Hip replacement booked for 19th Dec
Posted , 14 users are following.
hi,
I was born with dislocated hip. literally I was born on the left side with the ball only no socket but through my life never stopped me doing anything, but always had a limp. As I have got older the hip is riddled with arthritis but causes me no issues, but its taken its toll on my right hand side and I've been struggling since 2o17 with pain in the right hip and gradually got worse to the point struggle to walk, cannot bend down, cannot fasten shoes and crawl upstairs. I'm therefore having hip operation where I've been told I will be awake and feel tugging etc to which does not phase me, what phases me is do you have catheters fitted? I don't do dresses or skirts and it says to take this type of clothing for recovery. I'm hoping other females on here can put my mind as rest regarding this and how long before you can wash your hair etc . I'm on gabapentin 300g x 3 times a day, along with ketaprofen at night and 10mg of morphine twice a day to help me function and control pain. I am looking to eventually be pain free and feel like a person again and not a hindrance to others. I just a little disappointed that the hip born with doesnt need operating on yet as no pain from it so will still after the op have a limp as my left leg is 4cms shorted than mine right and apparently cannot lengthen the leg even slightly. sorry rattling on here.
on another note been very informative being able to listen to everyones stories on here 😃
1 like, 141 replies
damaris.m vickie1976
Posted
I would echo everything Sally says. Her experience sounds similar to mine my first hip was more damaged and was a protrusio hip and the second was damaged from childhood. i was left with such a big leg
length difference that the second was necessary to even it out and prevent further damage to the first . My second (4 weeks old) seems to be much quicker healing.
Do the exercises, walk every day and have a decent mid-day rest in bed
I am sure it will be better than before. Best of luck for Thursday
mj25591 vickie1976
Posted
Hi Vickie
I'm 6 weeks post surgery. I'm 48 and had no hip restrictions at all, left hospital with no OT aids other than raised toilet seats.
My surgeon glued the wound and I had a waterproof dressing that meant I could shower as soon as I felt able to; day 3.
Re clothes, my suggestion is baggy joggers - you're hip will swell (lots!) and sticky soled socks (we have wooden floors at home). My hubby helped for a week with washing and drying feet, but I tried to manage putting on socks and trousers myself, I found the small achievements good for the morale.
I didn't have a catheter, and from what I recall of the ward, none of the ladies did.
Do you're exercises and don't bin the crutches too early and best of luck with the op
sally48449 mj25591
Posted
sounds like your gettin in well ... you mustve had some restrictions like no crossing legs or turning your foot inwards or bending the hip at 90 degrees? thats normal for all total hip replacements ? is your incision through top of the leg and bum ?
vickie1976 mj25591
Posted
this is really good to hear and I hope you continue to do well...
mj25591 sally48449
Posted
Hi Sally
no restrictions at all; I've not been crossing my legs for ages as it hurt! Was touching my toes within a week, but I've always been bendy 😃
Only limit has been if it hurts don't do it!
Yes incision is through the top of the leg and bum.
sally48449 mj25591
Posted
oh how odd you had no restrictions . and bending forward is the worst you can do .. im baffled by this ? ... are you still using crutches?
sally48449
Posted
i wander how vicky got on on with her op??
damaris.m mj25591
Posted
Wow, i am amazed at no restrictions. Also I think you said they had glued your incision. I think mine would have burst open! i had 36 clips and i reckon it must be at least 30 cm long!
i am certainly not being quite as law abiding with my second, i don't stick rigidly to the 90 degree rule
ptolemy damaris.m
Posted
I was told by the physio, I saw four weeks after my op that I could have touched my toes after the op, but I had heard you could not on this forum, so had been careful. My surgeon asked me at the end of the op what sort of stitches I wanted, clips or dissolvable. I was awake during the op. I did not have a clue so said dissolvable so did not need any clips removed, thank goodness. I had lateral posterior approach.
sally48449 vickie1976
Posted
hi vicky .. how did it go?
vickie1976 sally48449
Posted
I've been told not to arrive now till 11am today so think it is an afternoon op I am having, which I would gave preferred morning as unsure now if they will still get me up and about...
will keep you informed. thanks for asking.
sally48449 vickie1976
Posted
no they wont get you up today it will be tomorrow if your feeling up to it, which hospital are you in? are you having a spinal ? i wish you luck , one thing i will say is buy a sock aid they are amazing ! only about £7 if you buy from the hospital , i use mine all the time as you will grt cold feet after your op !
