Hi Tommy,
This is post-op day 10 for me. Everybody's experience is unique. I didn't do well with the pain meds, they made me very anxious, so I've been on OTC Tylenol since the day 3. Consequently, my first 2 days home were very uncomfortable trying to constantly prop up and rearrange pillows in my normal bed. My wife ordered a hospital bed on day 4. Great move. It isn't covered by the insurance, but it is surprisingly cheap. The company delivered the bed and set it up the same day. The bed is very much still my base station. It hasn't been my hip so much that has kept me in bed, but rather the muscles in the front of my thigh, soft tissue trauma from the dislocation. I was up an walking the day of the resurfacing, but by day 3 between the thigh pain and the drug reaction, I was forcing myself out of bed to walk and then collapsing back in when I had done my "laps" around the house. The thigh is getting much better and I don't hesitate to get up for meals, bathroom needs, showers and walks, but the ability to press a button and shift the angle the bed, readjust how my weight is distributed is still a miracle. So number 1, I would strongly consider renting a hospital bed. Next, I have 2 TV dinner style tables next to the bed. On my left, I have a laptop and power. Next to that, I have a chair with 3 large pillows for using between my legs to rest on my side, use as an armrest, use as a surface for the laptop. On my right hand side I have a small trash can and on the second table I have a water bottle, urine deposit bottle (still using at night), box of tissues, small notebook and pen for recording med times (when your living on Tylenol every 4 hours it's easy to lose track if you don't write it down), small massage tool for working the thigh muscles. I broke my leg pretty badly a few years ago snowboarding and so I already owned an icewater recycling pad and cooler. It's a pretty neat gadget. My wife fills the small cooler with ice and water in the morning and I've got instant ice pad all day long. My routine has been to do my home pt exercises 3-4 times a day, walk 6-8 times a day followed by massage and ice pack. I have tied a few items to the bed frame as well, the grabber tool is essential, a couple of bandana/dish towel type small pieces of fabric to use with the massage tool rather than oil. Let's see, crutches are hanging on the foot of the bed.
Wherever you end up sleeping you may have bedding issues. I am on Lovenox as an anti-coagulant and I guess one of the common side-effects is nightsweats, it could be from pain, whatever, it is pretty heavy nightsweats. I have never been a great sleeper, so I did get my doc to prescribe Ambien to help me get some sleep during recovery. I have been cutting 1 tab in half, sleeping 4-5 hours and waking up drenched in sweat. The first few nights my wife set up a change of sheets if needed, but usually we have just flipped head to foot and then put a bath towel under my legs and changed the sheets in the morning, throw the night sheets in the laundry and they are ready for the next evening. The last few nights I've been putting a bath towel under my torso before try to sleep. Sleeping on a bath towel hasn't been too bad, I'm not rolling around a lot, and it is quick and easy to spread a fresh towel out if you wake up drenched.
I'm incredibly lucky to have a partner that is willing and able to take a full week off from work and basically provide full-time care for me. My wife has figured out what I need, organized it all and she improves the systems daily. The first few days the living room was a mess, which sheets fit the bed, which pillows were the right size, and she was obviously very busy keeping up with a very appreciative but needy husband. I've been on my own now the past 2 days and the system is proving its weigh in gold. I should have tried to have more in place before surgery, but I didn't. You are wise to be planning ahead.
Take care and best of luck,
Michael Stout