11 Days Until LTHP...Questions!

You will need a wedge cushion that you can carry with you wherever you go. Using the loo though may be a problem as you will need a raised loo seat. I made sure I didnt need the loo away from home for the first month or so. You will need a grabber and I also made myself a hook thing. ( just a piece of Dowling with a cup hook on the end to get clothes and socks on,) also will need a long shoe horn. Luckily I sleep on my back ok, but you will have to bear with it for a few weeks or so until you can roll over. Good luck

Hi Emma, & welcome to this Forum.  I'm 65 & had my RTHP last October.  Like you, I had lots of questions.  Before you know it you will have had the procedure and you will be recovering at home.  Of course you will want to go out when you're home & that's all part & parcel of your recovery.  You will be well looked after during your stay in hospital and with the after care you receive at home.  You will be given all the medication you need as well as equipment you will need such as toilet riser, perching stools crutches etc.  I was advised not to ask what I would be given in the way of equipment, but to ask what I was entitled to.  Let friends & family pamper you & look after you and do take the meds you are given as they give you those for good reason, just like the equipment.  Do your exercises & walks regularly.  You will know when to sit, when to stand & when to have a walk.  Ice packs are great in case of any swelling & a stool to elevate your operated leg onto is a must.  In no time at all you will be walking with just 1 crutch then eventually 1 crutch/cane.  You can always take a cushion when you're out and that may help in restaurants & cafes etc.  Nurses & pysios will go over how you can lie in bed & sit.  I found using a triangulay pillow worked wonders in the earlier stages of my recovery.  Best of success to you Emma & I do please let us all know how you're doing.  Ray 

Hi Emma. I'm having my RTHR on Thursday. Initially I went with NHS route but switched . With NHS I attended joint class. I had to take measurements of chairs, bed and toilet. At class they measured from the back of knee to floor. This proved that chairs and toilet were too low. The provided a frame to fit around toilet. I bought a high recliner chair. I've since switched hospitals and at pre op last week at private hospital these things were not mentioned. Try measuring your leg and chairs when pressed down and start getting things organised. X

Hello Emma

I bought a couple of wedge cushions online and took one with me when going out and about. They raise you up and tip you forward a few inches so the angle between your body and legs stays greater than 90 degrees. Also good to use in the car.

I also found using a plastic bag to swivel on when getting into the car and onto the bed was a great help.

Re sleeping - I'm a side sleeper but I did manage to adapt to sleeping on my back

after a while, though I never thought I would at first!

Good luck with the op and your recovery,

sjhips

 

Hi Emma, agree with all the above advice. I was a side sleeper but found I got so tired it wasn't to difficult to go to sleep on my back. 4 months on I am back on mt side but thinking I had a better nights sleep on my back!!!! :-)

The best advice I can give is don't expect to much of yourself to quickly, listen to your body and accept all the help you are offered. Hey, people only want to help and you'd only upset them by saying n. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink ... ironing.

A couple of times I have had to take a step back as I was trying to do to much. You think you are invincible when the pain has gone. I've also had to remind myself to do the exercises to build up the muscles.

Once home you will find your own way of doing things but the aids are invaluable.

Wishing you well with your op and recovery x

dear emma, 

congratulations on posting your first discussion ...

will you get the anterior or posterior approach to THR surgery?   there are less restrictions with anterior, so perhaps this might be an option for you - 

you will get physical therapist in the hospital who will show you how to sit down and get up from bed and chair , to pick up something (when you don't have your grabber with you) - 

the cushion advice is great - take it with you when you go out to a restaurant - 

sleeping on your back might be challenging ... perhaps you can practice this prior your surgery ... 

for further information you can visit the web page created by one of our forum members :

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-   scroll all the way down until 487147 where you find Graham, aka Rocketman ..

and of course, come here anytime ...

big warm hug

renee

Hi Emma

I've never slept on my back but forced myself before the op so that I got used to it. It really helped. To be hones you won't want to turn over because it's bloody painful 😖 when I started to go out I took a cushion as chairs are generally too low. Not one bats an eye so don't worry it's more important that you ar comfortable. Friends ar very supportive and we've had some laughs and tears along th way. Just don't try and rush anything we all recover at different levels and it doesn't mean you are not doing well. The first couple of weeks are tough but then each week you will see a mprovements. It's a big op and an emotional rollacoaster you will have ups and downs but we are all here to listen

Good luck julie

Morning Emma. Get a thick cushion for those low chairs if you don't have one that won't make you break 90. Check to see which chairs are closest to 90 and have those as your to go chairs. Take cushion with you when you go out. It's very important you don't break 90, no twisting no bending also for those first 6 weeks. I dislocated my hip a week or so after my first hip replacement didn't really know it happened till my 3 weeks checkup wound up getting a total hip revision. 6 weeks non weight bearing, no hip exercises or hip flexion past 90. It was pretty intense and depressing. I'm now 10 months out still struggling with stiffness and discomfort along with bursitis and tendonitis. Oh and nerve pain and sensitivity on top and side of thigh. I had first surgery anterior second was posterior.God's blessings to you for a speedy recovery and healing. Hugs 🤗LINDA

