THR May 9th

[Hello Hipsters]

To introduce- I am in disbelief I actually mustered enough courage to sign up for surgery! The pain is so limiting, though. I am most looking forward to not wobble when I walk!!)

 

[Jaycey]

@Hello Hipsters Welcome to BoneSmart! Which hip is being replaced. We will make a signature for you.

Meanwhile here is a bit of information to help you prepare for recovery:
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?

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

 

[Hello Hipsters]

Thank you for the information!!) It is my left hip- I’m looking forward to reading the recovery stories. I’m also looking forward to returning to work ASAP- so hearing about life on the other side of this is encouraging.

 

[Eman85]

I’m also looking forward to returning to work ASAP- so hearing about life on the other side of this is encouraging.

Read the guidelines and a lot of recovery threads. The best approach is slow and steady.

 

[djklaugh]

@Hello Hipsters Welcome to BoneSmart! Please be aware that having a hip replaced is major surgery! It is recommended that you allow up to 12 weeks before returning to work .... especially if you have a physically demanding job. If you mostly do computer or desk work you might be able to return to work sooner particularly if you can work from home. Do talk to your manager and/or HR department and see if a phased return to work plan can be arranged. Your "ASAP" needs to be carefully considered and your health and recuperation needs to be the primary concern.

Healing from a major surgery of any kind takes a lot of energy and time. Not only will your incision need to heal, but also there is a lot of internal healing that needs to take place. Your leg is going to be sore and swollen for a while. All the muscles and tendons in your leg (and probably in your back too) are going to need gentle retraining to get use to having a different way of moving ... and getting back to working the way they are supposed to. You are going to feel fatigued for quite a while too. And as Eman85 said above taking things slow and steady is the best way to proceed.

 

[Hip4life]

We don't mean to be "Debbie-downers" about the return to work. We're just trying to keep your expectations real. No one knows how they're going to react to major surgery or how their body will recover from it. However, many of us got the idea that in 6-8 weeks all would be healed and we'd be back to normal life. The complete healing from THR can take up to a year or more. Yes, you will be functional fairly soon after but those soft tissues take more time and the energy drain associated with healing should not be underestimated. I fell into this trap and had to re-negotiate with my boss 3 times to extend my off-work time. That was not a fun position to be in. I wish I had just started with the full 12 weeks. If you have an uncomplicated and smooth recovery and can return sooner, hopefully, in a phased return, then that will be a win-win all around. Sometimes we don't have much of a choice but if you do, it's worth some due diligence to see what your options are now.

 

[Uk Hippie]

THR scheduled May 9th

Hi there! I'm new as well, 10th May for me! How are you doing?

 

[Jockette]

@Uk Hippie Best wishes on your upcoming surgery!

I‘ve moved your post above out of the Monthly team thread as we reserve that thread for surgery date information, and so members can see who else has surgery the same month. We prefer all other comments and discussion to take place in a pre op or recovery thread, such as this one. Enjoy interacting with others who are on the same journey, here in a thread like this one.

 

[Hello Hipsters]

I am having some really panicky moments thinking about the morning of surgery. I am also wavering between feeling depressed and in the next moment- grateful there is an option of surgery to relieve the pain. This is a real roller coaster ride! How are you hanging in there?

 

[djklaugh]

@Hello Hipsters Oh those "it's almost time" anxieties! Been there, done that. You will get a call from the hospital probably the day before surgery telling you what time to report. Depending on your surgeon's schedule that could be very early ... or mid morning. If it is planned that you have "day surgery" then you don't need to pack much. Just follow instructions completely! No food or water after a particular time!!! Wear loose clothing of the easy on/easy off variety. Leave your purse and any/all jewelry with your support person.

Once you check in the pre op nurse will guide you through every thing and if your anxiety is still high they can give you a tranquilizer to help. Don't be alarmed when they write on your leg(s) with a marker pen .... this is standard for every hospital I've ever heard of .... and done to make sure the correct hip is the one getting the surgery. LOL my pre op nurse got a bit of a shock when I answered her "Which hip are we doing today?" with "Both". And my shoulders got marked with each of my shoulder replacements .... and my eyes got marked when I recently had cataract surgeries! Like I said ... standard procedure!

If you wear glasses or need hearing aids tell the nurse to make sure those go with you and that you will need them when you come out of anesthesia. They are very good about making sure that kind of request is followed.

