I'm just l0 days post op and dying to take shower but have to wait 6 more days until my incision is ready....how many weeks did you wait to take bath and did you start off with the bath transfer bench or just stand in the normal shower...I don't think I'm ready to stand inthe shower (feel I don't have the strength to balance)....
I can't remember that far back.. Follow the post Op instructions.
Hi Patricia, I know wot u mean about taking a shower, I'm 9 days post op 2day & the fizios told me I can't take a bath or a shower until my clips come out on the 15th, not quite the same having wot I refer 2 as a gypsy wash each day? I'm waiting 4 Occupational Therapy 2 bring me out an inflatable cushion that u sit on 2 lower urself into the bath? Hope it's all going well with ur recovery & ur on the mend? I'm hoping I've been lucky this time as everything seems 2 b going really well 4 me, especially after my disastrous TKR's in the past? I have very little pain now & even doing my excercises doesn't cause me 2 much of a problem 😄 only thing I can't work out is I'm really not sleeping very well but it's not down 2 my pain as there's not really much pain 2 mention so not sure wots going on? Hope ur recovering well & feeling the benefit of ur new joint? Take care ☺
I was helped to have a shower in hospital just 3 days after. Then the nurse dressed the incision again after. They helped me in with the crutches then sat me on a special chair. It felt so good.
Stepping into my bath at home took longer - think it was around the 6 weeks mark before I could safely do this by myself, but at around 3-4 weeks I could get in with help and lower myself from the shelf bit at the non tap end, sliding myself down into the bath with my leg out straight.
Remember we are ALL different, have different surgeries, heal at different rates, are different ages - nice diverse bunch on here, You will know when you feel able and have the strength - in the meantime just get as much help as you can and try to get to a walk in shower with a seat.
hi patricis, glad to hear all is going well hun, I had desolving stiches and the nurse came and changed my dressing after shower, I think everyone is different so ask your PT or Dr, dont want to do the wrong thing. You sound really positive, I cant believe. I will be 3 weeks on Tuesday, going in the pool next week, have regular massage on scar which is wonderful, still not totally weight bearing but should be, i think its all in the mind. take care sweetie. bug hug lynn x
Hi
The nurse helped me to take a shower in the hospital on day 2 but after that I was told no....not for 6 weeks. I agree ...its awful.
Love
Eileen
I had a special sterile dressing in place called a jubilee dressing and showered from day 1. Not much fun having the dressing taken off, but it is highly effective at reducing the infection risk. I didn't have it removed until the day I had my clips out. Not sure where you all had surgery, but I was at Hexham in Northumbria. Showers are more hygienic for infection control, though I miss the choice of a bath. But I couldn't get in/out pre op anyway!
Hi Patricis,
I was unable to take a bath for at least 6-8 weeks, i have strip washes (not the same as a shower/bath) reason being i have to wait until the scar was heal before getting it wet.
The hospital advise not to get the scar wet.
Good Luck!
I had a shower in hospital as I had a waterproof dressing on the wound. I showered after I got home while the dressing was on and then was fine after the staples came out at two weeks as the wound was dry, clean and healed completely. As long as your wound is healed you can shower if you have a walk-in one and a non-slip mat. If not you'll probably have to just have a strip wash until you're off crutches and can get over the edge and stand fully balanced in the bath. Takes about 5/6 weeks. I wasn't allowed to do that until I'd been let off the leash at six weeks by my consultant but when I asked about a proper bath he said not until at least 12 weeks as real possibility of dislocation if I slipped trying to get up and out. We are all different but If you're balanced and have a grab rail and a bath mat you should be able to stand in the bath and shower after a while. Just don't try too soon. Not worth it!!
Hi Patricia,
like others on here, I was able to have a shower in hospital a couple of days after op, with waterproof dressing - it was lovely! At home, I waited until the nurse had come to inspect my scar a few days after I got home,and she said I could shower as long as I wasn't too dizzy or anything, and that I didn't need any dressing, as the incision had sealed properly. I have a shower over the bath, with a grab rail to hold onto on the wall, which helps with confidence more than anything. Didn't have a proper bath until six weeks after op, when surgeon said restrictions were lifted, and was very careful at that point.
