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THR New here - planning for late June THR

@Beejust I'm no expert, and have not made it through surgery yet so these are only my thoughts of the moment. It truly is a personal decision, and you're likely the best one to make the call, perhaps in consultation with family and your surgeon.

For me, a lot would depend on how much the hip affected life right now, and how much it would hamper participation and enjoyment of what can be a joyful time in the life of a family. I'd also factor in overall health, whether I'm likely to heal slowly or well, and whether the surgeon is likely to clear a flight to and from a wedding. Would you be able to enjoy the festivities more before surgery, or a few weeks post surgery? How does your son and fiancé feel about it?

In my case, the surgeon has been on target in his expectations for the elbow surgery (March 2022), and healing has been ahead of schedule. This gives an optimistic outlook for flying in August. He seems quite confident that we can take precautions against any post-op challenges, and that I'll be ready. That said, it would not be a wedding I'll miss if I have to cancel, so I'm willing to take the chance. (Due to COBRA running out by end of summer, I have time constraints on that end too.)

Best wishes as you sort through the decision, and in your upcoming surgery as well!
 
So -- an update: surgeon's office called back yesterday, and they've suggested a walker may help take some pressure off the hip and relieve stress on elbow as well, since both were quite unhappy with me this Wednesday evening. Waiting now on authorization from insurance, and then next week will begin all the official pre-op stuff that has to happen within 30 days of surgery. I've got an idea time will both crawl and fly by -- oddly enough both at the same time.
 
@NextStep Thank you for your imput, I am walking with a limp, but not in a lot of pain (I can't walk far distances) but the thought of getting on a plane and worrying about dislocation, blot clot, etc. doesn't seem like fun at all. Good luck with your insurance and hoping for the best for you.
 
I’m on day #3 post op. 3rd degree whiplash from a car accident 4 yrs ago and a walker is a valuable tool. I can get around on a cane and do for the bathroom because it’s so hard to get a walker in there and it has to go sideways it didn’t make sense after 1 1/2 days of struggling with it. However short the distance is the walker works better for me to practice walking a bit normally since it’s been a long time for me. I was in terrible pain before surgery and my whiplash does hurt lots can’t wait for a massage ! Yet I would not use anything else except a wheelchair when going out.
I didn’t get to do pre classes because I got a cancellation app. Didn’t have time. One thing I can say advice here is super! Ice !! Grabber … I can’t believe how much I drop!
 
@NextStep What lousy luck to have such a terrible arm injury on top of a failing, cranky hip!
I had a traumatic fracture of my elbow and it was a long time getting it to behave, but now it's a non issue in any way. I hope you get the same results.
The walker should be a big help for you. Just in case you haven't tried it, I found copious amounts of icing helped with the hip pain for me. I even iced when driving places in the car. There were days where I worried that I wasn't in enough pain for surgery, so would stop icing for a day and yep! Still needed the surgery. :ice:
Some other members found that heat worked better for them,, maybe play around with it and see what works for you. I hope it helps.
 
I wouldn't recommend flying at 6 weeks. My surgeon was very strict in telling me ahead of time that I would not be allowed to fly within the first 3 months, because you are at much higher risk of complications like blood clots. Something that I would put off if possible.
 
I'm sort of rethinking some things. How much of recovery is impacted by willingness to rest or take it easier those first weeks? I'd read where some return to sedentary work quite quickly, maybe even after a couple weeks. Is that the outlier, the exception? Those who've been through THR, how long did you take off work or keep schedule flexible enough to rest as needed? Did you really find it necessary to elevate and ice beyond...well, how long?
 
Recovery is impacted by everything you do, it's an odd recovery as you can see by reading posts. Many of us find out the hard way that things don't hurt when you do them but the price comes afterwards. When we did feel that we'd gone too far it's a real big setback. I was off for 3 mos but actually never went back to work, but the 3 mos time period works the best. I iced past 3 mos, if it feels good do it!
 
