THR Woodstockhip's THR Pre-Op 2.0

Woodstockhip

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Joined
Aug 23, 2020
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72
Location
Woodstock, NY
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United States United States
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Time for hip #2 and a reintroduction. I think I'm the third resident of New York's Hudson Valley to schedule THR for next month (hi, @HollyNY and @Abbylayla.) I had Lefty done in September of 2020 (at the height of COVID) and Righty is going to be done on September 29. I went back and read my posts from the first surgery and it's all coming back -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. Now that I know what to expect (though I do get that no two hips are the same) I'm feeling more confident than I did the first time around though to be expected, there's some anxiety as I'm two years older. I had a smooth recovery two years ago and my left side is feeling terrific. My right side, not so much. I'll be going to the same orthopedist, Dr. Douglas Fauser, and he will be doing a posterior procedure at a surgical center in Danbury, CT. One of those 23 hour stay places. I look forward to being able to walk comfortably again -- right now, swimming and weeding are about the only exercise I'm getting. Quick question: Has anybody here used (or even heard of) a Therma Zone Cooler machine? It's some kind of electronic gizmo that cools and heats using distilled water. No actual ice, but it acts like an ice machine. Before I rent one, I wondered if anybody here has had any experience. Last year I just used flexible ice packs but this seems so much easier.
 
Hi @Woodstockhip
I am not far from Danbury. When I ordered a bunch of ice packs they are quite heavy! So the machine might be about the same.

My stay will be like yours 23 hrs.

It is amazing how fast things keep improving.
 
I've read many of our members' recovery threads and they all seem to rave about them.

I didn't have one so don't know what I miss and can't offer any advice, other than to go up to the upper left corner of this page and type in ice machine in the search option, where the magnifying glass is.
Several posts should pop up.
 
@Woodstockhip Glad to have you here and good luck with your next hip replacement. I laffed at your description that one hip feels like age 18 and the other feels like 90. With your humor, you will get through this well. Good luck and God bless you.
 
Another week closer to my surgery date. I’ve been up and down. The two biggest worries of the day seem to be around the surgical center vs. a hospital, and PT.

My last hip was done in a hospital, private room, yucky food, vultures outside my window, but great nurses, OT, PT, etc. It was a 23 hour stay. This time around, my OS is strongly encouraging me to have the surgery at the Surgical Center (owned by his practice). I wasn’t able to last time because my insurance wouldn’t cover it but now it will). One on one care, take-out food from wherever you want, ultra-new and clean, and also a 23 hour stay. Possibly more importantly, it’s the OS’s preferred place to do the surgery.

At the hospital, if something “went wrong,” there would be all sorts of specialists, just in case. But at the surgery center, I’d think not. And what if I needed to stay beyond the 23 hours? I know people rave about these Surgery Centers and my rational mind says that they wouldn’t have recommended it if I weren’t a good candidate for it but you know how the Pre-surgical mind goes to those dark places. Any thoughts?

As for PT, I am leaning toward working with whoever they send to the house and when that’s done, just doing the same old exercises (once I remember what they are) and walking. The only thing the out-patient PT had that I don’t is the table with the nice stim machine and that horrible balance board that I hated with the heat of a thousand suns. I figure if I need it down the road, I can always ask for PT. I‘m not looking forward to the awkward moment when I tell the OS, “Uh, no, I won’t be needing that prescription.” Or maybe I’ll just take the prescription and he won’t be any the wiser. I have to remember that I’m the boss of me.
 
@Woodstockhip In this time of COVID many hip replacement patients (and knee, shoulder and others) are having what amounts to day surgery - in early, out by afternoon. It sounds to me, from what you have written here, that the Surgical Center is an excellent choice. All of the staff there - from your surgeon down to the housekeeping staff - are professionals and will take excellent care of you. As with any place doing surgeries they will have protocols and procedures in place to handle ANYTHING that comes along. And if you did need to stay longer than 23 hours I would guess they would be able to manage that too. Most patients do better at healing when they are at home and have all their favorite comforts close at hand.

