Bilateral hip resurfacing

[Vansteve]

Hi, Thanks for all the advice, it's much appreciated. Today is 'D' day for me....double hip resurfacing, off to surgery in an hours time. Not sure at this stage about rehab hospital afterwards, I'm hoping to go home. I've been told I could be in somewhere between 7 to 10 days in hospital, so hoping by then I'll get used to managing. I don't have any stairs at home to tend with, but unsure what my limitations are going to be, doing all the things we take for granted.....toilet, getting dressed, getting in and out of bed, showering. So wish me luck and fingers crossed it all goes well. I told the surgeon the first thing I'll do when I come around is check that both sides have been done, as there is a risk that if the area is too badly deteriated they would have to do a full hip replacement. I'm hoping that is something they say as standard to everybody.

Cheers, Steve

[hernanu]

Great luck, Steve! By seven days you hopefully will be good to go, they will release you when you are in reasonable shape, I would think.

Talk to you on the other side!

[Pat Walter]

Good Luck Steve.  Looking forward to your posts after your surgery.  Take it easy.  We will be thinking of you.

Pat

[lycraman]

Hope it has gone well Steve.  You are one brave chap!  I just couldn't imagine having both done at the same time....

[Woodstock Hippy]

Van, congratulations and welcome to the very exclusive same day bilateral club.  By now you should be in your room recovering and resting up.  Keep using that pain relief button if you have it and don't be afraid to ask for medication.  This is not the time to be a hero.  It's the time to keep yourself comfortable so you can do your recovery PT.  If they are keeping you in the hospital for 7 to 10 days, I'd say that they are taking very good care of you.  They'll probably be getting you up walking a little tomorrow and continuing to teach you how to build yourself back up every day.  What bothers me is what should be called ''drive by bilaterals'' being done  where the patient is out the door in three days wondering how they will get into the car for the ride home and who is going to take care of them. 

So, congratulations and good luck.  Rest up and recover well.

[phillwad]

Steve - just resting in the bed now, smiling, eating great food, watching a little TV, rolling over and sleeping - Ohhhh I am sure it is a little more difficult than that.  Keep your great attitude and you will do fine.  I had 2 hips done last year but my Doc and I wimped out by taking a 5 month break between the operations - amazing to get them both done at the same time.

Going home - my doc had it all right except sitting on the loo - I needed a seat booster for a few weeks - it was very hard getting down and up to start with - and that was with one good leg.

Keep us posted - Cheers

[happy hippy]

cannot imagine having both done at same time !! good luck with the rehab.....6 weeks post 2nd BHR today...just driven for first time and starting swimming tomorrow!!

[Vansteve]

Thanks guys for all the support, I had my surgery 2 days ago and I'm doing reasonably well. The worst part for me was the nausea on the evening I had surgery, but they eventually got it under control. I certainly wasn't in the mood for any visitors. The physio got me standing up for the first time yesterday by my bed, supported of course, I felt a bit lightheaded so we didn't overdo it. I'm into the swing of my exercises every hour, some felt a bit difficult at first, but you push through anyway. I'm hoping to get the drains taken out of my hips along with getting the catheter removed. Then you'd feel like getting back to some normality, and hopefully take a few small steps would be good. I don't have much pain, just on mild pain killers, I've been told that a lot of scar tissue would have formed due to surgery, so just have to work through it.  My blood levels are a bit low, so might require a transfusion if it doesn't pick up. I think I've just about got it all covered...too much information...lol.  Cheers, Steve

[hernanu]

Steve, you are doing well. Everything from this point is up now - keep up the good work.

[phillwad]

Steve - thanks for the update.  I found quality of sleep post op for a few weeks to be the biggest issues - keep up the exercises

[Vansteve]

Hi, Me again, doing fine, made a few strides today, Shower, toilet, X-ray. More mobile and no pain, they give me a mild pain killer as a matter of course. Still using the walker support, but will probably I'd imagine move on to crutches soon. I required a blood transfusion last night, which really picked me up as my blood levels had dropped. but all good now.

cheers

[hernanu]

Sounds good Steve, making good progress.

[phillwad]

Steve - sound like you are still making solid progress.  Having a little extra blood must feel good, I was fortunate and never needed that.  keep it up ;-)

Cheers - Phill

[Vansteve]

Hi from downunder,
                              Just had the best sleep in years, had to be woke up by the nurse to take my obs. This is day 5 post op. It had been all plain sailing as far as my pain levels up to now, just taking panadol osteo. But after doing extra physio exercises yesterday, I felt quite sore last night in both hips, so took the option of the stronger painkillers and sleeping tablets. I would probably still be asleep if she hadn't woke me up, it's just such a good feeling to have an uninterupted sleep, as normally when I'm home you can guarantee I always need to get up for a trip to the loo during the wee hours. I was hoping to avoid taking stronger painkillers, but I suppose that's just part of the recovery process,  good days & bad days. I did think that this is too easy after a few days post op no great pain to speak off, but obviously once you start working the joints more, and there is always scar tissue involved with surgery. Well got to go brekky has arrived.     Cheers, Steve

[Vansteve]

Hi, Getting out of hospital today, looking forward to going home and continuing my recovery. So far so good, both hips aren't giving me much pain at all, usually only at night. Have to inject my stomach for a few weeks, some solution to prevent clots forming.  Take care everyone, and good luck .  Steve

[hernanu]

Sounds like you're getting a great recovery for having done both hips.

Clot prevention is very important, we all had to live through some form of it, just wait it out, soon it's gone and you're in the clear.

[Vansteve]

Thanks Hernanu, feels good to get a bit of support, whether it be a comment or just good luck. It's amazing complete strangers offering encouragement from the other side of the world. I was really pleased to get out of hospital yesterday and get home after a week. But because I'm on my own most of the day, it offers it's challenges compared to being looked after and getting everything done for you in hospital. I feel a bit more pain on my right hip, the left isn't too bad. Trying to avoid the stronger painkillers, because they obviously help with the pain but you get the drowsy affect, so try and limit them to bedtime. My son just got home from school and suggested ice to my right side, something I had overlooked since getting home, which is strange because I had ice by both sides the whole time in hospital, morning & night. Sorry for rambling on a bit...lol.     Cheers, Steve

[Woodstock Hippy]

Congratulations on making it home.  You are doing great!  Keep icing, ice is your best friend and make sure that you do your PT.  Good luck with your recovery, don't let little setbacks get you down.  Soon you'll be out walking, running, cycling and all the other good stuff that arthritis takes away.

[Pat Walter]

Great you are home and out of the hospital.  Just take it easy.  You will figure it all out, even if it is very slowly.  The time will go by and in a few weeks things will be much easier.  Don't be afraid to ask for a bit of help if you need it.  Keep icing if you can.  Don't over do your activities early on.

Good Luck.

Pat

[Spanielsal]

Hey Steve

welcome to the other side!  it is a long slow process, these first few weeks.  It is just a case of taking it very slowly, trying to keep yourself occupied and remember to try and catch up on your sleep too - you have been through it.  by 6 weeks you will feel much more like yourself. 

Ice is good but do keep the pain killers up if you need them - pain will slow your recovery down and bring you down emotionally too and there is a hard mental hill to climb during recovery.  we are all here to chat to though, whenever you need a shoulder or to share success. 

i hope your healing time is calm and your patience isn't tried too hard.  Congrats on getting to here - your life is coming back! 

Sal