Hospital Experiences

Icespirit5

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I'm anxious about the actual time in the hospital and am looking for some other personal experience stories. I haven't been in for any proceedures since I was a kid, so I don't remember a whole lot, and I know it's different as an adult. I've been creeping on some post op pages too. What was the process like for everyone before THR (pre op) and then after in the hospital ?
:scare:
Thanks
 
I'm in Ontario, Canada and had a longer hospital stay than normal. So depending on your location it may be different.

I had to go through pre-op twice because my surgery was initially rescheduled 18 hours before it was supposed to happen.

Pre-op itself started with a visit to see the physiotherapist and learn how to climb stairs and get in and out of bed. Then a visit to the occupational therapist to learn how to get dressed, get in and out of the bath, use a stocking aid.
Then it was a visit with the lab for blood work, and a pharmacist went over my meds. After that I had an EKG/ECG and met up with the anesthesiologist.


Hospital-day of, I had to arrive 2 hours before my surgery, went to admitting, and then went up to the prep floor. Was given a bed, changed into my gown, put on these paper slippers. Then I was moved to the surgical floor, talked with my OS, and was moved to the OR was given an IV and my spinal and sedative.

Surgery happened and I came to in recovery. Had an xray taken and eventually was moved to a bed in the orthopedic ward. I was more or less out of it the first day because of a sedative reaction. But I had my blood pressure, pulse ox and temperature taken every couple of hours. I had a catheter in that was removed around 5am the day after the surgery. Painkillers were given by injection the first day.

They had me standing on day 2 and taking a few steps with a walker, painkillers were switched to pills. I slept a lot off and on and wished I had earplugs because my ward mates all snored.

Day 3 is when physio came to really get moving. Most people usually leave by day 3. I was bored at times in the hospital and wish I'd brought something to do with my hand.

My stay extended into 7 days until I could pass the physio requirements. It ended up on a schedule of nursing rounds and medication and practicing my walking.

To the hospital I'd recommend bringing your walker, crutches and your Reacher. Pyjamas pants and a tshirt/sweater. Earplugs if you're a light sleeper and in a ward instead of a private room. Your phone and charger too.

Honestly the most annoying part was ward mates who had guests all day long from 8am until 9pm. Otherwise it's not too bad despite the boredom.
 
I think the best source of info will be your surgeon’s office as doctor and hospital procedure can vary greatly. My experience was much different than @trenna above. I had a prep visit before hand at hospital plus a preposition visit with OS. I needed to go to my GP for surgery clearance approval, too. On surgery day, I arrived 2 hr before surgery and spent that first night in hospital. Several hours after surgery they had me up and out of bed for a walk to bathroom. Next morning was a brief PT class to show us how to get in and out of car and up/down stairs. Another short PT after lunch to give us more tips and then I was discharged. I spent just the one night in hospital. Reading recovery posts can give you more info but please keep in mind that each patient is unique and each surgeon has their own rules it seems. I think it is very important, and maybe the most important consideration, to find a very good surgeon who performs a lot of hip replacements each year. Plus it is a very fair question to ask the surgeon about his/her success rate. Wishing you well.
 
My experience was much like @GrannyC . All ortho rooms are private so my husband was able to stay the entire time. I bagged the second PT class and came home after lunch on the day after my surgery.

Will you have a pre op class that explains what to expect? I found that very helpful. But I agree your best source would be your surgeon
 
Thank you all for you're advice and experiences! I am a visualizer and if I can somewhat visualize what will happen then it helps me decrease my anxiety. Dont know yet about the preop classes. I think so. I'm just playing a waiting game a lot.
 
Hi @Icespirit5 Happy Monday to you.
My experience was a mandatory physical within 30 days of surgery.
One week pre-op: Meeting with a nurse at the surgery site to go over surgery day procedure, tour of where I'd be sleeping night after surgery, ask any questions I had, go over meds, get my prescriptions which I had to fill on my own and bring back day of surgery.
Date of surgery: Arrive at surgery center 2 hrs before my scheduled surgery time.
Called into prep, put on hospital garb, confirm name, birthdate, what I was there for, and which hip would be replaced to each new medical professional who entered the room. OS, nurses, anesthesiologists. Family was allowed in the room with me. OS and I both had to initial my leg.
Off to surgery - took one hour.
Into Recovery - Had to dress in my own clothes before being transported (wheelchair) to my room a couple hours later. It was a private room where hubs stayed the entire 24 hrs I was there.
Walking to the bathroom myself by mid afternoon and walks in the hallway also.
Next morning I was discharged after learning to navigate steps and in /out bed (I slept in recliner surgery night) Left hospital on walker.

As you can tell, each experience varies somewhat. Do you have a surgery date scheduled? If so, please leave the date and which hip will be replaced to be applied as your signature.
 
Worst part was the night after surgery, aesthetic had worn off but no pain. They were running fluids into me via a canular and making me drink a lot of water but I was not allowed to get up to go to the toilet. Having to urinate into a bottle is humiliating and difficult after a lifetime of not passing water whilst still in bed!
 
