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I can do this. Can I do this? What am I doing, exactly?
- Thread starter Sommers16
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Zelda
graduate
@Sommers16 It's just about 7pm here so that's six hours difference!
I'm pretty sure I was chatting to people on Facebook six hours after my op time - I vaguely remember complaining to someone that I'd been promised tea and toast but hadn't been given it yet!
I'm pretty sure I was chatting to people on Facebook six hours after my op time - I vaguely remember complaining to someone that I'd been promised tea and toast but hadn't been given it yet!
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Sommers16
senior
oh no
new member
I am scared to death, same boat as you,....I am having two at once done !
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Sommers16
senior
@0h no -
Welcome! You are in a good place here with good company. Two at a time does sound daunting. But I know there are "hippies" here who have successfully rose to that challenge. My heart and prayers go out to you because of your fear. Please add your surgery details and date to your signature and stay connected here. I promise it does help.
Welcome! You are in a good place here with good company. Two at a time does sound daunting. But I know there are "hippies" here who have successfully rose to that challenge. My heart and prayers go out to you because of your fear. Please add your surgery details and date to your signature and stay connected here. I promise it does help.
Toddlermom
graduate
@Sommers16 we paid it outright, and we split it with my parents. We rented it for a month, but we could have just done 2 weeks.
JulieJF
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Hi @Sommers16
I noticed a reply of yours in Cindy's recovery thread and checked out your pre-op thread to add my voice of encouragement. I was one of last year's May Marvels.
I relate entirely to your fear and desire to put off surgery. I was first told that I was a candidate for hip replacement when I was 29 and ignored the pain and the increasing limits on my life for 17 years. For at least two years, my husband and friends were threatening to bang me over the head, throw me into a taxi, and hijack me to the hospital. I was stubborn, and I refused to see how bad my mobility and pain had gotten. My need for surgery stemmed from congenital hip dysplasia, so I had always accepted a limited range of motion and a certain level of pain.
As the years went by, I noticed cycles of pain (every Spring I would have increased pain which would dissipate to "normal"), but one year, the pain didn't recede. From that point on, I started to give things up. I always looked for the parking spot closest to the entrance; I chose to ride, not walk; I fooled myself into thinking that my limp wasn't as pronounced as it was; I stopped buying shoes with laces. By the end, I could barely walk around one city block, and the pain was exhausting.
In the weeks leading up to surgery, I was terrified. I would cry at the thought of going through with it, I had this sinking pit of nausea in my stomach, and I think I would have postponed surgery (or run screaming) if my husband hadn't been a firm backstop. Even the morning of surgery, the nurse who prepped me joked that I looked like a runner, so she was going to put the side rails up on my bed. Honestly, I credit Bonesmart with getting me through those last weeks without losing my mind.
In retrospect, I should have done the replacement sooner, as I would have had fewer secondary issues. As @gullimac noted, the whole body is a system - recovery has made me understand how much muscles and tendons from my ankles to my lower back were affected by a lifetime of an abnormal joint and the compensatory gait I developed in the last ten years or so.
I'm one year into recovery and just had my one year check up today. Yay! One year in, I'm walking a seven mile round trip trek in to work at least once per week, and I'm shocked by how small the distances are that just a year ago seemed huge. My surgeon tells me that replaced hips are good at 6 months, better at one, and even better after two years.
I remember people who had gotten to the other side of the surgery telling me not to worry and that everything would be all right. I wish I had been able to. Trust, though, that you've made the right decision and you'll feel much better after the new hip!
All this to say that you can do this. And what you're doing is getting control of your life back.
Re: equipment you need post-surgery, don't worry about new furniture. I purchased a hip cushion to use on some of my chairs, and I barely used it! I recommend ice bags rather than the gel ice packs - more cold and they last longer. The grabber and raised toilet seat are musts - didn't need the variety with handles, just a booster potty seat.
I had toe-touch restrictions for six weeks to allow the bone to start growing into the implant, so I needed a shower chair. I also recommend a really good non-slip tub mat and shower handles - they'll make you feel more secure and stable in the shower. I got some that suction-cupped onto the tile. I didn't need a hospital bed, but I did need to purchase a mattress foundation to raise up the mattress on our platform bed. That plus plenty of pillows at my back and under my operated leg did the trick. I actually found my recliner painful to sit in for several weeks, so I sat up on my bed. Last, I learned to use the handle of my arm crutch to support my leg getting in and out of bed. A dog leash would work, too, but if you have a crutch or cane nearby, you'll be able to use that.
