Does anyone out there these have these symptoms and concerns?

[Joydancer]

@Blessed1 - bilateral! Wish I was having bilateral! But the hospital/surgeon does not do them, so I'll have to have 2 separate surgeries.

Debra, I couldn't have done the bi-lateral with my upper spine issues (fusion & neuropathy post surg 20 yrs now) there is no way I could have had stability with upper body function arms shoulder strength to insure movement with walker or cane. I don't like the idea at all knowing how well I did with my first THR at 55yrs old - - 4-5days full weight-bearing, and not stress the other hip doing those vital exercises for the post-op hip. I think there is a very good assessment on the part of surgeons not doing them, higher risk of fall, balance issues, strain in post-op surgeries, long recovery and ambulatory window, etc. at least I know that would've been the case for me!

How much degen what phase is your other hip?

 

[DebraR]

Hi everyone. The closer my surgery gets, the more nervous I am. Very normal, as many of you have shared those feelings as well. I was reading the book "Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster" and the author suggested a way to help your ill body part, to lessen pain, and speed healing. She said to speak to the part, in my case, my hip and ask it what it wants or needs. As I am having this body part actually removed, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to what kind of conversation I could have with my hip that might help? Not sure if some of you might believe this is an odd question, but any responses would be welcomed!!!!

 

[djklaugh]

@DebraR Before my surgery I had a conversation with my hips I thanked them both for their years of dependable service and commiserated with their pain. I told them they were being replaced so they could now rest and go where ever old bones go. When I listened carefully I swear I heard sighs of relief and gratitude for the soon to happen rest. I also spoke to the muscles around the hips and let them know they were going to be in for a period of rehab that might not feel too good initially but that the aim was to get them back into proper working order. I asked for their cooperation and told them I'd do what ever I could to make sure they got the best possible treatment. Again I swear I heard sighs of relief and agreement to cooperate with the rehab. I must say in my opinion this kind of talking to body parts does help

Today I've been cleaning out closets .... lots of up and down to reach the closet floors and lots of stretching up to reach shelves. Hips are totally fine with all that - back's a bit achy though. Wish I had some pictures to show you of all the mundane stuff the hips and I do each day - squatting to feed or clean up after cats, bending and lifting, hands and knees stuff, etc. You know ordinary things that now are so wonderful cuz they don't hurt any more!

Yup totally normal to be nervous at this stage! Not too much longer to wait and then we will be cheering you on over on the recovery side

 

[copsham]

Hello @DebraR
I read the book and listened to the CD pre surgery. The conversation in my head that i had was similar to that of @djklaugh. It is a strange concept but I was prepared to believe anything - I was so scared!

Immediately after surgery I had a significant reaction to the drugs. I was boiling hot, vomiting etc I don't recall much of it but according to the notes I was demanding that the operation be reversed! A few hours later when my husband came in to the recovery room, he asked if I wanted to listen to the CD, having bought an oldfashioned CD player for the purpose. I did and it really helped. It is a lovely approach. I was grabbing (psychologically) at anything that i felt might support me and despite my severe hospital phobia I got through the process an achievement!

One of my post op thoughts is that prior to the op I knew I was limited in my daily life but did not realise by how much. One amazing thing to me is seeing my reflection in a window and seeing how straight and upright I am walking. Also post op I am beginning to plan for the future which I did not realise I had put on hold!

Another thought - I only needed one hip done but if you and your surgeon have decided on bilateral - go for it. Just prepare yourself in every possible way. I presume getting active will take a little longer BUT with meditation, relaxation tapes and lots of PATIENCE you will get through it.

I believe in the view of @Josephine that hips do not need a lot of excercise. So many post hip people on this forum have hindered their progress through too much exercise. So with your bilateral take it easy!

To me the waiting was the worst part The week before I just cut off emotionally, don't know how I did it, was was telling everyone i was fine, that it was not a problem etc. (was this really me)

I look forward to hearing your progress
Karen

 

[chalcedonian1]

@DebraR I just posted also that as my surgery date for THR draws closer (March 24th) I am feeling more nervous and that I seem to be already mourning the loss of my own hip joint/bone (!!???) It just seems weird to me that I will not have my own bone in my hip. I never thought I would be in this position and find myself weepy for what seems to be a pretty silly reason (at least intellectually I know it is silly, but emotionally I am not doing so well today about it!). I have had other surgeries, but none with an implant, and I need to get my head turned around so I become grateful for the opportunity to have the implant, rather than suffer pain and compensate for the sore hip (can't imagine how people must have suffered before hip surgery like this was available). But I agree that it is a struggle to remain positive. Nevertheless, the date marches inexorably towards me and I know I will do this. Look forward to reading more from you, we are in the same boat it seems. Good luck!

