I am scheduled for a THR on Friday 5th June - fingers crossed. Not had a cold all winter and just got one last week. Almost recovered - hope op still goes ahead - been waiting for a year as an urgent case! As a previously fit and active person, playing squash and badminton, I have found losing my independence quite frustrating. Not driven since November. I have so far managed without any aids - bending my knee backwards to put on socks and shoes on. Why won't I be able to do this post op? Toilets have been a nightmare for months so actually looking forward to having a raised seat! Have about inch & half difference in leg length and rely alot on walking stick and left shoulder! Mobility is my main issue rather than pain. Any hints on what to expect after op and tips on managing and regaining independence (I am 54).
First few weeks are challenging, sleeping on back not easy, frequent trips to loo, some people have swelling down to ankle. Pre op pain will be gone but you will have post surgery pain, this will be short lived. Do the exercises and follow any advice given by medical team. Be prepared for tearful days. Each day there is improvement but listen to body and take rests. It is not a race. Eat well. I am now 11 weeks post op and doing well but some movements still tricky. Not been on pain killers since about week 3
Dear Modem,
I am going in on Monday...Why did you have to wait so long? Where do you live?
I have been to a meeting pre-op at the hospital and to a pre-assessment clinic, where I could ask anything I wanted. The main rule post -op is not to bend more than 90 degrees.
I wish you all the best, keep in touch
Ella
The aids supplied seem to vary between different hospitals. The one I went to (Wrightington Lancs) had a "Therapy Education Session" before the op where we were given advice on how to cope afterwards. We also had a one-to-one session with a Occupational Therapist where meassurement were taken of chairs and beds at home and any necessary gadgets were ordered. I was issued with a raised toilet seat, a "perching chair" for use at the table, a grabber and a set of blocks to raise the height of the bed. I found all the gadgets useful, Probably worth asking at your pre-op about these sort of aids. I think they are supplied by the local authority/social services rather than the hospital.
Hope your operation goes ahead and turns out well.
They should deliver some aids before you leave hospital. Raised toilet seat, shower stool, perching stool. Grabber sold in hospital, you will also need a long handled shoe horn. 90 degree rule is to be obeyed at all times. Keep things you will need in kitchen at waist level, consider supermarket on line deliveries. Two grabbers may be an idea as Imanaged to drop mine on the floor. Had to use spare to pick it up
I also had no more hip joint pain after surgery, it was like a miracle. You will most likely have upper thigh stiffness and soreness.I had sleep troubles but other than that no complications. Just have to take things slow and each week you see improvements. I am now going into week12 and feel amazing. At 2 weeks I moved from using a walker to a came, by week 5 no walking aid aids at all, no more limping all has gone wells. I did have the anterior approach die to having to have prior hardware removed from my femur which I broke last year.
Hi just to wish you all the best! Please make sure you have a good team of helpers when you come home. The raised loo seat is great. Where are you having your op?regards Amanda
Hi briskwalk. Nice to speak to you. After my consultant said he was putting me on the urgent list (may 2014), I was booked in for the pre-op training. The receptionist apologised that the earliest she could book me for was the Wednesday after the Aug Bank Holiday. She said, it was likely I would have already had had the op by then, but just let them know so they could offer the position to someone else. Cancelled Sept holiday on this information. Well, the date came and went and no op date and no holiday (lost deposit). 
Rang waiting list and consultant was inundated with revision surgery being only 1 of 2 surgeons who could do this also shortage of beds. I was kept given a pencilled date of the following month but no progress. Mean while I experienced severe pain in left side and in December I was diagnosed as having a narrowing on left urether which required further investigation. In February I got a pre op date for hip, only to be told at the pre-op meeting, that the op, scheduled for 6th March had been cancelled as the investigation into the narrowing of urether was also scheduled for the 6th March (unknown to me) and I couldn't be on 2 waiting lists at the same time so I was being taken off list! Imagine my frustration. After a lot of telephone calls, I got op for urether moved earlier and had a stent fitted. More phone calls and acting as go between the urologist and orthopeadic surgeon I have finally suceeded in getting back on the waiting list and a date of 29th May. Cancelled a 4 day cruise on this information (May half term week). Another deposit lost. Was then informed that the list had been cancelled and would now be the week later. I have got to have the stent removed on 19th July so date for hip is very important - it now only gives me 6 weeks to recover. I live in NE England. Have got a OH visit on Monday 1st June to look at home facilities. I cann't believe that I am now getting to the point of having the op and go down with a cold. Doing everything I can to get rid of it, including having a small glass of medicinal brandy!