Whatever you buy, you can find it on Amazon without the hospital markup!
You've got this!
I noticed a reply of yours in Cindy's recovery thread and checked out your pre-op thread to add my voice of encouragement. I was one of last year's May Marvels.
I relate entirely to your fear and desire to put off surgery. I was first told that I was a candidate for hip replacement when I was 29 and ignored the pain and the increasing limits on my life for 17 years. For at least two years, my husband and friends were threatening to bang me over the head, throw me into a taxi, and hijack me to the hospital. I was stubborn, and I refused to see how bad my mobility and pain had gotten. My need for surgery stemmed from congenital hip dysplasia, so I had always accepted a limited range of motion and a certain level of pain.
As the years went by, I noticed cycles of pain (every Spring I would have increased pain which would dissipate to "normal"), but one year, the pain didn't recede. From that point on, I started to give things up. I always looked for the parking spot closest to the entrance; I chose to ride, not walk; I fooled myself into thinking that my limp wasn't as pronounced as it was; I stopped buying shoes with laces. By the end, I could barely walk around one city block, and the pain was exhausting.
In the weeks leading up to surgery, I was terrified. I would cry at the thought of going through with it, I had this sinking pit of nausea in my stomach, and I think I would have postponed surgery (or run screaming) if my husband hadn't been a firm backstop. Even the morning of surgery, the nurse who prepped me joked that I looked like a runner, so she was going to put the side rails up on my bed. Honestly, I credit Bonesmart with getting me through those last weeks without losing my mind.
In retrospect, I should have done the replacement sooner, as I would have had fewer secondary issues. As @gullimac noted, the whole body is a system - recovery has made me understand how much muscles and tendons from my ankles to my lower back were affected by a lifetime of an abnormal joint and the compensatory gait I developed in the last ten years or so.
I'm one year into recovery and just had my one year check up today. Yay! One year in, I'm walking a seven mile round trip trek in to work at least once per week, and I'm shocked by how small the distances are that just a year ago seemed huge. My surgeon tells me that replaced hips are good at 6 months, better at one, and even better after two years.
I remember people who had gotten to the other side of the surgery telling me not to worry and that everything would be all right. I wish I had been able to. Trust, though, that you've made the right decision and you'll feel much better after the new hip!
All this to say that you can do this. And what you're doing is getting control of your life back.
Re: equipment you need post-surgery, don't worry about new furniture. I purchased a hip cushion to use on some of my chairs, and I barely used it! I recommend ice bags rather than the gel ice packs - more cold and they last longer. The grabber and raised toilet seat are musts - didn't need the variety with handles, just a booster potty seat.
I had toe-touch restrictions for six weeks to allow the bone to start growing into the implant, so I needed a shower chair. I also recommend a really good non-slip tub mat and shower handles - they'll make you feel more secure and stable in the shower. I got some that suction-cupped onto the tile. I didn't need a hospital bed, but I did need to purchase a mattress foundation to raise up the mattress on our platform bed. That plus plenty of pillows at my back and under my operated leg did the trick. I actually found my recliner painful to sit in for several weeks, so I sat up on my bed. Last, I learned to use the handle of my arm crutch to support my leg getting in and out of bed. A dog leash would work, too, but if you have a crutch or cane nearby, you'll be able to use that.Whatever you buy, you can find it on Amazon without the hospital markup!
You've got this!
OP
OP
Sommers16
senior
@JulieJF : Wow, thank you for this. I am continuously in awe of the participants here who so willingly give of their time and experiences to benefit others. It has made such a difference for me. I cannot imagine not having had this to help me. Without it, the experience would have been very isolating and the preparations incomplete.
Monday of this week I'm not sure what specific combo of things created it, but I had a meltdown and cried for so many hours my eyes were swollen and puffy the next morning for work.
Then today, on Thursday, I went to have my teeth cleaned and checked since surgery is 12 days away. I spoke with my dentist about the surgery and he was like, "Wow, are you sure it's absolutely necessary now given your age?" I think people have this misperception, this image, that hip replacement is something only associated with the elderly.