 

[DebraR]

@djklaugh - thank you for that! You have helped me immensely. That seems to be the best conversation that I could have with my hip!!! I have 19 more days to go before this surgery and the time seems to be going by so fast and then again, so slowly..... I think what I am worried about the most is the pain control and having a bad reaction - vomiting and feeling nauseous are not pleasant. Again, thanks for your wonderful post.

 

[DebraR]

@copsham - guess maybe you read a previous post of mine and thought that I am having bilateral. I am not, but do need to have the left one done at some point. That is so funny that you were demanding that they reverse your surgery!!! Good idea to bring an old CD player - I will have to find out where I could get one. Yes, I plan on following doctor's orders to the tee, and if I have any problems with the medications, I will call and get them adjusted right away. How long did your recovery take and how did it go? I see that its been a year for you already.

 

[DebraR]

@chalcedonian1 I know exactly how you feel! I am feeling the same way! How can I just be getting rid of a joint and replacing it with something artificial. But I have read so many positive results on this operation, that it is amazing. I too feel weepy some days, it is sometimes a struggle to stay positive. But I have always been so active and I find myself lamenting all that I have lost, so if I could lose a joint and gain so much back, then all is good. Will be watching for you on the post-op side.

 

[DebraR]

@Josephine I have been told to stop taking my naproxen 375mg (2 a day) 2 weeks before my surgery, so I'll need to stop them this Thursday. I am likely to have any side effects from stopping them - I have read about having night sweats and various other withdrawal symptoms - is this true?

 

[Josephine]

I'm curious where you have read this? I have never seen such a warning of any side effects on stopping it.

 

[Brog13]

Funnily enough I went to 'Hospital School' on Monday in preparation for my THR on Thursday, and I was on many more pain meds than everyone else. And it was mentioned at the school by the physio, that if you take a lot before the operation, it might affect how well the meds may ease the pain afterwards, as your body is so used to them. So I thought I should come off them for the few days beforehand. So from 20 tablets, today I have taken 4 - none of these pain related. I wouldn't have done it much sooner, or I wouldn't have been able to walk, I imagine. And I wouldn't recommend it for anyone, this was just for me. And I would certainly take something if the pain got too much for me.
To be honest, I am doing so little at the moment movement wise, that it is bearable. The worst pain is in my shoulders and arms, as I am waiting for two shoulder replacements also. Oh the joy of getting old! Better than the alternative anyway.
Can't comment on the night sweats. I am at that wonderful age where I have my very own Caribbean moments anyway.

 

[DebraR]

@Josephine - thanks for your response. Can't remember exactly where I read it, but probably not a reputable source. The pre-op doctor had told me to stop taking the naproxen 2 weeks before my surgery (I did not think to ask her about possible side effects) - that said, I am sure she would have mentioned it to me if there was a possibility for side effects. So I will just stop taking them on Thursday. Thanks again!

 

[Josephine]

Well, hope it goes okay. Let me know.

 

[DebraR]

Will let you know for sure. 2 weeks to go before my surgery!!! Yikes. Have noted and have not tagged you.

 

[DebraR]

Two weeks before my surgery and was instructed to stop my Naproxen. Stopped taking it yesterday. Understandable that I had much more pain than usual yesterday, but also had a lot of foot and calf cramps, so not sure if that was related to stopping the naproxen. In any case, I woke up this morning and I was feeling very apprehensive about my surgery, as I am feeling generally very unwell and not strong. I started to think about this and the fact that I am having major surgery in 14 days, and expressed these concerns to my husband. Now let me preface this and say that he is extremely supportive in every way, I couldn't ask for a more supportive husband. He does almost everything around the house and actually almosts waits on me hand and foot. That said, when I expressed my concerns to him this morning, he told me that I was "overplaying" this. I got angry and hurt and told him that I would have, at least, expected some level of understanding from him. Any time I say anything that to him sounds like I am being negative, he tries to "underplay" it and I end up feeling that my feelings are "negative" and that I should be more positive. In my mind, I believe it is entirely normal to have the feelings that I am having and I don't believe people's feelings are wrong or right - they are what they are.

