Hi
@Jo Champagne It is interesting about being "turned out" and left to your own devices: the standard (for Posterior Approach) here is 5 - 8 days in hospital, though I was certainly not unusual in staying only 3 nights, you're shown the basics over those days of walking with aids (I went straight to crutches, so I don't know if you get shown those if you use a walker at first), you're not allowed to leave until you can show that you can use the bathroom and steps, you're shown how to use your dressing stick.... though my OT said "here's the stick, I'm sure you'll work it out" in a nice way
... of course I did; it's not rocket science
then you get discharged and have your FIRST PT session at six weeks... about the same time as your follow up appointment with the OS. Your staples or stitches are removed at about 2 weeks, at which time you may or may not see your OS. I was given several phone numbers (OS and PT) if I had any real concerns.
That said, I have no complaints! I did pay a physio to come to my home for an hour at about 2 weeks to make sure I was walking correctly and to address some muscle/tendon issues, I asked her if I needed for her to come again and she replied (very honestly, I felt) that there wasn't much point; the exercises I had been shown at the hospital prior to discharge were "more than enough"... with emphasis on "more", the probable reason of my muscle issues was doing too much exercise, that walking was the best and I could do both exercises and walking easily at home.
It may very well have been different had I not had support available at home. I found my GP was helpful, but only because she has had a THR herself and "got" what I was asking about.... and all the other information I needed was right here on BoneSmart!! To be honest, the things I was inquisitive about most of the medical staff were clueless on; I liken it to a childless midwife giving you advice on labour and breastfeeding... she may "know" the answers, but nah, she doesn't
A Forum such as this, full of "been there done thats" was priceless; answering questions I didn't even know I had and preparing me for steps to come (for instance not one medical person in the prelude or aftermath of this surgery told me about "log leg", I could move my leg easily in hospital so it didn't come up... three nights later when it hit I was only able to deal with it because I had read about it here and knew what it was - and that it was both transient and not an omg my leg's gonna fall off scenario)
I'm sure rehab is great for some people, I'm equally sure it would be dreadful for others... I definitely would fall into the second category: I feel isolated and depressed in that sort of environment, regardless of how great the staff are, I sleep badly, feel "institutionalised" somehow, loathe the lack of freedom to make simple decisions for myself... like when to have a shower and when to eat and feel that being at home I am being given some say in how and what I do in my recovery - feel part of a process rather than the subject of one!!
So I suppose what I'm saying is you can't please all the people all the time
We either feel smothered or neglected... unless you're me, I felt "just right" - thanks to the support I found here, which was appropriate, available at all hours and FREE
Also this recovery is NOT a "one size fits all" kind of thing, so the advice I might have got from medical staff may not have "fit" my scenario exactly, but at least SOMEONE on BoneSmart would come up with something that worked for me.
You will start thinking about your hip less. To be honest it's all a bit "on hold" until you are given your clearance by your OS, it is only "box ticking" but it really does mark the end of a phase in your recovery mentally. Most of the bending, turning over in bed etc will be available to you again once those restrictions are lifted, some things take a little while to develop (like tying your shoelaces, I hadn't bent over in 12 weeks so I had to retrain some muscles
) Now I never even think about bending past 90 degrees, or rolling onto my side
Have all those questions written down, take your OS's replies on board, but even they're not gospel (for instance the OS who was going to do my THR told me I would never be "allowed" to cross my legs/ankles again... EVER, the one who did the op said "I want you to think of nothing but this hip for 12 weeks, then never think about it again. My job is to give you a "normal" life back, if that means crossing your legs, cross your legs!!" Who to believe? Well, in my case .... the one that suited me
Donna
Australia