Surprisingly, rather than me becoming emotional about my situation, I found myself explaining it to him and why it is needed and how it will benefit me. That's 100% BoneSmarties being channeled, I can tell you.
I might have turned a corner here in the home stretch. We will see. I know there are challenges ahead, but it feels like it is more do-able with the network of support and the evidence of so many success stories here.
Thank you again!
Monday of this week I'm not sure what specific combo of things created it, but I had a meltdown and cried for so many hours my eyes were swollen and puffy the next morning for work.
Then today, on Thursday, I went to have my teeth cleaned and checked since surgery is 12 days away. I spoke with my dentist about the surgery and he was like, "Wow, are you sure it's absolutely necessary now given your age?" I think people have this misperception, this image, that hip replacement is something only associated with the elderly.
Surprisingly, rather than me becoming emotional about my situation, I found myself explaining it to him and why it is needed and how it will benefit me. That's 100% BoneSmarties being channeled, I can tell you.
I might have turned a corner here in the home stretch. We will see. I know there are challenges ahead, but it feels like it is more do-able with the network of support and the evidence of so many success stories here.
Thank you again!
JulieJF
senior
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- May 3, 2015
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- 58
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- Brooklyn, New York
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You're not alone, and the emotional rollercoaster you're on is normal. Again, I can totally relate to your last post. I'm certain that I had a meltdown (or two or three!) leading up to the surgery, and I remember the moments when logic overrode emotion. That is turning a corner. You know what you have to do, and it's okay to submit to the inevitability of it. This is a scary transition, but all of us here will assure you that this will be okay.
Cynthia777
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Yes, the emotional toil one goes through pre-op isn't pretty. I can remember feeling so irritated when my loved ones would try and reassure me that everything was going to be okay. I'd roll my eyes and mutter "yeah right" under my breath. I was quite the brat if I do say so myself! These final days are difficult, so read as many positive recovery threads possible. I found the day of surgery to be much easier emotionally for some reason. Hang in there girlfriend and know you aren't alone and have tons of prayers going up for you.
Toddlermom
graduate
@Sommers16 It is such a weird experience to explain to strangers that you are having a hip replacement in your 40's. Geez. You want to be kind, and yet I sometimes secretly wanted to roll my eyes. I remember people saying, why are you doing that? You are so young? What happened? And so on.... Part of me WANTED to respond......Do you think that I am doing this for fun?!? Of course my doctor thinks it is appropriate!?! Don't you think that I would choose any other less drastic option, if I could? My fantasy answers helped ME smile sweetly and thank them for their suggestion of stem cells or injections.
As for the emotional roller coaster, I really struggled too. When the worries start to swim in your head, come post here! Do a brain dump. Those last two weeks of preparation were the hardest part, because you are in considerable pain with so many worries and what ifs. And the pain and worry can feed each other...ugh. I seemed to hyper focus on kid management planning, and left the rest up to the universe and family to sort out. Others find space & tool preparation comforting. Whatever your focus, you CAN do this! And you can have help to sort things out post surgery (meals, tools, etc)....if you need them. Amazon delivers!
Just remember this. By one month post-op, I could drive and was starting to feel like myself.....with much more recovery to go. Everyone is different. But I recognized my life, I could dress my 2 year old diva, change a diaper on a bed, make breakfast OR read books. I could do pieces of my life....with a lot of help for the rest. 4 weeks seems like a long time. But for most people, it is a weekly improvement towards a less painful life.
It is interesting though. My doctor said that younger patients often have a longer 'recovery' period. (Weird). But he explained that our bodies start focusing on life, child care, activities, and so forth....and so there canbe less energy and a slower path to healing. And our plans and expectations for a post-operative life might be different from a 69 yr old. I change diapers on the floor now at 12 weeks. I went to a church Easter egg hunt at 8 weeks....for 2hours and helped the kids hunt (with a lawn chair). And I was frustrated that I needed to lay down at 5 pm.....it was bed and ice time. Everyone else went out to dinner. My mom didn't have those kinds of expectation when she did her hip 3 years ago at 61.
