Nervous but happy!

[Janab1028]

Hello all. Wanted to introduce myself. My surgery is next Wednesday, the 21st of June. I am nervous but so ready to get this done. I am having the anterior approach and love everything I am reading about it. I have learned a lot today reading everyone's posts, both pre-op and post-op. I am retired military, so I have learned to "Embrace the Suck". Everyone keep their fingers crossed for me!

 

[dougie0216]

@Janab1028 Welcome! Hopefully you won't have to embrace the suck too much, but best to prepare oneself in case there is suckage involved.

I've had both hips done. During my LTHR, evidently they attached someone else's leg to my body. Oh man! I got lucky on the RTHR. Sounds like you have a good attitude which is the most important thing.

We're all here for you. Good luck!
Doug

 

[Gone again]

@Janab1028 I'm going in on Monday also anterior and can't wait. This forum is awesome and I've been reading everyones everything so I doubt there will be any really big surprises for me.I'll post my progress.
Good luck

 

[susan12369]

Good luck!! I'm going in on Tuesday for left THR (had my right THR on 5/9/17)


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Irish Joe]

Welcome to Bonesmart Janab.
Stay here and read up.
Two hips done last year.
Great outcome.
Roll on 21st and 'bye bye hip pain'.
Joe......

 

[Josephine]

Well, here's some preparatory reading for you, though I can't promise you won't be given it again in the 'other side'!

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
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 http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/

Activity progression for THRs​

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.

 

[kayak59]

Thanks for your service @Janab1028 from a fellow veteran and hip replacement veteran. You will be so happy once you are on the other side.

 

[Janab1028]

Thank you all. Spent the day doing a few things around the house getting ready for Wednesday. Takes me twice as long to do anything I used to do. I think I might have overdone it today though, taking awhile for the pain meds to work. Had to get out of bed to come sit in the recliner. Cannot wait to be done with this surgery and be on the other side!

 

[Irish Joe]

Sometimes the pain meds just don't hit the spot no matter what you take.
Roll on Wednesday and a new start.
Joe...

 

[Janab1028]

Okay kids, I'm having a hard time getting through work today. Not so much because pain but the anticipation of the surgery is wearing on me. (Plus, I don't have that much to do today.....) 2 more wake ups and I will be on the other side. At least tomorrow we are having a cookout to celebrate my surgery! LOL! I think my co-workers are tired of seeing me limp around too. I have a feeling these will be 2 long days! Thanks for letting me vent. Hope everyone is doing well today, as well as can be expected.

 

[kayak59]

Hey @Janab1028 Know what you are going through! Get ready for the panic attack the night before!

I had foot surgery while in the service and wore black tennis shoes for months. I heard later that some of the new kids were asking why that officer always wears tennis shoes! lol

 

[Jaycey]

Pre-op nerves are totally normal. Keep busy, keep posting here and please don't worry. Your surgeon and their team do this every day - several times per day. Let the experts do their day job and enjoy the benefits of this amazing surgery.

 

[confused newb]

I was pretty useless at work in the week or two leading up to my surgery... couldn't focus on anything at all, my mind was so preoccupied with the impending surgery.
Hopefully you won't have to worry about 'the suck' too much post op. I found that I had muscle pain after surgery, but that it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting that it would be. In my experience, you will feel better pretty much every day, and will pretty quickly forget the bad parts of recovery, and just enjoy being pain free again.

 

[Janab1028]

Okay all, work day is almost done. My frenzy is about to begin. Of course it is raining just about the time to go home. Have to run to the post office to mail a package to a former co-worker who is deployed because I know I won't be able to go for a while after. Hopefully my next post will be over on the recovery side. Thank you all for talking me off the wall a couple of times. See you all on the other side!!!!!!!!!

 

[Irish Joe]

Best Wishes tomorrow.
I'll be watching out on the post op side.
Leave things in the hands of professionals who do this every day.
'Bye Bye Hip Pain'.
Joe......