THR It’s the hip’s turn

[JusticeRider]

Well, I have a date for my left hip replacement. I’ll be having it done at OPA Orthopedics on September 23rd. I’m looking forward to getting it over with and also a little bit terrified.

My 4 previous orthopedic surgery recoveries have been longer and more difficult than expected, so this time I am preparing for that and mentally setting an expectation that this will be a long haul. I’m not being cynical, just realistic. I think mentally it will be a lot healthier for me to approach it this way.

I have an autoimmune disorder, Ehlers Danlos and POTS, which were not diagnosed until after my last surgery but which explain a LOT about previous recoveries. Hopefully this knowledge will help taylor both my surgery and aftercare more appropriately. And maybe I will be pleasantly surprised with an easier recovery after all. But I’m keeping my expectations measured. I have a lot of added challenges I will have to negotiate.

During my PKR, this forum really saved me, so I’m very happy to be part of it for this hip journey as well. The knee has been wonderful the last few years, so now it’s the hip’s turn to heal.

 

[Layla]

Hi Justice Rider,
It's nice to see you here again offering support as you have in the past. Thanks for joining us as an Insider!
I am sorry you need to have your hip replaced and understand your apprehension. I believe we all do.
Hopefully in light of the the diagnoses you received your team will be able to personalize a recovery protocol to suit you best following your upcoming surgery. Thankfully your knee is doing well! I hope the same for your hip. An easy and uneventful recovery. I will leave our Hip Pre-Op information below for you.
Wishing you comfort over the next three weeks. Take care!
@JusticeRider

 

[Layla]

HIP PRE-OP GUIDELINES

If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:

Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic hip?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:

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?
Check out -> The BoneSmart Recovery Shop for commonly used products.

Nutrition is of paramount importance. Available here are dietary tips, nutrition basics and additional food supplements. These articles are both general advice on food and specific guidelines aimed at people both pre- and post-surgery.

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at stories of amazing hip recoveries

 

[EalingGran]

have an autoimmune disorder, Ehlers Danlos and POTS, which were not diagnosed until after my last surgery but which explain a LOT about previous recoveries. Hopefully this knowledge will help taylor both my surgery and aftercare more appropriately. And maybe I will be pleasantly surprised with an easier recovery after all

Welcome back!
I don’t tend to look much on the hip side, but will keep an eye out for your posts.
I agree it is best to be realistic, given your issues. Hopefully though it will be easier. The hip is a much less complex joint than the knee, and everyone from surgeons to patients seems to agree that the recovery is generally more straightforward than TKRs or PKRs.
I have a friend, with a lot of comorbid health issues, who has just made a great recovery from a hip replacement. Even my brother-in-law, who is very frail with dementia- has made a good physical recovery from hip surgery, after fracturing the neck of his femur. Remarkably he is walking despite being completely unable to participate in physio. So that supports the idea that you really don't need much actual physio for hips.
I am interested in hip recovery as I was told that I would need a hip replacement at some point in the not too distant future, based on my X rays/ MRI. Currently still functioning well with no real pain, although hip is definitely clicking more.
So I will be following your journey. Good luck and fingers crossed!

 

[JusticeRider]

Hey @EalingGran or other staff, I’m deciding rather last minute that maybe I should order the Lounge Dr.
Any idea what shipping times are usually like? Also, how do we use our Insiders discount?
Thanks!

 

[Legseleven]

Any idea what shipping times are usually like? Also, how do we use our Insiders discount?

As I live in the Uk I’m sorry I don’t currently know the answer to this, however I’ve flagged it up to our behind the scenes team and hopefully you’ll get an answer very soon.
Lounge Doctors are brilliant, I have the nearest alternative I could find as they don’t ship to the UK. Shipping in the US is fine, and someone will be along soon.

 

[JusticeRider]

@Legseleven , wonderful, thanks for your speedy reply!

 

[EalingGran]

Sorry- like @Legseleven I can't really help as in UK. I just used a pillow stack. I am not sure with my back issues whether I could have tolerated a fixed elevation like the Lounge Doctor. It is very personal but I know a lot of people here love it.
How's it going? I hope the pain isn't too bad currently?

 

[JusticeRider]

Hi @EalingGran nice to hear from you! I previously used a pillow stack as well. I was looking at everything today and realized that I don’t have all the same pillows I did a few years ago. The ones I have now don’t seem like they would work as well. They are too small and fat and fluffy. I used to have some bigger, flatter ones. Clearly I was not thinking of leg elevating when I chose these ones. I just thought they were pretty! Ha!

Still dealing with daily hip pain, though it ebbs and flows in severity. Not too bad at the moment. Mornings and evenings seem to be the worst, so I’m still in that nice afternoon sweet spot right now. One more week till my surgery. I just want to get it over with and get healed!

 

[Jamie]

The Lounge Doctor is favored by many of our members….me included as I bought one for use with my hip replacement. It isn’t cheap, but I’ve actually used it a number of times when watching television after recovery as a way to improve circulation. It’s comfortable and doesn’t shift around even when sleeping. If you decide to get one, opt for the double size as you’ll find it more comfortable to elevate both legs at the same time when you use it.

Since you’re already a member of the Insiders Club, it’s easy to get the BoneSmart discount. We now provide the Lounge Doctor through our BoneSmart Recovery Shop. You can click on the shop’s advertisement located on the top of each page (on a desktop or tablet) or scroll down on a phone to find it. Or….you can just click on your username/avatar at the top of the page and then select DISCOUNTS from the drop down menu. You’ll see not only the discount code for the BoneSmart Recovery Shop, but also other available discounts through our partners for items that have the BoneSmart seal of approval for quality and performance. If you access our partners in this way, you can click on a link that will take you directly to each vendor’s website so you can browse the items offered. The code and discount level are also shown on the drop down screen with the available discounts.