As for the emotional roller coaster, I really struggled too. When the worries start to swim in your head, come post here! Do a brain dump. Those last two weeks of preparation were the hardest part, because you are in considerable pain with so many worries and what ifs. And the pain and worry can feed each other...ugh. I seemed to hyper focus on kid management planning, and left the rest up to the universe and family to sort out. Others find space & tool preparation comforting. Whatever your focus, you CAN do this! And you can have help to sort things out post surgery (meals, tools, etc)....if you need them. Amazon delivers!
Just remember this. By one month post-op, I could drive and was starting to feel like myself.....with much more recovery to go. Everyone is different. But I recognized my life, I could dress my 2 year old diva, change a diaper on a bed, make breakfast OR read books. I could do pieces of my life....with a lot of help for the rest. 4 weeks seems like a long time. But for most people, it is a weekly improvement towards a less painful life.
It is interesting though. My doctor said that younger patients often have a longer 'recovery' period. (Weird). But he explained that our bodies start focusing on life, child care, activities, and so forth....and so there canbe less energy and a slower path to healing. And our plans and expectations for a post-operative life might be different from a 69 yr old. I change diapers on the floor now at 12 weeks. I went to a church Easter egg hunt at 8 weeks....for 2hours and helped the kids hunt (with a lawn chair). And I was frustrated that I needed to lay down at 5 pm.....it was bed and ice time. Everyone else went out to dinner. My mom didn't have those kinds of expectation when she did her hip 3 years ago at 61.
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Sommers16
senior
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Sommers16
senior
I went to the pre-admission testing this morning. Got the infamous soap I've read some of you discussing. Had blood drawn. Paid some money. Signed some papers. This is really getting real now. 
I didn't park in the right place and walked more than I needed to as a result, and my hip/leg really hurt. In a way I'm thankful. We've talked before about how in the pre-op phase you sometimes second guess the decision to have THR. Some days are better than others. Indeed, I took some Advil with lunch, and my hip/leg feels somewhat better now. I can't take anything for pain past today since the surgery is next week. I don't want to be miserable (I'm not a masochist), but being in pain today did make me pause and think, "Yeah, THIS is why I am having this done."
It's weird, because at times I find myself feeling melancholy about losing a part of me - having something removed. At other times, I am mentally packing its bags and opening the door. Has anyone else felt those tugs?
I didn't park in the right place and walked more than I needed to as a result, and my hip/leg really hurt. In a way I'm thankful. We've talked before about how in the pre-op phase you sometimes second guess the decision to have THR. Some days are better than others. Indeed, I took some Advil with lunch, and my hip/leg feels somewhat better now. I can't take anything for pain past today since the surgery is next week. I don't want to be miserable (I'm not a masochist), but being in pain today did make me pause and think, "Yeah, THIS is why I am having this done."
It's weird, because at times I find myself feeling melancholy about losing a part of me - having something removed. At other times, I am mentally packing its bags and opening the door. Has anyone else felt those tugs?
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Sommers16
senior
JulieJF
senior
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Yes! I remember this. I still feel strange about having discarded a part of me that I was born with, and there was a sense of loss that I had about giving up a real piece of myself forever. I mean, it's not a metaphor...you lose a part. And I still catch myself in awe a year later thinking, "Wow, I have an artificial part!" But I don't miss it now and you'll be glad you packed its bags, too.
I also remember that feeling that this got real when I walked out with the bag containing the soap, enema, and hip manual. I'm pretty sure I avoided looking at it for the week leading up to surgery and had such dread when I had to commit to those actions which took me inexorably to the hospital. What you're feeling is normal in this home stretch. One week to go, right? You won't regret it!
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Sommers16
senior
@JulieJF - thank you! I appreciate your feedback. Yes, one week to go.
@Nana2-8 - These items are included with your crown and tickets to the petting zoo. Ha Ha Seriously, I got some soap and paperwork. I didn't get said enema or instructional manual. I guess every place has different protocols. (?)
@Nana2-8 - These items are included with your crown and tickets to the petting zoo. Ha Ha Seriously, I got some soap and paperwork. I didn't get said enema or instructional manual. I guess every place has different protocols. (?)
alexthecat
Former BoneSmart staff member
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I've had a lot of surgeries and never had an enema. It's amazing how many different protocols different surgeons have.
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