Thank you Mary. I have a OT coming out on Monday to access the home. We were told at the Therapy Ed session that if we required a grabber or a sock aid we have to buy these ourselves.We could be issued with a walking stick (my son, a physio, had already done this) and raised toilet seat. I'll find out more on Monday - watch this space.
Hi Maggie. Thanks for your reply. Loved the grabber to pick up a grabber. Been using a long handled shoe horn for a while - a 50p bargain at Ikea. Couldn't do without it. Wish I had had a pedicure this weekend.....
Hi Susan. Your experience mirrors a lot of comments I have had since I have told people that I was waiting for a hip op. I have very raised hopes and expect to be back at work after six weeks. Although I have just heard a colleague has been off for 4 months! How will I feel within my self? I was hoping to do some work from home and of course it is Wimbledon shortly 
Hi Amanda. Thank you for the good wishes. I live in the NE and having op in NHS hospital. Husband is hoping to have some time off work but it is his busy period so may have difficulty in having the time off that he originally wanted. Would rather he had time off further into my recovery period so we can do something. I think I will be pulling my hair out and desparate for a change of scenary. I am concerned that I am going to be bored during my recovery. I am so used to being busy and doing something. I don't sit and do nothing very easily. I am really concerned about how 'little' I will be able to do when I first get discharged.
Hi Ann. Thank you for your good advice. My son is a physio so I think I will be nagged in doing all the exercises. I will also be very keen to get up and walking and probably will be in danger of doing too much rather than too little. I am not good at sitting doing nothing. It is worrying me that I will over do things and have greater expectations of recovery than actual. I am my own worst enemy. I have already told work that I will be back in 6 weeks. After reading the comments in the forum, I think I might have been a little optimistic?
PS. Forgot to wish you all the best for Monday. We can do progress comparisons and hopefully help each other through the recovery process. I have my fingers crossed for you and will be thinking about you.
Good mornig Mo ... a lot of good tips here - You are so lucky to have a son who is a physical therapist !!! seriously .... i am sure that you will get the excercises and do them under his watchful eyes - be up and about in no time - it will be a challenge for you to slow down for sure but maybe that is a good thing? 
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I love the raised toilet seat (think I might purchse one now that my other hip needs THR) and the grabber and the sock aid -
June 5th is around the corner !!! what a journey you are on !!!! good luck and be gentle with your self - warm hug
Hi Renee. Thank you for your good wishes. My son was appalled at the disgraceful photocopied, photocopied and re-photocopied exercise sheets. Most of it was unreadable! Son said not to expect much in the way of physio from the hospital (and he works in the NHS)! They just leave it up to the patient to follow the 'unreadable' sheets. He spends most of the day twiddling his thumbs due to patients not attending their appointments! What an absolute waste of time and money to both him and the NHS. About time they made patients pay for non-attendance if they don't cancel in advance.
Eager for the journey to start but like everyone else very apprehensive of, what will be initially, a backward step in order to go forward. I have lots of things to look forward to - a visit to my daughter in London, mid August (by 1st class train) and a holiday in Kos in September (3½ months after op). If you ever needed an incentive to get better - they cann't get much better than these. x
I had my op 7 weeks ago, going on a cruise tomorrow.
Go You. Well done. Have a fantastic time. A well deserved break x
So much to look forward to !!!
I live in Holland and it seems to be very different here regarding Physical Therapy - First of course PT day after surgery and twice a day following while still in hospital - One of the things I was told to bring was the name of the physical therapist who would be contacted upon discharge - sometimes though I feel that it was too intense and still is for me, as I feel beaten up after a session .... oh well ...
thank you for your response -----
Hello Renee my care here in UK same as yours in Holland. Physio twice a day while in hospital. Sadly not all NHS foundation trusts are the same. My hospital is excellent with the orthopaedic department being in the top 10. Have read a post about poor quality phot copied exercise sheets. I was given a 28 page booklet which is also available on line as a PDF file.
Now 11 weeks and doing well but still get groin pain and feel generally achy on a wet day. Hope you are okay xx