THR My recovery thread: day 4 nausea and dizziness

[Tuppence71]

I went in to surgery for my THR (left, posterior) at about 10.30 this morning. It’s now 6.45pm here in Yorkshire, England.

I had a spinal block and a little bit of sedation, though I was conscious throughout and chatting with the anaesthetist. The block has been slow to wear off, so the physios had gone home before I had any real feeling in my legs, so I have been in bed all day. I feel fine though, and can now waggle my toes, raise both legs, bend at the knees, slide out laterally, so I’m moving about as much as I can, in bed. (Within reason, obviously). I have wraps on my lower leg that are inflating and deflating to keep the blood moving, and that feels quite nice.

So far I have had no pain, although they clearly think it is coming, as they just gave me some precautionary tablets. I’m sure the wound pain will hit as it heals, but so far it seems as if the awful joint pain that has been my constant companion for years has gone.

I have drunk lots of water, and many cups of tea, as well as eating two light meals - so my main concern now is what will happen when I need a wee. And whether I will sleep tonight, having lolled about all day.

So far so good. I hope this can provide some encouragement to someone anticipating their operation: the day itself - for me at least - has posed no problems at all.

EDIT: Just remembered - I got REALLY itchy about an hour after getting back to my room, which apparently is a side event of the drugs they give you during the operation. An anti-histamine cleared it up, but I stupidly waited ages to ask.

 

[cold_brew]

The spinal block is no joke. Things will be different when it wears off! But you got this, hopefully all uphill after the first few days!

 

[Layla]

Welcome to BoneSmart. Thanks for joining us and congrats on your new hip!
It sounds like you're off to a nice start. I hope you'll stop back often to share your healing journey with us. We'd love to follow your progress and support you along the way. Wishing you all the best!

HIP RECOVERY GUIDELINES

As you begin healing, please keep in mind that each recovery is unique. While the BoneSmart philosophy successfully works for many, there will be exceptions. Between the recommendations found here, your surgeon's recovery protocol and any physical therapy you may engage in, the key is to find what works best for you.

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary.

2. Control discomfort:

rest​

elevate​

ice​

take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for THRs​

The recovery articles
Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[Boofit]

I had a spinal block and a little bit of sedation, though I was conscious throughout and chatting with the anaesthetist.

Wow! You were conscious when they were dislocating and doing all that sawing and reaming! I would have fainted!

I had the wraps as well, and they did feel good and comforting! Less worry about blood clots...

You seem to be doing very well, no log leg too! I think your recovery will be speedy! Just take care not to overdo it

 

[BellaMac]

Welcome, and congratulations on your new hip. Looking forward to your future posts.

 

[Tuppence71]

Back again - early morning, first day post-op. I’m going to post quite regularly, as I want a record for myself, and something to refer back to if people ask me for advice in the future.

Pain still totally manageable - I had my 6am tablets, and I think we are ahead of the curve right now. Feeling pretty good, despite getting next to no sleep. Numerous reasons:

• I had been in bed most of the day, but wasn’t at all drowsy due to having the spinal block as opposed to a general.
• The inflating/deflating wraps around my lower legs buzzed and beeped constantly. I should have brought some proper noise-cancelling ear plugs with me, as the hospital-provided ones didn’t really help.
• Trying to sleep on my back in a narrow bed.
• And - the biggest culprit - my bladder being out of sorts after the sedation and not properly emptying (TMI, sorry), so I was having to buzz for a nurse every hour to watch me on and off the commode for an unsatisfactory wee. Things seem a bit better this morning though, so hopefully within a couple of days I’ll be weeing - if not walking - normally.

This morning the care assistants are coming to help me wash and dress in proper clothes - goodbye nasty surgical gown! And then I have my first physio session. So it feels like I will be making some progress. Thanks to you all for being here.

 

[Tuppence71]

Wow! You were conscious when they were dislocating and doing all that sawing and reaming! I would have fainted!

I never imagined for a minute I would cope - I was sure I would ask for more sedation. (Or my heart rate would shoot up and they would knock me out). But whatever they gave me made me super-relaxed - I could hear the sawing etc, and feel some pressure, but never felt remotely alarmed by it. It was rather nice being so totally chilled after worrying about the operation for days.

 

[Ocean]

It sounds like you are doing so well, I hope you improve even more today.

 

[myglasshalffull]

So far so good, congrats on the new hip and keep us posted.

 

[Eman85]

The continuous walks to the bathroom is very common. I drove the night nurse crazy taking those inflating booties on and off all night long when I had to go. Between the IV and all of the water I drank the bathroom trips continued for days even at home.
Staying ahead of the pain is good, being comfortable the first weeks helps a lot with recovery as the first 2 weeks are usually the worst of it.