Nat666 sally48449
Posted
couldnt agree more about the sock aid. I had to buy one online after about a week as my feet were soooo cold 🤣🤣 ehat a wonderful invention
sally48449 Nat666
Posted
glad you agree! its a must lol
damaris.m vickie1976
Posted
Hi Vickie
You are right you probably wont be up today I had both my ops at 6.30 in the evening but they got me up first thing the following morning and I went home on Day 3
i hope it goes well
sally48449 damaris.m
Posted
me too damaris , im so glad this year is nearly out lol ; having 2 new hips withing the space of 10 months has been the hardest thing ive ever done in my life but now im sorted its onwards and upwards !!
damaris.m sally48449
Posted
hi Sally
I agree i had 2 within the same period. I had a bit of a setback after 4 months with the first one as I sustained a spontaneous fracture on my greater trochanter. in fact I think that took longer to get over that than the ops!
Won't it be lovely, in the spring, with 2 new hips all ready to go!
sally48449 damaris.m
Posted
omg ! you poor thing how awfull for you ; well im hoping to go back to work on the 13th january that will be 8 weeks post op ; last time i drove at 5 weeks but apparently its harder with your left hip ? maybe because of the clutch ? what do you think?
damaris.m sally48449
Posted
i was driving at 4 weeks for my left as i have an automatic . I imagine it is quite difficult with the clutch as it has to go right to the floor, I was glad that i had changed from a manual car.
you ought to be ok going back to work, depending of course what you do - you aren't a tennis coach or personal trainer are you? when did you go back after the first one?
sally48449 damaris.m
Posted
i drove after the first one at 5 weeks but yes this is my left one this time so it might have to be the full 6 weeks ! im a carer i run my own buisness (solo) but alot of my clients can help themselves and some are just companion sits so ill be ok , i am nervous about driving theis time but im sure by 6 weeks ill be ok , when did you drop the toilet seat? and both crutches damaris ?
sally48449
Posted
… i think i went back to work about 12 weeks for the first one but i was at home sorting my new buisness out but i remember hoovering and doing housework before that !
sally48449 damaris.m
Posted
i hope your all done by now vickie ?? hope ite not too bad for you … look forward to hearing about your experience aswell
damaris.m sally48449
Posted
hi Sally
i dropped the loo seat at 6 weeks last time. I actually only have it on one of the loos this time as it became a pain moving it around. i am thinking of getting rid of it now as everyone else finds it a bit irritating . I had to keep using 2 sticks for a long time the last time because the leg length discrepancy was so marked.
This time ( 4.5 weeks) i can walk well without any sticks but still use 2 outside because it is so wet and slippy out there and use 1 inside most of the time but i just forget some of the time.
Being a carer is quite physically demanding. Try not to overdo it as you will suffer in the long term! Is it possible for you to have a midday break?
sally48449 damaris.m
Posted
i have 2 loo seats one up and one down my 18 year old son wont sit on them lol …well im on 2 outside as like you feel its too wet without … indoors i use one but today i tried none but felt i was hobbling so not ready yet ! im same as you , im 5 weeks post op on monday … yes i can get a break half way through the day to pop my feet up but i know its it going to be too easy to start with but i have to get back to work for the money and my insanity lol … do you work damaris? how old are you? im 51 in febuary … also ive been sleeping on my good side for about 2 weeks now with 2 pillows in between my knees not sure if im allowed but my back was hurting … i alternate it with sleeping on my back and it works lol
damaris.m sally48449
Posted
That made me smile, i can just imagine an 18 year old refusing to use the loo seats!
i had my op the same day as you.