Given the input here and then reviewing the destination and other details, I've opted to cancel my flight and conference so soon after surgery. Realizing that I'd likely push too hard, perhaps without noticing at the time (or without a good chance to "rest, ice, elevate"), I could pay a price in recovery.

The past few days warning to slow down with the elbow, that it is still healing, has helped inject a dose of reality too. Thanks for your honest caution along the way!
 
@NextStep that is a very wise decision. Good for you for thinking it through.
You would be so annoyed with yourself if you had set yourself back.

You are basically recovering from two traumatic events! Crazy to think about in that fashion but it's true.

As for icing, many of us, myself included continued to ice after activities well into my third or fourth month post op.
 
When I added up all the factors, I realized I'd be dealing with a 3-hour time change, possibly an overnight with minimal sleep that first night, potentially a quarter mile walk or more each way from hotel to sessions with up to a 12% gradient at points in that walk...session length of 2 to 3 hours of mostly sitting...I really had not thought about all of that together with the travel itself. I had focused only on the flight...and connecting with friends!

Would I really go back and forth to hotel to rest for an hour? Hmm. Yep, cancel then made sense. Even if I'd love to go.
 
I am proud of you for thinking it through.
You are correct, it’s never just the flight. Just the motions of getting showered, dressed, etc can be exhausting.
 
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The countdown has begun, surgery is this month! I had a "bone health clinic" appointment where we went over some labs and a bone density scan (I think due to the elbow rather than hip?), and the result was "an offer" or even suggestion to consider medication to minimize bone loss. They said it could even improve the hip replacement, if I had an infusion prior to surgery -- if I get scheduled in very quickly. We'll see if that happens.
Pre-op clearance is scheduled for Friday with my primary provider, then joint class and an appointment with surgeon for X-rays and discussion of surgery next week.
It feels like I'm at the airport, have checked my baggage and am clearing security, heading to the gate. Not quite there yet, and certainly not on board, but I suspect they're somewhere in a back room making sure I'm a trusted traveler, safe to fly on this Hippie flight.
 
I love your analogy -- just as with travel, this process is hurry up and wait. But, a month from now, you will have landed at your destination.

You are almost there now, @NextStep ! Keep the faith.
 
@NextStep I love your analogy but you won't be through security until you've passed the pre-op physical ( just saying). Once that is complete then you can proceed to your departure gate ... and then it's hurry up and wait to make sure the departure time is accurate. And once you "board the plane" (aka get to the hospital) there is still all the pre-flight stuff to get through (hospital gown on, clothing and belongings packed up, Iv started, bazillion questions to answer, etc). If you wear glasses or need hearing aids do ask nurse to please have those available for you in the recovery room after surgery is done. They will make sure of that!

At that point do not be alarmed if nurse approaches you with a marker pen saying "which hip are we replacing today?" Every hospital has their own system of making sure the correct body part is the one operated on. LOL when nurse did that to me she got quite flustered when I told her "both". She had to go check my chart and with a sort of embarrassed smile put her marker away.

Wishing you a snag free stroll through all the pre-flight stuff and a very smooth "flight"!
 
Countdown continues -- less than three weeks now. I've had my lab work, MRSA screening, pre-op visit at my primary's office. Today I saw the surgeon for pre-op X-rays and the requisite visit regarding the hip surgery (plus a follow-up on the elbow, with a good report there). I think the most important questions have been answered. (We're planning on outpatient surgery, posterior approach, X-rays confirmed "it's time, let's do this.") Temporary handicap hang-tag for the car is in hand, and I have a wheeled walker along with other assorted "stuff" for the weeks after surgery.

I guess the kitchen, food prep and making sure the house itself is in order are the main things remaining, since I think I have adequate help lined up for the days after surgery.

So now I deal with the pre-performance jitters, torn between excitement that it's nearly here, and a maddening desire to take off on a vacation to anywhere, perhaps to D'Nile?(Denial - saying it's not so bad after all?) Then I have one of those nights where I wake up every so often in pain, thinking, has it been this bad before? I think it's getting worse. But no, maybe my mind's just playing tricks. :D

Tell me, has anyone else been there as you approached your surgery date? If so, how did you navigate it?
 
