update hip surgery

I wish you the best of luck. My wife had hers done the 5th of May and we just returned from a three week trip in the TT yesterday. She had absolutely no problems. This was her second, her first being the older method (cutting muscles) done three years ago. That one took four months to recover from, so the newer anterior method is much better and far less painful. Only thing is, we attended several ML baseball games and her hips set off the new metal detectors they are now using. Kind of got to be a joke after a while. Do what the doctors tell you and be aggressive in your therapy and you'll be good as new in no time.

I just came home Thursday from my total right knee replacement on Monday!
A little over 2 months ago I had a total left hip replacement!
The hip replacement was far less painful than the knee job.
Don't get me wrong the hip replacement hurt like the dickens, but really the worst pain only lasted 2 days. By the end of the first 2 days they have you pretty well loaded up with morphine. Now that the knee is done I have found that that is the answer get your body loaded up with painkillers and keep it that way. You get a head of the curve and stay there, always take the most they will give you, and push for it. You want it early and often so you don't get behind as that's when it gets painful. With the knee, it's far more painful and harder to get ahead, it also swells more so you need a good antinflamintory drug. But that's the key for either of the surgeries as far as pain control.

I hurt my knee back in the '70s they had talked about replacement first but I asked for them to do their best and I would do mine. I ended up keeping what was left of the knee and making it work for 40 years. During that time because I babied the knee, I wore out the hip. Last year, same thing, bone on bone. Doctor took one look and said "total hip replacement". I put it off until this year and finally crawled in and agreed to the surgery. As soon as the hip got good enough to use, the knee got so painful I had to have it done too.
This the 4th day after the knee replacement and I too am saying " I shouldn't have waited so long. Don't get me wrong, it still hurts but I am ahead of the painkiller curve and staying there, where the pain level is bearable.

Monday late afternoon it hurt so bad my teeth were shaking in pain.
Now 3:43 AM Friday, I finally ended the constipation problem and I will be going back to sleep as soon as I am done writing this!

I didn't mention ICE, don't forget the ICE! Its one of the best antinflamitory, anti swelling solutions there is. But the hip doesn't swell anywhere near what the knee does.

It's nite nite time for me, but I would like to offer up a friend to talk to that has just gone through exactly what you are about to and are understandingly nervous about.
Send me a private message if you would like my phone number so you can call at your convenience. I'll talk honestly, with out scarring you.

If you have a joint replacement I would recommend a rehab hospital after leaving the hospital IF your insurance company will pay for it. They have you doing physical therapy every day which helps in getting back to normal. A rehab hospital does not do any type of medical procedures. They just take care of the wound and physical therapy.
Don

Good luck and thanks for the update. I'll say a prayer for a safe and speedy recovery. I hope you'll soon be saying, " I'm sorry I waited, this was the best decision I've ever made!".

One thing I learned during my recent stay; if they give you a choice, the Narco works better than morphine for pain. Let them give it to you if you're having any, for a little while anyway. Best wishes! You'll be in my thoughts on Monday.

Duck wrote:
If you have a joint replacement I would recommend a rehab hospital after leaving the hospital IF your insurance company will pay for it. They have you doing physical therapy every day which helps in getting back to normal. A rehab hospital does not do any type of medical procedures. They just take care of the wound and physical therapy.
Don

X-2 on the Rehab hospital. I spent two weeks in patient, in the Yuma Rehab hospital after both hip replacements, made a very fast recovery because they are on you all the time. lol Good luck.

We'll pray for your fast healing and comfort.

Never had a joint replaced, but I'm no stranger to surgeries. I've had a single digit survival one.

What often helps is to focus on the "after" rather than the surgery. Plan a trip or activity for after the surgery, something to look forward to- both for you and those who care about you. It is important to look after their worries.

Afterwards, every day will get better. No matter how hard one day may be, that just means the next will be that much better!

Right now you have no hope of pain relief for your hip. As of Monday, each day will bring progress and more relief.

Let someone else drive you to the hospital and put them in charge of meeting the schedule. You focus on your "after"

Make sure your soul is right with the Lord and your family knows how much you care about them. Then you can relax, knowing things are in order and will be fine while you recover.

Now...about this laptop in the hospital thing...

You can only read happy posts. No threads about pets, tire pressure, anything with GVW in it, or the word etiquette ;)

Sooo...where are you gonna go after?

Good luck. When my cousin had same surgery he wondered why he waited so long - rehab pain was much less than the constant pain he suffered pre surgery. A few years later and he's now riding mountain bikes in competition .. what a change.

Fear not!

Quality of life will be significantly better.

I had a hip replaced 10 yrs. ago...(metal on metal) Would do it again in a heartbeat. Only stayed in hospital 1.5 days and went home. Wife is nurse! Gotta git up and move around. A walker and cane were my best friends for a couple weeks. Time flew by. You will find that if you have the will, the "way" will be there.

Had total shoulder replacement 2 yrs. ago. While successful, muscles are taking more time to adjust.

YOU CAN DO THIS! Feeling better will be worth everything!

Best of Luck

If you sit after surgery because it hurts,
You'll sit the rest of your life.

Don't bite a bullet, lead poisoning and dangerous,
find a stick to bite, unless you have a big dog.
But then again if the dog is dragging you around by the stick just think of all the joy you'll bring to others.

Good luck, oh and tell them to put in a grease zerk.