As for PT -- take the prescription just in case .... and use it if and/or when YOU decide to ... yes YOU are the boss of you:cheers:
 
As for PT, I am leaning toward working with whoever they send to the house and when that’s done, just doing the same old exercises (once I remember what they are) and walking. The only thing the out-patient PT had that I don’t is the table with the nice stim machine and that horrible balance board that I hated with the heat of a thousand suns.
The latest research has found that, for most patients, walking is really all that you need for THR recovery. However, I agree with @djklaugh -- take the script and decide later on what's right for you.
 
One week to go! It's been a crazy month -- I got COVID on August 17 and was worried it might somehow compromise my surgery, but all my lingering symptoms (coughing and dizziness) seem to have abated. Probably because I spent last week relaxing on Cape Cod, first "away" vacation in close to three years. I picked up the shower chair and raised toilet seat yesterday (bless you, Loan Closet!), I'll get the walker later today. All the pre-surgical clearances have been obtained, and now I've only to rearrange the house a bit to ease recovery. I've read a lot about 23 hour stays in out-patient surgery settings and am feeling much more comfortable about that. I am soooo looking forward to having my right side feel young again, like my left side. The pain has been a constant companion for so long, it's hard to imagine it gone. I can't wait! Now I'm trying to remember all the things I learned last time -- like getting out of a chair with your leg stuck out in front of you and how to gracefully (hah!) arise from a toilet. You know, all that fun stuff. So....onward!
 
Your on a roll @Woodstockhip! I thought I was but got a notification that the CT scan my Doctors office submit to Medicare for me was denied. The surgery scheduler doesn't know why & is looking into it. I'm hoping it's just a coding error or something.
 
Oh, how disappointing! Just when you think things are bopping along, something like this happens. I hope you can get it straightened out and proceed with your surgery soon.
 
I can't imagine this being legitimate. There's got to be a coding error or something. My OS accepts Medicare so surely I'm not the 1st or only Medicare patient they've had. And all their surgeries are Robotic so.....
I'm looking forward to comparing out rehab progress together @Woodstockhip!
And when I am more mobile (cause me thinks you will be quicker than me ) I'm gonna come up & buy us lunch!
 
Yeah, @Abbylayla, sounds like someone screwed up somewhere. It's not as though you haven't been down this road before! Having a lunch date to look forward to will certainly help with our recovery. I hope you'll be able to straighten out the insurance issue and have your surgery on schedule. And good work on the weight loss! I seem to be at a plateau. I was going to ask the surgeon, while he's in there anyway if he could suck out a few pounds of butt fat, just for fun.
 
@Woodstockhip
Everyone on the hospital staff stressed that if I felt weak or unsteady at all they would not kick me out like a hotel.

I was lucky that I woke up hungry and needing to pee.

Glad to hear you kicked Covid's butt.

I was so focused on avoiding it that I still wear a mask indoors.

I just got my bivalent booster so those antibodies will soon kick in.

You are almost there.
 
@Woodstockhip I think the CT debacle may be fixed. When I had my knee replacement I had Medicare part A & United Healthcare. Now I have Medicare parts A&B with United Healthcare as my secondary. I will find out for sure this coming week but in the meantime they've scheduled me for all the pre-op stuff and they are confident the billing will be corrected. Whew!!
 
@HollyNY, I'm sure glad to hear they won't kick me out like in a hotel! Since it's a surgical center and not a hospital, I didn't really know how things work. I figure if anything goes horribly wrong, at least there's a hospital or two close-by. I also wear a mask indoors -- I was one of THE most careful Covid-avoiders and to this day, I have no idea how I got it. And @Abbylayla, what a relief!!! I'm really glad you got to the bottom of the CT coding issue. You sure don't need that hanging over your head on top of everything else. Onward!
 
@Woodstockhip Will be thinking about you tomorrow! Touch base with us when you can , let us know how your doing. Smooth sailing to you!!
 
Thanks, @Abbylayla. My old buddy Anxiety has stopped by for a visit but I’ve got a lot to do before we leave so hopefully that will keep my mind off matters. My nest is ready, clear path between the bedroom, the bathroom, and the library where the TV is, so I’m ready. Talk to you all on the recovery side.
 
Kick that "old buddy' to the curb. You're a pro at this now, right? :wink:
Glad to read you're ready to roll. I wish you peace and all the best.
Will be watching for you on the healing side once you're resting comfortably in your recovery nest.
See you soon! :wave:
@Woodstockhip
 

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