Hi...I'm new to this forum

Thank you so much Beth!!!  I appreciate your response, everything I'm reading here, and especially the overall comraderie and support (I'm super scared to have the surgery but as the Ortho Surg has told me...I put up a good fight, but it's over)...no choice.

Thank you for responding!

Hi Annie, First I want to thank you for being so informative and going into such detail here for those of us who are new to all of this , and are frankly scared to death of all of the things we need to do . In reading your account of all of this I see that you have experianced many different things to do with the surguries as well as recovery.......and if possible would like to ask you a few questions on my wifes behalf. She like maraleezie has not had the surgery yet....but has many if not all of the symptoms and has been dianosed with severe arthritis and needs both hips replaced. Right now, she experiances bouts of severe pain in her legs along with the loss of range of motion, and stiffness . One of our questions ( we didn't think to  ask this of her ortho doc) is since he will only do one hip at a time, will her pain ( after recovery from surgery) subside enough to be able to use her right leg while recovering ? Now, since her left is the worst, she compensates walking with more pressure on her right leg.....but stairs are a different ballgame. She doesn't feel confident enough with her right to put her weight on it to climb stairs like she does for walking on flat ground. I would also like to ask about insurance and since most consider this "elective surgery" how should we proceed with addressing them? Is that all done between the doctors office as we suspect, or do we begin the process with our insurance provider on our own? We  may have many questions during this process , and hope that as we paruse throught this site , there will be many like you who actually take the time to help others like you have . Thank you

Hi Annie, thank you so much for replying to my post.  I am experiencing all the same constraints you are.  It's becoming impossible for me to dress myself (I'm still working full time...how I don't know...alot of pain just pure true grit I guess), getting into bed is impossible..so I know I'll be looking into a power recliner to basically live in for the first month or so...renting a hospital bed may be a good option since I too will be using my out of pocket maximum just for the surgery.  I need grabbers now...anything that drops on the floor regretfully now stays there  ;(   getting in and out of the car has been a nightmare for a year now.  My husband is re doing our bathroom to remove the tub for a shower with bench (I haven't been able to get my legs over the tub for a year with gringing in pain let alone standing inside).  The rollator walker is also a great idea...I will need as many aids as possible to help with independence because my husband and daughter both work and I don't have anyone I can line up to live in with me for the first week or two when I'm assuming I'll need the most care.  I will be starting with my right hip, then will need my left, but on top of this I was diagnosed with a grade 3 Spondylolisthesis but the Drs can't really tell if most of my pain is the hips or my back as well...I can only pray this back condition is something I've had most of my life  and that the bigger prob is my hips (they don't know because no one ever discovered it until my first MRI 2 years ago)  The spine surgeon says he can tell from my gait that my prob is more hips, so I'm just praying I'll never have to deal with the Spine issue (.  This has been so overwhelming for me that I fight off depression daily in not being able to complete the simpliest of tasks (having severe mobility issues completely changes your life as you know...reaks havoc on both of my knees and elbows as I am overworking those.)  Sorry, I did not mean to unload...THANK you for your time in helping ...  it is truly truly appreciated.  Sincere best in your recovery....

Hello, Helpful Husband! Your wife is very lucky to have you...

Glad you are here! Regarding your first question, she will be using walking aids (walker/crutches) in the beginning of recovery, so that will help with any pain she feels in either leg. Most of us have found that when we have any serious surgery or injury to one leg, the other leg then has to overcompensate, doing extra work, during recovery. It is always an unknown as to how well the "good" leg will be able to perform after surgery on the "bad" leg. I worried about this myself, since I have some problems with my "good" left leg, including weakness in the hip, knee and ankle. Since I have been resting so much with the 20 pound weight bearing on my surgical leg, and since I always use a walking aid, my "good" leg has held up fairly well. I'm not sure how things will go when I am trying to walk without aids, but I will take that transition slowly and make sure that I am strengthening my muscles before and during that time. 

Bottom line, though, is that your wife needs her hips replaced. They will do the worst one first, and then the other. She will, somehow, have to get around pre-op and during the recoveries. If walking aids, or pain meds or even a wheel-chair are needed, they can be used. She can start using them now, if necessary. She definitely doesn't want to risk a fall, and using the aids can make walking much less painful and stressful for the joint.

If she is having problems with stairs now, why not have her use a crutch with the arm that isn't holding onto the railing? She can use it to help support herself while going up and down until and after the surgery, for as long as she needs it. Doing that helps me enormously. Fortunately, I have only a few steps going into my house, and all my living can be done on one floor, so I haven't had to deal with them very much. My dear husband has been doing all the laundry (in the basement) for the last six months!

Yes, THR is considered elective, but your doctors will present the evidence to your insurance company, and if the evidence is compelling enough in terms of x-ray evidence/physical exam/patient pain and disability, then insurance will approve. YOU shouldn't have to do anything.

Feel free to start your own thread with any questions you have, so that others can benefit from any advice you get!

Maraleezie, unloading is good for you, and this forum is a place where that is encouraged, so vent away! Sounds like you have much to be upset about. I hope that it is mainly your hips, which will be replaced, and that your spine is ok. I started a medication, Evista, for osteoporosis last week. I've had two vertebral fractures. and don't want any more!

I've been a physical mess for a year a half, sometimes worse, sometimes a bit better. The large number of aids that I am using has made it possible for me to be as independent as possible while going through all of this. My husband and sister (who lives next door) have been so good at helping me with the things I cannot manage.

Hope you get that tub changed to the shower as quickly as possible. How are you managing in the meantime? I hate sponge baths.

One idea that may help you with the car, is to put a thick cushion or two on the seat, to raise it up a bit, so you don't have as far to drop or get up from. Then put a plastic bag over it, so after you sit down on it, you can easily turn to face forward.

I couldn't dress myself without the sock aid, grabber and very long shoe horn. When my back was at its worst, and right after surgeries, I needed my husband's help for much of my dressing, too. I can't imagine how you are working full-time. Just WOW!

Having both the hospital bed and recliner were important for me. Otherwise, I would have had to just stay in bed, like I did after my THR (first hip surgery). I had pillows stacked up behind and around me, and I couldn't use the couch. After my second surgery, I slept most nights in the hospital bed, and then used the recliner during the day. It was so nice not to be trapped most of the time in the bedroom.

Feel free to ask any more questions you have, or just complain bitterly. We understand!

 

THR as an outpatient?!  wow....all this gives me the hope I so desperately need right now to get through this.  

Will strategically put chairs in places to break up the distance.

THANK YOU and best in your recovery!

You had a hip replacement as an out patient???? How does that work? Sounds amazing, please can you do your own post about this and your experience, I am sure many hippies would love to know about this. 

Thank you CarolinePS !

Thank you so much Graham!!  I will be reading them both right after this!  

 

The other links in the moderator's "useful resources" page have lots of useful information too.