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Almost there

Posted , 12 users are following.

rita37849
rita37849

Only one day of waiting left, at 5:30 tomorrow morning I check in to the hospital. My surgery is at 7:30. I'm a little nervous. My husband is a lot nervous. I get the advantage of getting to be knocked out for the 4 or 5 hours of surgery. He gets to walk the floors. I will wake up and begin my life as a hippie with two new "bionic" hips. One of my nieces laughed and said I will be the bionic woman, lol. I'very had my first germ killing shower last night with sheets washed on sanitize cycle in our washer. I have 2 more showers, tonight and tomorrow. Today I am going to fix a medicine box with my maintenance med school so I can keep track when I come home. Not sure if that will be Saturday or Sunday but I do know the date I can restart my RA med school, thank goodness. I want to be sure I start them again as soon as I can. I have discovered this weekend that those meds do help a lot. We have some meals in the freezer. Our house has been readied for my return. I will be packing my suitcase later today. I hope I have everything covered. Any suggestions from those of you who have been there?

1 like, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • elaine23679
    elaine23679 rita37849

    Posted

    Good luck, you will not regret the operation... only for a few days!  

    ​Bless your husband, mine was the same and even now 4mths on he tells me I am trying to do too much.    

    ​Be patient when you are home recovering, the hoovering might not be to your liking, the kitchen may get messy... but sit back and recover... unfortunately men do not see the same things we do.     They try!  

    • rita37849
      rita37849 elaine23679

      Posted

      Thanks Elaine. Fortunately my husband has proven helpful over the past years with dishes and laundry. Between 12 hour nights shifts, my RA and the OA in my hips I've learned to not look a gift horse in the mouth. If not done the way I would, it's okay, it's done. Amazingly enough while I was having a bad RA flare this weekend (off my meds, cold and rainy weather--very bad combination) he even SWEPT the floor! I'm sure we may drive one another crazy sometimes in the next week's, but he is trying and I can't imagine doing this without him.

  • auntiebeanie
    auntiebeanie rita37849

    Posted

    Good luck Rita, slip on shoes no velcro as you cant bend to do them up and a long handled shoe horn helps, i wore dresses during recovery, when I am usually a skirt person, much easier. The hand grabber will become your best friend, I still use it occasionally now. I had a device called a soxon, great for putting socks/tights on. i use it on occasions now when my OA knee plays up. wearing an apron so i could put my phone in when moving around the house and other bits. Most of all, do your exercises that you have to do post op, no matter how hard it is and take the pain meds on offer, and try to walk each day. My aim was to get to three houses more each day and it helped immensly.
    • rita37849
      rita37849 auntiebeanie

      Posted

      Thanks. I have a basket to put on the walker, I found one like I put on my Mom's walker years ago. An apron is a great suggestion though since I would hate to drown my phone with the water I'm transporting in my basket.

  • Chloeparrot
    Chloeparrot rita37849

    Posted

    I agree with Elaine.

    The operation is a breeze - cos you're out of it.

    The following couple of weeks are a bitch.  Be patient with yourself and Him-indoors. Don't try to do anything - you need to sleep and heal, nothing else matters.  (Honest, it doesn't - no, really.)

    Be patient with Him-indoors.  Mine was an absolute gem - drove me completely nuts because he didn't notice that the carpet needed hoovering and the house needed dusting; that it was a good idea to hang the washing out as soon as the cycle had finished and not 3 hours later and that it is always a good idea to clean the kitchen as you go.  (I still am in awe that he can use 6 pans to boil water.....)

    I was also astonished to understand that all meals only need contain meat and 2 veg (one of which was potatoes), so I had lots and lots of 'man-food' and in huge quantities.  What I would really have appreciated was lightly cooked fish/chicken with a small salad was neither here nor there.  What I got was 4 HUGE homemade meatballs, half a plate of mashed potato and a spoonful of peas. The meatballs were very tasty - its just that 4 could have quite easily fed a whole family....

    More importantly, he was there for me.  He was calm and patient (more so that I was).

    So, did it matter that he didn't do anything the way I did - no, not really.

    He did try (my nerves, patience etc).....

     

    • rita37849
      rita37849 Chloeparrot

      Posted

      Your husband's meal planning sounds about like mine. LOL Harder still for mine, he has to deal with my celiac and no gluten so he can have all his breads and such but he has to feed me differently. He is definitely being a sweet husband thus far. He has told the dogs that they may have to go for a drive sometimes if I get too nutty from them being underfoot.

    • elaine23679
      elaine23679 Chloeparrot

      Posted

      Mine was every meal chips!!!!!  lots of chicken.... no veg... and having mine in August relished a salad so he went out and bought coleslaw.... lol... not a lettuce leaf or tomatoe in site...

      ​He did his best, and I am glad I am back in my kitchen...

  • madla39168
    madla39168 rita37849

    Posted

    Good luck Rita.

    BE patient with yourself, do excesice, rest, drink lots of water,

    eat well, fruit, take the medication.

    Let the body heal. Wishing you good luck for tomorrow.

    Big hug Madla💗

    • rita37849
      rita37849 madla39168

      Posted

      Thank you. I'll try to remember that. I have a tendency to be patient with others but not myself.

  • wendy38896
    wendy38896 rita37849

    Posted

    Hi Rita, i don't think i can add anything more to what all the lovely Hippies have told you.I just wish you a speedy recovery, but you must take a lot of rest and when that feeling comes over you go with it, your body has taken a hamering, in the words of my surgeon. Good luck and let us know how you get on with your recovery. xx

  • auntiebeanie
    auntiebeanie rita37849

    Posted

    Chloe my hubby was so bad cooking, I had pre frozen some meals that my lovely sister in law brought us three three course meals each week. Till I was off my crutches and could cook! I have made sure he learnt how to cook better as recovering from foot op but had to say the other day could I have more fresh veg and not baked beans. I'm lucky I have 4 sister in laws in total and another 2 of them came up a couple of times a week and did housework as they knew he wouldn't see how bad anything was. Still he did try lol. Xx

  • julie49207
    julie49207 rita37849

    Posted

    Gosh Rita

    Go girl what Christmas presents !!

    Will be thinking of you its going to be worth it but understand your nervousness.

    Please let us all know how you get on as I am sure we will be thinking of you. We were all nervous too but I think everyone of us hippies knew what we needed and as for me it was the best thing I have ever had done.

    Julie 🎁

  • lisa31002
    lisa31002 rita37849

    Posted

    Hoovering, dusting etc don't matter -someone to talk to and love you are what's needed ! Good luck. Lisa.

  • gail_27284
    gail_27284 rita37849

    Posted

    All the very best Rita ,you are about to join a super exclusive club.the hippies !! Sounds like you've got it all under control..

    I had some books ,magazines and boxed sets all ready as well ..

    let us know how it goes gxx👍🏻

  • renee01952
    renee01952 rita37849

    Posted

    dear rita, 

    looks  like you are very well prepared ... 

    not much to add to previous posts - just surrender and keep having faith ..

    looking forward to your first post-op post and sending light, love and healing rays to you, your loved ones and the OR team ...

    2 New hips ... wow ... 

    big warm hug

    renee

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