Hi, I'm a 48 year old guy and I'm getting my right hip replaced next Tue 5th March. To say I'm worried is an understatement! It's not so much the op it's the waking up in pain part that's worrying me and I've got this daft thought in my head that if I bend my hip the wound will burst open, I know I'm being daft about it and loads get done every year but it's really bothering me. I've also been advised to have the epidural instead of the general, can anyone advise which is best?
Hi, I'm 66 and had a THR on 21 January. I also was terrified. I refused to have an epidural as I don't trust them and had a general anaesthetic which was fine. The pain was well controlled in hospital with morphine and I came home after 3 days. Nearly 6 weeks on I've been very careful not to bend too far etc but am now able to walk without any support and have even gone out alone on a bus.Good luck - I'm sure ot will be fine.
That's good to hear about the pain relief and I'm glad you're getting on fine with it and getting out and about. I think I'll go with the general myself and when I wake up it'll all be done. Thanks for your reply :-)
Wilky I seem to have sent you a message rather than posting on here, so I will briefly write what I said as it is useful for others too. I had both my hips replaced 3 years ago and to say was I petrified would be an understatement, I put it off until I was virtually in a wheelchair. I was also relatively young at 52. The general anaesthetic also provides pain relief, but I was given a morphine drip under my control. I too thought the skin would burst open when the metal staples were taken out 10 days after surgery, but of course it didn't. I was in no pain whatsoever at any time, in fact the utter agony I had been in was removed to my utter relief. Follow the instructions on sitting/standing/lying to the t - when you're sitting avoid bending forward to pick something up etc. It is normal to feel scared so don't feel bad about that - for me it has been one of the best things I have ever done in my life and I wish I had also done it earlier. I've also inspired one friend to get her hip replaced as she had avoided it for years as she was too scared. You will get your life back. Let us know how you get on!
That sounds really positive, thanks for letting me know that everything went well for you. I'm in tomorrow morning at 8 so not long to go now. I've had a lot of people telling me its changed their lives for the better so I can't wait to be able to walk pain free again, it seems like its been such a long time since I did that! Walking pain free is one of those things you take for granted until something happens, it affected my work life as well as my social life, I used to enjoy climbing the Munro's, I'm hoping to be able to do that again at some point in the future. I'll post on here and let people know how I got on, they tell me I should get out either Fri or Sat so watch this space.
Good luck tomorrow.... and afterwards. Don't be surprised that you will not feel 100% for a few days! Having been told the pain would be gone I did not factor in discomffort from the operation and initially round the wound. When you get home keep taking the painkillers. I discovered that if you stop to see how it is, then it takes time to build up the effect again.
Hi All, well that's me got a new right hip!
I was nervous as you know on the days leading up to surgery but when I woke up on the day of the surgery I was fine, it was a feeling of "right, lets get this done" I had to be at the hospital for 8 am, it's only a 10 minute drive and after we arrived I was taken almost immediately. My wife was able to come thru with me for while. The nurse went thru all the checks, then the surgeon came and explained what he was going to do and asked if I had any questions for him. The anaesthetist came for a chat as well and I was all set to go. I said goodbye to my wife and she said she'd come in to see me later. I was taken down to theatre at 9.15 and I was in the recovery room, waking up at 11.15 so not long at all. I had pain from the op initially but that soon went with painkillers, the rest of the morning/afternoon to be honest was a bit of a blur, my wife was allowed in to see me at 14.30 and stayed for an hour but she said I was either starting questions and not finishing them or just sleeping most of the time but she said it was still good to see me. My wife and daughter came in to see me at night and i was much better. the pain was manageable and if i started getting sore i just had to tell the nurse and she got me more painkillers. i've got to say the doctors and nurses were brilliant with me. I was on a drip for the first night and also had two lots of antibiotics intravenously but that was all.
I'll tell you about day 2 later...
So glad all went well for you - can only get better now.
6 weeks on I have just had y check up and the surgeon said I can now do anything I am able to. Rather stiff from lack of bending etc, but the future's bright!
That sounds good. You've done it! Look forward to hearing more...
Hello wilky13
So glad things went well for you I came across your story while searching for info on thr as I am having one in two weeks 27th mach and am also really flippin scared I don't know what to expect how long I will be in for etc, am still waiting for my letter from the hospital telling me what time to go in so I know nothing right now.
I'm still working 3 jobs at the mo only reason being I don't get sick pay and have a mortgage by the time I get home in the evenings I can hardly walk, have just found out I am entitled to esa benefit of 70 pound a week but this still leaves me around 500 a month short so hoping to go back to my cleaning jobs asap, as I'm 46 I'm hoping I will be fit again in around 8 weeks or am I kidding myself? I really don't know, never had major surgery before my osteoarthritis only gotvreally bad this last year or so and now have huge cyst on the femoral head which could collapse at any time so the surgeon said.
