Hip Replacement

tonesp

Reading all the posts lately no one seems to be having hips replaced As this is my Mastermind Specialist subject Where have you all gone or has the NHS stopped doing them :?: :?: :?:

tiggernut

Hi,
Have a look for Weejean's post 'Be back soon' she's just had both hips replaced!

daylily

Hi having my resurfaced hip replaced with a new total hip replacement on the 20th september.
1st one was put in at the wrong angle believe it or not, 4+ years later and years of pain someone is doing something about it.
Getting nervous but can't wait for it to be done.
Hope weejean is ok, i wouldn't fancy both done at once.

skezier

Hi Tone,

Here there is rumour they are putting the replacements on the back burner cus of funding... just rumour.... and one of many Cris x

Hi Daylilly,

really hope it will go well for you and am up for pocket duties for sure. x

Hi Jean if you look in hope its going well fro you.x

frogmorton

Hi Tone

don't panic they are still being done weejean and daylily are our latest people.

How are you doing? Still dancing??

Love

Toni xx

barbara12

Hi Tones
Our weejean has had both done at the same time.. :shock: I am waiting...but to be honest its down to me when I get the courage to go ahead...I need both doing....wish I was as brave has Jean... :eek: :oops:

judyannereeve

Hi

I had both hips replaced in June (because of osteoarthritis) and would love to hear about the experiences of anybody who has had one or two replacements. Likewise I'm happy to share my experiences with anybody contemplating a hip replacement.

I'm unsure as to how much activity to get back into once my 3 month retrictions are over. I used to be very active and would love to once again feel the sweat on my brow from exercise but I don't won't to be back on the operating table too soon!!! I'm 50 so I want to try and eek out the life of my new hips but also I don't want to sit about seeing life jog by.

I'd love to hear from you...

Judy

tkachev

I can have mine done 'any time i like'...i'm told but putting tight to the back of my frazzled mind at the moment.


Elizabeth

sally14

hi tonesp and all here on AC... i had a BHR 3 yrs ago - aged 38, then the following year i had it replaced with ceramic THR, then this March i had it redone as i dislocated twice...all on the same hip...so yes tonesp there are hip replacements going on...all in me i think !!! nice to be on here, arthur is horrid...we all know. Sally.

alisonsomerset

I am having a total hip replacement, (osteoarthritis), on the 11th October 2011 and would love to share experiences/info before and after. I am having a ceramic one and obviously the nerves are kicking in! I know the rehab process is different for everyone...but it would be really good to compare and exchange experiences, progress and feelings.
Ali x

judyannereeve

Hi Sally,
If you don't mind me asking, do you know what caused the two dislocations? That must have been frustrating and painful.
Judy

judyannereeve

Hi Ali,
I had 2 ceramic hip replacements in June and like you was rather nervous. I could write a book on everything that has happened so far but is there anything in particular that you'd like to know?
Judy

mimiofdc

Hi, I'd love to jump in on this. I have recently put my name on the list at Norwich Hosp for the double - yes both at once - THR.

I think more than anything, I am wondering about recovery. Do health visitors come to my home? Can I climb stairs when I get home? Do I need a special bed? How far will I be able to walk? Will I be able to use the toilet (alone)? Can I be left alone for the day? My husband has a terrible time getting off work and I have a 6 yr old to look after. I should add, no family in the area.

I have had only 2 opps in my life before: biopsy on my leg at 12 yrs old (had plenty servants to wait on me!), and cesearean 6.5 yrs ago (piece of cake). I'm wondering how this compares?

I am sure I will think of hundreds more questions (sorry!), but that's a start!

