Going Commando & 'Ahem' ?'s

[Elosarabrab]

Kayviun I had to laugh at your sock putter on-er tale. Lots of us have furry friends without getting any infection problems. Taking obvious precautions you will be fine. The closed back slippers is probably meaning mule type ones are more likely to come off or loose and cause a trip hazard.I found having two grabber/reachers worked best. A shoulder bag to put useful things in such as medication,grabber drinks bottle etc came in handy when going from kitchen to lounge.

 

[djklaugh]

Don't worry about your animals! Just be diligent about washing hands before doing anything to the incision! Dogtors and purramedics are absolutely wonderful for your recovery! My 2 cats kept me company through out both of my recovery periods .... don't think I would have done nearly as well without them. Do,however, think about their needs re feeding and toileting - do you have help at home who can take over those chores for awhile? I fed my cats on the end of my dining room table until my hip precautions were lifted so I would not have to bend over to feed them - grabbers are wonderful for many things but they don't work very well putting down water dishes and food plates. And my housemate, bless his heart, took over litter box duty until I was able to do that myself.

 

[Kayviun]

newhip47 Just wanted to touch on your post about the after-surgery nausea. I'll be having the general anesthesia. In other surgeries I've had, I've never woken up with nausea but I also had very good doctors who filled me full of anti-nausea meds before hand so that may have made the difference. After my last surgery, my doc even sent home a full prescription of anti-nausea meds that I was instructed to take daily at regular intervals while recooperating and still on pain meds for a time. I have a completely different doc this time so not sure what his protocol is. Maybe I should mention this when I go in for surgery? Every one has that 'one' thing they can barely tolerate. Unfortunately being sick on my stomach is my 'one' thing. Thank you for the advice.

VThereandnow I hadn't given much thought to the catheter but yes that something to think about. Might not be such a bad thing if I'm not required to walk to the loo right off anyway. My doctor didn't even mention a spinal, just said he used general. I'm happy with that. I hear most people have much success with the spinal but I had a bad experience with it years ago and have become 'spinal' shy as a result. I'll be having the posterior version of surgery. Thank you for your input and sharing. I wish you all the best on your revision!

Hoppy Nanny Just read one of your posts above about the wing back chair. I can't remember if I mentioned but I also found a wing back chair to use. It seems to be perfect for my needs though won't know definitely until the time comes to use it. I actually use it now and really like it but of course I'm not under any restrictions now. Oh my goodness on your crutch/helping hand slip! I'm sure by the time this is over I'll have many such adventures to share. I'm not always the most coordinated soul as it is. This should be an interesting next few weeks. I am thinking of getting an extra 'hand' to leave in another part of the house. I'm sure to forget it at some point and have to make the extra trip to fetch it. I am so very sorry to hear your Harriet is not feeling well. When my grandchildren are sick, I'm not sure who feels worse...them or me! It's so sad to see their normally cheery selves so miserable. I do hope she is feeling much better by now. I also am keeping my fingers crossed that you don't get it as well! Can't wait to see your Christmas trees! I'm thinking I may not put one up this year. I may put out a few Christmas-y what-nots and let that suffice for this year. Thank you for the advice and encouragement. Have a great day!

Kay

 

[Kayviun]

Elosarabrab thank you for the reassurance on the pets and the suggestions. Yes, I've decided that I probably need two reachers. As the hospital will provide one I only need find another one. I'm still thinking on the shoulder bag. The only thing I have right now is a back pack and it's rather large and bulky. I was trying to think of how I might rig some sort of 'carry bag' for the walker. Thank you for the suggestions.

djklaugh Thank you also for the reassurrance on the pets! I know the PT lady giving the class was just doing her job and infection is a big concern (I'm not taking infection control lightly!) She just seemed a little obsessed with the fact that I had a dog in the house. (and I didn't tell her about the rest of them!) Thankfully all my fur babies are very well behaved and clean as clean can be for a four legged. (I know they still carry germs, just saying..) I will be extra diligent on the hand cleaning and such though. I do have someone at home that will be able to care for them so that's not an issue. I agree that pets can make a difference in outlook. At my last surgery, one of my dogs, who until that time was very independent, decided she wasn't going to leave my side. I'd wake up in the bed and there she would be, sitting silently by the bed staring at me. Occasionally she would put her paw on the side of the bed but was very gentle, very quiet, and if she were human would be asking me 'are you ok mom?' It was really touching considering her usual demeanor. Thank you again!

kay

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

Kayviun. Well Kay...had an exhausting day looking after Harriet...she was very good but very unwell...she did manage to er 'help' me with the Xmas tree so I am posting a picture on here, as we discussed..I hope it's Ok to post it here...oh well!,, I took her back home...which is an hour and a half round trip and then took her brother to mcdonalds....got home and then put my other Xmas tree up......and my hip hadn't hurt at all!!! And no little nap today either.....so you can see how worthwhile it is having the op. With my old hip I could never have managed all that...I would have been in agony.....well here's the tree............

.


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[BeckyR]

Kayviun, These are the types of questions we all think about! I wore loose fitting pajamas -- like lounging pajamas -- in the hospital. They were very comfortable, and looked nice. I was able to wear them in bed, sitting in the chair, and also walking the halls for PT, without a bathrobe. I didn't wear underwear to go home -- just a loose pair of black exercise pants -- sort of like sweatpants, but a nicer fabric and without elastic around the ankle. They had a drawstring waist. Very soft and comfortable. You probably won't need shoes in the hospital, because most hospitals give you the no-slip socks. Ours were color-coded (bright yellow) to indicate risk of falling and that we shouldn't be walking around on our own. I wore sandals (with a strap on the back of my foot) going home, so I could slip in and out of them easily. I didn't have any restrictions after surgery (SuperPATH doesn't require them), so I didn't have to worry about the 90 degree rule, but it was great to have the raised commode for the bathroom. It is one of the things they gave us to take home from the hospital. It has arms that make it easier to stand up, and it fits right over the toilet. I still use it, because I'm having problems with my left hip (Jan. 8th surgery coming up) and with my right knee. Wipes are great. You will be most comfortable in loose-fitting, soft clothing for a while after surgery, even after you return home.

