THR Diamond77 on the recovery side

[Diamond77]

Well, I made the it through. My doctor decided to use this wound vac thing that’s supposed to be on for 7 days. Don’t know why he did that as I haven’t talked to him yet. But this thing is going to be SUPER annoying. Anyone else have that? Aside from that pain is at a zero but I’m sure that will change in the next few days.

 

[Klassy]

Welcome to the happy side! Well done, it only gets better from here.

I’m no expert, but a quick search suggests some OS use a wound vac as standard procedure to reduce swelling and speed healing of the incision. Which would mean less discomfort, faster recovery, all good. Hopefully those benefits would outweigh the annoyance factor.

To be honest, a lot of things can be annoying in the first seven days after a hip replacement, but they all go away. Great news is, the OA pain has also gone.

The important decision to make at this stage is: what title for your recovery thread?

 

[Diamond77]

Thanks for the encouragement. I REALLY hope he put that on there for the reasons you listed and not because of some complication. My next worry is…..how does ANYONE sleep in a hospital? Its 2:00 am here and not a single wink. Noises abound, people coming in….makes me worried I won’t have any energy for physical therapy in a few hours. Anyway, I suppose you could call it Diamond’s Hip Recovery or something like that.

 

[Jaycey]

@Diamond77 Welcome to the other side. I started a recovery thread for you. If you would like a new thread title just give a shout.

how does ANYONE sleep in a hospital?

They don't! I always take earphones and listen to music in the hospital. It's just a very noisy place. Hopefully you will be going home soon.

Here are your recovery guidelines:

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
We are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for YOU.“ Your doctor(s), physiotherapist(s) and BoneSmart are here to help. But you have the final decision as to what approach you use.

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 this BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for THRs
6. Access these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Closure​

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 that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Diamond77

Glad you are all done.
It would have been nice if they had given you a heads up about the wound vac so you would have known to expect it.
Seems like there are increasingly more surgeons who are using wound vac systems post op.

They aren't just used for wound complications...
The dressing itself seals off the wound from the outside world, keeping bacteria away from your incision to reduce your chance of infection and whisks away any wound drainage.
The suction also helps to promote blood flow and healing factors to the incision site, speeding up wound healing and is helpful in promoting a smaller scar formation.
Sleep is likely to be an issue for a while under the best of conditions...and in a hospitalalmost impossible.

Hope you are not there too much longer.
All Temporary, so try not to worry.

 

[Sohowarrior]

Never heard of a wound vac until now, perhaps utilized more in the UK than in US? But I’m sure your surgeon had his/her reasons. Sleep in a hospital is elusive to be sure, especially since you are likely being disturbed for meds and vitals checks. I was only hospitalized overnight and opted to pay out of pocket for a private room, and as luck would have it, was at the end of a corridor so it was quiet. Can you tolerate noise cancelling headphones while trying to sleep? You are likely on your back so perhaps that is a workable solution?

 

[Layla]

Welcome to the healing side of the forum! With any luck, you’ll be able to sneak in a couple naps today after your sleepless night. I hope your first PT session went well and you received the reassurance you’re looking for on the wound vac.
Best wishes for a peaceful afternoon and evening! Stay in touch.
@Diamond77

 

[Diamond77]

Never heard of a wound vac until now, perhaps utilized more in the UK than in US?

I’m in the US. Nebraska. It’s the Prevena 125 that I’m hooked up to. It’s actually not too terrible. Turns out the seal was messed up last night. That’s why it was really loud and beeping. they replaced it with a new dressing and problem solved. If I were up and active constantly I’d probably really hate it. But considering I’m just lying around it won’t be too bad. I guess they also use it on new mothers who have had c-sections. So far so good pain wise but I’m waiting for it to kick in.

 

[Sohowarrior]

Wishing you a speedy recovery. I walked 3/4 mile today pain free. Hang in there!

 

[Elf1]

@Diamond77 welcome to the healing side! Happy they got the wound vac straightened out so it's not so annoying. Sleeping in the hospital is next to impossible! Hopefully you'll be getting spring soon so you can get some rest.

