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Hip replacement is in my future

Happy for you that you have a date! I've been told 24 hours in hospital. Remembering my last surgery I find that extremely early so can't imagine how I would feel if they told me I'd go home the same day.
 
You'll be walking in a few hours after surgery and many go home the same day. It will be a day or 2 and then the reality will hit. It's great that your wife will be there to assist you. You might not run machines any more and you might have a will to work but listen to your body. This is a different deal then any other surgeries. I've had multiple ortho sugeries, had a knee surgery while self employed and went back to physical work in a couple of days. This isn't like that. You'll also begin to think you're OK to do more and you will physically do more, and then!! Then you will think you screwed up the implant and will have pains where you didn't have them. The only cure at that point is sitting with ice.
 
I’m glad you have it booked in. I would have had mine sooner if I had been better informed, but I thought physio (PT) could fix it and early 60s was too young. But when I finally gave up on PT and met my surgeon, he said don’t worry about wearing out the replacement. If it happened, it would be because I’d been using it to enjoy my life, and he would be delighted to know that I’d had such a benefit from it. He said a revision wasn’t anything to be scared of, but would probably never happen anyway, because the manufacturers had learned a lot about how to make prosthetics to last.

I do however share the caution about going home so quickly and getting back to work after only 6 weeks. From browsing threads on here (recovery provides lots of time for browsing!) I know many folk are delighted to go home after one night, and a few do seem to have gone home on the day and it has worked out fine. And quite a few get back to work quickly. But I went home on Day 3. I had been expected to go on Day 2, which this hospital considered as the earliest possible, because from my history I was a healthy person like you. (Going home the day of operation is Day 0). I think on Day 2 I was still on IV drip for low BP and had barely managed to transfer from bed to chair. Your hospital I hope would have the flexibility to keep you longer if you turn out to be a slow starter like me. I think the hospital would have to be a very disagreeable environment and the support at home exceptionally good to make going home on Day 0 attractive.

It took me a bit over 6 weeks to feel mentally back to normal. Well, reasonably normal! Still emotionally fragile to some extent, ie can get upset by little things. Now coming up to 8 weeks I think I would be able to cope with workIng from home, but probably not a full day yet. Sitting at a computer is tiring and needs spells of walking round and lying down with ice. I’m lucky to be retired.
 
Mojo333 said:
Good to have a date for getting this hip fixed...so you can get on with life!
Which hip is it @Chappyd ?
We will add a date to your signature.
Click to expand...

It's my right hip. I got a picture of the Xray yesterday. As far as work goes I told the Doc at a minimum it's 6 weeks + his blessing. I'll listen to him and my body. Believe me, I would be ok with 12 weeks!
[Bonesmart.org] Hip replacement is in my future
 
Eman85 said:
You'll be walking in a few hours after surgery and many go home the same day. It will be a day or 2 and then the reality will hit. It's great that your wife will be there to assist you. You might not run machines any more and you might have a will to work but listen to your body. This is a different deal then any other surgeries. I've had multiple ortho sugeries, had a knee surgery while self employed and went back to physical work in a couple of days. This isn't like that. You'll also begin to think you're OK to do more and you will physically do more, and then!! Then you will think you screwed up the implant and will have pains where you didn't have them. The only cure at that point is sitting with ice.
Click to expand...

I've had a couple other ortho surgeries, one laminectomy in my lower back, which wasn't bad, and one for a torn rotator cuff in my left shoulder. That one was pretty rough. It was a long time before I could sleep in my bed again, though I've forgotten how long it was. They were both outpatient. I believe what you are saying about the day or 2 after, in the case of my back the nurse told me I would feel great for a day or two, then I would feel like it was worse than before, and I would be wondering if I had done the right thing getting the surgery.

Work is a tough one. I will not miss being there, I think anyway. It's a very fast paced shop and I come home pretty tired after 8 hours. We make jet engine parts, and every day becomes more of a challenge to keep the shop on an even keel. Knowledgeable Machinists simply aren't available, it's becoming a lost art that hasn't been taught in schools in many years. We are a small family owned business, about 30 people. I'm not in the family, and I've contributed about 22 years to this company. They've offered to set me up with a home computer so I can do engineering work when I feel up to it. They have also told me that I can use 1 week's vacation pay, and the rest of the time they will pay me my full salary. I did not expect that at all, and was both floored and very grateful. So I will still be able to take some time off with family later in the year.
 
@Chappyd Your work family sounds wonderful and appreciative of your long term commitment to them. My husband is a aeronautics engineer. He started out in the RAF when he was 15 but eventually retired and immigrated to Canada. He was with Goodrich Aerospace for a number of years. Some as a US hire (that's when we did our overseas postings) and then sent back to Canada in 2010. Since then, Goodrich sold out up here and since that time we have just had a 3rd owner take over. I hear you about lack of skilled shop floor people now, it is a common topic in our house!
So.... if you're talking about returning to a hangar floor, please restrict being on that floor to very short periods!
:flwrysmile:
 
It sounds like you've got a plan and believe me, getting shed of this hip pain is definitely worth the recovery time.
I went back to work fairly early...half days at first...and not much walking...but I managed.
Just had to come home and assume the position!
Recliner and Ice:ice:

Hope you have an easy does it weekend...:tada:
 
:wave:Guessing you're getting a bit anxious but hopefully also excited that you are going to get this surgery over with and get on the recovery road to a life without that horrid bone crunching hip pain.
Many have been where you are and certainly understand how unnerving this can be.
If it helps at all, I have Zero regrets about the op and recovery period.
All an investment in a great future!:yes!:
 
So @Chappyd , we share birth year and surgery date! I hope it goes well for both of us.
Hard to plan much beyond that date yet, not sure how long it will take. Already getting the Aunt Edna stories such as ‘ my Aunt Edna had a new hip at 75 and was walking the next day!’
 
Hi Wayner1, yep 7 weeks and 3 days to go. I hear lots of good things about peoples experiences. My hip is definitely deteriorating and the cortisone shot I had in December has pretty much worn off. I feel it a lot more these days. I have some pain mostly all the time, and it's hard to get comfortable, sometimes even in bed too. I can feel it pop a lot more now frequently as I move around. No pain associated with the sounds and sensations, just feels weird. I wanted to be feeling it when I get wheeled into the OR, and it looks like that won't be a problem, lol.
 
Well my hip went down a notch or 2 this past week. Today at work was kinda tough, limping all day. 6 weeks to surgery, I'm getting more ready every day it seems. No doubts after today I think...
 
@Chappyd I get you! My surgery is April 4th and I am just a bucket of misery to be honest. I am very fortunate that I have painkiller Rx'd to help but only because of a long history of RA and a Rheumatologist that really trusts me not to be a drug seeker. Today I have been hanging by a thread trying to cope with the pain. Feel like I am sitting on a bag of baseballs (not softballs) on my right side. Dreadful pain in my hip and thigh. I am having to set the clock for painkiller the last 2 weeks for fear of overdosing myself. You & I will both get there, as horrible as this is. I am not loving ice at the moment but heat is soothing and I try to shift or walk about even for a few minutes every hour or so. Keep shifting from sitting, standing, laying down. I also shift in my chair towards my good side for a bit, put a small cushion under my bad side, etc. Our day will come!!
:flwrysmile:
 
I sure think my chronic pain and inability to do much of anything to be comfortable made the prospect of surgery more appealing.

I was also Miserable.
And sleep deprived.
Hang in there friend. :console2:
 
Good luck tomorrow @Chappyd , we'll be looking for you on the recovery side! Happy thoughts only as you get through your prepping today. We're here for support!
 
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