 

[BeckyR]

Kayviun, Just read more of your thread...some additional thoughts: The multi-purpose chair you mentioned is the same as the commode I wrote about, above. You will find it very helpful in the bathroom. This may not be true for everyone, but I was able to wear my pajama top even with the IV. My IV was not in my hand, but higher up on my arm, because I can't stand the thought of a needle in my hand. The nursing aide unscrewed the tube from the IV so I could put my pajama top on, and then reconnected it, and everything was fine. Much more comfortable than wearing the hospital gown, and I felt more pulled together which is good for the spirits. The hospital I stayed in wanted us to get dressed, too, because their theory is that we are not sick. They wanted us to sit up in a chair as much as possible, rather than lying in bed. They said it was MUCH better for the heart and lungs to sit up. When I needed to, I would lie down, but I did find I could sit up for major portions of the day even the day after surgery.

 

[Kayviun]

Hoppy Nanny The tree is beautiful! Love it! Thanks for sharing the pic. I just noticed your surgery was in September. That's not really that long ago and here you are putting up the Christmas tree. Wait! you put up a tree, watched after Harriet, ran all over the place, then put up another tree? I'm tired already! lol Does give me hope for my own future though.
I'm so sorry that Harriet still isn't feeling well. I bet she quite enjoyed helping with the tree and hopefully took her little mind off being sick. Remember not to over-do yourself. I'm so glad that you're doing so well.
Thanks again for sharing. Put a smile on my face!

BeckyR Thank you for the suggestions and for sharing your experience. A lot of my questions have been answered since I posted as I had my pre op appt yesterday. We were told not to bother with pajama's that we'd be required to wear hospital gowns the entire time. Guess I worried myself silly for nothing. I'm fine with the hospital garb..less to pack. For coming home I have a pair of lounge pants much like you suggested. I did get them a size larger and hoping they'll work when the time comes. I didn't know they had color coded socks, but I think it's a great idea. That's exactly my plan is to wear the gripper socks they provide. I went back and forth over slippers but that's a mute point now as mine don't have enclosed heels and I'm too rushed with other things at this point to bother trying to find different ones. I hadn't thought about sitting up being better for health etc, but having you explain it and the way it was with you makes me less uneasy. When I thought about being in bed, I'd thought more along the lines of having the head of the bed raised so you were more or less in a semi sit position. When I think of sitting in a chair the way and length they described, I think more of a hard straight chair. I'm also comparing it with my current circumstances too I suppose. I have a very hard time getting comfortable in any type of chair at this point. Not that I'm ever in bed unless it's for the night to sleep. I just can't seem to get comfortable anywhere. I'm rambling. Sorry...not much sleep lately and tonight finding myself extremely tired. Just wanted to say thank you

Kay

 

[Kayviun]

BeckyR I also wanted to wish you well on your January upcoming surgery! Speedy recovery, smooth sailing, and a grand outcome for you!
Kay

 

[BeckyR]

Kayviun, I think you will be amazed at how much more easily you get comfortable in bed and in a chair, even during the recovery phase. Getting rid of the bone-on-bone pain is so liberating. The chair I sat in at the hospital had wooden arms, was firm, but padded (vinyl padding, I think), and was pretty comfortable. I was also able to put my feet up. The adjustable hospital bed was also fantasic. But the breathing is important. I did have to use this sort of breathing toy (in the hospital and afterward) to get my lungs filling with air to the regular level. It was annoying, but effective. So I think that sitting up really is important, and that the hospital was wise to take that approach. Of course, you'll follow the advice of the hospital you use, and it may be different than mine.

 

[MountainGirl]

Kayviun -- Hi there! Here's my own funny story (well, it was to me at the time) regarding the chair in the room. Mine was technically a vinyl armchair on little caster wheels. I did use it some, and sitting was waaay better post-op than pre-op. All good! The funny part happened when it was time for my discharge instructions. The hospital I went to had so many joint replacement patients that they gathered all of us together in a lounge area for a group discharge class. There were about a dozen or so of us, all ready to attend, and rather than round up tons of wheelchairs, we were "driven" in our recliners. Caster wheels don't steer very well; in fact, we rumbled and bumped all down the halls. Coming back, my husband drove me and we actually crashed into a wall near the nurses' station. It felt so awkward that we all laughed out loud. See if your chair is available for a similar road trip! You will laugh!

BeckyR -- oh yes, the incentive spirometer! That was kind of a fun toy, too, although in the end I needed oxygen at night when the spirometer couldn't help me keep my oxygen levels up. I brought the spirometer home-- I can see it being of use one day.

I don't know if my gripper socks were color-coded, but after a while, they were okay with eyeball supervision of my peregrinations to the bathroom and such. Such a rebel I am ;-).

So excited for you, Kay!

 

[Poppet]

Sleep and nap whenever and wherever you can Kay - every minute helps... I don't remember much of my first six weeks.

As we were close to summer I wore a skirt and t-shirt home and crocs... nice and comfy... Then lived in extra long t-shirts when I came home.

Good luck for Monday!