Your hip might be really painful now .... or could be being tricksy and feeling "much better" and making you question this decision. Do not pay attention to the "much better" - that really is a trick! One thing I found helpful was the night before my hip surgery I did a bit of meditation or internal dialogue. Said good bye to the old hips, remembered some fun times when hips were strong and healthy, commiserated with their pain and dysfunction, and thanked them for their service.

You will get through this and we will all welcome you to the recovery side!

 

[Gloucestergal65]

@Hello Hipsters - In my experience the roller coaster came and went for a while and wasn’t something I was at all prepared for. I also had the being ‘much better’ feeling in the weeks beforehand which made me question my decision, completely overlooking the ‘getting worse’ over the previous two to three years. At nearly five months I’m not perfect but I’m also not in pain any more. Good luck with the surgery.

 

[Uk Hippie]

THR scheduled May 9th

Hi there! I'm new as well, 10th May for me! How are you doing?

Oooo...we must stay in touch and compare. Do you know whether you're anterior or posterior etc?

 

[Uk Hippie]

I am having some really panicky moments thinking about the morning of surgery. I am also wavering between feeling depressed and in the next moment- grateful there is an option of surgery to relieve the pain. This is a real roller coaster ride! How are you hanging in there?

Same for me. I keep swinging between....is this right letting them do this? And.....I cant get up the stairs, or walk a distance anymore at 56 and they all sat this will fix me

 

[Hello Hipsters]

THR scheduled May 9th

Hi there! I'm new as well, 10th May for me! How are you doing?

Oooo...we must stay in touch and compare. Do you know whether you're anterior or posterior etc?

 

[Hello Hipsters]

THR scheduled May 9th

Hi there! I'm new as well, 10th May for me! How are you doing?

Oooo...we must stay in touch and compare. Do you know whether you're anterior or posterior etc?

It’s posterior for me. I would like to keep in touch. It is so very helpful to know we are not alone! I was told by a Physical Therapist friend of mine that she was hoping for the anterior route because of a quicker recovery- so when I found out my chosen route was posterior- I started overthinking everything. I’ve resigned to - this is what his experience is and I will have to let go to what his training and what he feels is best. There’s a lot of letting go to do! Will you have help through your recovery?

 

[Uk Hippie]

THR scheduled May 9th

Hi there! I'm new as well, 10th May for me! How are you doing?

Oooo...we must stay in touch and compare. Do you know whether you're anterior or posterior etc?

It’s posterior for me. I would like to keep in touch. It is so very helpful to know we are not alone! I was told by a Physical Therapist friend of mine that she was hoping for the anterior route because of a quicker recovery- so when I found out my chosen route was posterior- I started overthinking everything. I’ve resigned to - this is what his experience is and I will have to let go to what his training and what he feels is best. There’s a lot of letting go to do! Will you have help through your recovery?

Excellent! I asked my OS about anterior but he said posterior it is too. I dont think theirs choice with NHS but then again....if i was getting on a plane to fly somewhere Id probably trust the pilot to work out the journey/route/ altitudes etc, as that's what they do. Regarding PT, I've been told I'll be seen by a physio before leaving and given excercises. There's also a class to go to if you opt in to it, which I plan to do. I have a DH at home around for a few weeks. I guess, as the operation is inevitable as its getting nearer, recovery afterwards is the biggest worry. How about you? Where abouts are you? Will you have help?

 

[Caison113]

@Hello Hipsters - ”owner” of two mini-posterior surgeries here (1.5 years out from first, 3 months from second) and I’ve had absolutely no issues apart from usual recovery issues. Back to all my regular activities (albeit in stages) and all pain gone. The distinction between approaches is overblown in my opinion. Most posteriors today are minimally invasive compared to 10 years ago. Yes, you have some restrictions for the first couple of months, but really are you planning on doing yoga 7 weeks out from surgery? Anterior has its own issues with nerve impingement which can result in temporary to permanent numbness or pain.

At present, there is no magic approach that is without risks. If you trust your surgeon, then don’t worry too much about all the ”what-ifs”. These surgeries are done every day and are well understood. The minor differences between the approaches are only relevant for the first three months at most. Long-term there is no literature that shows any advantage to the different approach. Good luck!

 

[Hello Hipsters]

THR scheduled May 9th

Hi there! I'm new as well, 10th May for me! How are you doing?

