Having a LTHR in Oct

Ginny12

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Hi All,

I hope i am posting my introduction in the correct area. Apologies in advance if not. My surgery is booked for the 23rd of October.

I have only really started looking at BoneSmart the last few days and already i feel so much better about the forthcoming and dreaded surgery. Most (if not all my fears) have already been expressed and answered with compassion and clarity by members of the community. The information and links provided by Josephine and Layla are truly outstanding. Thank you.

I was told i needed the hip replaced over five years ago (moderate/severe arthritis) but i could not accept reality. The hip diagnosis was the tip of the iceberg in addition for a lot of other problems i was having at the time, the main one being severe depression and suicidal wishes.

Over the past five years i have managed reasonably well by drastically changing my diet, stopping drinking and an intense exercise program. However, reality bit me on the bottom earlier this year when i had a big flare up and i have no more strength to try and keep putting out the fires. I could manage the pain well it was my ever decreasing mobility that has forced my hand.

Other people have expressed their fears so well so suffice to say i share them too. I definitely feel less alone after reading posts and so grateful this site is around.

I wish everybody well for their forthcoming surgery and beyond.
 
@Ginny12 Welcome to BoneSmart! You have come to the right place for support through this journey. We have all been in the same "dreaded" place pre-op. But when it all done and dusted you will wonder why you waited so long.

I'll leave you with a couple of links to articles that might help you get prepared for your recovery. Please come back here and ask any questions or just discuss your concerns.
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

If you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing hip recoveries
 
Welcome. We all have a story and we're here to listen. I've had my bad hips for decades and I made some lifestyle changes through the years to help make them last. I'm far from an expert but I'd say the change in my diet and stopping the drinking helped me. I never had to deal with depression and I can see how it is terrible. I've always looked at my arthritis and bad hips as my problem but it was nothing compared to other people's problems. Sure I did the why me stuff but then I looked around and it wasn't so bad. I'll take all of my bone related problems any day compared to diabetes,cancer and hundreds of other problems others suffer.
I've had hip pain since I was a kid, but the pain didn't stop me. I had limited ROM also but it was the last year or so for me that the ROM became worse and my L hip would lock up in positions. That's when I had to accept having it replaced. Even up to the last day before surgery I questioned whether I really wanted to do this bad enough. now that I'm getting over it, notice I said getting over it. I can tell you that it's worth it. You will have to accept the fact that this is the big show and isn't some minor deal. It will take quite some time and you will have setbacks. You will need a very positive attitude or you will get down especially if you're not patient. Accept all of this, be extremely patient and commit yourself to the recovery and you will be extremely happy you did this.
 
Dear Jaycey and Eman85,

Thank you for your lovely posts and words of support. I cannot believe how much more positive i feel since i found this wonderful community. It really helps me to realize that people much younger and disabled than me have had to face this challenge. Not, i hasten to add, that i want anybody to suffer but it gives me some much needed perspective that other people have it so much worse than me.

I have suffered from anxiety all my life (related to childhood stuff) and so i tend to think things will always go wrong! What is very clear to me now is that this attitude really is not helpful for healing in any way. I have improved my anxiety over the years so there is hope. So i will keep reading all the different posts and because i can see what people have achieved by a can do attitude try and emulate that myself.

Warmest wishes
 
This hip deal is painful, but generally it won't kill you, unlike many other conditions. The surgery is major but it is the only total answer. We're of a certain age so it will last us the rest of our lives and give us relief from the pain.
Read the recovery posts especially the ones that are 6 mos and beyond. You will see that it's a tough go to start but once past the tough stages it gets better and better.
 
Dear Eman85,

Thank you for your advice. I will check those posts out.

Warmest regards
 
Hi to anybody reading this post,

I realize that there are already threads on recliner chairs and i will read them properly. But any quick advice would be gratefully received.

If one does not have a recliner is it possible to sit in a chair with arm rests and a stool for legs? As for resting in the day would it be better to buy a recliner (which would be a financial challenge for me) or go upstairs to rest on the bed?

Thank you
 
Hi Ginny12
I am 12 weeks today post op for my hip replacement. Obviously I didn't enjoy the surgery and it does take a while to get over that but I must say my hip is great. The pain I had been in beforehand went straight away. I stuck to my meds routine as directed by the hospital (no room for trying to be brave here) and didn't do any PT apart from walking.
Hopefully you will be the same but like the rest of us will probably suffer from post op blues occasionally, don't let that confuse you with your depression.
Wishing you well for 23rd
 
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Hi Ginny
I am a "slow recoverer" in some respects and it was not easy at the start but I am very glad I finally got it done. I tried everything, losing weight, exercise, diet etc but eventually the inevitable caught up with me and then I had to wait due to NHS cutbacks etc… 11 weeks on and not there yet but definitely worth it! I agree with reading the posts of people 6 months out and beyond… The first three months everyone has different recovery rates and you won't know until you have it whether you will be one of the fast or slow ones! This forum has been a godsend and there is so much useful information.