I think we've all been there in one way or another.
It seems like lots of us go through the worsening hip pain right before the big day. It's a motivating sort of push, isn't it?

I never had a minute of pre surgery anxiety or jitters, except for the night before when I got nervous that I'd sleep really late and miss the appointment. I don't know why I wasn't nervous...maybe because I was so done with the diminished quality of life issues combined with all good experiences with my healthcare facility and the surgeon's demeanor.

But the months between scheduling and the surgery sort of dragged. To fill the time I did the fall cleaning and exterior maintenance early. The daily driver and my truck got a good going over too. There was no way to get ahead on the yardwork, so that all stayed on the normal routine. I made sure that we were well stocked with the dogs' and horses' food and meds. All the post op aids except the walker came from Amazon and I practiced with them. Especially that shower transfer bench - getting a shower curtain cut to keep the water inside took a little thought.
I didn't do food prep in advance but we stocked up on what we needed for easy to prepare meals that DH could handle. We're rural, so running to the store can take a while; we both wanted to go a week or so before we needed to restock perishables.
A trip to Walmart was good for a couple of pairs of loose activewear pull on pants in a larger size. Same with a pack of sized up undies.
About a month before my date I signed up for OneStep digital pt for some pre hab. That gave me an appropriate workout to look forward to every day.
I like to know the particulars of procedures, so I watched some videos of hip replacement surgeries and anesthesias like spinals. I don't find then scary but they probably aren't a good idea for some people. I asked DH to watch one so he'd have an idea of what my hip/leg was going through, and that turned out to be a good idea - he was shocked.
He was very sympathetic and attentive in the weeks post op!


Best wishes for productive pre op time, a successful surgery, and a smooth recovery.
 
NextStep said:
So now I deal with the pre-performance jitters, torn between excitement that it's nearly here, and a maddening desire to take off on a vacation
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Yep! Been there, done that, got the T-shirt :heehee:

During the weeks leading up to my THR, I vacillated wildly between wanting the surgery RIGHT NOW! and praying for the pain to go away so I didn't need surgery at all. (There were lots of tears, too.) All we can do is keep our minds busy with other things.

Great news about the elbow!
 
NextStep said:
Tell me, has anyone else been there as you approached your surgery date? If so, how did you navigate it?
Click to expand...
For me, honestly, it was prayer that got me through. I was terrified so I’d pray that if surgery wasn’t meant to be, an obvious roadblock would materialize stopping me, then I think I prayed for a roadblock. :heehee:
I was anxious to be rid of the pain, but at the time fear held the reins most often. Waking up post op and the high I felt in realizing surgery was finally behind me can only be compared to the feeling I experienced after the birth of my kids.

You sound well prepared. In a few short weeks you’ll be sharing your story on the post op side of the forum and I will look forward to following the progress of your healing journey.
Best wishes for comfort as you await the 28th.
@NextStep
 
Layla said:
For me, honestly, it was prayer that got me through. I was terrified so I’d pray that if surgery wasn’t meant to be, an obvious roadblock would materialize stopping me, then I think I prayed for a roadblock. :heehee:
Click to expand...

@Layla , as I think, I realized it's probably more fear of a roadblock than a prayer for a roadblock, for me. I've navigated chronic pain in another area, then dealt with chronic migraines. (Migraines thankfully are under decent control with my current treatment plan. Down to maybe 4 to 6 mild ones a month from 23 headaches/migraine days a month early in treatment. Huge improvement!)
Sleep interruption and or deprivation due to hip pain these past few weeks is increasingly problematic, and it is becoming harder to imagine how I'd cope without some relief soon. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty to live for, and things I want to do. Pain zaps a person's energy, margin.
The prayer is for strength and grace to get through this waiting time till surgery, and that it can proceed without complications.
 
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