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THR Bionic Woman has a shiny new hip!!

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BionicWoman2 well I think there was a little TMI there about the vise grips!! I wish to be asleep before they transfer me to the table, thankyouverymuch LOL
I am glad you are doing well-- have you walked much yet? And that table you have over your lap-- is that the hospital's, or yours? it looks very cool and useful! :)
 
zauberflöte said:
BionicWoman2 well I think there was a little TMI there about the vise grips!! I wish to be asleep before they transfer me to the table, thankyouverymuch LOL
I am glad you are doing well-- have you walked much yet? And that table you have over your lap-- is that the hospital's, or yours? it looks very cool and useful! :)
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LOL, sorry for TMI. Trust me, you don't want to be asleep before they transfer you to the table, it is easier if you can help them get you there. It was scary, but at no time did I experience any pain - and they were very good and gentle with me. I have been walking a lot - with walker and crutches, since day 1 of surgery. if I had general, I would not have been able to. I bought the table at a discount store, it is called a "Laptop Tray". It has legs and the surface can be raised to 3 different positions. It was under $20 cdn. and is definitely useful, as I didn't want to place my hot laptop on my leg after surgery. When is your surgery?
 
BionicWoman2 That is wonderful news that you are doing so well. I hope my pain after surgery will be minimal, I can only hope. If not, I know I'll get through it.
 
BionicWoman2 My surgery's May 21. Now I see why one should be awake for that table transfer, makes perfect sense, so long as I am loopy enough LOL
I have to find out if my hospital has wifi/allows computers! The tray is on my list :) thank you!
Just found out that I will have some kind of block, but I had a substitute nurse and she didn't know spinal or epidural, plus "they will put you out like a light" LOL. Comforting.
Hope walking is going well and you have access to ice when you want! :)
 
I have purchased several cold compresses - and rotate them through the freezer so I always have ice that won't get my incision wet. Spinal is like an epidural - same name would be block. Definitely recommend. I'm the worst when it comes to fearing being awake - but it doesn't feel like that. I appreciated not being in pain the first 12 hours following surgery. Day 2 sucked. I'm really good now. Just taking tylenol for pain during the day, cause i hate feeling loopy.
 
Items I have found useful. Laptop table. Reacher. Crutches. Cold compresses. Napsack - to carry stuff from one place to another. Strap to tie around foot to lift onto bed or foot rest. Long handled shoe-horn - haven't used it since surgery - but it was great before hand. I'll start using when i leave the house the first time. Raised toilet seat - sucks but works. Body pillow - helpful in elevating leg above heart to help swelling go down. I'm struggling with extensive swelling. One item I purchased was long-handled sponge - cost $10 - waste of money - useless.

Suggest wearing clothes with pockets to carry loose items. Biggest frustration is walking to another place in house to find I have to go back for something. That could be my short-term memory as well. :yahoo:
 
BionicWoman2 Those are some great tips. I have a walker w/basket & air horn, cane, plenty of cold compresses, raised toilet seat, bath chair, long shoe horn and a sock puller upper. Bought some new pants that is a little bigger in size w/pockets (something other than jeans). I will make sure that I won't buy the sponge, somewhere I saw you could buy a long handled razor I think I will skip that too (just won't wear shorts for a couple of months....lol)
 
I can't imagine caring how hairy my legs are to the point where I'd want a long-handled razor. Maybe you can get someone to shave your legs for you? I didn't get the sock aid - because I have family to put my socks on if needed lol.
 
The sock thingy I have used now for about 2 months just because its hard for me to reach down the right side to put on a sock or even tie a shoe. That is about to change soon!!!!! YIPPEE
 
Curious - what do you do with the air horn? Is that how you call for assistance?
 
Exactly but it was more of a joke by a co-worker that put the walker together
 
I had a hard time putting on shoes - so I tied them, dropped them to the floor and used the long-handled shoe horn to step into them. Worked like a charm.
 
BionicWoman2 good reports, WOW that you're only taking tylenol!!! Thanks for the list of useful stuff, too. I have even less short term memory than you-- I will be in big trouble, I can see! I will have no restrictions except taking the leg back behind my body-- will I still want a reacher?
 
@BionicWoman2 I'm also impressed with you only taking tylenol so soon after surgery. Keep in mind as you become more active, those muscles will come back on line with a vengeance and you may need something more at least to help at night. I found if I was very active some days, at night time my IT band would ache by bedtime and I would take Tramadol to help with the pain. That didn't make me too loopy. Sounds like you are having a great recovery, you deserve it after your surgery was postponed and you had to suffer longer.

@zauberflote I found the key to remembering when on pain relievers is lots of lists! I have a notebook I organize things in. Especially to keep track of when I took my meds. Not perfect, but it helped me a lot. You are going to be the best prepared hippy out there with all the support and knowledge you are gaining in your pre-surgery studies.
 
designergirl Susan-- I've been making meds lists since my first child was an infant with a fever-- easier to look it up in the wee hours with a screaming baby in your arms than try to rememember what/when/who!! Mamarey will be even more prepared than me-- she's been here since February! :)
 
You two are veteran hippies (not your age) even before your new hips are installed! Good for you, knowledge is power. I was in a class at the hospital a month before surgery to tell me what to expect. Nothing to learn there, I knew even more because of this blessed forum. So many people at that class had no idea what they were in for.
 
I bought some gel ice thingies, but the hospital sent me home with two of them -- really large ones -- and a cover to put them in. One was on my leg and one in the freezer for quite a while. I didn't need a grabber or a long handled anything since there were no restrictions with the anterior replacement. The pants with pockets is a great idea. A bucket of some sort is also a good idea, especially if you don't have a basket which I didn't. I had trouble carrying my cup of tea while still on the walker and a bucket would catch any spills and the handle could be held along with the walker -- if you use a walker when you get home, that is. I think it would work with crutches as well.

I love the air horn. It would be really handy in a crowded store or sidewalk!
 
designergirl well, Mamarey is not, but I am an actual ex-wannabe-hippy. I tried, i reaaly did, but I remember the 60's LOL My boyfriend went to Woodstock and didn't even TELL me:skep:
Cookie42 I think I'll keep beverages in empty water bottles...put them in my apron pocket or my cross-body carryall bag... much safer with cats around anyway LOL
please don't anybody let off an air horn unless you warn me-- i will die of cardiac arrest right then and there!!:yikes: LOL
 
I had the anterior approach, but still have bending restrictions and no driving for 6 weeks. I also cant reach accross my midsection or cross my legs or ankles. Part of my exercise routine is to swing my leg behind me. I guess each surgeon is different. I find that when i don't use the reacher, that I overextend the stretch - so not bad for me.
 
Just wanted to pop in and say congrats on your surgery and welcome to the other side. Sounds like your recovery is going well! I remember how much pain you were in before and then the cold you caught. So glad you are on your way upward!
 
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