I am worrying because I still cant sleep in bed. If my torso is on the

That's a good point height can sometimes be a issue..

hope UR well.

CHEERS

HOPE

You are not getting NEAR enough pain meds.

This is why you are anxious and can't sleep. I couldn't sleep either without pain meds.

I took (2) 400mg paracetmal+25mg codeine at noght.

During the day early on like you are, I would take (1) 400mg paracetamol+25mg codein 2 times during the day.

Your life will change for the better once your pain is controlled.

I had psychotic suicidal thoughts on Tramadol so watch out for that. If they give you Tramadol and you have bad dreams ask for codeine. 

If you do get codeine remember it is highly constipating so drink a full glass of prune juice every day and I also took a stool softner.

I hope Ross comes on and tells you about how necessary pain medication is, he really talked me into it and that was the point I started to get better, once my pain was controlled. I have codeine tablets which can be cut in half for a lower dose once healing really takes off. t is your body and your pain you have to be your own master and take enough pain medication. One day I felt woozy, light headed and weak, that is the day I cut back on the codeine. My body didn'y need as much and instead of simply relieving the pain and leaving me clear headed as I had been experiencing, the codeine more or less went to my head. Pay attention is all, your body will let you know when to cut back. It is highly addictive so just be aware of that.

The hardest thing for me further along after a few weeks was deciding at night if I should take a small codeine dose or 2 non prescription naproxen. If I guessed wrong and took the naproxen I waited at least 6 hours until I then took the low dose codeine. No one can tell you exactly what to do, you have to feel your body and make good decisions. But especially in the first 2 weeks even 3 weeks you MUST control the pain and have sufficient pain medication to do so. You have to ask your doctor for stronger pain medication, just come right out and ask for it. Yu HAVE pain, there is nothing wrong with asking for stronger pain meds, it is the right thing to do.

Jodi - Don't know if it is relevant that I took nowhere near the amount/strength of pain meds you did. I got only hydrocodone 10 mg and that was only moderately effective. But I pretty much stopped the meds shortly after leafing in patient PT.

I was wondering how long post op were you taking codene and the like?

It surprises me how wildly different not only our experiences are, but how our post op recovery is handled. In my case, the hospital basically handeed me a piece of paper and said ADIOS. Worse yet, I never even saw the surgeon. And they call this healthcare?

Hydrocodone is Vicodine. I had an issue in that I didn not get any pain meds at all the day after my surgery. They put the IV in wrong and it all ran onto the floor. It is a very bad memory for me especially the horrid French Night shift workers. It wasn't until I got home 6 days later and looked up Tramadol that I found why I was so psychotic. So it wasn't actually until 8 days later that I got sufficient pain meds. In France they prefer morphine but I had a bad reacion to that in the Hospital so that was out. It was only actually the first week after my 8 day agony that I took codeine 3 times a day. After that I tapered off, but not at night, at night I kept the (2) 400mg paracetamol+25mg codeine althoough somenights I only took (1). I needed it, I had pain. Not everybody does obviously but I did. And I was traumatized by NOT having pain relief from my hospital stay. They kept pushing the paracetomol which wasn't enough for me.

Jodi, now you have me scared...well not scared more like informed...if whatever meds the doctor sends me home with doesn't work, how do I get them changed...I live l.5 hours from Toronto and no way is anyone going to be driving me to the city (with traffic) to get a new perscription...I will definately be asking for a few alternative perscriptions as a back up....here in Canada it is like David says, home in 2 days, have a nice life!!!!

"how do I get them changed."

You have the name and phone number of your local pharmacy on hand and call the doctor. The doctor should be able to phone in a prescription to your pharmacy. (at least in the US it is like that hopefully in Canada they can do the same thing, to check call your pharmacy and ask them if they take callin in prescriptions from physicians) Or your doctor can fax over a prescription (have the fax number handy) to your pharmacy.

You are going to feel amazingly different after 2 nights of full sleep.

Also anxiety makes pain meds not work as well. It is kind of like a viscious circle, you have anxiety because of pain and then the pain pills don't work as well becasue you have anxiety. Untill you get that pain relief don't be surprised if you need the full strength prescription. Once your pain gets knocked down your anxiety will get knocked down as well. Your anxiety will be lowered once you have something in your hand that you know will dimish your pain, that you are now in control. Best of Luck Hon.

thank you, I'm hoping I will be one of the lucky ones and have a speedy recovery with just the "normal ups and downs"....

