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6 week restrictions 😞

Posted , 16 users are following.

Caz83
Caz83

Hi Ive got my thp on 29th Dec it will be posterior and un-cemented.

I spoke to the occupational therapist and she has said I will be partial weight bearing on crutches. She said I wont be able to shower for 6 weeks, even though ive got a walk in cubicle shower. I can handle the non-shower part just about but how do people wash their hair?

Thanks Caron

0 likes, 54 replies

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  • claudia95892
    claudia95892 Caz83

    Posted

    Hi Caz, I had both my hips done and I showered a week post surgery. I had no weight bearing both times for 8 weeks and they were both in cemented. I used a commode and a walker and my hubby helped me so there were no chances of falling. I had a special waterproof dressing that covered my wound. It was changed a week later and then staples came off and I let it air dry as much as possible and used Aveeno anti itch cream since I was shedding like crazy. Showering every 2 days with help, then by myself after 3rd week.
    • Caz83
      Caz83 claudia95892

      Posted

      Hi thats good to hear, I know everyone heals different. If I do shower I will make sure Ive got my hubby to help me. Thanks for your advice
  • Pam8128
    Pam8128 Caz83

    Posted

    It's amazing. There must be as many different restrictions as there are people!  I had left posterior thr 11-30 and was full weight bearing same day. Had staples removed yesterday and told I could shower today!

    Anyway I have been washing my hair in the kitchen sink being careful to not bend past the 90 degrees. It has worked well for me. Good luck!

    • Caz83
      Caz83 Pam8128

      Posted

      Yes I can imagine there is. I supose every surgeon has there own restrictions, then of course the physio and occupational therapist have theirs. Just to confuse the situation. Good luck with your revovery.
  • auntiebeanie
    auntiebeanie Caz83

    Posted

    Hi Caz, if you have a walk in shower then I cannot understand why the OT said that. i could not shower for six weeks as my shower at the time was over the bath. by partial weight bearing they mean on crutches. Had i had a walk in shower then they advised using the perch stool they gave me to sit on in the shower as you obviously cannot risk slipping over and also have a shower mat in there too. For me I washed my hair over the sink, first of all by sitting on the perch stool and then eventually standing up and leaning slightly over the sink. i had posterior uncemented too. You must make sure you have waterproof dressings over the wound when you shower otherwise you will have to wait for the stitches to dissolve or staples/stitches out. out whichever your surgeon prefers to use. Believe me it was bliss to have a shower after 6.5 weeks. Goods luck
    • Caz83
      Caz83 auntiebeanie

      Posted

      Thats what I thought about my shower but she said she didnt want to risk me slipping. Thanks for the advice. Im not sure I'l last 6 weeks without a shower.

  • Rocketman_SG6UK
    Rocketman_SG6UK Caz83

    Posted

    I was allowed to shower straight away - they provided a supply of waterproof dressings to go home with - see my website on the 'Hospital Recovery' page.

    The website address is in my personal info here ...

       https://patient.info/forums/profiles/rocketman-sg6uk-907025

    and at the bottom of the moderator's "useful resources" page at

       https://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-487147

    Best wishes

    Graham - 🚀💃 🤸    ¯\_(?)_/¯

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      Dear Graham

      Me too. I showered at the hospital the day after surgery and was weight bearing from the start. Uncemented posterior revision.

      I really do not understand the variation unless in the case of uncemented the surgeon is uncertain of how solid a job he/she has done with the stem.

      Surely showerproof wound covering are generally available to all hospitals.

      Cheers Richard

    • Caz83
      Caz83 Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      Thank you. I will have a read. I supose different consultants will have different restrictions.
  • serafin51612
    serafin51612 Caz83

    Posted

    Hi Caron ,

    I walked with crutches 2 days post op , I was able to shower 5 days later , the most important thing I was told is to keep the surgical area covered and dry . I would put the crutch next to the shower door and lay towels on the floor to prevent slipping . We are all different so I would consult your surgeon for advice and precautions . Good luck and you'll feel so much better after surgery . 

    • Caz83
      Caz83 serafin51612

      Posted

      Thank you for your advice. I will ask again after my op when I can shower.
  • ptolemy
    ptolemy Caz83

    Posted

    I agree, there seems to be an awful lot of different instructions for THR when we all had pretty well the same thing. In my case we had showers we could use at the hospital. Although there was a queue for them! I had uncemented, posterior and before going into hospital had a walk in shower installed. The plumber managed to put the hand grips in the wrong place so I had to have extra ones, which in hindsight have been really useful. 

