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3 weeks to go for RTHR 😀

Posted , 14 users are following.

KarenFisher4074
KarenFisher4074

Hi, everyone 

Now that holidays out of way and wonderful visit with my sister from the US its prep time for me 😀 I have 3 weeks until pre op appt and then surgery on Feb 3rd.

Heres my list so far 

grabber x 2

toilet frame and toilet seat riser

long handle sponge for washing/lotion

portable bidet

go girl (for peeing standing up)

long reach comfort wipe

leg lifter

trolly 

slip on slippers.

if anyone can add to my list would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks

Karen 

Queensland, Australia 

 

0 likes, 47 replies

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  • anonymous333
    anonymous333 KarenFisher4074

    Posted

    Non-slip mats, both for in the shower and outside it.

    Analgesic gel for the inevitable lower back aches, upper thigh aches, etc.

    Chocolate

    • KarenFisher4074
      KarenFisher4074 anonymous333

      Posted

      Thank you lee i didnt think about non-slip mats will add to list. 

      I see my normal physio tomorrow so i was going to ask him about what to do with those aches as i know they will come as my back doesnt like it when i lay to much. I will add the gel also and hubby promises to make sure i have good supply of chocolate 😀

  • toto64676
    toto64676 KarenFisher4074

    Posted

    I took a hand eld mini fan into hospital with me and was so glad I did, they kept the ward boiling hot day and night and would not tolerate the window being opened.  I also had long sleeve nightdress and regretted that.  Good luck with your op 
  • AnnieK
    AnnieK KarenFisher4074

    Posted

    Karen, good luck with your upcoming HR! Here are a few things that haven't been mentioned yet that I found indispensable.

    - a fairly large pill organizer, i.e., 4 sections per day, 7 days total. You will be taking lots of medications, and you want to keep track of which you have taken. It's very easy to forget whether you have taken meds or not. I had a separate smaller one for pain meds, since that was always changing, depending on how I felt. you definitely don't want to take too many or too few of those!

    - If you can't sleep on your back (like I can't), then be sure to have something (lots of pillows or other device) to prop yourself up in bed for sleeping, as you won't be allowed to sleep on your side for 6 weeks (here in the U.S., anyway). 

    - Everyone has to wear TED compression hose after surgery. I had to wear them for 2 weeks, but not at night. They are VERY difficult to get on as they fit very tightly. There is a special plastic bag thing that you use to put them on with that makes it very easy. The hospital gave one to me when I left, and I just wouldn't have been able to use the hose without it. You can just use a regular plastic bag, if big enough. There are YouTube videos that show how to do it.

    - a rollator walker, which is a walker that you can sit on (not when moving) that has wheels. I had one that was my mom's. I was able to carry almost anything on the seat (including bowls of soup), so was able to be more independent in many ways, including fixing myself food and serving myself from the kitchen to the dining room fairly early. Most people get along fine without one, but it was very helpful for me.

    • KarenFisher4074
      KarenFisher4074 AnnieK

      Posted

      Thank you so much Annie I will add these to my list :-)

      Much appreciated :-)

      Karen

    • AnnieK
      AnnieK KarenFisher4074

      Posted

      Sure! And one more thing, I found a shower chair to be very useful. I wasn't up to standing up unaided for quite awhile, so it was heaven to be able to sit in the chair and get a shower. So much safer for me.
  • anonymous333
    anonymous333 KarenFisher4074

    Posted

    Make sure the hospital gives you a decent supply of waterproof wound dressings when you leave. It can be very hard to find large enough ones at stores...
    • lyn1951
      lyn1951 anonymous333

      Posted

      If the hospital won't give you those waterproof dressings, gladwrap is the order of the day, some still does get in, but you can ignore that little bit.

      Used glad wrap a number of times I have had surgery, pulled nice and tight, right around your body if necessary, just to keep things dry.

      But what are husbands for, after hip replacement, he is going to find he has lots of extra duties, pressure stocking puller-upper, get the nurses or physio's to show him how to do it, so much easier for them to correct him, rather than you trying to correct him, then he takes offense, back scrubber in the shower, gladwrapper and unwrapper, remember you won't be able to turn at your waist/hips, its so natural but you can't do it, the danger of dis-location is tooo high, with your feet planted, they do warn you at pre-surgery, to turn you need to imagine you are as stiff as a board, and 3 little steps with your feet, practice could be imagine you have a stiff neck and can't turn your head, the same, when you have THR, when required, cup of tea and dinner maker, when it is just beyond you to get up and do for yourself, you are going to find you are not very active for a couple of weeks, just doing your physio, sleeping, and eating are about as much energy as you have, and you have no choices, there, you just need to listen to your body, when you need sleep, SLEEP, all good healing time..

      Make up some freezer meals, just cook a little extra each night, and put away, in chinese food type boxes, over the next few weeks, so much easier for him to nuke/microwave something rather than cook from scratch.

    • anonymous333
      anonymous333 lyn1951

      Posted

      Your last tip made me laugh. Once, years ago, my mother left a stew in the crockpot to cook while she was at work. She left a note for my stepfather telling him his dinner was in the crockpot.

      When she got home, he declared himself "starving". The crockpot was untouched. When she asked why he didn't eat the stew, he replied: "Nobody gave me any"...

    • lyn1951
      lyn1951 anonymous333

      Posted

      Lee - my daughter has the most hopeless husband when it comes to cooking, so she has made up dinners in plastic bags in the freezer, with gravy and or sauce. She gets them out the night before, puts in her fridge, her husband comes home at lunch time, upends the bag into the crockpot and sets it going, when she arrives home main course is done.
    • KarenFisher4074
      KarenFisher4074 anonymous333

      Posted

      Lol that is to funny :-). I am lucky as my hubby loves to cook and so he will be feeding me. We were going to prepare a few meals ahead of time and freeze so he doesnt have to do it all the time. :-) 
  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 KarenFisher4074

    Posted

    Missing from your list, just realised, you need a chair that is high, with sides that you can use to push yourself up from. I have a older lazyboy with hard sides, that you can use to lever yourself up with you arms. Good measurement to do is fold of knees at back to floor, then your chair needs to be at the same height, or slightly higher, bed the same. Bed is easy, some bricks under feet, chair's you can get chair feet from medical aids shops, not expensive. Safety issue is not rotating your hips more than 90 degrees, L shape, if you do get down, you can't get up again without help. I was silly enough to throw myself into chair at hospital 2 days after surgery, didn't have a hope of getting up again, after crashing into sofa, when I tried to sit down without thinking. Needed help from nurses and husband to get up wiithout breaking 90 degree rules.
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