Am looking forward to hearing how you are getting on over the next few weeks good luck x
Hi again, Tina you'll be fine, not sure when you'll be fit to return to work tho, everyone's recovery time is different and you'll need to listen to what the doctors say and your own body...
So, Day 2...
Woke up feeling ok, the nurses had been in and out all night taking my temp and BP and giving me pain killers. I had breakfast and waited for what was to come next, first was a wash, which i did mostly myself, the only places I was unable to reach was below my knees as I was told under no circumstances was I to bend my hip more than 90 degrees as there is a chance of dislocation. Then they changed my surgical stockings, very fetching on a guy lol, I need to wear these for 6 weeks, my wife or daughter will change them for me. I was then taken down for an X Ray to check everything was ok. The surgeon came in a bit later and told me everything looked great. Then in came the occ therapist for a chat, she also gave me a couple of things to help me, a sponge on a stick for washing the lower part of my body in the shower and a "grabber" for picking things up from below knee level. She showed me how to put shorts/trousers on with it and I found it very useful and easy to use. Then physio came in, the part I wasn't looking forward to. She was great tho, along with a partner they swung my legs off the bed and got me to my feet and walking with a Zimmer, all pain free, yes!!! My leg was stiff and a bit nippy near the wound but as for the hip joint, nothing :-) they gave me a long piece of tubigrip to go around the sole of my foot and I was able to pull on it and lift my leg onto the bed, a bit awkward to start with but soon got the hang of it. After lunch the occ therapist was back to see how I was getting on and then it was visiting time. After that the physio came back and got me to do 4 different exercises, bending and stretching the hip, everything went well and I was well pleased.
End of Day 2.....
God how well are you doing wilky, hope I get on as good as this. How long were you in hospital for? I read your story a couple of times so u could imagine it in my head of your daily routine, it's not sounding as horrific as I'm imagining it to be.
How are you coping with sleeping on your back I'm not looking forward to that at all.
I've not been very well the last week or so been acheing all over not just the hip and so tired I don't know if this has got anything to do with the arthritis.
Keep up the good work looking forward to hearing about day 3 x
Hi again, time for the next instalment ....
Day 3
Woke up about 3:30 in a bit if discomfort but nothing bad, I don't normally sleep on my back and the fact you can't roll on to your side either way made me a bit uncomfortable but I called the nurse and she brought me a painkiller and I soon fell off to sleep again. The nurses were still coming in pretty regular to take my obs. I had some breakfast about 8:15 and then decided I would get up for the toilet as doing it in the cardboard bottles while lying in bed is not easy, I used the tubigrip as I'd been shown and was soon on my feet holding on to my Zimmer. I got to the bathroom ok but for whatever reason I couldn't pee, I think I was trying too hard and strained a bit much, not a good idea! The next thing I knew I was really light headed and luckily there was a nurse in my room at the time, she saw me coming out of the toilet and shouted for assistance, it ended up with 4 nurses getting me back to bed, I was white as a sheet and sweating like mad. I soon recovered and the nurses said I'd been overdoing it "but I only went for a pee" I said, still too much too early I was told. I'm glad to say that has been my one and only "turn" as they called it. My surgeon came in to see me later that day and was once again happy with the reports form both physio and Occ Therapy who'd both visited me twice that day, physio even took my Zimmer away and swapped it for 2 walking sticks which were easy to use too. By the time I had visitors that night I'd walked halfway down the corridor and back all unsupervised :-) the pain was minimal and the surgeon says if I carried on like that I'd get out the following day, Friday, I was operated on last Tue 5th March so that was only 3 nights in hospital. Unfortunately on Thu night I started running a temperature and had a bit of a cough, a doctor came to see me and listened to my chest and she said there was a bit of crackling and wanted it X Ray'd. it all came back clear which was good and so they started me on a course of antibiotics. Apart from feeling hot, I was feeling good about myself and everything I'd achieved today :-)
End of Day 3
Hi Tina, I was not at all looking forward to sleeping on my back and initially found it very difficult. However, I learned to stack up 4 or 5 pillows so I was on a slope rather than lying flat, and that helped. I also took pills to help me sleep and found I then stayed assleep all night. The only downside was that in the morning I was very stiff and it took me a while to get moving with some pain killers.
That's something I might try mb9 as since I've been home I've found it more uncomfortable than in hospital, it might be that my mattress is softer, I'm not sure. I've had the district nurse in today and she's going to supply me with a blow up mattress to go on top of my own to see if that helps. You're right about being stiff but its the same if you've been sat on the chair or laying on the couch for a while.