    If you are not able to wash your hair normally, a friend of mine said she had got something for her mother where she could sit down and have some thing on her head to which you could add water and effectively wash your hair. She said it worked really well. I have never actually seen what she was talking about, but it seemed pretty amazing, so must exist somewhere. I will look around.

    • Caz83
      Caz83 ptolemy

      Posted

      I will have a look around for what available. Thanks 👍

    • jools2512
      jools2512 Caz83

      Posted

      Hi Caz,

      ?That has reminded me of these things we used for bedbound patients, probably in the 1980's. They looked like shower caps, and you added a small amount of warm water and then popped it on the head, The shampoo / cleaner was inside, and you massaged the head / hair. They stayed warm for ages, and then you took it off and styled the hair as you would normally. I bet you can still buy them from somewhere, although I have no idea what they are called. You could also try the children's head guard (so they don't get soap in their eyes) and lean back into the sink on a chair as you would at the hairdressers. But you would need a willing helper for that one! Personally, I just stood at the sink and used a jug and put my head forward. Oh boy it was messy though!  And that was days I didn't have a helper to do the elastic stockings on / off  palaver rolleyes

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen jools2512

      Posted

      How about using those caps some people wear when swimming?  They are very thin and stretchy.

      Cheers Richard

    • Caz83
      Caz83 jools2512

      Posted

      Thanks I will see what is available. If not the sink it is with my hubbys assistance.
    • michael11283
      michael11283 jools2512

      Posted

      Jools

      When I was in traction for 3 months in the1970s the nurses wheeled my bed to the sink  to wash my hair. Feels great to wash your hair when you've been stuck in bed for a while!!

      But like others I showered almost straight away after my THR and my revision.

      Mike

    • jools2512
      jools2512 Caz83

      Posted

      Hi Caz,,

      ?Are you wearing TED stockings? Those I found the hardest to deal with, as I couldn't get them on and off by myself. If hubby had left for work (and that's really early some days!), I knew I would be stocking - less for 12 hours, so had to shower at 6am if I wanted them changed. That's why some days I resorted to the jug and sink.....Nobody fills you in on all the little irritations beforehand, which is probably just as well lol

    • Caz83
      Caz83 jools2512

      Posted

      Yes I will be wearing the ted stockings, Thanks thats something to bare in mind. Ha yes I supose your right as youve got enough to deal with as it is 😁

    • jools2512
      jools2512 Caz83

      Posted

      Hi Caz,

      ​Trust me you will want to burn them and do a little dance over the ashes after 6 weeks rolleyes

    • maggie93798
      maggie93798 jools2512

      Posted

      That, thankfully was not one of my problems, was on self administered anticoagulant injections instead. 
    • jools2512
      jools2512 maggie93798

      Posted

      Hi Maggie,

      ?ooh I had that irritation on top. And even being a nurse didn't help. I found it really hard to jab myself, and towards the end almost impossible. I think its better if you can have someone else do it for you. if you can. My husband couldn't face doing it. If he ever needs them I'll be first in the queue. Absolute top irritation though has to be back sleeping!

    • maggie93798
      maggie93798 jools2512

      Posted

      Well as Myra husband had his hip replaced a couple of years before me, and told me how easy it was to do the injections, I had to be just as good as him! 
    • RichardKen
      RichardKen jools2512

      Posted

      Dear Jools

      I found them quite comfortable and after finishing with them they are put away for possible future use!

      Cheers, Richard

    • claudia95892
      claudia95892 jools2512

      Posted

      I had to be on the subq heparin shots for 21 days and giving myself the injections was really hard but not talking them would have been foolish since I am prone to thrombosis. I counted the days till I was done and then rewarded myself to some luxurious alpaca yarn. My belly was purple and blue all over. It took about 3 weeks for the bruises to go away. My hubby ran away as soon as he saw the needle. I truly believe that when there is a will, there is a way. My nurse friends also helped.
    • jools2512
      jools2512 RichardKen

      Posted

      Hi Richard,

      ?I did have that thought the other day when I was dreaming about the lovely far away holiday we will be able to have next summer now I'm so much better! 

