What to wear and pack

Hi Gloria dont worry about packing anything really, you will be up every 2 hours walking the ward, and dont really need to change, then sleeping, then up again for a few steps then speep again, getting used to the new hip and the pain of getting on and off of the bed, but all that is over after just 10 days, and the stitches are out.

Best of luck I have had both mine done and really got my life back.

Keep in touch.   Ian.

I found that a high protien diet worked very well, gave me a taste for smoked salmon and king prawns a bit pricey but I feel well worth it with avocado pears that are on sale now, even when hard are totaly useable from the shops, not like the fresh ones I used to eat in SA now the feel of them from the shops is confusing, but I guess they pass gas over them like banannas to ripen them quicker, anyway the hight protien diet of King Prawns worked for me and they are low in calories too, and tastey too with a little Mayo or Tartar ...I have lost a little weight and thats all good too from eating more seafood.

I am still on the mend even after a year... Ian.

Hi Gloria! Yes loose pants and shorts are best for physical therapy as you will be lying down doing your exercises and maybe even get on a stationary bike. They will help you get your shorts on and also will show you how to put them on yourself. I was in rehab for two weeks after my surgery. If you get in a bind you can always call the nurses to help. Prayers that all goes well and that you have a speedy recovery! Hugs, 🤗🤗 LD

Hi, I wish you all the best. I took loose t shirt type dresses into hospital, much more comfortable than trousers or shorts. I could do the exercises easily in those. I'm now 8 weeks post op and walking fine. Since my op, have only been wearing dresses and skirts, partly because it has been hot, but also they're much easier to put on. I recommend a pair of slip on shoes that aren't too tight, because you probably will have swollen feet at some point. Hope it all goes really well for you.

Other thing is if your cold nature like me, pants are best!! These places can be very cold!! 😨😨. To me, I just think you might show ur undies more wearing dresses & skirts, 😜 but that's my opinion. I wear dresses now if I know I won't be needed for physical therapy at home. But again I get cold so I wear pants!! Best of luck!

For my last surgery, I didn't need much in the hospital, as I just wore their gowns and used their free toothbrush, etc. I did use my phone and charger and hairbrush, eyeglass case, things like that. Since you are then going directly to rehab, you'll need to bring much more. I'd just pack everything you even remotely think you might need. Take some loose dresses, comfy-stretchy pants, shorts, long sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts, plenty of underwear, comfy sleeping clothes, everything. A big suitcase (hopefully on wheels) takes up about the same amount of space as a small one. 

Make sure you have a grabber/reacher which you will need at the rehab. If you need to wear pants, people at the hospital will help you put them on. At rehab, one of their jobs will be to help you learn how to dress yourself with the restrictions. The reacher tool is very helpful with putting on pants. And you need a sock aid to help getting on socks. Bring plenty of big, warm socks with you. The bigger stretchier kind work best with the aid and will keep your feet warm.

I will be having surgery and in the hospital for a couple of days and then on to rehab. Even though I have people to bring me things from the house, I plan to take everything I might need, just to avoid having to describe to the others where the things are.

It is very helpful to have sturdy, rubber-soled shoes that you can slip on and off without having to bend down. Those can be hard to find, so another tool that I found indispensible is the very long-handled shoe horn, which you can use standing up to help slipping your feet into the shoes. You may have some swelling of your legs and feet, so make sure they are roomy.

Best of luck to you gloria!

Well .. there are a few considerations ....comfort, whether you get the night sweats (which were really 24 hour-sweats for me) and practicality.

I got the hang of the 'picker-upper gadget' for dressing pretty quickly, so I used flannel sleep pants or sweat pants much of the first two weeks. I brought a pair of loose jersey slacks for travelling home or when trying to 'posh up' my look a bit 😊.

Because of the sweats, I went through a lot of t-shirts. So bring extra if going that route. And I found wet wipes very useful to freshen.

I actually bought a new pair of slip-on shoes with expandable sides to accomodate swelling - and needed them. The swelling at thigh, knee and feet was quite pronounced. And, it is good to have new shoes to avoid the previous 'wear' patterns which may adversely affect your gait later. However several people have posted that they found crocs handy.

If you have an Ipod or similar device with ear buds to play music, I found this very helpful. Ditto my phone on which I could interact on this site, email, etc. It is also useful for setting alarms for exercises and meds.

I use xylitol mints or gum o keep my mouth from drying out as meds aggravated this condition for me after surgery. Don't forget any regular meds the hospital won't provide.

I couldn't read (no concentration) but others found this helped them to pass the time.

And of course your usual bathroom kit with moisture cream and lip balm.

I think you are smart to have the extra days as you live alone. It will help you establish a good routine with good support available to help and to motivate du ring the first 10 days (which are tough, but not impossible).

I really wish you well and don't worry about the surgery - that part is a breeze.

Hugs,

L

Oh Gkoria a lot of the tools ppl are talking about like the sock aide, the grabber, will either be given to you in the hospital before you leave or in rehab. I have 3 of those grabbers, 3 sock aides! Of course you will also b given a 3 in one commode, a walker...in rehab I got a wheelchair. And just recently I got crutches. I have an arsenal of medical supplies!! 😳😝. LD