Morning all,
Day 4
Woke up this morning feeling stiff but otherwise fine, my temperature was down again, I had some breakfast and then the nurse asked me if I wanted to try having a shower today which I jumped at, you never feel your having a good wash when it's just a basin and a facecloth. Got to say I was a bit wary getting the dressing wet but the nurse said she'd be changing it today anyway so that was ok. No problem with the shower and after I'd dried myself and put a T Shirt on I called the nurse thru to change my dressing. What I forgot to tell you on day one was that I'd had a heavy bleed, all normal according to the nurses and the surgeon when I spoke to him. They didn't remove the dressing, just cleaned me up and put another dressing on top of the original. So now was the time to get it changed, you women must be mad paying to get waxed! Ow and Ow again! The nurse was pleased with the wound, she said it was very neat and looked good so she cleaned me up and applied a newer, smaller dressing. The surgeon came round to see how i was but decided because of my previous nights high temp to keep me in one more day just to be on the safe side which I was fine about. I had more physio, this time they took me to some stairs and showed me how to go up and down them, it was so easy and completely pain free. Later that day the occ therapist took me to a room that was made up like a kitchen just to make sure I could do stuff on my own if no one was there and again I could. We decided that I should get a tray on wheels delivered to the house so I could make something in the kitchen and wheel it thru to eat in front of the tv :-).
End of Day 4...
I am really interested in your stories and tips wilky and mb9 please keep them coming, I'm finishing my jobs at weekend that give me a week or just over till my opp, how long did other people keep working for I will be glad to finish to be honest.
Mb9 are you back to your pre arthritic self I mean are you fit can you walk normally without a limp etc, I can't wait until summer I can't remember being normal and I promise never to be lazy again.
Wilky no shower until day 4 god must be feeling rather grubby by then how about brushing your teeth? Nothing worse than having a gob like ghandis flip flop, and how do you remember not to bend to far sometimes you can't help it like turning in your sleep etc.
Still waiting for my letter from hospital 15 days to go and still not a clue on what to expect on the day. Keep the stories coming keep well both of you x
Omg just had my hospital letter got to be there at 12 15 afternoon opp is this good or bad? Panicking now as it seems real was beginning to think they forgot about me lol. Have to go to pre opp clinic next Tuesday what do they do there?
X
Don't panic! pre-op clinic they weigh & measure you, take blood pressure, ECG & urine test just to make sure you're ok. Worst thing about an afternoon op is probably not being able to eat all day!
As to my former self - I'm not typical. Broke my hip 7 years ago and had it all screwed together. Screws were now working out of the bone which was deteriorating, so that all had to come out and get nice new hip. I'm walking ok, no sticks now, but do feel a bit like a rolling sailor! this apparently is due to needing to build up muscle after the op and not using it for 6 weeks. I can already tell it has improved in a week. Went for my post op check last week and can now have a bath - yeah! although allowed to bend etc it will no doubt take a few weeks to actually be able to. Good luck Tina - it will be fine.
Hi Tina, as mb9 says don't worry, the pre op is a scoosh! I stopped working on the Sun before my op but that was only because Mon and Tue were my rest days that week.
I was still able to wash so it wasn't that bad Tina and I was able to brush my teeth every day, the first day they brought me a cup of water and a sick bowl to rinse out in and then I was able to use the sink once I was up and about. They teach you how to bend down while you slide your operated leg out behind you at the same time to avoid the 90 degree angle that you shouldn't go past. You won't roll over in your sleep, not for the first few days anyway in my experience, you'll feel It when you move too far, I don't mean your in agony or anything, it's just uncomfortable.
Mb9's right, the worst part of an afternoon appointment is you won't be able to eat but they'll tell you all about that at the pre op.
Day 5...
Really not much to say, most of the day was spent waiting for my meds to arrive so I could be discharged.
I decided to go home in our own car as waiting for transport would have taken ages. I phoned my wife once my meds and discharge papers were there and then said goodbye to the nurses who'd looked after me, my wife bought a card and a box of chocolates for me to give to them when I left. The physio had told me the best way to get into the car was to back into the car and pull myself back towards the drivers seat watching my angles then to bring my knees up and swivel round, it sounds more complicated than it was and it never hurt or felt uncomfortable, it's the exact opposite for getting out.
It was great to be back in my own house and some stuff had been delivered for me from occ therapy.
I take it you received a questionnaire regarding your home environment when you got your letter? my furniture is too low so they delivered a chair and my toilet seat is too low so they delivered a commode like thing that fits over the toilet.
My wife and daughter have looked after me brilliantly since I came home and I'm making really good progress, I do my exercises every day as I was told and they're getting easier and easier. The only problem I've had is in my own bed, like I said previously I think it might be my mattress but hopefully that'll get sorted once the blow up mattress arrives.
Well that's me up to date. I'm one week post op today.
It wasn't anywhere near as bad as I'd imagined and would recommend it to anyone who needed it and I would also tell them not to worry. I've been told my left hip might need replaced at some point and I'd get it done in a heartbeat.
Thanks to all the staff at Forth Valley Royal for looking after me.
I'll post more as the weeks go on and give you all an update on how I'm doing.
If anyone has any questions please get in touch.
Wilky13 :-)