leg feels glued to the foor and only managed a few steps despite having morphènup to my eyeballs the hospital no longer has an ice machine so my friend has gone to buy ice at a supermarket to see if that brings any relief.
 
Log Leg - your brain is telling your leg to move but the muscles and
soft tissue has been so traumatized that there's no reaction.
Don't be disappointed, think temporary.
I hope you find relief soon through icing. Wishing you comfort.
@Ariel
 
ahh yes that log leg... very disconcerting but only last a few days until the muscles start working again... any leash you can put round your leg dressing gown belt) or leg lifter will help...

The first PT is really an exercise in standing up on that new hip...
This will all soon fade... keep up the meds & icing if you can... the hospital I was in doesn’t advocate it either!!!


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Thanks Layla that is exactly what is happening I hope that this ice pack and Morphine help enough to let me exercise the leg. I had exactly the same with my right hip in 2011 and the same treatment had me from immobile to skipping up the ward within a couple of hoùrs
 
Find a sympathetic physio as my hospital did not do ice either but the physio had it and helped me. Bless him! Log leg is a real nuisance but it does go.. Just regard all this as temporary, it gets a lot better by day 3/4 usually :)
 
Hospital lost thier ice machine as it was deemed unsafe fortunately Sainsbury's seĺl ice for £1 for 2Kg. I can l now manage a few steps on a walking frame and hope to try crutches tomorrow, I will admit that I was feeling a little despondent earlier. Good night all, these short lines have taken the bext part of an hour to type due to the drugs.
 
Last edited:
Hope you rest well , friend

Thanks, it may sound bizarre but it was ok, the minimum amount of sedation took the edge off my instinct to panic and I could follow what was happening by the sounds of saws/augers etc, the sound and shudder my body took when the joint was dislocated was particularly striking.
:thud:
 
Curious if you asked them to be alert enough to be awake/not in pain during the surgery or if they asked you? I don't recall ever being given the option. And now I am disappointed that I didn't ask for copies of photos, a video, an X-ray from my procedure----might do that at might 1 year follow up in August. I'm not sure I would have opted to be alert---in general, I like to be out....not with a general, but a spinal with lots of sedation. Once, long ago, though, I had a regional on a ganglion cyst on my hand and was awake/alert in the procedure---it actually was pretty interesting. At that point they didn't give me an option NOT to be awake. Procedures and protocols continually change----we are so lucky to have so many options, aren't we!

Others have advised on the log leg---so I won't. But as disconcerting as it is, I prefer it to the horrid burning I felt the first time I tried to walk--about 3 hours after surgery. I did do it with a walker, and made a huge lap around the floor I was on in the surgery center. But I was really jolted by the searing pain I felt initially ---had assumed the spinal would last a bit longer. It ended up being fine----in retrospect, as most things are. But at the time, I nearly cried! Good luck to you as you start your recovery!:flwrysmile:
 
I initiated the conversation with the anaesthetist and he agreed to put in a small dose and it was reviewed by us both during g the procedure. At one point I did find myself drifting off and forced myself awake by talking to one of the nurses. If I had to do it again I would opt for zero sedation
 
Home now but utterly exhausted to the extent I twice lost control of my bladder yesterday, this is far beyond being tired although I do feel a little more human now than last night. The problem was my stay in hospital just drained me, this is not a reflection on any of the medical, nursing or auxiliary staff who were absolutely wonderful and professional at all times but the system and my fellow patients conspired against a comfortable stay. I was in an all male six bed bay, Two of the other patients were long term users of the orthopaedic system (one was ongoing from a RTA, the other I never spoke to, or wished to engage in conversation) these gentlemen knew the system and demanded preferential treatment. Buzzers were constantly being pushed for trivial reasons, both could walk using crutches but refused to and both would try to engage staff in conversation whenever they were present on the ward no matter how busy they were. Two of the other gents were suffering from dementia to a greater or lesser degree, the worst ( and therefore the least blameworthy) did not know where he was, needed spoon feeding and was doubly incontinent. The other one (who I presume had some form of dementia) had plenty of visitors but was constantly demanding attention off the staff for an endless stream of trivial reasons, if they laid him down he would drag himself into a chair, if he was sat down he would crawl into bed. As a result he was anally incontinent at least three times as he cried "Wolf" so many times he was just ignored The other patient was ok, first hip op, did what he was told and let the professionals get on with their jobs, I wish him well.
Hospital staff have a duty of care to us, this goes without saying but as patients we also have a duty of care to them and our fellows on the ward.
 

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