One week to go...

[PMac]

so here we are a week out from d-day. Starting to get everything ready now doing all the little jobs I won't be able to do for a while afterwards. I have a nice antibacterial shower gel and shampoo that I have to use for the next week to reduce the risk of infections etc, smells lovely!


Recliner is in and ready to go and I've been practicing with crutches to try and get ahead of the game. Hospital and staff have been great and I feel in very safe hands. I imagine this time next week I'll be a little less calm however!

[gasyz]

You've got nothing at all to worry about.I had been stressing about having my hip resurfaced for two years.I'm now nearly 10 weeks post op and can't believe how easy it's been.I have to keep reminding myself to not do anything to extreme because the hip feels so good.The first six weeks flew by and nothing was a problem.I can't believe how worried I was about it all now and I'll have no worries about having the other one done.
Good luck with your op and before you know it you'll be the same as me 10 weeks post op and wandering what all the fuss was about.

[jd]

Good luck PMac! I know you read my updates, which fall in line with what gasyz says. It'll be over before you know it and it's really not that bad!


Keep us up to date on how it goes.

[PMac]

Well that's work finished for a while, bag is pretty much packed and tomorrow's the big day. Any doubts are currently outweighed by the fact that my hip is hurting more than ever and I just want it done now.


Looking forward to my favourite meal with the family before an early night before reporting for duty at 11am tomorrow, hey in 20 hours time it will all be over and the recovery can begin.


Thanks for all the good wishes and see you on the other side!

[jd]

I'm sure everything will go super smoothly and I promise it'll be over before you know it!

Best of luck, and look forward to hearing about your recovery PMac.

[blinky]

Go PMac! I will be thinking about you and wishing you the best.

[gasyz]

Good luck with your op.It might sound a bit stupid but enjoy and embrace the whole experience and recovery time.Remember we are the lucky ones who are having or have had top surgeons fix us up.It's a bit weird but I kind of miss the whole life style change and that few weeks of just kicking back and doing nothing.It soon goes and now 11 weeks on life is back to the normal chaos.9 hours hard work in a vehicle bodyshop,back home for a 3 mile dog walk followed by an hour on the spinning bike.now relaxing in the bath before it all happens again tomorrow.Take this time to chill out and look after yourself,then before you know it you'll be back to the groundhog day lifestyle that we all have, but feelling loads better and looking forward to the future with your new hip.

[petemeads]

Good Luck tomorrow, Paul - I'm sure you are in good hands.

Pete

[Chris_RS]

Best of luck with surgery Paul!  Keep us posted on your progress.


-Chris

[PMac]

Thanks guys, about to leave for the hospital I'll check back in when I can...

[PMac]

Well here I am in my hospital bed, pretty sore and stiff but not too bad all things considered. All appears to have gone well and I remember talking to the anesthetist and then waking up and it was all done.


Tried eating a while ago but that didn't go well and I was pretty nauseous but I'm about to turn off the light and try and sleep just as soon as they do my tests. I'll report in tomorrow when I'm a bit more with it!

[blinky]

Congrats on crossing over! Now it is all about the healing.


Come back and give us all the details when you feel up to it. We can talk about pooping...

[jd]

Congrats PMac! It's all (well, mostly!) uphill from here :)

[petemeads]

Sorry to hear about the nausea, one benefit of staying awake with a spinal was that I was starving hungry and could eat and appreciate it within an hour of surgery! Looking forward to your updates, you will be walking within a few hours...

Pete

[PMac]

Ok so day one didn't start well but got better. Due to my sickness it was probably over 24 hours since I'd eaten anything plus my blood pressure was an issue this morning but a novelty for me it was too low. All this meant that when they tried to get me up this morning I came very close to fainting, everything went sparkly but I did catch it before I went completely!


But I kept breakfast and lunch down and started returning to a normal colour and once the physio came back I was able to have a little wander and sit in the chair but man did it take it out of me! Had my post op X-ray this morning and my consultant came to see me to tell me the placement was perfect and he was really happy with it.


In quite a lot of pain but I'd describe it as a cramp type pain in the muscles around my hip which is only to be expected I guess. Think I'm going to be in the hospital until at least Monday but I'm cool with that. Really tired though...

[jd]

I don't think the almost fainting due to low blood pressure post-anesthesia is unusual, I had the same thing. The next morning, all was well though! I think you'll be amazed at how much easier things are day-by-day. I felt completely helpless initially and had a decent amount of pain for the first 36 hours (but manageable), nonetheless every day was easier than the prior one.

I expect that you feel like you have a useless log attached to your hip (instead of a leg), but that will slowly but surely resolve.

Good luck and keep us updated!

[blinky]

You ate, took a stroll, and are sitting up. Progress!


My BP tanked with the narcotics, too. It IS ironic in your case.


I had strange incidents of not exactly cramping, but involuntary muscle tightening that was shy of cramping. I could release the muscle when I told it to release. Maybe a protective response to the trauma? Or a reaction to great fatigue?


Eat and drink. Salty food will raise your BP, too. Hey, you probably know that. Is this a bye for you to eat salt?


Every day will bring improvement. A week out I can't believe the change.

[PMac]

Day 2, I've not been sick today and my surgeon thinks it could be one of the pain meds making me feel a bit icky felt better as the day went on Mr Eastaugh-Waring came in again today and re-iterated how happy he is with everything. Very happy I went with him.


So other milestones today bodily functions are pretty much back to normal ish (sorry Blinky) and I've walked around on crutches 5 times. Did all my exercises and tackled stairs this afternoon. Now done stairs 3 times so I get to go home tomorrow yay! Big steps forward today, thanks for all the support, how's it going for you Blinky?

[blinky]

Great progress. Now that you can eat you should improve quickly. You go home tomorrow? You sound ready. Are there people to take care of you?


I am doing well. My thought today was that I enjoy walking again.

[PMac]

Ready to go home although had my worst night yet, couldn't get comfortable and couldn't sleep kept wanting to turn on my side which I obviously couldn't do. Got up around 3am and went to the toilet which tired me out so that gave me an hours sleep afterwards.


I have my wife at home and my daughters when they get home from school. From what I've read on here last night was not unusual and seems progress speeds up once you get home. After all of yesterday's efforts though I'm pretty stiff and I think I've hit the wall JD mentioned!