Hello Lucy,
You’re not alone in feeling pre-op anxiety. We all did and we’re here to tell our stories.
Your surgery will be over in the blink of an eye. Once you get to your surgery site they’ll keep you pretty busy. Conversation is usually lighthearted and your care team will do their best to keep you comfortable. They can give you something for anxiety and it does help, so ask if you’re feeling exceptionally anxious. Remember that the medical professionals are doing what they’ve studied to do, what they do well and what they do daily. What you’ll have in common with them is that all involved want the same result, a good outcome and everyone will work toward that end. You’ll be in good hands and I’m betting you do great!
I’ll leave the Recovery Guidelines for you to look over while you’re clear headed.
Wishing you comfort and an uneventful surgery. Will look forward to following your recovery journey!
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:
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
5.
At week 4 and after you should follow this
6.
Access to these pages on the website
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 the at each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.