I had a TRHR three months ago and have a few tips that might help.  I note you're in Northampton and it's a bit of a postcode lottery as to the help you get.  I live in Worcestershire and although I was provided with walking sticks, a Helping Hand (to pick things up), a long shoehorn, a device to help put on your socks and a frame for the toilet I have been offered no physio at all which I am now trying to get through my GP.  Hopefully you will get all these things and they are very helpful initially.  You should have been told the height chairs, toilets etc need to be and my husband marked the height on my walking sticks with a pen so that I could see at a glance if seats were OK or not.  For the first month or so I carried a fairly thick cushion around in a carrier bag (not a wedge, just an ordinary cushion) and used it if the seats were too low.  And don't forget to keep your operated leg out straight as you sit down and leave it out straight if in doubt though you might find yourself playing footsie with the person opposite!!  The marks on my sticks also meant that I could see if toilets were manageable.  I'm short (just over 5 ft) and found that most of the time with the aid of my sticks, if there was nothing else to hang on to, I was able to use most toilets, but it's becoming quite easy to find disabled loos these days which will be a Godsend to you to begin with as you don't want to be imprisoned in your home for six weeks!  Somebody else recommended a plastic bag on the car seat and this absolutely makes a huge difference getting in and out of the car.  Make sure the seat is pushed right back and reclined.  It can be pushed forward a bit and the back put back up once you're in.  If you don't have a walk-in shower (which we don't) then please don't wait weeks to have a shower.  Get an adjustable bath stool with a revolving seat (I think ours came new through Ebay and wasn't expensive).  Adjust the height of the seat so it's level with the edge of the bath and place the stool at the end of the bath away from the taps.  You can then back onto the stool using both hands on the edge of the bath to manoeuvre yourself onto the stool.   Make sure there's something behind you you can get your hands on to lean back then get your husband to lift your legs into the bath, keeping them straight so that at no point are you going over 90 degrees.  My husband attached a grab handle to the tiles at the side of the bath so I could pull myself up to a standing position, but you can probably manage without that with help.  I found I had no difficulty standing unaided (admittedly with most of my weight on my "good" leg), shuffling round with the help of the grab handle for the water to get at my back.  Then you just repeat the process in reverse to get out.  You'll feel so much better if you can shower and wash your hair.  Ignore all the above if you have a walk-in shower, but somebody else reading this might benefit from my experience.  I can't give any tips about sleeping on your back.  Fortunately (!!!) I had already started sleeping on my back before my operation simply because it was too painful lying any other way and you will get used to it.  In fact I've got so used to sleeping on my back that I'm finding it hard sleeping "normally" now.  The only thing I would say is that after a while my heels began to get sore with the pressure because I wasn't moving at all during the night.  My solution was to roll up a small towel securing the ends with rubber bands and putting it under my ankles just to keep my heels off the sheet.  That has worked really well.  Finally I wish you all the luck in the world and I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine.

Emma, are you having anterior surgery or the old style where thego in through the rear?  Because I just had anterior Left hip replacement with minimal Invasion.  I have no 90 degree restrictions at all.  In fact my at home PT encouraged me to put on my own shoes after one week.  I would suggest you find a surgeon that uses this method.    The recovery time is much shorter, you can be back to all activities, including running by 3 months.  I am 17 days out, driving and walking w cane about 1/2 hour each day.  But still icing and elevating a lot 

Hi Emma

As Carol says anterior approach is not an option in the UK and in any event opinion is divided as to whether recovery is quicker.

I agree with most of what the others say.

Sleepping on you back is not great IMO what is more it means I snore which has repercushions with my wife... My physio has got me lying on my tummy for a while each session. It helps with getting the leg to move back. You could ask the physios at the hospital what they think.

But as for the 90 deg rule. I'm currently without a proper hip having had mine taken out in March. In theory I'm more likely to dislocate my spacer (which isn't clicked in) than a joint. Furthermore I'm 6'5 and 69 yo. So most chairs are too low for me. And my wife has a mini. However I think the key to not causing a problem is to put the minimum of weight on your operated leg as you stand up. Stick it out on from of you, try to use chairs with arms or use a table and the chair back.

Though I hope at your age you are fitter than me we chaps do have the advantage of not having to sit to pee. But I am off to a hotel tomorrow and have practiced getting off the loo without the high seat and arms and though difficult it is not impossible. (I'll let you all know if I get stuck)

Preparing food and cooking is a knack. Either moving things around the work surface and table, or holding them with two hands as well as the crutches. With luck you should be using one crutch quite quickly which makes things much easier.

Best to get your husband to get the shopping or get it delivered.

I hope you will have some help with the children and hope your surgery goes well and you recover quickly.

Mike

Hi Emma

You are young for this to be happening.  My first THR was when I was 54 and people thought I was young to be having it!  Like you, I hated the idea of sleeping on my back but the thought of having to have the operation again if the hip "popped" was incentive enough.  Anyone that has a THR has to do this and you learn to cope.  It is so good when you can lie on your tummy or side again when you get through this.  I also had a toilet surround to help me getting on/off the toilet and bought a toilet raiser and also had a shower chair.  You will probably come home using a walking frame and then progress to crutches. Going out is a problem but a firm cushion to elevate is the way to go.  I found I did not want to go out for quite a few weeks as it was just too hard getting in/out of the car etc. I was told not to drive until after 6 weeks. 

It will be hard looking after your 2 children but you say you have a supportive husband. Will he have time off work or do you have family/friends to help as it will be hard, especially the first few weeks.  No washing, cooking, cleaning etc.

All the very best.  Let us know how you go.