It's so new once u first come home from surgery. All the things we a told about r now all the precautions we have to keep track off.

as lond as u do not cross UR legs or ankles. Or turn UR ankel in toward the opposite toe, or cross the op leg past the center line od the pelvis UR implant will not dislocate. They are more sturdy than u realize. Most precautions r set in place for the bones to heal and nit to the new op implant.

practice the hospital PT went over with u getting up and down and potty seat riser with all many aids available it takes time te depend on them and they r a big step to independence.

hope u sleep well and UR journey to recovery go well and improves UR quality of life.

CHEERS

HOPE

I was given a sheet of exercises to do.  Unlike some people i have had my leg lengthened so maybe that is causing this issue.  But have found number for advice now, at hospital. In Uk they have fast track where they like you to be gone in two days.  Pain is a bit easier today and am putting leg on floor more.  I had instructions by PT in hospital of how to walk and use stairs and that was all. Thanks for your reply and everyone else.

Helen: I was trying to think back to what it was like when I was what/ now 6 days post op? I wasn't exactly pain-free and walking normal. No, I was in-patient PT in what I thought a very good facility and, as I said before, they pushed me pretty hard. I questioned both Dr. and the staff about that and was assured was okay. I don't think it can be said that your pain is excessive at this point but it should gradually improve. No doubt about it.your attempts to walk are going to hurt so you just have to push on through it.  How well you handle it will depend on your pain tolerance; mine is quite high, hopefully yours is too.

Why aren't you getting PT as a matter of course?

Best of luck to you.

 

hi David, what were you doing in PT 6 days post op, i have a session tomorrow and would like to know what to expect, I have been walking with a frame about 55 meters total just once a day and then just up to the loo, do you think thats ok, I just want to get out of Rehab and home again, time is going so slow. Also can you put your foot flat on the bed with your knee bent?  Had my op last Tuesday, here in France, and i dont speak french so its really difficult.  thanks

Lynn: You are in France but you don't sp;eak the language so well, that must be interesting. Did u break your hip like me? Yeah, I did hte walking only once a day, the lengh probably doubled each time in 20 meter increments. They never let me walk on my own, had to stay in a wheelchair. Yes, I can put my foot flat as you asked. Sounds like you're not thrilled wiht the rehab there. I was 10 days in new facility that was very nice . . .  . . was almost like a vacation. I could go around and talk to other patients, I guess you can't. That is rough.  I'm trying to get back to the same place again after the revision.

"Also can you put your foot flat on the bed with your knee bent?"

Lynn, I could do that right away perhaps on the 3rd day after the surgery.

Well at least you have internet Lynn. At the French Hospital I was at no internet. It about drove me nuts! How is the food? I know you went to a private clinic which if I had to do it all over again I would do also. The hospital food was literally inedible.

The food is C*** the place is very old here and different kinds of rehab. I can but thought i might dislocate, my surgeon was Dr Poligniac at clinc d'General in Annecy, when i asked him what restrictions he said non, its a new method or joint and its double, but i am scared to take the risk, I am not in pain at the moment and my leg is not swollen really, its just me think i am not coping very well and am crying all the time for nothing, so dont know if i should go home, i just seem to be worrying about everthng and nothing, just seem to be scared all the 

Lynn, 6 days post op that was the MAX I walked also.

Does your foot hurt?

no my feet dont hurt, if I walk too much i can feel my hip or muscles hurt, but have iced day and night, if i get a twinge i think oh no i must have put my foot in the wrong position and its come out or bent too far, just getting on and off the bed scares me..... what a wuss, i dont have staples I have desolving stiches, my scar is nice and clean.  just wish i felt normal

Lynn, it is probably your medication that is making you cry. I remember how much of an upbeat person you are from your posts before you had the surgery. Look up your meds on the internet and see with the side affects are. What you are describing is anxity, you are having anxiety attacks. There is some very mild medication non addicting they can give you for that. You only take it when you are having anxity, you don't take it regularly. My GP gave me a prescription for it but once I got off that bad Tramadol and got the codeine which controlled my pain  I no longer had anxety and never took it. Heck I can mail you the box as I never used it. I think it is Xanax, a very low dose.

