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What your doctor didn’t tell you….

Posted , 18 users are following.

Chloeparrot
Chloeparrot

Or a light hearted look at post op issues:

1.       You will pee for England (or insert your country here) for at least a week.  Be prepared cos you just won’t be able to control yourself.  If you don’t have a loo near your bedroom, invest in a bucket and pretend you’re glamping.

2.       You will only have the attention span of a gnat.  If you had planned on catching up on reading and/or all those box sets, forget it.  As soon as you start concentrating on that book or the first episode of the box set, you will be asleep.

3.       Be prepared to fall asleep at any point during the day.  At night you won’t be able to get to sleep at all.

4.       Get used to the fact that you’ll have to (not) sleep on your back.  I know very few people who actually sleep on their back by choice.  It is a really uncomfortable position and will result in getting backache after a few hours.

5.       Make sure you have short toenails, especially on the big toes as the pressure from any bedclothes will hurt toes and your heels.

6.       Compression socks – so sexy and comfortable – not.  They are an essential fashion accessory for 6 weeks for all hippies.  Surely they must be classified as a form of torture!

7.       Your operated leg will feel like it weighs a ton for the first week.  It also feels like it doesn’t belong to you. It will get better.

8.       Don’t tell your spouse/family/friends about your op in detail.  They really aren’t that interested and it would be nice if family/friends visited more than once.  Best to just post on to this forum.

9.       Don’t believe the adverts – pre-prepared meals are terrible.  The actual contents have only a passing semblance to the packet photo. The ingredients used are usually the cheapest the manufacture can get away with.  To add insult to injury the portion size is for a child.

10.   Any chocolates/sweets/puddings eaten during your recovery period are deemed to be non-fattening – and don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

 

 

Feel free to add to the list

 

 

10 likes, 70 replies

70 Replies

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  • linda38528
    linda38528 Chloeparrot

    Posted

    Wonderful ... I sure hope that Graham intends to post a polished and extended list of these on his site.

    By the way, the 'two-step' is not just on the stairs. There is also the one step forward and two steps back syndrome around 5- weks.

    Really well done! Thank you for the laughs.

    L

    • Leslie4077
      Leslie4077 linda38528

      Posted

      I'll watch out for that two-step around week 5.  Thanks!

      Leslie

  • noplaybarbie
    noplaybarbie Chloeparrot

    Posted

    Hahaha I think you covered it very well Chloeparrot......thanks for sharing...Hugs...Barb
  • lors23
    lors23 Chloeparrot

    Posted

    Everyone of these is so true l had both hips done 8 weeks apart like renee did and l suffered every one of these symtoms twice over. Night sweats were bad at the begining of each recovery l am just over 5 months post op an next month l start again with my knee's l wonder if they will have the same side effects lol x

    • renee01952
      renee01952 lors23

      Posted

      Oh Laura, 

      I am so sorry, sweetheart .... I hope the knee forum will be as supportive as the hippies here - is there already a date for your surgery in August?

      Big warm hug -

      renee

    • Leslie4077
      Leslie4077 lors23

      Posted

      Wow Laura.  You've been through a lot with these replacements.  Will be interesting to hear from you how the knee surgeries go.  Big hugs,

      Leslie

    • lors23
      lors23 renee01952

      Posted

      No not heard anything yet l expect the letter in this week for my pre-op l will let you know

      I tried the knee forum but it just does not feel the same it feels like home here and l asked a question on knee forum and a man had started with what felt like l was getting a row aa he said you are jumping way ahead of yourself there is a lot more they can do before you get actual knee replacements. I had to go back and say but l have seen the soecialist there is nothing he can do the danage is to bad. He sort of backtracked then but tgen said to me the pain is off the charts which l thought again was quite blunt and l said to him now l am even more scared and he then said but l cant take opiots l can only take a cerrtain pain killer thats why and he could not take mophine. I have been scared to go back on it since then ha ha he also told me there was not many young people on it. Not that l an young l am 43 but it scared me a bit.

      But you know l won't leave the hip forum renee and leslie l have been in it to long.

      I will try asking the knee forum some other stuff see how l get on.

      Laura

      X

    • Leslie4077
      Leslie4077 lors23

      Posted

      Gee, Laura.  Doesn't sound like a great introduction to the knee forum.  I'd be a bit scared to go back too.  I'm glad you're staying in the hip forum -- it's great to have people with more experience here.   I was on a forum called Bone Smart.  I have an iPad app called Bone Smart.  Anyway, it's for hip and knee surgeries.  Tons of information that you can read and then also forums where you can ask people questions and get to know people.  I was just on the hip forum but I bet the knee one is good too.  You might try it and be on it for knee and this one for hips.    Good luck with it though!   Leslie

    • renee01952
      renee01952 lors23

      Posted

      Hi Laura, 

      I agree with Leslie ... don't take it personally though - maybe this his way of showing empathy (???) - better be blunt than pussyfooting around the subject ??? -

      You got a lot on your plate, darling ... it must be quite overwhelming at times - 

      remember to take deep breaths, okay ?

      big warm hug

      renee

    • Msky
      Msky AnnieK

      Posted

      I like Bone Smart and actually used it for my knee and hip surgeryActually just donated to them as this was the weekend they were going to have to close down.They are such a great resource that I did donate x 1.Great library of info.Just find this site a little more user friendly
    • AnnieK
      AnnieK Msky

      Posted

      I post regularly there! I donated, too, and feel super good about it. Great site!
    • Msky
      Msky lors23

      Posted

      Hi I Lors so sorry your introduction to BoneSmart was so negative.I must say I was surprised how many young people had to get joint replacements and I learned that on BoneSmart.Im not pushing BoneSmart I have just learned a lot there.There are Care Managers will also answer specific questions and are awesome.
  • sue82264
    sue82264 Chloeparrot

    Posted

    Another:  Be prepared to think that "something went terribly wrong" at 2,3,4,5 weeks out ... if not for this forum, I would have called my Doc daily!  

    • Leslie4077
      Leslie4077 sue82264

      Posted

      LOL. That is so true, Sue.  Only I think I went through that at Week 1, too! Leslie
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