 

[Diamond77]

I did make it home and it felt SO GOOD to clean up and get in my own bed. And see my two boys. I am not in any pain so really hoping to get some sleep. I’m willing to bet that if I do sleep at all, I’ll wake up stiff as a board tomorrow!

 

[Klassy]

Hi @Diamond77 , great that you are home already. Remember how you were feeling a week or two ago? I hope that, whatever temporary discomforts you may have now or in the next few weeks, you feel a lot better now.

I was interested to hear about your wound vac, and glad to hear that it was quieter after adjustment. Did it come home with you? I find it ironic in light of your earlier question, quoted below. One more thing we can add to the list of post-op surprises!

I’m wondering if there were any surprises post-op that you weren’t prepared for in the hospital. Is there anything where you woke up from surgery and thought, whoa, I wasn’t expecting that?

 

[Diamond77]

Yes, the wound vac came home. It’s a little battery operated device, connected to a tube and sealed under the dressing. It makes a little noise every time it adjusts the pressure. Not bad at all. Lugging it every where I go is a hassle but I just throw it over the side of my walker and off we go. When the battery runs out it will deflate on the wound and then I’m supposed to put a big band-aid type thing on it.

Anyone struggle with post-anesthesia headache? My anesthesiologist said it could happen but I’m just about 48 hours post op and the headache is nuts. Lots of pounding and throbbing. Wondering if it’s something else or if it is anesthesia related, why two days later….

 

[Elf1]

@Diamond77 happy that you're home now. Even if you can't sleep well you at least rest better.

I'm thinking I had a bit of a headache for a few days after surgery. Can't say if it was anesthesia or the meds they had put me on even though I told the OS they don't work for my pain. I did get much better after I was home, able to rest and have the proper meds. I'm thinking its not uncommon to have a bit of headache after anesthesia.

 

[Mojo333]

I also had post-op headaches for about a week.

Make sure you are drinking enough, as dehydration can also cause headache and I found myself restricting my liquids at times to avoid the "long hall" to the bathroom.

Those forced short trips are good to stay mobile and the fluids help flush out lingering meds from anaesthesia.

A cup of coffee or tea with caffeine also helped me as it dilates blood vessels..

It gets better.
Hang in there... hope your day is sweet!

 

[InkedMarie]

I also had post-op headaches for about a week.

Make sure you are drinking enough, as dehydration can also cause headache and I found myself restricting my liquids at times to avoid the "long hall" to the bathroom.

Those forced short trips are good to stay mobile and the fluids help flush out lingering meds from anaesthesia.

A cup of coffee or tea with caffeine also helped me as it dilates blood vessels..

It gets better.
Hang in there... hope your day is sweet!

Every time I got up to use the restroom....I walked around the house; did the same thing in the hospital.

Marie

 

[Diamond77]

Good to know others have experienced this as well. My hip feels great but the headache….yikes. Would love to join my family out in the main room but am so much more comfortable lying down. I talked to the PA on call and she said to drink a Red Bull for caffeine. Ick.

 

[Zorro]

I did not have a post-anesthesia headache, but I did have post-anesthesia barfing, immediately post-op.

My biggest surprise was that on my first night in my bed, I could not easily position myself in the bed. Unbeknownst to me, we all use our hips to scoot around on the mattress. I finally managed to position myself in my bed, 1/32 of an inch by 1/32nd of an inch.

I too was surprised by how a.) noisy and b.) interruptive hospitals are. I was awakened every four hours for a breathing or CPAP treatment, even though it was NOT needed. Oh well....

Please continue to have a smooth recovery.

 

[Sohowarrior]

I did not experience the headache issue at all, sorry you are going through that, Personally, I’d skip caffeine because it’s going to affect your sleep. Have you tried any kind of mindful breathing, breath work, any of the restorative and meditation apps available like Calm? Or a lavender pillow over your forehead and eyes, in a quiet, soothing space (like your bedroom)? We have just been through a lot of physical and mental trauma, maybe try something a bit easing and restorative instead of something to make you jittery. Hope you had a good Easter at home.

 

[Mojo333]

Red Bull, not for me
I never drank coffee or tea to excess, but a little caffeine certainly helped my headache.
All temporary....hope it eases and doesn't return.