    • claudia95892
      claudia95892 michael11283

      Posted

      I, too was in traction for over 3 months and in a full body cast for 3 months and I just cut my hair really short. They used to wheel me to the sink and they would quickly wash my hair. It felt so good. After a total of 32 operations to get me walking. The last 2 beeing THR, I am amazed by how we can shower and be mobile even if not weight bearing. I would cook, take are of my son, rest, do my exercise s and restart. I am now back at work, going to the gym, shoveling snow and doing everything myself.
    • RichardKen
      RichardKen jools2512

      Posted

      Dear Jools

      Glad that you are feeling positive<G>  Cheers Richard

    • steve86482
      steve86482 claudia95892

      Posted

      Claudia, 32 Operations?  Wow, you are my hero sorry you had to go thru all of that and glad you are now better by the day 
    • claudia95892
      claudia95892 steve86482

      Posted

      Thanks Steve. I was born with a malformation in that my iliac bone did not have the part of the bone where the femur attached so at age 2 they realized something was wrong since I dragged myself but could not stand properly e. A 2 year old that cannot crawl. They cut my abductors and put me on a cast for 3 months with my hips over extended. By 3 they realized it had not worked so grafted bones on both hips. Some of the grafts took and the ones on the right did not. Every 2 years I had to go in for more surgery and a lot of metal was holding my pelvis together. By the age of 16, I said no more since I have spent more than half my life in hospitals and I could walk but with crutches. Then I met my hubby and had the great idea of having a family even though my doctor said I would never be able to carry a child to term. The weight from the pregnancy and the fact that the woman's pelvis has to open to deliver the child was a trauma. I broke my tail bone in the process. I had a second pregnancy and I have a beautiful family. At 31, I had no cartilage left and they gave me a new left hip. As long as I had a good hip all was well. I had my own business, a restaurant, a beautiful family and a loving partner and a wonderful group of friends. I limped heavily since they gave me a new hip but made my leg 2.5 can shorter than the other leg. I would walk, bike, go up and down the stairs and manage a busy restaurant. It got to the point that I could not do it anymore so I transitioned to a desk job. After 20 years of leaving a busy life, doing karate, 7 years of riding for the MS bike tour, something came loose and I was getting a sharp bone pain above my knee. Every time I tried to step on my left leg, I would get the pain. Doc put me on Demerol, oxycodone, percacet and they would just take edge off. After a year of painkillers, by the way hydromorphine was the only one that provided relief, I finally got referred for x-rays cat scan and ultrasound. They found that the spike was loose and I had bone deterioration. I now have an implant at the base of the rod, which I feel but I no longer have the pain. My right hip was in such bad shape with arthritic build up that they had to fracture the pelvis to get it all out. Now I can bend both my legs, learning how to walk again, working full time and volunteering to help others. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Mine has taken 52 years. The good thing is that my children do not have the genetic malformation. My grandfather always told me that life was going to be different for me and that I might have to work harder to get there but I was the only one that could set limitations for myself and that is what I do. I try my best, reassess and find a different way of achieving my goal. Have a beautiful day. By the way, my surgeon was impressed with all the x-rays which were kept since I was a child. He just asks that I do not jump off planes or do high impact activities. A lot of work has gone into keeping me walking.

    • judith12644
      judith12644 claudia95892

      Posted

      Claudia, you are so positive and brave. An inspiration to us all. I wish you all the best with your recovery, love Judith 
    • RichardKen
      RichardKen claudia95892

      Posted

      Dear Claudia

      You really are an absolute inspiration to us all.   Very, very well done. I think you are AMAZING.

      All the very best for the future.  Richard

    • michael11283
      michael11283 claudia95892

      Posted

      Claudia

      An insiprational story. Makjes the rest of us realise how lucky we are and how insignificant our problems are.

      Hope your life continues well

      Mike

    • michael11283
      michael11283 claudia95892

      Posted

      Claudia

      (Reading my posts backwards)

      Full body cast must have been tough. You may well have had shorter hair than me, as my stay was in the 70s!!

      I suspecxt it was your determination that kept you mobile in difficult circumstances. I've had a pretty easy time of it. When I had a car crash I spent 3 months in traction and then 3 months on crutches. But I was young and very fit and althogh I couldn't do any manual work I got about OK.

      My THR was really easy and the revision was fairly easy. 4 months with a spacer but I could still get about (and I no longer do manual work for a living) though my garden has become a bit overgrown.

      Hopefully all that is behind me and I can get the garden looking good again.

      Keep smiling

      Mike

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