1. Community
  2. Operations and surgical procedures
  3. Hip Replacement

Day 7 Update TLHR 20/2/17

Posted , 15 users are following.

samantha_2158
samantha_2158

Day 7 Update!

Hello fellow hippies smile thought I would update how things are going since my operation last Monday afternoon.

I was anxious to leave the hospital and come home two days post op but looking back I think maybe another day would have been a good idea as I struggled with pain management at home and the nights were rough (Oh for the hospital bed!!) however it has got so much better and I am grateful for the small improvements.

Last night was a better night and I slept in 3 hour bursts which was a huge improvement. Still using paracetemol and ibuprofen spread through the day and it takes the edge off.

Walking around on one crutch now apart from the middle of the night bathroom trips and have mastered the stairs, dressing, showering. Still hurts to sit on scar and uncomfortable sitting generally but hoping that will get better soon. Very little swelling apart from around the hip itself and no bruising which has amazed me. Changed dressing yesterday and all looks very neat and clean with invisible stitches covered with steri-strips.

One of the worst things was the post op constipation!! Wish I'd taken the lactulose earlier - started once home - as it took a good few days to sort out and was so uncomfortable!

Slowly getting my head around lack of independence - not sure I was quite prepared for how reliant I would be in OH for everything! Hard to get used to and have had a few tears but feeling so much better mentally yesterday and today.

Hoping all my fellow Feb hippies are doing well and on the road to recovery. It's quite a marathon but I am so relieved to be on this side of it and the hideous pain in my hip, knee and groin are gone. I don't think I believed my surgeon when he said the knee pain would go but it has smile

One annoying thing - I am numb down the right thigh. Apparently due to bruised nerve from the clamps they use to get you in position when they operate. It's not sore but feels very strange and apparently may stay this way for a few weeks/months. Anyone else had this?

Will check in again soon but wanted to thank everyone for the support and information - it has made a huge difference to my journey!

Sam

TLHR 20/2/17 posterior, 51

3 likes, 35 replies

35 Replies

Next
  • lisa31002
    lisa31002 samantha_2158

    Posted

    Glad things are going well. I had LTHR in Sept but had a funny, numb feeling around my right ankle for several weeks afterwards - it went away eventually. 👣

  • herse
    herse samantha_2158

    Posted

    Hi Samantha . Great to hear your progress! It is amazing isn't it how the old pain does just go ?! I think the numbness will go in time. I still have it along my operated side but that is due to cutting of nerves. Guess as its your non op side it might be due to ckamos and body just needs to settle down. It is still early days for you so slow and steady ! Keep us posted on progress. I'm 4 months post op and still fighting the trendenburgh gait so still on crutches but I'm learning to be patient and keep exercising to improve gait.

  • RichardKen
    RichardKen samantha_2158

    Posted

    Great news Samantha thanks for sharing. I'm sure all will improve steadily from now on especially as you OH is there for you. That makes such a huge difference.

    Cheers Richard

  • pauline15206
    pauline15206 samantha_2158

    Posted

    Hi I am due to have hip op in two weeks but terrified I am having nerve block with sedation and I am worried about not waking up! Glad to hear you are doing so well did you have sedation if so what was it like?
    • beth2509
      beth2509 pauline15206

      Posted

      The good news is that you won't be asleep, so you'll definitely "wake up" biggrin But seriously, you'll be fine. They do thousands of these every day - it's a fine art now and almost everyone has an uneventful surgery and a good recovery. 

    • samantha_2158
      samantha_2158 pauline15206

      Posted

      Pauline, don't worry it all, it's definitely the way to go. The sedation meant that I slept all the way through it and woke up without any of the side effects of a GA, no nausea, eating a sandwich an hour later! Also the other benefit of the spinal is that it gives you great pain relief for some time afterwards. My op was at 5pm and the spinal did not start to wear off until 2am.

      Please don't let it worry you - it is definitely The anaesthesia of choice for this op and it really worked well for me. Good luck!

      Sam x

    • samantha_2158
      samantha_2158

      Posted

      I did "sleep" as I didn't want to hear the operation (my choice, lol!) but it is a very light sleep and he brought me round when they were taking me through to recovery. It is not the deep sleep of a GA.

      sam

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen samantha_2158

      Posted

      Good information Samantha I will remember it for my forthcoming surgeries!

      Cheers Richard

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy pauline15206

      Posted

      They reckon that THR is now one of the most succesful operations in the world.
  • hippy28
    hippy28 samantha_2158

    Posted

    So glad your over the op now and on the long road to recovery.

    I was interested to read that you also had pain in your knee as that's why I initially went to my GP

    I was given an MRI scan which showed that i had a torn cartlidge so i was referred to see the knee consultant. His physio took one look at me and asked if I always walked like that. I was immediately sent for a pelvic xray which showed the awful state my right hip was in. It was then I was put on the waiting list for a THR.

    Like you I didn't believe it would cure my knee problem. It did. It was amazing.

    I was told that it was my brain sending messages to the wrong place.

  • pauline15206
    pauline15206 samantha_2158

    Posted

    Hi thanks for coming back so you have the spinal first then sedation I take it you did not hear anything I don't like being out of control they will never t allow me to be awake! They said they always give sedation

    • judith12644
      judith12644 pauline15206

      Posted

      Hi Pauline, I had spinal with sedation, loved it! They give you the spinal before you go through to theatre, and the sedation through a canula in your hand. I'm a baby, told the surgeon that I didn't want to hear it all, and he laughed and said I don't blame you. Next thing I know is him saying, well done it's all gone really well. I was having lunch an hour later. If you want to stay awake you can. Several people on the forum have done.

    • pauline15206
      pauline15206 judith12644

      Posted

      I have asked and I have been told no it's best not to so I thought I would do as they say perhaps I could have something before a premed to help or a dart gun as I walk in may help.

    • samantha_2158
      samantha_2158 pauline15206

      Posted

      Hi Pauline,

      Didn't hear a thing. I was asleep and after the spinal was done the sedation went through a cannula in my hand. Fast asleep shortly afterwards and woken up at the end of the op. It really wasn't scary and I felt absolutely fine afterwards. You won't know a thing but have the benefit of no nausea, sore throat, general wooziness etc that can come with a GA.

      sam x

    • samantha_2158
      samantha_2158 pauline15206

      Posted

      Pauline I had a premed as was anxious about the op generally (just fear of the unknown I think!). The premed made me feel relaxed - I was given it about an hour or so before the op.

      Sam x

    • pauline15206
      pauline15206 samantha_2158

      Posted

      Oh good I hope that will help I would rather stay awake but as long as I wake up that will be fine it feels like a sentence hanging over you waiting for the dreadful day to come and go.
Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.