I am having real trouble sleeping partly painful hip but mostly so stressed about op on 17th wish I could get over this anxiety !!!! Any tips please advanced hippies xxx
Hi Vanessa!
I can feel your pain!
One thing I tried was sleeping with a pillow between my legs. It seemed to take the pressure off my bad hip and lower back.
I was scared too but it wasn't as bad as I had expected. Had epidural with sedation for my anesthesia. Didn't see, hear, smell or remember anything from the time I left the pre-op room until I was in recovery.
My doc kept me pain free for a month with Celebrex and Percocet. You just have to learn to slow down and do what your doc tells you to do and not to overdue it.
Good luck to you!
Hi vanessa,
Sorry you can't sleep. Me too but it is not because of my hip.Just family stuff.
I use Panadol Night Pain which is very useful post op too.
The anxiety about your op is natural - it is the unknown.
Try to be as calm as possible. It is not a life threatening op but fairly routine and the surgeon and his/her team do it every day of the week.
Rest assured, you are in safe hands and you WILL come through this a stronger and better person.
Shirley
I took pain pills that knocked me out - oxycodiene worked the best for me.. Try not to worry- it's easier than you think to get through! You are in good hands... Try to visualize that... Resting in capable hands.
Hi Vanessa
I am about 2 weeks post-op; had my left hip replaced.
Sleep can be tough, especially as your date gets closer. I was nervous as well, but really, you've done all the hard work already. You likely have some blood work to be done the day before, but that is about it.
Try to relax; you're about to be put into the hands of a very practiced and wonderful group of people.
I expressed my nerves to the nurse that called 2 days prior, and she said to me, "That's perfectly okay. We understand it's a traumatic experience for you, but this is what we do every day, so try to relax."
That's the best advice I can offer. Let the worrying be done by the people whose job it is every day. They excel at it, and it will be over before you know it =)
Rob
Thank you so much Shirley xx sorry you are having family problems hope they get sorted soon x thank you for your kind words xx
Thank you xxx
Thank you ginger good advise :-) xx
Thank you :-) xx
My doc prescribed me Valium. I alternated the evenings w that or Percocet or flexeril depending on what was worse for me that night (pain, anxiety etc).
MY fear was HORRENDOUS! I was having daily panic attacks. I am 3 days post op and it was NO WHERE near as bad as expected. I promise you. The nurses pre-op were so kind sweet and amazing. Once they gave me my spinal (felt less w that than I have most blood work) I as out. Don't remember a thing after that. Woke up in and out in recovery to everyone telling me it was done! I couldn't believe it!!! I was elated!
Now I am dealing w swelling and trying to go #2. Lol. That horrible alien in your hip is gone.
You will sail through this. Breathe. Offer it up and realize you are in great hands that will carry you through this. All will be as it should be soon. No more limp and pain when walking or sleeping etc.
Hugs and love to you lady. You got this.
Thank you so much for your encouraging words xx hope you have a speedy recovery xx thanks Roxy :-) x
Hi....I was very similar....I was so afraid I even surprised myself.....Gee in 2013 I had a facelift and didn't think anything going into it.....so I trie to settle myself down....Here is what I did and I hope it might help in some small way....I am 56 and thought to myself, what do I want to be doing when I stop working. I remembered that one day I would like to help elephants....SO I would bring my thoughts to that...replace the fear with the feeling of hopefulness to do something I always wanted to do....It really helped me...may sound silly but it really did....Replace the thoughts with something you look forward to....I hope this helps! I am almost 3 weeks post op and even flew back to Canada.....Here I am writing to you All will be fine! take care
Wow thanks savy I'm gonna pretend its a facelift always wanted one of them lol xxto be pain free and wrinkle free heaven xx hope alls good with you xx
Hi vanessa,
Nothing we say will help you here - just read Roxy's post and oh boy, she was handful !!! and look at her now ...
Sooooo, it helped me to just accept that I am scared and that it is OKAY to be scared -
big warm hug and come back anytime ...
renee
Good training for post op, you won't be able to sleep then either! Seriously we all got stressed before the op, it is natural and after you wonder what all the fuss was about. Good luck,Tony
As Ginger and others have said,
It's easier than you think - the pre-op nerves are the worst bit, especially if like most of us you have not had a major operation or hospital stay before.
You are in the best place - here, there is so much love and support on this forum.
If you want to be knocked out for the operation (seems popular), look in the "Related Information" on anaesthetic choices. Personally, I had the total opposite, I had a spinal with no sedation, I was pain free but awake for the whole thing.
The Hip Joint Replacements section tells you most of what is going to happen.
Best wishes
Graham
Vanessa I had the same anxiety and it is immensely stressful. I feel for you I really do. It was the worst part for me at least....
But I am on day six and doing okay. I am
just taking paracetamol ( couldn't tolerate opiates) so it is NOT that bad....and I am managing just fine.
Do your research on pain relief. Can you tolerate morphine? Try some before if you can to see what your body will accept before the op. This would have saved me from the worst part of my experience.
Organise your house, make sure you have a toilet frame, grabber, leg Raiser and everything is lit and safe.
Identify your biggest fears - what are you so frightened of? That helped a lot.
The first week is hard, of course it is not a picnic but you will be fine...we all are. You can do it!
I practised mindfulness relentlessly and it worked wonders. Just focus on the moment you are in and nothing else. It will calm and help you no end. Read power of now x