I am due a hip replacement

Hi sue well done :-) great news its going OK for you xim 48 may I ask how old you are please.did you get knocked right out think that's what I'm petrified about lol I've heard of epidural but that scares me as well I'm just such a nervous patient but can't wait to be pain free its getting me down :-( x how long did op take? X take care thank you

Vanessa believe me i was shaking so much friday morning i am 58 had my op done in royal free, i didnt want anything other than a general , so the anethatist didnt bother. He was brilliant even gave me a teddy bear plaster to keep me company in theatre next thing i knew i was in recovery didnt seem like 3 hours. Took longer as my hip as fused and displaced. Like me you will look back at all the worry and think why. From one who was in your shoes last week, believe me the cure is so much easier to handle. Xx

Vanessa, Sue,

Three hours is a long operation, but then Sue's one was more complex.

 

I was in and out in just one hour, Epidural was fine, and I had no sedation at all, so I heard everything (even with my ipod playing Beethoven - a great way to relax and no side effects) but felt nothing.

Oh and I'm 63.

Graham

Hi ginger were you put out completely or did you have epidural I really don't know what to have just know I'm nervous as anything lol xglad your doing OK x

Hi rocketman thanks for your reply x did you feel OK as you were laying there did it not panic youx was there someone talking to you? How long did the operation take? Sorry so many questions but I must be the most nervous patient ever lol I'm 48 but desperately need it done as quality ofife is rubbish at the mo !!! May I ask how old you are please x thank you

Vanessa,

No problem - ask away.

I felt fine, I'm a 63 year old engineer by trade, and my father was a butcher (I used to help him cutting up meat etc).   The anethetist was great, put me at ease with his jokes.  He was with me throughout chatting to me.

Op only lasted less than an hour - a real quickie.  Must have been very straightforward, maybe that is why I had so little post-op pain.

I could hear (but not see) the surgeon throughout, he gave a running commentaryto someone I could not see who must have been observing.

At one point I was wondering what was happening, then there was a 'plop', and he said "that's dislocated now", and my thought was 'oh, he has started then' - I couldn't feel a thing.  I know it's not for everyone, But I wanted to hear what was going on.  I had the choice of just how much sedation to have - from none (me), to 'totally out of it'.

Just come back from a 1.5 mile walk which took me 50 minutes.

Life is good now - all positive.

Best wishes

Graham

Less than an hour wow brilliant x were you at all nervous before lol I am a nervous wreck just the thought of the operation I'm a real svaredy cat not of pain I have a pretty high pain threshold as I think everyone has who has arthritis to be honest . just want it to be over and done with but don't think its til end of Jan so the more I wait the more nervous I get lol glad your doing well :-)

Nervous, yes, but I just had to put my faith in the professionalism of my medical team and my God (not that I'm particularly religious).

Hospitals are not usually good places to be, but this is different, it's elective surgery, you are going in to be made better, not as an emergency.

Yes, there are risks, but the team doesn't want to fail, so they will be doing everything to keep you safe.  After the Op, it's up to you to keep to the rules (90 degrees, sleep on back, don't cross legs, take pills regularly, don't fall) to protect the work that they have done for you.

Best wishes

Graham

Vanessa - I have had two hips done, with the pain you are in in just gets to the point lets get it over and done with. The pain starts to overide the fears. I was lucky I had an uncle who told me being brave and waiting was just stupid, as thats what he did, and he said it was the worst mistake he ever made in his life. He was an amazing example of just how good hips replacements can be. Have you never had surgery, in that case I can sympathise with you, fear of the unknown. The Staff at the hospitals are really special, they do look after you, before and after surgery. The first few days are a challenge, but in my case I was able to say to the nurses that I was in less pain the day after surgery, than I was the day before when I had walked in the front door pre-surgery. They laughed at me, and said not when the physio's come to get you up, they were right, that hurts, but they do give you painkillers to help.

Graham, felt sick reading your post i dont no how you did it, no way general all the way for me.  Been a week since op besides real pain down the back of thigh seem ok, slept well ladt night following your plan . How long was before you started walking walks, i am walking around the house and going up and down 4 stairs to get to the kitchen an bathroom doing my excersises physio on monday  is it to soon or not

Sue, 

sorry, don't want to upset anyone.  Just shows we're all different though.

Yours sounds way more complex - mine was a straightforward osteoarthritic joint, and I was still fairly mobile before the op which seems to have helped.

I had quite a bit of leakage at first, so confined myself to the house at the start.

First outings at 14 days, around supermarkets (good flat floor, so much easier than outside, and you can hang onto a shopping trolley. That felt good to be doing something useful too.

Round-town half-mile on day 17, one mile day19, and up to 1.5 miles on day 23 (today).

I can tell when the leg has had enough, the old 'toothache' sets into the upper part of the leg, so I carry my bus pass and a mobile to summon the wife to pick me up if necessary.

Glad you are sleeping well, that has been one thing I have not cracked yet - I find it very uncomfortable being on my back the whole time. Perhaps I need painkillers for it, or sleeping pills, except that I hate taking pills of any sort, I always seem to react badly to them.

Best wishes.

Graham

Was it 1.5 Miles with crutch? I have improved my limp since

putting The crutch down flat, standing straight, and trying

to walk a bit slower.

Cathie

with 2 sticks, one used properly on hand opposite to operated hip, the other one just for safety and getting up slopes.

Graham

Is there a reason you still sleep on your back? I was told

ok for side after 3 weeks. My walking style is improving now,

putting the crutch down flat,standing upright and not speeding. I

use different muscles, I have discovered.

Cathie

I was told 6 weeks .... so I'm sticking to that.

Glad your walking is improving.

What a journey of discovery this all is.

Regards

Graham

I forgot your hip is only just over 3weeks old,

because you are advanced in your recovery.

I think the different advice re sleeping might be 

which type of cut you have, mine was lateral.

When your Dad died with dvt was it before we used

anti coagulants for over a month from the op?

happy walking Cathie

different advice for different methods - could be, mine is posterior cut.

My father's DVT was post stroke not THR, way back in 1979.

Best regards

Graham