Let us know if you have any difficulty accessing or using this information. There are a number of helpful items available and the savings is one of the best perks for Insiders Club membership.

 

[JusticeRider]

Thank you @Jamie! Do you think it would ship within one week?

 

[Layla]

Stopping by to say and wish you comfort for the few days ahead until your surgery. I hope you receive your Lounge Doctor soon. I still use mine sometimes 9 years post op while watching tv or reading. The big old hunk of foam was a worthwhile investment, lol. I'm guessing you'll love yours also. Happy Saturday, JR!
@JusticeRider

 

[AllNat]

Hello, @JusticeRider , my fellow September Sapphire! I can confirm that the Lounge Doctor is wonderful! I first purchased the inflatable version back in April, after I found that my makeshift pillow wedge was not helping to reduce the swelling and was giving me grief when I tried to sleep. I chose the inflatable version (1) because it was cheaper and (2) because it was a bit wider (21") than the 18" foam model; I didn't want to risk spending a lot of money on something that might not solve my sleeping issues, and I was worried that the 18" foam version would not permit me to fit both legs on it.

From the first day the LD arrived, I was able to sleep better and could see a difference in my swollen ankle. I am a side sleeper by nature, so I found the Lounge Doctor especially helpful to make sleeping on my back more comfortable. I was initially worried that its elevation would cause a pins-and-needles feeling in my legs, but it's perfectly structured not to do that. Amazing!

After a long day on his feet, my husband also finds it very comfortable to use when he's lying on the sofa while we watch TV. I think because of our near-constant usage, it eventually sprang a leak. As the date of my 2nd THR approached, I decided to replace the leaky LD with a foam version, now that I knew how well it worked. I opted for the 18" model because I now knew that both of my legs would fit on it (I'm 5'7" tall, 205 lbs) and because the 24" model would be too wide to use on our sofa. Having the LD in place from Day 1 of my 2nd THR has made a huge difference in my sleep quality.

One tip that I would give you is that a leg lifter is great to have to get your operated leg onto and off the LD in the early post-op days (when it's feeling more like a log than a leg).

Good luck with your surgery! A THR is life-changing!

 

[Jamie]

Sorry I’m just now seeing this and I hope that you went ahead to order the Lounge Doctor. If not, please do consider it. Even if it arrives after your return home date, it can be very beneficial for you, as these posts above have indicated. We get very few complaints about the Lounge Doctor….and those mostly bemoan its cost over other elevation devices. But that old adage is sometimes true - you get what you pay for. Its patented scientific design for different leg lengths are the key to its effectiveness. Our members back that up with their positive comments.

 

[JusticeRider]

Hi all, thanks for the replies. I went ahead and ordered a cheaper knockoff from Amazon because I was anxious it wouldn’t arrive in time. We’ll see how it goes, and if it isn’t working for me, I’ll order the LD and replace it with that.

My anxiety is sky high…I was already nervous about the surgery and now my horse is sick with a serious neurological problem, with a poor prognosis. He is my everything and I can’t believe this is happening. My nerves are shot. I considered postponing the surgery but my husband convinced me to just go ahead and get it over with.

The crisis began on Wednesday, one week before my THR is scheduled. I do think he may be improving though, scared as I am to hope! Maybe we can heal at the same time

 

[EalingGran]

I am so sorry to hear about your horse. I do hope you are right that he is improving. Please don't let it delay your surgery. Your husband is right- you should plough on and get it done. Thinking of you and wishing you all the best.

 

[Layla]

Aww Big hugs, JR. I am so sorry about your horse and hope he actually is improving.
As you've read many times, hips are most often easier to recover from than knees. Look forward to that.
I do believe it's wise to go on with the scheduled surgery, rather than postponing until who knows when, while continuing to live with pain and limited mobility. As you suggested via emoji, prayers that you and your beloved horse are able to heal together. I heard a great saying in church this morning. "Master the art of talking to yourself, rather than listening to yourself". Good one, at least I thought so. It's so easy to fill our mind with anxious thoughts, most of which never come to fruition. I hope you're able to speak / think positive thoughts over the next few days and life begins to slowly and happily fall back into place for you. I am lifting you in prayer for comfort and peace of mind with this final keystroke.
@JusticeRider

 

[JusticeRider]

@EalingGran and @Layla Thank you so much for your encouraging words. This has been a tough few days for sure. I have been pretty emotional! I have written on my knee thread a little bit about my horse, Justice. I was a teenager when he was born. I was the first person he saw in this world and he has been with me ever since. So he is my family in every sense of the word, not to mention my best friend and partner in so many adventures. So it’s hit me hard to come so close to losing him. And then to have this crisis come up in the week before my surgery…

But! You will never believe what my husband saw today and caught on video. My poor beautiful boy who could hardly walk on Wednesday…running! across the pasture! Playing with his friend! I have no words. He may yet beat this. So many people praying for him and I hope they don’t stop

If he continues this way it will give me a huge emotional boost for my surgery on Wednesday and inspiration to be as strong, confident, and optimistic as Justice is.

 

[EalingGran]

Good luck to you both!

 

[Jamie]

The image of your beloved horse running and playing in the pasture really got to me. What a blessing for you as you’re heading into surgery soon. Hang in there and know that we’ll be here every step of the way with you. I’m pretty sure that you’ll agree recovery from a hip replacement is a bit easier than any knee procedure. I’m adding my prayers for both you and Justice in the coming weeks.