I didn't have a recliner but used my father in laws high armchair and footstool with lots of cushions. I also bought a fairly cheap memory foam bed which I put in the same room and rested up on that. You will be taught to cope with stairs during your hospital visit and, provided there are not too many of them or they are too steep you should be fine.. Stairs are remarkably easy if you follow the physic's instructions!

Best of luck!
 
Dear SurreyGirl,

Thank you for your lovely post and good advice. The bit about everybody having a different recovery rate in the first 3 months has really resonated with me. Takes a lot of the pressure off to have a perfect recovery!

As an aside, i am in the UK too, may i ask how long you had to wait extra for your op with the NHS cutbacks please?

Warmest regards
 
Hi @Ginny12. Just got info on when I should arrive at the hospital for my LTHR on Monday, Oct 8, 2018. I had my left hip replaced April 2015. So here I go again! You may be interested in reading my recovery @wcgirl painting rainbows. I just reread to remind myself the timeframe for recovery. I am ready! The administrators are awesome and right on w timely info. And fellow hipsters are so helpful at all hours! Keep us all close and you'll do well.
 
A recliner is nice but a comfortable chair with arms and a footrest is fine. One of my instructions was when sitting like that to place a rolled towel under my heel for 1/4 of the time every hour to keep the muscles stretched out. One of the chairs I used and liked was a cheapo outdoor plastic patio chair. It has arms and was the correct height. With a cushion it was comfortable and worked great at the dining table. It was also what I used for sitting outside, easy to get out of it.
 
Dear wcgirl and Eman85,

Thank you for the great info that you supplied.

And wcgirl i wish you all the very best for your RTHR. x
 
Jaycey left you a link to recliner chairs in post #2, loads of great information what works and what to avoid.
 
Dear Bionic and Pumpkin,

Thank you for your advice, very useful and helpful.

Warmest regards
 
Hi, @Ginny12, I often wish I could have enjoyed a recliner during my recovery, but I only have a small, non-functioning (only reclines a wee bit) recliner in the study off our bedroom so I've had to manage with bed and pillows and it hasn't been that huge of a challenge. I think a lot of folks on this forum either had them in their homes already, or took the plunge and purchased one in anticipation of surgery. Given my experiences, at least to date, I am not sure recliner would have been worth the expense if I had been inclined to purchase a new one to replace the clunker we have. It might be the type of approach (I had anterior, September 26) but I don't feel as if my recovery has been impeded or that it would have been made so much more comfortable with a recliner. As with everything about hip replacement recovery, it is very individual and many folks with recliners absolutely swore by them and used them all the time. With or without a recliner, you are going to get to the goal line with your brand new hip!
 
Dear Barbaraj,

Thank you for you information and encouragement, much appreciated. I have ages to get myself together for this surgery, but, procrastination is my middle name and it is only now when it looks like it will really happen am i sorting myself out.

I hope your recovery is going well.
 
Hi @Ginny12
I didn't have a recliner for the first 3 weeks after my op. What you don't have you don't miss.
My sister inlaw them reminded me that she had one that been her mums and wasn't now being used so I commandeered that. It has been useful for sitting watching the TV but I have never slept in it as some others do.
I would say that if you don't already have one or have easy access to one then I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Hi All,
I read on @MirDIY that his surgeon suggested that he has antibiotics every time dental cleaning is performed. It is his thread so i was not sure that it was appropriate ask my question there. But is that the same in the UK? I get my teeth cleaned every 3 months and that would mean that i was never off them. But obviously if it prevents an infection it will have to be.

Any advice gratefully received.
 
Advice please, I suppose this request is mainly aimed at UK people as it may be different in America.

In the UK do surgeons advocate the use of antibiotics before dental cleaning. I asked my dentist and he said no.

Josephine if you are reading this i would be most grateful for your thoughts please. I have to really keep on top of cleaning as i am one of those people who seem to get a lot of plaque despite cleaning my teeth well. Or anybody in the UK who has already had surgery have they had antibiotics before the dentist/hygienist.

Thanks in advance if anybody can answer my query.
 

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