Lynn, so so happy to hear from you..I was hoping all is well with you...I'm doing pretty good, off the pain meds from day 2 home (they were too constipating and I really didn't have much pain to speak of)...my real problem is sleeping but not so much because I'm on my back, I was a back sleeper most of the time, it just seems at night my leg seems to get restless leg syndrome....it's like I have an uncontrollable urge to move it and it is not painfull but so compulsive it prevents me from sleeping...am now taking a sleeping pill which helps a bit.....as everyone else getting so bored going from couch to tv room, to dining chair to eat...and then I do my laps around the house in my walker...can't get outside as I have steps that are not safe enough and I'm not going to risk falling, so I'm going house crazy...friends dropped in last week,but they have their own lives so you can't count on others to entertain you....doing some reading and taking it week by week.....so glad again I've heard from you as I will always think of your kind words prior to surgery.....Patricia xo
thanks for the info Tom, I guess I will wait another week, get the sterile bandage (as requested from dr) and try the tub transfer bench...sill willl need help and we don't get help from agency, we have to find friends to do it (don't know how many of my friends want to see me naked, ???) so may have to wait until I can do it on my own....good old sponge bathes for me.....what is your problem sleeping, that is my biggest problem now and I dread evenings as I know the torture I'm going to be going through...it islike my leg has restless leg syndrome and wants to move on its own or have me move it, and of couse there is no real position except for straight with toes up!!!! Am now taking a sleeping pill but it just takes the edge off that awful feeling, but I guess I jjust have to take it one day at a time....love reading all the helpful hints from people on this site...
Pjayne, thanks for your insight...I just have to learn to be more patient....and I will try to take thingsone day at a time...maybe when I start physio on the l8th I will have something to look forward to, and just getting out of the house may lift my spirits (dirty hair and all).....Patricia
I think I'm in the same boat as you, so will be patient...at hospital here they DO NOT do anything like that for you, but now that I can balance (with walker in front of me) sponge baths are better than nothing, though dreaming of clean hair (and didn't I just grow it long this past year - short hair would have been so nice now!)
Nice to get your input Jeanp...I guess I'm waiting awhile yet, don't feel steady enough to stand alone and have no grab bars in my shower/tub combo and I'm afraid I might slip on the mat...for years I've stood on that darn mat but I know if I try it too soon it will be the day the mat slips and I go down..don't want to take that chance..will have to be patients like most here...
Hi Patricia
Pain meds are constipating aren't they.....I end up taking prune juice because I dont want laxatives LOL
I'm still on paracetamol and an anti inflammatory. That is wahat I was on before THR. Still on it because I have kypho scoliosis which gives me pain and a fracture in my hip bone which means I'm on 2 crutches and in pain
I'm trying to reduce some of them with just a little success
As for restless leg syndrome.......what about a muscle relaxant prescribed my the doc? rather than sleeping meds or pain killers?
Just a suggestion....I'm no doctor LOL
Love
Eileen
Hi Patricia
That word....patience ......isnt in my dictionary 
I am dreadful as far as that is concerned.
When you can get out of the house promise yourself that the first thing that youwill do is go to the hairdressers.
If you're anything like me that makes all the difference
I went to the hairdressers before I went in for THR and checked that my eyebrows had been waxed LOL
My husband thought I was mad but thats the sort of thing that lifts my spirits.
Its my back that bothers me now and sometimes when I need my hair washed I cant face bending to do it so I found a shampoo on line
You use it without water {not a dry shampoo} its liquid and you squeeze it over your head, then lather it well, then dry it off and do what you would normally do to it.....which where I'm concerned is run my fingers through it and leave it LOL
Love
Eileen
Eileen, I see my family doctor August l2th to get my 2 staples out, but trust me here you can only ask your doctor one issue at an appointment, so I will have to make another appt to see her to discuss pain meds....I never imagined in my life that meds would be an issue in my life....prior to surgery I was taking celebrex 200 mg and a pill to coat my stomach because the celebrex was strong, then I'm on thyroid meds (very low dosage) and daily Hormone Replacement...I get terrible migraines (l5 a month) so take Imitrex as required...now that I'm on the blood thinner for 12 more days I had to go off the Hormone replacement drugs because of the interracton with blood thinners and he wants me to go off the imitrex,( I said I could not endure the pain of the migraine) so he said demeral was better, but was not too concerned as it was short term...all this medication switching is scary and I didn't know how much I relayed on some of it until I had to go off (hot flashes back again!!!!)...well that is my complaining for the day...hopefully my son will be home soon to get me some breakfast...some things I can make and take to table on my own, but hot tea a definate no at this point...have a great day, it is a beautiful day so far in Toronto, sunny and about 75 degrees!
Hi Patricia
Your doctor sounds like mine.....they are different in the UK. Some are lenient with time others are strict.....Mine is one of the strict ones.
She will say when I come in {which isnt often...I get repeat prescriptions online} what do you want to discuss today? About 8 minutes later she is at the door with her hand on the handle......she doesnt actually say goodbye but thats what she means. So I have to make different appointments for different things as well. We have about 6 doctors in the practice but they like the one you started with to see you all the time if you have multiple problems!!!!!!!
Among other things I have epilepsy but that is well controlled now with meds but I have to keep an eye on GP's they tend to give you things that clash with the EP meds. I've been stable for 33 years and drive now etc but still have to take meds for it and I dont want to rock the boat.
Thats the one med I wont let them touch.....all the others, pain, anti inflammatory, stomach liners, etc they mess about with a bit but if it helps thats OK
Love
Eileen
Hi patricia,
do you sleep with a pillow or cushion under your knees? I found this helped during the dreaded sleep-on-your-back stage.