THR Living Alone?

brisco06

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Scheduled for left total hip replacement on Aug 25. Supposed to be outpatient with spinal. Nervous. Chickened out last year the day before surgery. It has helped reading through the various posts. Thanks for any encouragement. brisco06
 
Hello and welcome to bonesmart. I am glad you found us. The thought of surgery does cause nervousness and that is perfectly normal. I am glad reading through the posts has helped you. It helped me also with my first joint replacement and then with all the others as they came up. When my nerves surfaced I tried to concentrate on all the things I would be able to do again once my hip was recovered and no more pain. It helped me and it came true.

I am going to give you some information below that we share with those members in the pre operative section. The aid section is especially helpful.
HIP
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?

And 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
 
@brisco06 Glad you joined us! Of course you are nervous. It might help you to discuss what you are worried about here. Those of us who have been down this path before may be able to ease your fears.

We are with you all the way!
 
One of my biggest concerns is the fact that I live alone. I have a brother that can help me out with appointments, first day home etc. but I just hate to be a burden on anyone particularly in the current covid environment. Any "singles" that can offer any recommendations and/or suggestions for recovery? Thanks
 
Hi @brisco06
Welcome to the forum.
Great info and advice hear that guided me during my recovery ..wish I had found Bonesmart sooner pre-op.
We have a recovering member @Pink Peony who started a pre-op thread about her concerns.
Here it is

She is doing well and I have tagged her so perhaps she can give you some other tips.
 
This is also her recovery thread to peruse...she is still recovering but doing very well
 
@brisco06 Many of us were alone for recovery. If you have a friend or neighbour who can look in on you in the early days that's great. I just needed someone in the house within shouting distance when I had a shower during the first week.

You will be fully mobile and able to make your way around the house before you are discharged from the hospital. Just put things like pots and pans or other cookware you might use within reach.

Freeze portion sized meals so you don't need to cook. Have snacks on hand in case you don't want to cook at all.

Our members will be along soon with their tips for coping alone during recovery.
 
Welcome brisco6 and thank you @Mojo333 :)

I had an outpatient surgery with a spinal, and my whole experience has been more positive than I imagined (e.g. very happy post surgery). I feel with all the demographic changes, more people will be addressing surgery as "single", and people on this forum shared their experiences, which helped me to scope out my plan.

Looking back the overall feedback to have a plan in place (e.g. friend on call), if things became more difficult was great advice. In my particular situation, the doctor required someone to stay with me the first 24 hours. I debated about hiring home health care, but that would have been an out of pocket expense. The irony is by day 3, more than anything I just wanted to cocoon and sleep. Between a friend stopping by and in-home PT, I felt a bit more stressed trying to be upbeat and hospitable. With your brother, that might feel more comfortable.

I had a very comfy "nest" where I spent almost 3 weeks, which included a lift recliner (which I never used the lift, but it did recline so that I could sleep in it for the first two nights). By the 3 day, my PT wanted me to sleep in my bed. One little trick is she taught me how to loop my non-surgical leg under my surgical leg to lift it onto my bed. It felt like I healed quickly and getting in and out of bed after the first few nights was straightforward. Back to my "nest" - lift recliner, Ossur ice machine, and my doctor provided batter powered "compression" socks, and with these items, I was as comfortable as possible.

As to food, I stocked up on about 2 weeks of Trader Joe frozen meals that I regularly eat, and a few extras like crackers (which was good the first week with all the medication to calm my stomach). Overall my appetite was lower at first, and I am glad I didn't overbuy food. With local grocery delivery (which I didn't use), I knew that I could order more if necessary.

I also read a lot of the recovery stories on this forum, to get a sense for recovery timelines. That helped me to mentally prepare for my journey.

Sending you healing wishes in advance of your surgery!
 
Hey there :wave:
Wishing you all the best today. Surgery will soon be behind you and you’ll be on your way to regaining strength and feeling whole again. I look forward to following your healing journey on the recovery side. Hope to see you there soon!
@brisco06
 
Best wishes for today and I hope we get to see you on the recovery pages when you are up to posting.
 

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