My OS had a complete program complete with a book of all preop info,phone #'s and contact names, what to expect, how to prepare and what to do post op. Also had a preop class at the hospital which also included pre registration and swab for MRSA and Staph. Class was 2 parts first by the head of nursing and the second by a PT. They went over everything about what to expect how to prepare yourself and your house. They even took orders for any necessities like a walker,cane or any of the other little things like a grabber or sock aid. After that I had an appointment with my GP for chest x-rays,blood work,EKG and general physical. I stayed at a motel the night before, went early and had a nice dinner. I was showering with antibacterial wash for a few days so I showered at the motel with it. Went to the hospital in the early AM and since I was pre registered it was very simple and I was in the preop under a nice heated blanket and meeting everyone as they checked my vitals and verified all info. Anesthesiologist came in and discussed what type I wanted. I was the first one in that morning as I had pins in my femur that had been in there almost 50 years so he knew he would have extra work. After that my wife went to the waiting area and I was rolled to pre-surgery area where I was given the spinal and checked over again and that's the last I remember until I awoke in post-op. In post op they handed me a phone so I could talk to my wife while I waited for the feeling to return to my legs. The OS came into see me and showed me my new x-ray and discussed how the operation went. Then they wheeled me to my room where my wife was waiting. Ate lunch and a ;itt;e while later walked the halls with a PT using a walker. Got back to the room and then the pain set in, my first overdo of many. My wife spent the night in the room with me and I spent most of my time going back and forth to the bathroom. Next morning I had a big breakfast and got dressed with help. PT came and we walked again and went to the PT room with all of the other knee and hip patients. We got our at home PT instructions and were shown how to do them, all simple and done lying down. Then shown how to navigate stairs. Back to the room and then released.
 
I live quite close to Trenna up above from Canada and yet my experience was quite different from hers. I think the thing you need to remember is almost without fail, the nurses, etc., are so understanding and calm. They are usually happy to answer all of your questions if they have time. You will meet with your anesthetist among others who will be looking after you and able to ask questions. Start jotting those questions down - even that step might help your anxiety.
:flwrysmile:
 
Do you have a surgery date scheduled?
I thought I finally had a date of June 25, but turns out that was just the date given to insurance so they could file somethings and purchase parts. They said I should hear back this week... we shall see.
I will be having my right hip replaced.

Walking to the bathroom myself by mid afternoon and walks in the hallway also.
They got you up quick! I hope I can do the same!

Having to urinate into a bottle is humiliating
:sos: I hope I wont have to do that! That must have been terrible!

make that sound like some kind of voyeurism!
:rotfl: Nope

complete program
Class was 2 parts

Yes! I want THAT!! Some people get overwhelmed with all of the info. Im the kinda person who reads everything possible online, videos too, would like an encyclopedia version of it, and will read all of it... twice. The more info the better. I may slightly obsess on my more anxious days. Makes me feel better.

Anesthesiologist came in and discussed what type I wanted.
That will be something new. Like I said, I haven't had anything done in a while. I wasnt involved in that part of the descision making before, so I am kinda of glad I should be involved this time. I would get horribly sick on general. (Only thing I had to do before was endure a frightening clown that would come in and try to ease kids minds... :scary: I understand the people behind the costumes had good intentions though)

Thank you all for you various insights! They are greatly appreciated!
 
Clowns!! Easing kids minds?!! :scaredycat:
I would have been hysterical as a kid. They scared me to death and they still creep me out at 62.
Its like a mean, evil trick :bolt:
 
@Layla yes!! I know! Thankfully they were not my worst fear, but I was certainly not comfortable being in the same room. I was also a too cool for school middle schooler and was highly embarrassed to be classified under the needing a clown age range :heehee:
Side note, I hope they let me sign myself too. I am a big Harry Potter fan and would love draw a deathly hollows symbol on it instead (just a triangle, circle and line. Probably take me longer on my initials) :snork:
 
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I just noticed your age. I had procedures when I was young like having pins put in my femur. I can tell you that it's like a 5 star hotel now compared to what it was like years ago. Luckily I had avoided hospitals for a while until my THR. I always had general anesthesia so the spinal deal was explained to me ahead of time and then I was still given the option until just before surgery. As far as I'm concerned it's the way to go.
In other hospital stays I was bed ridden for extended periods. For a guy the little jug is no big deal, now the bed pan is a whole different story.
 
I would get horribly sick on general.
I get very ill post GA. You will probably be offered a spinal with sedation. A much easier recovery! No groggy feeling or nausea. And the spinal takes awhile to wear off so automatic pain relief.

They will get you up and walking as soon as the spinal wears off. For most this is a matter of about 2-3 hours post op. First walking the hallways. Then later advancing to up and down stairs.

Funny - I am terrified of clowns or people in weird (horror type) costumes. Glad to hear others feel this way!
 