 

[DebraR]

10 days before surgery! Am posting this from my iPad, could someone please reply as I just want to be sure that this is working properly from the iPad. Thanks!

 

[Jaycey]

@DebraR it's working! Not long now for you!

 

[DebraR]

Yay! Now I know that I can use this to communicate post-op. Thanks! A week and a half, I am nervous/excited........

 

[copsham]

Hi @DebraR
You sound like me - a husband who did absolutely everything for me and everything around the house. Then if I had strong feelings I felt bad towards him but I was human!

The emotions of the whole process are quite complicated, feeling vulnerable, out of control as well as all the physical things that happen. I got sick of hearing people tell me "you'll be fine" a million times a day. I found the general anaesthetic made me tearful as well so overall the emotional roller coaster was running rampant from a week before the op until about 6 weeks afterwards. of

It is interesting though, the support of Bonesmart really does help "see you through". The most amazing thing to me post op was being able to stand straight and feel tall as well as walking without pain or a limp. It really is worth it.

Look forward to hearing how you progress.

Karen

 

[craftdee]

Now @DebraR from the brilliant perspective of five months post op and not my hip or husband I can tell you I think you and he are BOTH right... to a degree

Some of us do (a bit) "think negative"... we don't feel that's what we're doing, but in the cold light of day and if it was someone else expressing the thoughts we'd probably say "you're overplaying it". I know I did! and my lovely, wonderful, supportive husband reached the point where he said "you're overplaying it" Did I think I was? No, of course not, I was just expressing my concerns, voicing my "what ifs"... I kept saying to him "if you were having this op you'd be saying the same things" to which he'd reply that he wouldn't; and you know what? he wouldn't! He and I are just made differently, we deal with things differently - his way isn't more correct, but neither is mine; they just "are", like you said.

I did feel in those last days pre op that he'd finally had enough of me, when I look back I was pretty intense; the surgery and recovery just filled my brain day and night.... I couldn't help it, I wish I could. We did have a heart to heart one night when he said it was exhausting him - to which I replied "well if it's exhausting YOU can you imagine what it's doing to ME?" As soon as I voiced it I realized that of course he couldn't, he doesn't "feel" things the same way, how could I forget that? He told me how very worried he was for me, watching me melt down was breaking his heart... which of course broke MY heart! I resolved to "try harder" - use a bit more positive self-talk, and you know what? it helped! It was a real effort, but it paid off.

I started feeling somehow more "grown up", less needy (probably the flip side of having a wonderful, supportive etc husband - I do "let him" take control of a lot of situations, especially if I feel overwhelmed) and more a part of a process that I had a say in, as opposed to something that was happening TO me. Of course I still had the heeby jeebies :rolleyes: I still voiced my concerns to hubby, I just "shared" the ones that he could offer some practical solution to (they're from Mars, they like to "solve" stuff ) rather than the more nebulous ones that have no real answer... I used BoneSmart for those, people who've been there done that are going to be more empathetic anyway to those shadowy concerns :cool:

I've said so many times that the time pre op is by FAR the hardest. I think it's the hardest time I've had in my life, and I've had some doozies I'll be honest, I was a mess right up to putting the anesthetic into the IV, I just wanted the juice in so I could stop thinking!! I felt better within minutes of waking up than I had for weeks... just because the wheel had, while not stopped exactly, certainly slowed waaaay down. I felt good, and so POSITIVE!! After a few hours they said right, we're going to get you up on two crutches, and I was "bring it on"... all the "how will I cope when they tell me I have to get up on two crutches only hours after surgery" feelings were nowhere to be seen... all that angst for NOTHING, sigh. Wish I'd known... still, in my heart I DID know, it's just so hard to see through that pre-op stress haze.

All I can echo is that thought, not long now and all this pre-op tension will be behind you. You'll be a proacative participant in "your" recovery - and you'll be so proud of yourself

Donna