This is not like you from what I remember. I would go home and have your GP come and see you, I truly think one of your meds is having a bad side effect and giving you anxity. Your GP can straigten this out for you. Also one more thing Lyn as my surgeon told me and my PT Disclocation is very very rare. It's rare, it's not going to happen to you. You will feel better after 2 weeks. About Two weeks and a few days. Things WILL GET BETTER. I promise you. What you are going through now is temporary.

hi, jodie thank you for those kind words, i cant see the keyboard for crying, I am only taking diclofenic and paracetamol but will have a look.  are you on FB i cam PM you my address.  Thank you so much, hubby just says there are people worse off and i know that, but it doesnt help.  the dr here gave me serista 50mg but i read about the side effects and so dont take them.  This is so not like me.  

You incision may feel really "thick".

Actually that feels really thick for quite sime time, like over a month. Little by little it will thin out and not be such a big hump. Like nothing for a month, then little by little it thins out.

Lynn, it is Paricia here following your posts, please don't cry...or ok cry a little but know that so many people on this forum are here for you and want to offer you support and comfort as only a person going through the same op can appreciate....as I said my turn is Tuesday and I'm keeping your last nice post to me to read when I get home to give me comfort as I am sure I am going to feel very overwhelmed as I will be home alone during the day...this forum will be my saving grace....

I'm here for you Lynn. I also speak very little French so I can totally relate to the isolation you feel. Also I should tell you that I also went through a depression like you are having, right at about the same number of days you are at. Most people after having a major surgery suffer from some mild depression so you are the norm.

I wish Ros was here, s/he is in the hosptal getting his/her knee replaced. Ros was my lifeline, I totally listened to Ros. Ros was a big emotional help to me when I really needed it and was on this board. I'llnever forget my first topic, "Oh Lord Help me with this Pain" I was on the message board until like 4 or 5 in the morning, not sleeping just feeling so much in pain and depressed. Ros (and others) pulled me through that night and the next day mmy doc made a house call.

I am here for you Lynn, I'm not Ros but I am here for you, I'm a night owl anyway.

patrcis, you will be fine honestly, i asked for a sleeping tablet the night before, and then she came and gave me pre meds and thats the last i remember, I would rather have this done than a tooth pulled.  if you need to talk i will be here, just ask away.  I think my problem is my circumstances 60 miles away from home, cant speak french, not eating because food is awful, hubby has to work so will not see anyone until next weekend.  since he left at 8 i have been on here.  You WILL be fine i promise, big hugs x

 

Thanks Jodi, i really appreciate it, i will no doubt good for nothing tomorro, and am suppose to have my PT.  You know the song, ive gotta get out of this place by the Rolling stones, well thats me, i am going to give it a few more days and just see how it goes.  My hubby took me outside to see my little dog and he was shaking with excitement so so missing my soul mate. xx

 

When I was in the hospital I never got off the bed by myself, that would have been the first 6 days. I called for a nurse, not a nurses aid, when I could finally get up and use the bathroom.

I hope this is a comfort to you knowing at the exact same number of days post op you are, I was getting help to get off the bed. Me to I was insecure. When I got home my husband would help me up, kind of pull me up by my arm. Once you get into about 10 or 12 days you will manage this yourself.

ok please someone out here please tell me I will be fine going home...and getting in and out of bed alone!!!!  I have no choice, no one to come over (everyone works) and no family...if one person says they can do that will help (also I have to do stairs at least 2x day to get up and down from bedroom....

I would have someone dismantal a bed and reassemle it in the living room for the time being. On day 7 I got into and out of bed with no assistance but I am in France and we stay in the hospital for 6 to 7 days. In the UK I think they push you out sooner.

The thing is, once you get home and get some decent food in you right away, I mean like right away you feel stronger/better. And for me it was getting my regualr Latte, not that powdered coffee.

If at all possible I would have a bed on the first floor. I would think it would be safer and eaiser for you to get into and out of bed by yourself with a walker instead of with crutches. Just my opinion.

thank you Jodi, I'm taking in all comments as they are all helpfull

Lynn this is very hard for me to even imagine to be in UR circumstances. Do u have friends or family visit u in rehab.. It's good to be in rehab if u live alone. They will let u go home as soon as u meet all the requirements for release. Ask one of the nurses wha they expect from u and work for that. I'm sure u will be going home soon. Where is UR home? Is France where u chose a surgeon we r curious why or how u r in a French hospital where u can't speak with any one. Or is there someone that u can talk with.. At any rate it's good to hear u r sleeping well. Not that I would kill for even today..

healing prayers sent UR way.

CHEERS

HOPE