Right Hip Replacement

So no-one has any sqeaking with the ceramic hip, I think it would drive me crazy if that happened. Maybe my surgeon doesn't want to do the epidural because the incision is on my front. It's a different way of surgery that doesn't cut through any muscles. Am having pre-op assessments in Cardiff, probably in July so will ask more questions then. Will definitely be looking in on this forum though to see how everyone is doing. Feel slightly less scared now! Thanks everyone.

Hi All, first off I got in touch with athroplasty earlier today and told them what had happened, they asked me if I could put weight on it and I can, I'm walking but with some discomfort, they think I've just over stretched and to take it really easy for a couple of days, if it continues they said to get in touch again and they'd get me in and check it for me.

Squeaky hip... So that's what that noise was last night :-) I turned around to see what it was and then realised it was me!!! I asked the nurse today and she said that sometimes if its under strain it can make a noise but nothing to worry about. I think I need a tin of WD40 lol

Brenda, welcome to this thread :-) I had a general, they wanted to give me an epidural but I said no thanks, I was totally fine with the general and when/if I get my left one done I'll have a general again, I was a bit dozy for a few hours after it but hey, what's new lol Everyone's different, do what you feel is right for you. As for the operation you're going to have I'm sorry but I haven't had any experience of it nor read of anyone having one so I'm afraid I can't give you any advice all I can say is the same as renny, listen to the nurses and physio's they'll see you right, if its anything like THR you'll be surprised how well you recover and also how quickly!

Alliecat, try sitting on a cushion, that's what helped me when I got a numb bum! Did you get a "grabber" from the hospital that saves you having to bend down? I still use mine and I'm now 9 weeks post op, my wife reckons I'm so good with it I'll get a part time job with the council picking up rubbish lol.

I'm now able to sleep on my operated side, felt a bit uncomfortable to start with but now I can sleep on either side, I still use the pillow between my legs just in case.

Please post on here how everyone's getting on, there will be people who stumble on this and hopefully between us we can reassure anyone who has any worries about hip replacement.

Cheers for now

Wilky :-)

Linda, you pm'd me, not so sure you meant to after reading your message lol I've replied to it, you might want to post it on here and others will be able to give you their advice on the do's and don'ts after THR and the chances of dislocation :-)

Cheers

Wilky :-)

Hi All,

Just an update on my progress so far.

I went to the Athroplasty clinic on Mon for my 12 week check up (I can't believe that's 12 weeks already, how time flies) they were very happy with me and told me I'm now ready to start the next stage of my recovery.

I've been told the hard work starts here although to be fair I've been doing stuff I was told not to yet, like tying my own laces and putting on my own socks. I've been told I can start swimming again, just as long as its not breaststroke and I'm allowed to ride my bike too :-) I was also told to increase the distance I'm walking.

I asked about returning to work but was told "not for a couple of weeks yet at least" and when I do return its to be a phased return so I'm aiming for 17th June, I'll only be back a couple of weeks then I'm off on holiday to Turkey for 2 weeks on the 28th so I'll definitely be going back gradually. I was told not to go back just yet in case I end up struggling or hurting myself as I start to do the things again that I used to take for granted. I can see their point and I'd be better testing out my hip first instead of doing it after I've returned to work and having to go off again. Because my job entails me pulling and pushing cages and pallets of stock (sometimes the pallets are as heavy as 1.5 tonnes) I was told I needed to be on light duties for between 3 and 6 months.

I spoke with one of the cleaners at the depot when I was in and she's waiting to go in for a hip replacement too, we chatted for a while about it and she asked how long I'd been off, she couldn't believe I'd been off for 12 weeks, she'd told her boss she be off for 2 weeks max! Eh better re-think that me thinks lol she said she thought she'd be able to drive home when she got out after the op!

My hip has been squeaking quite a bit and I told them that when I went to the clinic, I was told that that was quite common with ceramic on ceramic but I was sent for an x-ray just to be on the safe side, I've heard nothing back so no news is good news as far as I'm concerned.

Apart from that and my wound being quite tender at times I've had no problems.

Please feel free to add your own experiences on this thread or Comment on this and let us all know how you're getting on :-)

Take it easy

By for now

Wilky

Hi Wilkie

Good to know you're feeling better. Still quite a few weeks to my op. Was a bit unnerved about the recent news about Friday ops as that is when mine is scheduled but it's in private hospital not NHS so hopefully I won't be one of the 40% more likely to die lol! My daughter will be with me too and she used to be an orthopaedic nurse so sure she will jump up and down if I have any problems. I'm an office worker so not sure when I'll be going back to work. Am a bit worried about how my husband and son are going to manage cleaning, cooking etc. while I am incapacitated. Will be living in a hovel until I can clean again probably.