Thanks for any info,

Maria

judyannereeve

Hi Maria
In answer to your questions, this is my experience of having both hips replaced (one week apart)...
I had a district nurse visit me at home 3 times to check the dressings and to remove the clips. I have had physio at the hospital which is now monthly and I think might end soon.
Yes you will be able to climb the stairs when you get home. I had to show I could climb the stairs in the physio department at the hospital before I was discharged. My stairs don't have a banister rail the whole way up so I had to use 2 crutches I was very slow initially so I tried to limit the number of times I went up and down which was a bit tricky since the toilet is upstairs and the kitchen downstairs! I kept a ladies portable urinal downstairs which I used to reduce the number of times I had to use the stairs.
The hospital Occupational Therapist (OT) advised me as to whether my furniture needed adjusting. She did this after I filled out a form with my knee to floor measurement and the measurements of my bed, toilet, chairs and bath.
Our bed is quite low so my partner raised it by putting wooden blocks under it but the guest bed was ok. It took me awhile to get the hang of keeping both legs straight when getting in and out of bed. The OT checked I could do this before I was discharged. In hospital you sleep with a wedge pillow between your legs. At home, I used an ordinary pillow & made it narrow at one end by tying shoe laces around it. Because my lower back is a bit dodgy I was quite worried about having to sleep on my back for 3 months. I've found it helps me a lot to have a thin pillow under each of my lower legs.
Your chairs have to be a certain height (based on your knee to floor height) and have to have arms. None of my chairs apart from an office chair were high enough so that's all I've been sitting in. The OT didn't recommend an office chair because it has castors but I use it on the carpet so it doesn't move about. However in retrospect I wish I'd bought a more comfortable lounge chair to use as well. They are expensive but a second hand one is more reasonable.
I was able to walk for about 15 minutes a couple of days after getting out of hospital. They try to get you out of bed the day after the operation - I managed to walk about 5 metres on the first day after the first hip but I had to wait 2 days after the second hip to be able to move a couple of steps. I then progressed each day.
Yes you will be able to use the toilet by yourself. The OT checked I could use the toilet before I was discharged and gave me a raised toilet seat and arms for the toilet so it made it easy to use.
I strip-washed at home because the OT advised against using the shower unless I had a seat. I wasn't allowed to use the bath because of having both hips done.
My partner was at home with me for the first 24 hours but then went back to work. Like you I don't have family nearby (they live in New Zealand!) but friends were supportive. My partner was away working the whole weekend after I got out of hospital but I was able to do the important things and I had friends who called in to pull some of the hard to reach curtains and hang up the washing. I discovered that I could carry food from the kitchen to the table when using 2 crutches by decanting the food into a plastic container with a lid. That made it easier to carry.
I bought various gadgets, which have been a big help.
Two grabbers (one upstairs, one downstairs) for picking things up off the floor and getting knickers & trousers on. I would have really struggled without the grabbers but the rest of the list while not essential have made me feel a bit more independent.
A long-handled sponge to wash my feet & lower legs
A long-handled razor
A long-handled moisturiser applicator
This was my first experience of being in hospital so I can't tell you how it compares to your experiences. I found the pain easy to manage except for when I tried to go without any pain relief the day after the second hip and then suffered for it.
When using the bedpan I found it much easier to lift my whole body up using the overhead bar rather than rolling to one side which is what the nurses initially told me to do. I also found out later that other hip paitents found the flat bedpan less painful to use.
I hope this helps, let me know if there's anything else you want to know.....
Judy

hileena111

Hi Alison,
Why dont you start a seperate post there are loads that have had single THR and i'm sure would help out. Just start a new thread.,
Love
Hileena

mimiofdc

Judy you are a star! Thanks so much for all the info. It is extremely helpful. I was very concerned about getting upstairs to my bed at home, but looks like I will be able to manage that. I am lucky to have a cloakroom and kitchen on the ground floor, so I'll be happy to come downstairs for the day and up at night (unfortunately, I already do this many days as stairs are pretty tough for me).

My husband will be able to get some time off, but at east he wont need too long, all things going well. He is also very willing and capale to take care of things around the house in the evenings. I do have neighbors and friends around, but really if I am able to get to the kitchen and toilet, I am pretty well set up having laptop, tele, and phone at the ready.

I have been having issues even sitting on my hips lately, so just today I managed to get a second hand chair of the Internet. It's not the prettiest thing, but it's a proper armchair that i didn't have before, and it's even got a nice recline feature.

If you don't mind my asking, why did they separate the ops by a week? My surgeon has mentioned hospital issues could prevent doing both on the day but I am hoping not to have that issue.

Having said all this, I have only recently put my name on the list so will be a while before I have a date I assume. But I shall add your lovely npost to my folder of pre-op research!
If I think of anything else, I shall definately ask.

Maria