What are your post opt homecoming tips?

[Jerome Arnold]

I hope these tips are useful to you as you prepare for your post-surgery homecoming:

1. Understand your wound care.  Purchase bandages, topicals,  and tape  (3M gentle paper tape) to dress the antcipated incision
2. Purchase or rent a toilet chair (this is a must have for your safety and comfort)
3. Consider the purchase or rental of a shower chair.  I personally did not use a chair, but if you have any doubts, a chair will ensure your safety.
4. I think the Polar Care therapy unit is indispensible for your recovery and comfort.  If your insurance will not purchase the device, I strongly advise you to rent or purchase the unit.
5. Stock up on ice for your ice therapy.
6. Determine where and when you take your medications.  At this station, stock water and your medications.  Consistently take your medications at the same time every day.
7. Conduct dry-runs at your home to determine if you will difficulties completing day to day tasks with crutches.
8. Ensure you will not have to complete any physical home tasks upon your return from surgery

What are your tips?

Jerry

[obxpelican]

-Plastic bags are great for being able to rotate your butt in and out of bed and your car.
-If you are living at home, make sure you have at least 10 days worth of ready to heat up food.
-Make sure once you get home you stay active, get up at least every hour or so, and make sure to do foot pumps even if you are getting up every hour or so.
-Make sure your pets are not the kind that will jump up on you when you arrive back home.
-Don't sit around the house, get outside into the fresh air, walk as much as your doctor allows.

Ok, I posted mine.


Chuck

[obxpelican]

Oooops one more, get/rent a recliner, if you end up not being able to sleep on your back like me my recliner was my best friend.


Chuck

[roosevelt heights]

Dry fit shorts...

[Sherri]

• a recliner
• a polar care ice unit I love my Kodiak model
• a grabber
• a memory foam pillow I used this for my op leg to elevate while in the recliner and just a note I bought one that is curved for the neck because it cradles the calf perfectly!
  
  

[tricky]

Get a basket that attaches to the walker...particularly if you will be by yourself for any length of time.  That's about the only way you can transport anything during the first days when you are still on 2 crutches.

[Sherri]

Good advice about the basket for the walker what a pain in the ass it was to carry and drop one thing at a time!

[matti]

Great homecoming tips!  I'm scheduled for r. hip resurfacing in August in Columbia SC with Dr. Gross.  Can anyone who has had surgery with Dr. Gross recommend any tips for the stay in Columbia and what to expect (eg best hotels, what to expect right after surgery, etc.)

Thanks!

Matti

[DirkV]

If you are ready and able to take a shower at home, but concerned about keeping your incision and bandages dry, use that press-and-seal wrap around your leg/butt. Note: this probably isn't 100% waterproof, but useful if you are concerned about having the full running water of the shower on your incision.
Got that tip from home therapist, who also showed me how to swing my leg over the tub to take a shower.
Good luck,
-Dirk

[Daytona Dave]

I kept a day to day diary. It helped on good and bad days to see how far i had come. I would highly recommend this and it helped with the boredom for me as i was not used to being at home so much. Try to resist too much daytime tv!

[kdono1961]

I bought all the gadgets to make homecoming easier.  The grabbers, shoehorn, raised toilet seat etc.  However,when  I came home I was exhausted from the car ride. I then sat on my couch and could not get up even with help.   I am a 49 year old male who has always been very active and I thought I was going to cry.  I started wondering if I should not of had the surgery. I wish someone had told me how important it was to have a seat high enough off of the floor so I could stand back up.  My sister gave a a cushion(booster seat) it worked great.  I sat on this for my firdst month post op.  Also, remember to do all of your exercises.

[tcarroll]

Have plenty of reading material,that helped me out a bunch.

[Zephyr]

Lazy Boy, Lazy Boy, Lazy Boy,

Prior to my surgery on Aug 4 I went to the local Lazy Boy gallery and tried every recliner on the floor. I sat in and got out of every chair with out the use of the pending operated hip. I settled on a chair that had 2" risers on the bottom. Don't forget to exercise and strengthen the good side.

[Jim1957]

Walk as soon and as often as you can.  Three weeks after the surgery I wasn't even using a cane anymore.  Once you get the ok from your doctor, start swimming laps.

[Heffenut]

Make sure to have some one there to help you at home, I also wished I had gotten a haircut before surgery

Heff
 

[TK]

I have to agree with Zepher! 

We put a bed in our living room where I would do most of my recovery. Being flat on my back in bed was a bad Idea! It was to painful to roll over or do much of anything. My wife bought a recliner about 3 days after my surgery. I felt more in control of being able to get up when I wanted to, and unassisted. I slept in the recliner for a little over 3 weeks. Being able to have your bed, or recliner, bathroom, and kitchen all on one level is a big plus! Walk! Walk! Walk!  I am 17 months post op. I play on 3 volleyball teams including: men's doubles, coed doubles, and 6's team. Thank you Dr. Jinnah!

TK

[TAJ]

I am two weeks out from surgery today.  In addition to the good suggestions above (especially recliner chair, books, pillow for between knees, raised toilet seat with handles, and family/friends to help out with food, laundry, company), here is what has helped me most:

1. Sleeping pills (I used Tylenol PM) helped the first two weeks.  Otherwise I wouldn't have slept well at all.  Not using them now.

2. GREAT CRUTCHES!  I bought Mellinial off of Amazon.com.  Super comfortable, sturdy, and shock absorber.  They have different sizes for small, medium and tall people (I am 6'5").  For example, see http://www.amazon.com/Millenial-Crutch-Tall-57-67/dp/B002BUB93O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1286231010&sr=1-2-spell

3.  Rent a Cold Therapy unit instead of ice packs for 2 or 3 weeks.  My insurance is paying for half.  See http://www.mdorthopedics.com/orthopedic-PainControl-ContrastCompTher.html

4.  Grabber (mentioned before, but tried other types and this one works great): http://www.amazon.com/Duro-Med-Aluminum-Reacher-Magnetic-Tip/dp/B0009STNME/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1286231327&sr=1-4

5.  Light folding table to sit next to your recliner chair or tall chair to put stuff on - computer, mail, cell, food, crutch, or works to play games on with friends.  Have a big surface.  I bought this one:  http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=13309795

6.  A cane.  Easier to get around the house for small walks after a week or two.  I use a crutch for outside walks but the cane for inside.  http://www.amazon.com/NOVA-Offset-Handle-Strap-Black/dp/B0018S1VYW/ref=sr_1_6?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1286231710&sr=1-6

7.  A recumbent bike for recovery.  Biking motion is easier than walking on the new hip, and not only is it good exercise (recommended by my doctor as the #1 thing I could do for myself during recovery), but also give a mental sense of getting better being able to pedal 5 - 20 minutes per day (more as recovery increases).   Just pedal - no resistance.  I bought the Schwinn 220 on Ebay for $190 and will sell it after I have fully recovered.  Here is a link to the bike on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-220-Recumbent-Exercise-Bike/dp/B00275R1X0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286289338&sr=8-1

Enjoy recovery.

ted