I agree! To lots of things. GA was always difficult for me to recover from. This was the first spinal for me, so a little anxious about it but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
This is my pre-op experience from Nebraska. At my initial consultation, I had xrays, received a booklet/workbook that was fairly comprehensive, and an RN caseworker that I could contact with any questions. My OS had a dedicated nurse who was available as well. They then scheduled the surgery, did the staphylococcal screening and preop education, set up a pre anesthesia/operative exam with lab work (3 weeks from surgery.) I wish they would have had a tour since things had changed a lot since I last worked at the facility. I did antiseptic body wash and antibiotic ointment to nose 5 days before surgery. ( I did test positive for Staph but no biggie and not surprising having done direct patient care for 38 years.) I received a preop call from hospital the day before and arrived about 3 hours before surgery and checked in. Surgery was about 2pm.
I was escorted to preop where I stayed until taken to OR. There is a flurry of activity and people as others have mentioned. All were very professional and patient. You get to wear a beautiful designer hospital gown and yes, you will be asked what you are there for AND which hip, many times (which is good.) You will give all these strangers permission to put you to sleep and cut on your body. You’ll be anxious and nervous. It’s okay. You need to let go and let them do their jobs, after all, they are highly trained professionals. Concentrate on what they will do for you and how it will give you your life back.
Hubby stayed until it was time for my spinal. I remember sitting on the edge of the bed with a nurse in front of me. Anesthesia said “I’ve given you medicine to relax you” and I relaxed right into the nurse’s shoulder and that’s pretty much it (I remember them putting me on oxygen-not unusual and a brief glimpse of the OR) until I woke up in recovery. Pain free at least until the spinal wore off but even then, so much better than before surgery.
Post-op: I stayed 2 nights, received 24 hours of IV antibiotics, and had PT and OT (with their equipment) starting in the morning post- op since I didn’t get to my room until late: 8:15 pm. I pivoted up to the commode that night. Many times. I had a lot of pain from swelling and some from incision and really sore muscles but none from the joint. Listen to these people: ice and elevation will be your best friends! The nurses and techs were so patient and calm and did EVERYTHING they could to make me as comfortable as possible. I went home 2nd day post op (my OS told me no rush on leaving or PT. Listen to my body.) My hubby took excellent care of me for 3 weeks. I was surprised that the only PT was walking as tolerated and some isometric exercises all on my own, no outside PT. Healing will take as long as it takes for you.
I didn’t mean to make this so long but you said you liked detail and info. I understand as I’m the same way. Keep asking those questions. This is a great place for it. ❤️
 
@Eman85 yep! I had pins and other hardware too! They took them out though after a few years.

@Jaycey I'm convinced that no one really enjoys clowns anymore. Too many scary movie on them.

I think I'd definetly prefer a spinal. I have had one before, but I wasn't awake at all when they put it in and at some point in recovery they realized it broke. I wasn't in too much pain thankfully and they went ahead and took it out, but it was still concerning.

@Hip4life Thank you for your detailed post! I absolutely appreciate! You are correct about detail!
You get to wear a beautiful designer hospital gown
:rotfl::rotfl:
I mean ya know you can't go wrong with those washed out blue or white tones.

But seriously, thank you all for the responses and overwhelming support :):) :flwrysmile:
 
There was an attempt to take my pins out about 5 years after they were put in and the OS didn't get them out. Long story but that's the basics of it.
Spinal was just an injection in the spine in pre-op. Strange as everything went completely dead from waist down. Was still dead when I came to but slowly came back in post-op.
 
@Icespirit5, I'd never spent a night in a hospital before my hip replacement (2 nights' stay) and six weeks later, another surgery to fix an infection (5 nights' stay). Before my first stay, I pictured a dim, quiet room, comfy bed, plenty of time to sleep or read or listen to music. Nurses slipping in quietly to check something or other.
Although it was what I would call a fairly pleasant experience--I had a private room--it wasn't quite the way I pictured! Here's how it was for me...
Nurses are in and out of your room at all hours of the day and night, and they will wake you up to give meds, take vitals, draw blood, etc. Each time they will ask you your name, birth date, and scan your ID bracelet.
The bed isn't all that comfy, especially since you're probably tethered to an IV. Mine felt sort of like a fancy lawn chair.
There's always a light on in the room, although you can turn off some of the brighter ones to try and get some sleep.
Knowing what I know now, here are some suggestions for what to pack (especially if you'll be there for more than one night):
-One of your own nightshirts to sleep in
-A fleece blanket (this was the single most important thing for me during my second, longer stay)
-Face and body wipes
-Lip balm or chapstick
-A book--I didn't think I'd feel like reading, but I did--it got kind of boring hanging in the room (between PT sessions), and it helps pass the time
I brought an iPod but never used it (too many interruptions). Don't bother with slippers (you'll get footies), a robe (use a second hospital gown put on backwards). I left the wallet at home for security reasons.
The nurses, in my experience, were all very kind and professional. Some were absolute gems. Learn their names and get friendly with them.
The surgical team is like a well-oiled machine. Although it's a big deal for a patient, for them it's another day at the office. They know what they're doing. Trust in them.
I had the spinal and had no issues with it, they numbed me beforehand and I didn't feel the needle. For the second surgery I had a general and did OK with that as well, although it did take a bit longer to get clear-headed in Recovery. I also had a catheter (my first time with that) and had no problems with it (although I wasn't awake when it went in!). No peeing in a bottle, thankfully!
My best wishes on your upcoming hospital surgery and stay!
 

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