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Consultants instructions 17 days post op

Posted , 12 users are following.

cathie38426
cathie38426

I have to walk half an hour twice a day.

I have two crutches for one more week,then

1 for the unoperated side. I have to do the hospital

exercises including the leg slide to the side.

As I am 79, I was hoping for a gentle approach,

but no such luck! I wonder what advice is

given when it's a 90 year old!

Cathie

7 likes, 73 replies

73 Replies

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  • Hilltop
    Hilltop cathie38426

    Posted

    Hello Cathie

    my op date is 5th Nov and I am 77 years old.  Getting  scared because I have been in severe pain for 12+ months now and no medication has alleviated it.  My  orthopaedic surgeon is definitely ageist.  Whrn I asked for  a ceramic hip and stated that I now regretted giving up my private medical insurance his respnse to bits were 1). Not worth it and 2) ). I wouldn't bother!!

    • Hilltop
      Hilltop

      Posted

      Cont'd........... I haven't much faith in him but it is too late in the day now,  look forward to you replies to keep me positive!
    • cathie38426
      cathie38426 Hilltop

      Posted

      If you  have been told you are bone on bone

      the painkillers don't always help. You haven't long

      to go now, hang in there. Might your feelings be anxiety

      and going into the unknown, or have you any other reasons.

      Sometimes NHS surgeons react badly to the word Private.

      Maybe he feels what he's offering is going to be just as good.

      Will you see him again before the op? I did tell my surgeon

      I was nervous, in fact terrified of having surgery, and I am

      here post op to tell my tale. You can ask him general questions 

      like what is the oldest person you have operated on, or do you

      get a lot of hip operations in a year. These are only my suggestions

      but they might raise you confidence level.

      Let us know how you get on.

      Cathie

  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 cathie38426

    Posted

    Far too much, good God I am only 64, I feel for you.  Do the exercices, and count your walking around the house, will add up to an hour a day if you think about it. Good exercise is the leg lift, stand straight next to a solid chair or a bench, and lift the operated leg up at the knee. Not too far, don't go past 90 degrees. Remember you are lifting the entire weight of the leg each and every time you lift it. also do the same exercise with the non-operated leg, when you are doing this exercise you are using not only leg muscles but muscles in your pelvis as well, remember you have been wrenched around something dreadful firstly to dis-locate the strongest joint in your body and then to do that hip replacement.  My sister who is a senior nurse in a hospital said it is one of the most gruesome surgeries she has seen, very hard to dis-locate that joint.
    • cathie38426
      cathie38426 lyn1951

      Posted

      I find lifting my operated leg lying on the bed

      more than a small amount impossible. It was the

      same with my first hip, but eventually I could do it.

      and Jodi-France tells about what happened to

      her, so I will not force any exercise now. Did your

      nurse/sister tell you about gruesome after or before

      your op?

      happy healing fro Cathie

  • Kikeena
    Kikeena cathie38426

    Posted

    Reading this forum has helped me realise how often over zealous physios are responsible for an increase in pain and therefore decline in quality of life. I'm learning to listen to my body and let it tell me what is enough.

    I have just been to a new physio and she was lamenting the one size fits all training physios are given. She says they have never really been on the table or experienced what it is like and they're often just not safe. And she teaches physios at a university near me.

    • cathie38426
      cathie38426 Kikeena

      Posted

      the physios in hospital are often young and bubbly,

      and  they have you captive. One of the most humane

      in my practice is a horse physio. Apparently they have

      to be a physio first, then take the horse physio exams as

      an extra.

      loving reading your posts and MaggieF as we are all on

      the same op day- though I was delayed till nearly 8pm.

      Cathie

    • Kikeena
      Kikeena cathie38426

      Posted

      Hi Cathie

      I was delayed until after 7pm! So our hips are practically twins! I didn't get to the ward until 11 and had a very disturbed first nigh.

      Im nowhere nearly off pain killers and don't know how others are doing it. But I saw a fabulous physio today and she has explained my past and given me hope for the future. I'm so so happy!

    • cathie38426
      cathie38426 Kikeena

      Posted

      You were delayed as well! They couldn't find

      my notes, The nurse was rough and I accused

      him of being tired,with such a busy day. Then the

      anaesthetist appeared and as he was putting on

      his mask I spied a crumb on his lip from his quick

      sandwich! I said to him 'I bet you're tired as well. Don't

      make a mess of my operation! I heard someone say I

      was agitated, then I realised they were giving me a spinal, 

      not a GA. HOWEVER, the op was a success!

      Cathie

    • Kikeena
      Kikeena cathie38426

      Posted

      I agree the success of the op is the only thing really. My surgeon did 2 knees before me and when he visited later I saw he had broken his foot! Don't know how he did 8 hours of surgery on a broken foot. But I think he's done an excellent job and I had absolutely no swelling or bruising and it all feels good.
  • mic71403
    mic71403 cathie38426

    Posted

    Hi Cathie,

    greetings - so yes 79 is the new 39 yo!

    I think as aspirational thinking this is fine, with plenty of rest; but no bad messages from surgeon orindeed  yourself if you don't move along this fast. we all move at different rates, but it sounds a good go for it start.

    Did surgeon also mention painting your own toenails blue at 6 weeks, like Renee!

    mic

    x

     

    • cathie38426
      cathie38426 mic71403

      Posted

      My surgeon is a charming but enigmatic Portuguese

      who just smiled when I declared that I was wearing mens

      Y fronts as the most comfortable underwear for my hip.

      i don't know whether he hadn't a clue what I was going

      on about  or just didn't want to go there! We didn't get

      onto toenails! 

      I must say I have done a lot more walking today!

      Cathie

    • linnet2015
      linnet2015 mic71403

      Posted

      Hi mic

      That is def one of things I am looking forward to. Cant wait until I can paint    my toenails again - before my recent op I did try to use an extra long artists paint brush but unfortunately I not only painted my toenails but also part of my feet as well! 

      Linnet x

    • Kikeena
      Kikeena cathie38426

      Posted

      Lol! Y fronts! Love it. Where else can we say these things!
  • linnet2015
    linnet2015 cathie38426

    Posted

    Good grief Cathie that does sound a lot with exercises as well and you are only 17 days post op! I agree we need to exercise every day and gradually build up our fitness but walking for an hour does sound a lot as you would need to rest quite a bit in between. Does he mean including "walking" at home? 

    I have just had my 2nd THR, Im day 9 and I have started my home walking as well as my bed and standing exercises. I open all the doors downstairs and I can walk in a circle (I dont get dizzy!) and try to increase the number of steps each day. Im pretty sure last time I didnt walk for that long at Day 17. However although having a new right hip in January was wonderful not having any more pain the other hip has definitely held me back since then. Even on pain killers I couldnt walk very far, so perhaps now Ive had the second one done its maybe more achievable.

    Ive read the other replies and agree with a lot of whats been said. I have been lucky and there have been no serious complications ( and hopefully wont be) but I have been so moved by the stories of different hippies and what they have gone through before having their operations.

    In the end I do think you know your own body and sometimes you should listen to what its telling you. 

    You sound as if you are doing really well and if you can manage an hour a day walking good luck to you or just do as much as you can to begin with and work your way up to. 

    Wonder too what advice they have given the lady on the IOW bless her!

    Take care and enjoy your walks!

    Linnet x 😀

     

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