 

[Tuppence71]

So, my first full day with my new hip is drawing to a close. I spent a lot of time feeling quite grotty and nauseous as the effects of the sedation wore off and I started taking more oral pain relief. But after two sessions with the physio I can walk comfortably with crutches, and go up and down stairs without a problem, so I have been cleared to go home tomorrow.

And the best news is I’m allowed to have a shower this evening!

One thing that is annoying me though is that my room in the hospital has three chairs - none of which I can sit in without bending my hip more than 90 degrees - which I’m not allowed to do. I know I can raise the seat with a pillow, but it’s not very comfy - and surely it should be standard practice to provide hip replacement patients with safe and comfortable furniture? Grrr.

 

[Jaycey]

@Tuppence71 Ask PT about the chairs. I doubt they will make you violate the 90 degree rule. But perhaps you need to confirm with PT how far you can bend.

 

[cold_brew]

It’s the getting up and down from the chair that’s tricky if you are avoiding bending past 90deg. Definitely get some PT tips on the safest way to do it.

Plus you’re not going to want to sit bolt upright in chairs much anyway, at least for me that’s still not great for long periods at 9 weeks (but slowly getting better)

 

[Tuppence71]

@Tuppence71 Ask PT about the chairs. I doubt they will make you violate the 90 degree rule. But perhaps you need to confirm with PT how far you can bend.

They’ve been emphatic about the 90 degree rule - it is absolutely the most important precaution for me to take. I’ve bought some booster cushions for the sofas at home, but the physio here just suggested stacking pillows on the chairs for as long as I’m in hospital.

 

[Tuppence71]

It’s the getting up and down from the chair that’s tricky if you are avoiding bending past 90deg. Definitely get some PT tips on the safest way to do it.

You’re right - I haven’t found an elegant or comfortable way to descend into a chair so far. At the moment I grab onto the armrests and try to lower myself in with my weight distributed across my arms and right leg, and my left leg sort of stretched out in front of me. But it is not terribly satisfactory, and there is quite a lot of grunting! I can’t believe I spent fifty years simply taking the ability to sit down into a chair for granted, without realising what a tricky business it is.

 

[Eman85]

Sounds like you're working on the best way into and out of a chair using the arms and with the one leg extended. That makes the commode lots of fun too! One trick with the commode was using my hand between my legs to find the seat and to ease down or stand up. A chair with good sturdy arms is best. We had some cheap plastic patio chairs that have arms and they worked great with a cushion in them.

 

[Tuppence71]

Day three and I have woken up after a slightly better night incredibly stiff and sore. My poor hip is enormous - I can’t see me getting into a pair of jeans much before Halloween at this rate! I suppose it is to be expected that the inflammation and immobility will get worse before it gets better, and I have a hip icing sleeve waiting for me at home when I get there later today. Hopefully things will ease a bit when my painkillers kick in, and I can move around a bit…..

 

[myglasshalffull]

I couldn't sit on my couch in living room until very recently, extremely soft and you kind of get swallowed up by it and getting up from it was just too difficult so I brought in a chair from dining room to put in front of TV, but in the early days I could not sit for long anyway. My couch downstairs I resorted to and watched TV down there some days but my early days were mostly laying on my bed watching my laptop.
I didn't find hospital chairs to be difficult to get in and out of, I would get up and eat my meals in the chair, they had arms to lower myself and I'd use the arms to get up as well. I'm surprised the chairs in your hospital so low, and pillows to sit on made me feel uneven.
Bathroom is so much fun in the early days, I hated the raised toilet seat even though it was necessary. We remodeled our bathroom 3 years ago with walk in shower with seat and bars and at that time wanted to get higher toilet but the one we had was just fine so opted to save a few dollars, but boy wish I had bought the new toilet once I returned home. I think I used raised toilet seat for about a month but you know I really don't remember now.
Safe travels home and keep us updated.

 

[Zoebichon]

@Tuppence71. Can I just say that I love your cozy lounge wear. It looks like soft, light sweater material.

 

[DK63]

Ee up Tuppence from a suvern softee. You appear to be doing very nicely . There does not seem to be a very nice or elegant way of sitting down, standing up, laying down, going to the bathroom....just pick one that's safe and not breaking any rules. They all seem to end the same way, exactly as you said, with a grunt....expelling air to indicate you have succeeded. Then straight up again as you have definitely forgotten something. Recovery can be a long old do patience definitely the key. My thigh today is enormous as well, though thankfully this time, no stockings. As Yorkshire ex prime minister used to say, Freddie Truman, "I'll sithee". Hope the weather is good in The Republic of Yorkshire.