9 Days Post Surgery

[Maggie]

Thought it was time to report back on my lovely new hip! I had by left hip resurfaced on Friday 16th Nov with an Adept device in the end, as this gave my surgeon better sizing options than the BHR. My surgery was carried out at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic in Oswestry (UK) under the care of Prof James Richardson. The actual procedure was undertaken by one of his excellent team, Mr Andrew Bing. Prof has completed 500 resurfacings in the past 10 years, and his team another 600 in the last 5 years under his supervision. As a UK citizen all this was courtesy of the NHS after being on the waiting list for just 4 months.
Enough facts and figures, this is how it went! I was admitted the night before onto a ward with a superb team of nurses, health care assistants, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. I met the anaesthetist that evening and I was delighted to see it was Dr Connry who had anaesthetised me last year for a hip scope and who had done a great job. Can't say I got much sleep that night but luckily I was first down to theatre before 9am so I didn't have to wait too long. In the end I opted for a GA though up until a few days before I had thought about having it done with a spinal and sedation! I chickened out of that and I think it was the right decision for me! Next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery and feeling pretty good. I drifted in and out of sleep there for another couple of hours I think and arrived back on the ward at about 1.45pm. All the usual disturbances every few minutes for obs (or that's how it seemed!) and I quickly felt quite awake. I had a morphine pump which I could administer myself, a saline drip and some nice oxygen to help me along and no pain due to a lumbar nerve block. My husband arrived at 3.30 and I was so pleased to see him! The rest of the day was spent very quietly a little bit to eat and drink and lots of naps. I was still comfortable and only used the morphine a couple of times in the night, more to help me sleep than due to pain! The next adventure was getting on to a bed pan, a bit of a balancing act and I will spare you the details!
Day 2, the block had worn off but I was still experiencing very little pain. The worst thing was the discomfort of sleeping on my back and that made me ache, and the muscles in my left thigh felt like I had climbed several mountains! Nothing in the drain and that was taken out early in the day, an ouch moment I admit.In the afternoon the PT got me up on my feet and into an armchair, unfortunately I only stuck that for about 10 minutes before feeling woozy and like I might faint so it was back into bed. That was a bit of a low point as I was enjoying being out of bed! By the evening all the lines came out and I'd only used the morphine 6 or 7 times. Nice to have them out and easier to move about.
Day 3, still not getting much sleep what with the comings and goings on the ward and failing to come to terms with sleeping on my back! Had my first walk using a frame this morning, only about 20 feet, but great to be on my feet. Sat in the chair for longer with no ill effects. Lots of visitors, my Mum, brother, and best friends in the afternoon. Impressed them with a walk to the nurses station and back! Husband and eldest step daughter this evening, they could see a real improvement in me.
Day 4, very tired, sleep deprivation taking its toll. Up on elbow crutches this morning, got to the bathroom under my own steam!! 11am PT had me climbing stairs, 2pm OT had me getting in and out a car, moving around the kitchen, getting onto the bed independently and getting my own underwear and trousers on! Nice to be able to do those things again without asking for help. Signed off as safe to go home by the therapists, but staying in another night so I can see the consultants the next day.
Day 5, Prof arrives early to give me the once over. Asks to see me walk and tells me off (in a nice way!) for "shufffling along", tells me to walk properly and push through the toe of the operated leg. "Yes ofcourse it hurts" is his response to my look of fear! He was right ofcourse, I did need to walk properly and it didn't really hurt as much as I expected! He made me walk back towards him floating the crutches off the ground which was a bit more challenging, but I did it. He declared me "category green", ie able to go home and do everything normally, sit on low chairs, lie on my side, bend, twist etc. The therapists are rather more cautious and say the exact opposite, but admit that it is the Profs confidence in the resurfacing procedure he uses that directs his approach. As a patient this is a bit confusing but we have settled on the "do what feels right for your body" and that is how I plan to continue. This afternoon my husband takes me home. It is a cold, damp, grey English day, but fresh air has never tasted so good! The car journey home is only 40 minutes and I count my lucky stars to be living so close to one of the best (and with the cleanest operating theatres in the world) orthopaedic hospitals in the UK. It is great to be home!
Day 6 to now, settling back into routine and getting better every day. No pain to speak of, just a bit sore around the incision and muscle aches in the thigh. Went for a short walk down the road in the sunshine on Friday. I think my biggest problem will actually come from my right wrist, I had an STT fusion a couple of years ago which has left my wrist unable to bend back and I therefore have no "spring" in my wrist.That tires before the legs do! Since yesterday I am only using 1 crutch around the house and that increases independence hugely ofcourse.
Prof Richardsons philosophy is that for the first 3 weeks post surgery you spend as much time as possible on your feet and walking about to stimulate bone growth into the replacement. Weeks 4 to 6 you then do the exact opposite, stay at home, keep walking to a minimum and let the whole thing "bed-in". After that you work at getting back to doing everything as normally as possibe. I imagine therefore, weeks 4 - 6 will be the toughest, feeling able to do more, but not!
Well, that brings us up to date, I will give you an update next week. But for any one out there trying to make up their minds whether to have the surgery, I would say "go for it"!

Best wishes and thanks to all those who have gone before me, with your stories and words of encouragement.
Maggie

[Pat Walter]

Hi Maggie

Congratulations on your new hip resurfacing - you are an official surface hippy!

I will post your story on the Hip Resurfacing Blogs with a link from my Hip Stories on the main site.  If you have updates I will post them for you or sign you up so you can do your own blog.

Take it easy - it will get better day by day.  If a few months you will start to forget about the surgery and at 6 months it is almost a faint memory.

Pat Webmaster/Owner Surface Hippy