I have read about booster cushions on this site, but need a little help. There's has been discussion about booster cushions and foam wedge cushions, can I have some feedback as to which would be more beneficial post op. Plus our shower is over our bath, any suggestions how you get in and out in the early days. I have seen a contraption where a bench can be fixed across the bath, is this the way to d?. Any suggestions would be gratefully received. I will be attending a 'hip class' at the hospital on 24 th Aug, ready for my op on the 7 Sept, but would just like to have a little more information from the people who are in the 'know' ie all of you. Thank you.
I too have shower over bath. I was not allowed to shower until 10 days after clips were removed so just used baby wipes. Now 5 weeks on I go to my daughter's house for showers. I would still not try to get in to bath . Occupational therapy should supply high chair ,raised toilet seat ,grabber . Grabber a must . preferably two so that if you drop one you have one to pick it up.
Good luck with your op. You will get support on this forum.
Hi Carole. I have the inflatable wedge cushion which I use in my car and my armchair. They are good but you need to make sure you have the right amount of air in them, too much and it will be tight and uncomfortable your buttocks will be crunched up for a couple of hours after you get up. Perhaps you can tell I know this from experience!!! I haven't tried the foam wedges but I suspect they may be better for indoor use.
good luck and I hope all goes well for you in Sepember.
i have a walk in shower which has been a blessing, but I was told that if I had a bath then not to attempt to get in it for a shower for at least 6-12 weeks depending on how well I was doing.
hope that helps, I'm sure others will follow with their advice and experiences.
Thank you for your reply Attractac, I can see the showering might be a bit of a problem. No daughter near for me unfortunately, I just might have to chat up a girlfriend.
Thanks for your comments Christine
Hi Carole
I'm 6 months post op. My shower is also over the bath. My husband made me a step , it's just wood, about 6 inches deep & 2 ft long, covered it in carpet & it really helps me get in. Until the op I always had a bath but I still find it so much easier to shower & I still use the step.
Hi Carole our shower is also over the bath and I always shower as I cant fit in the bath nicely,getting in is ok, you might ask for one of the new rubberised dressings, I have one and had my operation on Friday, my second one, first was on may 16th, to get in to the bath to have a shower you just bend you keg to the knee, careful not to raise it too much, and step in, and onto a rubber bath mat, inpoertant to have that incase you slip, and take it easy, dont have a realy long scrub down, just a quick in and out, and tyou could have someone in there with you just incase, but you should be OK, I found that the toilet risers were all pretty useless, could not fin in the ones that the hospital had, and hate the Donnut type that I bought online, I just push out the operated leg and ease myself onto the toilet very slowely, and go if I can, but I am careful about the tablet intake.
Nno Cocodalmils or Tramadols for about 6hrs, and I use Naproxin as a painkiller, on the days that I know I have to go, it is a very strong painkiller but you do need Omerprizole and a sandwich when using Naproxin, It is a great Painkiller as it wont constipate you, but it will easily damage you stomach lining, so it is very important to eat when taking it, and works just enough to put you in the need to go mode, so use them like that, I am soon hoping to get off painkillers alltogether as I am near the end of all of this life adjusting tablet intake. If you have any questions just message me you email adress, and I will have the answers the hospital cant give you, I have really never used a toiler riser and being careful not dislocated my Hip either, ther has only been one hip dislocation here in all the time I have been writing here, that woman overdid it picking up bundleds of washing at an early stage of recovery, forgetting that she was not fully recovered, and paid the price for that oversight, you just must take it easy, for a goo few months.
Kind est regards Ian.
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I have a shower over my bath and was allowed to use it after two weeks. Occupational health at the follow up clinic checked to see if I could step in and out and it wasn't at all difficult.
Hi
i have a shower over the bath, I brought a small step from home bargains, and use that to get in and out, bending mt op leg behind me to get in very carefully.
Im hoping that I can be told tomorrow I can use a bath!
as for cushions I brought a maternity u pillow 12ft one for post and pre op, it's been my life line! I use it to enable me to lie on my none op hip for a few hours to sleep!
linzi xx
I had my husband bring in a chair to sit in and wait while I took my first showers. I wanted him right in the bathroom with me, it made me feel safer. I have shower over tub, but a high walled one, a whirlpool tub. I just sat on the edge, lifted my leg over the side and turned my body in. When I first showered I grabbed onto the pipe that holds the shower head. I did feel wobbly and hanging onto that pipe gave me stability, but you have to be kind of tall with long arms in order to be able to do that.
Hi Carole, I got issued with a 'bath board' from Occ health along with all the other risers and loo seats etc It is made of plastic and has a handle on one side and suctions onto the bath, it even fitted my weird shaped bath.
I was unsure how it would work after my op but have to say it was brilliant. I sat on the side of the bath with me bum on the board, lean back a little and hold the handle positioned wall side of the bath. Keeping that slight lean and not breaking the 90 degree rule you can just keep your knees together and swivel around into the bath, have a shower and repeat backwards to get out.
At 2 1/2 weeks I found I could get my leg over the bath on my own but have kept the board for now!