Oooo...we must stay in touch and compare. Do you know whether you're anterior or posterior etc?

It’s posterior for me. I would like to keep in touch. It is so very helpful to know we are not alone! I was told by a Physical Therapist friend of mine that she was hoping for the anterior route because of a quicker recovery- so when I found out my chosen route was posterior- I started overthinking everything. I’ve resigned to - this is what his experience is and I will have to let go to what his training and what he feels is best. There’s a lot of letting go to do! Will you have help through your recovery?

Excellent! I asked my OS about anterior but he said posterior it is too. I dont think theirs choice with NHS but then again....if i was getting on a plane to fly somewhere Id probably trust the pilot to work out the journey/route/ altitudes etc, as that's what they do. Regarding PT, I've been told I'll be seen by a physio before leaving and given excercises. There's also a class to go to if you opt in to it, which I plan to do. I have a DH at home around for a few weeks. I guess, as the operation is inevitable as its getting nearer, recovery afterwards is the biggest worry. How about you? Where abouts are you? Will you have help?

I am nearby Cleveland, Ohio in the U.S. I will have my DH home for a bit but I also have my 3 kids all at home to “help.” They are assigning each other laundry days and other chores- so at very least - it’s somewhat of an experiment to see how they get along with each other and without me. The eldest is 23- she just finished her college degree and is adjusting to being back home. The middle child/adult (21) is at a local college - lives at home and will be in the middle of finals. The youngest is 17 and will be mostly at high school and his after school sports. The doctor said I will most likely go home the same day and the a therapist will come to the home 2 times a week for a few weeks. I try to keep active with a you tube UK based trainer - Lucy Wyndham Reed. But I have fallen out of condition for sure. I think my anxiety is still focused mostly on the procedure itself and then my #2 concern would be - when can I return to a functional life and work. My job technically only allows 45 days before my position could be posted. Fingers crossed all goes well. Are you by chance familiar with the you tube channel I mentioned?

 

[Uk Hippie]

THR scheduled May 9th

Hi there! I'm new as well, 10th May for me! How are you doing?

Oooo...we must stay in touch and compare. Do you know whether you're anterior or posterior etc?

It’s posterior for me. I would like to keep in touch. It is so very helpful to know we are not alone! I was told by a Physical Therapist friend of mine that she was hoping for the anterior route because of a quicker recovery- so when I found out my chosen route was posterior- I started overthinking everything. I’ve resigned to - this is what his experience is and I will have to let go to what his training and what he feels is best. There’s a lot of letting go to do! Will you have help through your recovery?

Excellent! I asked my OS about anterior but he said posterior it is too. I dont think theirs choice with NHS but then again....if i was getting on a plane to fly somewhere Id probably trust the pilot to work out the journey/route/ altitudes etc, as that's what they do. Regarding PT, I've been told I'll be seen by a physio before leaving and given excercises. There's also a class to go to if you opt in to it, which I plan to do. I have a DH at home around for a few weeks. I guess, as the operation is inevitable as its getting nearer, recovery afterwards is the biggest worry. How about you? Where abouts are you? Will you have help?

I am nearby Cleveland, Ohio in the U.S. I will have my DH home for a bit but I also have my 3 kids all at home to “help.” They are assigning each other laundry days and other chores- so at very least - it’s somewhat of an experiment to see how they get along with each other and without me. The eldest is 23- she just finished her college degree and is adjusting to being back home. The middle child/adult (21) is at a local college - lives at home and will be in the middle of finals. The youngest is 17 and will be mostly at high school and his after school sports. The doctor said I will most likely go home the same day and the a therapist will come to the home 2 times a week for a few weeks. I try to keep active with a you tube UK based trainer - Lucy Wyndham Reed. But I have fallen out of condition for sure. I think my anxiety is still focused mostly on the procedure itself and then my #2 concern would be - when can I return to a functional life and work. My job technically only allows 45 days before my position could be posted. Fingers crossed all goes well. Are you by chance familiar with the you tube channel I mentioned?

Sounds like you will be . I googled the you tube excercises, I've not heard of that one. I've been going to a local Aqua aerobics class which I've found good, excercise/movement but with a lot less impact. Over here I will be given some physio excercises to do at home, and then I think theres a weekly class after a while. I'll cross that bridge after op!

 

[InkedMarie]

@Hello Hipsters can you take Family Medical Leave Act to protect your job?

Marie