Hi Brenda,

30th August won't be long in coming round trust me! I was told last Nov I was on a 12 week waiting list and once Christmas was past it flew in. At least you should get some decent weather when you're off, it seemed like I was trapped in the house for weeks before it warmed up a bit, hopefully that should help your rehabilitation, I feel I could have been farther on if I hadn't had to contend with snow and ice for the first couple of months.

I've seen a big difference since I was given the ok to drive again, I'm even happy to go to the shops and cook the tea lol how sad :-)

As you've seen, everyone is different on their return to work but because mine can be physical they're playing it safe by saying 3-6 months which I'm fine with and so are my work. The good thing is they saw how bad I was before my op and they've been really understanding. I think my worst moment was in Jan when I went to a funeral and my hip locked solid, we had to wait till everyone had left before I could try and work it free lol I can look back and laugh now but it wasn't funny at the time!

I'm sure having your daughter there will really help you too, as you say she'll be on the ball and I'm sure she'd say something if it wasn't right.

Look after yourself and keep in touch.

Wilky :-)

Hi Brenda

I really wouldn't worry about the recent scare stories about weekend death rates. In NHS hospitals, they apparently put the patients who are most at risk onto the Friday operating list, as the surgeouns & other consultants normally don't work weekends & will (theoretically) be more readily available if those patients need extra support. Also need to remember that it was 40% higher risk on normal death from surgery stats, which are really low anyway. Just another example of a story getting beefed up on a quiet news day, IMO!

I'm just on the 6 week post-op milestone & it's still going brilliantly for me. On average, I'm walking 3 - 3.5 miles a day without any pain at all, just a little ache from very unfit muscles that haven't been used properly for the last 18 months.

I'm a self-employed consultant, so have been doing some work since week 3. Just a day a week, sitting down interviewing people. I'm tired at the end, but that's all.

Painkillers down to 2 x 20/500 co-dydramol & 2 x 75mg Diclofenac on waking & at bedtime. Was previously 8 x 30/50 co-dydramol, same Diclofenac + Tramadol at really rough spots, which were pretty much daily. I'm seeing my GP tomorrow to see if I can just stop taking the remaining painkillers, or if I need to phase them out, but I'm hopeful I can just stop.

Do plan on having nice things you can do during recuperation. It's a LONG time when you aren't allowed to drive! I've really suffered from cabin fever, as we live in a rural area with no public transport & my friends all work during the day. I've even resorted to making muffins & chutney....... My husband appreciates it, but OMG - let me out!!

Hope it goes well for you too

Hi All,

I went to my GP last Fri and got a line until 17th June and then I'm going back to work :-) that'll be 15 weeks in total I'll have been off.

I'll be doing a phased return and been told I'll be on light duties for 3-6 months but there's plenty for me to do so all's well.

I'm not long back in from my longest walk yet, 5 miles, and I found it quiet easy which has made me feel brilliant :-) the only thing that was sore when I finished were my feet lol I haven't felt this good in years and even my unoperated hip felt good tonight, maybe the pressure being off it means It's coping better, who knows?

I feel the end is in sight, I'm feeling really positive and I've got a new lease of life, now I'm making the most of this lovely weather before I get back to work.

If anyone is not sure whether to have their hip replaced I'd say go for it, its the best thing I've done!

I hope the sun is shining where you are :-)

Wilky

Thanks Alliecat. Am trying not to take too much notice of media scaremongering. Please keep posting everyone. This forum has saved my sanity. Everyone always knows someone who has had a hip replacement and they are all too willing to tell you there is nothing to it but this forum has definitely helped me to feel that I am not alone and other people who pre-op were just as scared as I am now lol. The updates are keeping me positive.

I would like to thank Wilky so much for his posts which helped me so much and are still helping me.

I am 71 female and had a total hip replacement on May 15th at the Horton Hospital in Banbury after 7 years of discomfort. I had an epidural with sedation and didn't know or feel a thing!Everything went wonderfully and I am now nearly 4 weeks post op. I have stopped all my pain killers, just taking 2 paracetamiol 4 time a day plus Pradaxa capsules for DVT and the dreaded socks.