I am 63 . My kids have both gone but we have grandchildren here a lot and they arent keen on the raised seat
You are brave going for sleeping on your side. I have got used to sleeping on my back and make a kind of nest of pillows, I am not sure I am ever letting my husband back, lol.
I work part time now, but I can choose when i work so I am just working from home at the moment.
I see my consultant tomorrow so will see what he says I can do, he is pretty brutal so I expect him to say I can do anything I want! Fingers crossed
sally48449 damaris.m
Posted
he does make me laugh he said his bum dosnt fit on it properly ! as long as you have 2 pillows in between your legs it feels fine .. the only aapointment i have is too see the physio and thats not untill 2nd jan , i dont know when ill see the consultant .. last time i had already seen the physio so im not sure when im mebnt to be seeing him ?
damaris.m sally48449
Posted
Amazing, we are mostly NHS but different everywhere . I had 2 sessions of hydrotherapy and i have 2 physio sessions to go . Where in the UK are you?
Can I ask, you also had the leg length problem. why have you needed both hips doing close together? Was it arthritis or something else?
sally48449 damaris.m
Posted
im in taunton damaris but i had it done in yeovil ~no i didnt have the leg length problem thankfully ! .. just over 2 years ago i was getting dicomfort in my left groin so my doc sent my fir an xray .. she thought it might be ligament damage or somthing but results came back as OA In both hips right one advanced left moderate ~ then the pain started to get worse in the left and i had an impingment going on in that hio too so within the space of getting the letter and about ( 6 months ) they decided to go straight to hip replacement .. it was so quick ! i had it done in jan this year ! then my recovery made the other hip work harder and i started to get twinges and aches in that one so i went back to the same surgeon who decided lets just get it out the way so youll be a new woman ~ i only had to wait 8 weeks from when he said lets do it ! all so very quick ! so from start to finish its only been within the space of under 3 yesrs and both hip were replaced!! its been a tough year realy but im glad im donr now lol ( its in my family)3 aunts and 4 uncles have had hips done and knees!
damaris.m sally48449
Posted
Hi Sally
I have sent you a private message as I suspect people might be getting a bit bored with our conversation!!!
M
vickie1976 damaris.m
Posted
I am at 3wks 2 days post op
it was very hard going up to 2wk mark, with depression due to not being able to do anything a woman especially likes to do around the house. the staples felt tight, the stocking hot, itchy and sweaty, the days endless and not being able to get comfy on a chair. However I have always managed to get a full night sleep 6-7hrs even on my back.
I'm now using 1 crutch around the house, unless tired. I am making brews, prepping meals, sorting washing (using grabber) and enjoy walking and being on my feet. comfiest chair I find is car one lol. I'm speedy on my 2 crutches out and about and walk very well with them. not tried no crutches or 1 outside yet as feel too early though and still using my crutch to go up stairs.
I'm now massaging my scar twice daily which is a big relief as struggled with itching and now it doesnt.
I'm starting back at work on monday (desk job only) with my boss aware of my limitations and for me this is to help get to the 12wk mark as I clock watch daily and bored stiff and days should fly by.
I've been blackpool today and walked around the hounds hill shopping mall and then we stopped off at Blackburn shopping centre too. it ached for about 1hr after coming home but after resting in a chair for and he the discomfort was gone.
feeling really happy at the moment and hope to keep progressing daily... for passed 5 days every day got better....
vickie1976
Posted
so day 1 at work and I felt so human again...
my boss was very accommodating and Brent o we backwards to please me and told everyone so happy to have me back.
it's now 7.30 and I have a achy (muscle ache) bum/side/hip area probably due to a change of seating, and I'm tired so since coming home i have done nothing except lounge on the sofa.
I'm glad at this stage I went back to work today and hope I feel like this by the end of the week.