Yesterday, my 17 year old cat demanded his usual morning grooming session and my husband was not around to lift him up for me (he doesn't jump any more) so I lifted him!!!! Big mistake !! The muscle at the back of my leg hurt very badly all day. I resorted to 2 8/200 Co-codomal at bed time and took it very easy all day.This morning it is still a bit stiff and I don't feel as good as I did but fingers crossed I haven't done too much damage.

I have 2 more weeks of sleeping on my back which is much worse than I thought it would be. I tend to sleep for 2 hours and awake for an hour and then for an hour and so on. I'm finding I'm falling asleep in the daytime even when I'm talking to someone. Will be so pleased to have a good nights sleep.

I have been told that I can drive next week which will be great. I had a left replacement so only need that leg to change gear.

I don't know what my replacement is made of - I just left it to the Consultant - I felt he knew better than me (I hope) I intend to ask him when I see him at my 12 weeks appt.

Anyway, word of advice to everyone - do not pick up your elderly cat from the floor!!!

Thanks to everyone should have posted a reply earlier but I was a little bit nervous of doing so!!!!

Isn't it great to hear all the positives? I had SOOO many people of the "oh my, it's a big operation..." view that I was really worried & what a waste of worry time that was!

Important point learnt on recovery this weekend, when I had lunch with my physio friend - heard that bone has pretty much rejoined after 6 weeks, but all of the soft tissue, muscles, nerves, blood supply, etc takes up to TWO YEARS to fully recover!

Bit that no-one mentioned before to me is that once you are allowed to bend & pick up things (elderly cats ) you need to stick your operated leg out behind you for AT LEAST a year. No toe touching approach!

Same one year (preferably life) restriction applies to not rotating your new hip inwards i.e no crossing your legs, rotating your knee in so you can scratch the outside of your foot or similar moves.

Horror story I was told was lady who dropped her sunglasses into the passenger footwell of the car. She did what I would've done without thinking - rotated her upper body to see where the glasses were then reached to pick them up, while still rotated in upper body & knee pointed to passenger side. Result was that new hip dislocated almost 8 months after operation.

Big message for me is to stop & think.

I also discovered that 80 miles of driving on the 1st day is too far & that the sports seats on my Audi are PEFECTLY designed to press on hip replacement scar! I now have a firm bed pillow folded on the driver's seat!

OMG. Am sure that will be me - bending and rotating without thinking first! Dare I ask, what exactly happens if you do dislocate your hip - is it back to surgery or some sort of manipulation.

I do seem to remember someone in the press who was claiming disability after their THP and they had a photo of him jitterbugging so that is quite encouraging, the jitterbugging not being found out claiming disability when you don't need it lol

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1293043/Terence-Read-caught-jiving-Wheelchair-bound-benefits-cheat-dance-comp.html

Hi granny granny 😄

I'm so glad you found my posts to be of use, it was while I was waiting to have mine done that I was looking for some assurance in someone's personal experience that there was nothing to worry about and couldn't really find any so I thought I'd post my own personal story in the hope it would help someone in the future.

I'm also glad you plucked up the courage to post on here too as I'm sure your comments will be appreciated by others, just goes to show, even bending down to get your cat before your ready can cause you discomfort, listen to the doctors and nurses as they really do know best 😄

The sleeping permanently on my back is just a distant memory now thank goodness and you're right it feels brilliant once you lie on your side to sleep again lol

Please post on here again and keep us up to date with your progress granny granny,

Great to hear from you, take care

Wilky 😄

Hi Alliecat,

It's handy to have a physio friend who can fill you in on the do's and don'ts of post op recovery, keep posting your findings!

I wasn't told about sticking your leg out behind you for up to a year either, I still do it by the way lol or the twisting turning, i was hopng to take up golf again in the near future, maybe you could ask your friends advice for me on that one? and remind me not to lean into the passenger side for anything either, just goes to show even 8 months post op your hip can still dislocate, scary to think!

An 80 mile drive on your first day of driving post op was a big ask, even for me who's a lorry driver and used to driving long distances in a single day, I think I did about 10 if I was lucky! I'm lucky as the seats in my Ford are quite comfy, I hope you're getting in and out of your car as you were taught??? I got into my friends daughters car on Friday night and after I'd opened the door and reversed myself in she looked at me strangely and said "that's a funny way to get into a car" so I had to explain to her my reason why and that it benefited my hip to do it that way, don't think she was too convinced though lol.

Take it easy and keep us up to date on your progress

Wilky 😄