Surgery for a Total Hip Replacement

Sheelee

Hi Everyone. Haven't been on the site fir a while. Hope you don't mind me turning too you now.

I've got a date in December for my pre op assessment for a total hip replacement.

I'm 67 and the worst I've had before is a tooth extracted and a dodgy mole removed. I've never had children. Consequently, I'm not used to any form of surgical procedure and my anxiety level has gone sky high.

I've heard differing stories of people's experience of this type of surgery, for excruciating to not too bad, so that worries me. However, I've yet to meet anyone who regretted having the surgery.

Any ideas on how I can ride this storm (a storm for me at least) and about coping with the initial period after the surgery?

I know everyone is different, but I really would appreciate any help you can offer me.

Any thanks to everyone who recommended the Managing Pain Website. In terms of coping with the last few weeks when I had no idea when I may get the surgery, that really helped.

Thanks

Sheelee

RogerBill

Hi @Sheelee I think the best way to ease your anxiety level is to start taking positive action and making preparations. Do exercises to build up muscles which will help ease the recovery process. Think and plan any changes to your home which will make life easier when having to avoid bending more than 90 degrees, etc. The hospital should provide you with notes covering post op exercises and details of any equipment they will provide. In addition you'll probably want to get some other equipment like an easy grabber, bricks to raise the height of your favourite chair, plastic sheet for the car passenger seat, etc. The post I started "Hip replacement tips" lists things I found helpful when I had my hip replaced just over a year ago.

Like the others you've met, I've absolutely no regrets in having had my hip replaced and fortunately my operation and recovery went smoothly. The operation is one that's been performed 1,000s of times and the procedures have been improved over many years so that a very degree of success is achieved. At the same time you do have to be prepared to do the exercises, walk and adhere to the bending and other rules.

Hope this helps.

Sheelee

Hi Roger,

Thank you so much for replying to my message. I really appreciate it.

Funnily enough, just before going on this site, I wrote in my "thought book" (like a journal. Just what I've always called it!). I wrote that I needed to do was get on and do things rather than just swimming around with anxious thoughts, which is a waste of energy. Great minds think alike, Roger.

I have been thinking about what adjustments I need to make to my home. I'm pretty well set up, having made adjustments already, in order to cope with the pain I have been coping with for years now.

Luckily, I live in a complex set up as a home for life, so is disabled, including wheelchair, friendly. I was given a raised toilet seat and toilet frame a couple of years ago. That's been a God send. Plus we have a folding seat for the shower.

I'm a bit concerned about seating. I generally sit with my feet up on the settee. That can be painful to climb on/off, and I'm sure will be out initially post op. I'm not convinced the armchair I have will serve the purpose, but I'm going to test it out over the next few weeks.

I have also been paying for someone to help me with cleaning for a while (I live alone). I really trust Sharon, and I was going to ask her if she could up her hours, to cover more tasks I've been doing, at least initially post op. Also, if she could do some weekly perishable goods shopping until I'm able to take those jobs back over.

I've had a form to complete for an OT assessment, so they are already involved.

I think I'm slowly getting there Roger, but sometimes at night, I just get this seering sense of anxiety. I don't want that to take over. I've had anxiety/paranoia related illnesses in the past.

You mentioned "Hip Replacement Tips". Can you tell me how I can access that? I'll search the Community site. It would be useful to have a check list.

Thank you so much for your time Roger.

Sheelee

RogerBill

Hi @Sheelee Try this link to access the "Hip replacement tips" thread:https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/55224/hip-replacement-tips/p1

Glad you're thinking positively and planning ahead. When I had cancer eight years ago I found mindfulness helped instill a sense of calm and to get a better night's sleep. There are lots of good books, audio clips which are free to download and courses. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/mindfulness/

MaureenB

Hi Shelee, I had my first hip replacement 5 years ago and am now 2 weeks post op with the second one. Like you, I was actually more worried about the second as the first went very well so I could not conceive of a better experience. I would advise practicing the moves to get in and out of chairs and beds beforehand (these are designed to avoid bending the operated knee); check getting and out of the car and height of seat; finding a cushion you can take to external places so your knees are below your hip; perch stool; long handled brush for showering; practice using your grabber with clothing, socks etc. What people don't tell you is that the wound hurts for the first two weeks and then the muscle trauma due to the opening up the hip is the worse thing. My first hip had a lot more of this, which caused more pain on walking. I am going to try magnesium oil on my muscles now to relax them. I have been using arnica on the bruising and its more or less gone. Ask for an epidural or spinal injection (you will still be out of it and need to use a commode on day 2 and not be able to walk as your leg will still be numb) but there is more pain relief and less whole system effect. The initial 6 weeks is uncomfortable and boring, but it has been in my case well worth having a pain free life. And keep doing the exercises, it took me a year to get full flexibility back last time but my arthritis had been severe for 4 years.

Sheelee

Hi MaureenB,

Thank you for replying to my message Maureen. Hope you're recovery is continuing well. You seem wonderful 2 weeks post op. How is the pain level? Excruciating pain is the thing I'm dreading the most.

Actually, this is not only my first hip replacement, it's my first ever surgery. The most I've had before is 2 teeth extracted, and an iffy mole removed. So I'm completely in new territory here Maureen.

I suppose none of us can now how we will be post op, and no one can tell us, but it's what I can do to help myself prepare for the post op period, including emotional support. I know I can ring the Versus Arthritis Helpline, and there are all the mental health support lines, because I don't want to be left just coping alone without anyone taking any interest in how I'm doing. That isolation frightens me as I do have a history of anxiety and depression Maureen.

I'm going to make a list of things to do in the run up to the op, and post op. I think I'll feel better when I've got a plan and I can see what I have already got covered (I do have a number of aids and adaptations already, and I'm going to ask someone how has been helping me to clean my flat if she can up some hours to do more cleaning a perishable weekly shopping) and what I need to do.

Trying to keep the anxiety under control Maureen, but it seems quite hard at the moment.

Funnily enough, a masseuse, who has really kept me walking for the last 2 years, recommended high dose arnica tablets pre and post op as it helps heal the wound, bruising and swelling, so I'll be going with that.

Again thank you for replying. Would it be OK to contact you again in the future if I have more questions?

Sheelee

Sheelee

Dear RogerBill,

Thank you for the link. I've looked it up, and I'm going to start compiling a list of all the things I need post op, so I can tick off things sorted, and see what I need to organise.

And you have given me a really good idea. During lockdowns, I joined a local Buddhist Centre for their on line courses, including meditation. They have kept up the on line courses, and I can rejoin those. Thank you for that.

You've certainly been in the wars health wise. Glad you won your battle with cancer.

If you don't mind, I might pick your brains again sometime (?? Hope that's ok). It's just I live alone and have no one to bounce off in order to think through all the possible contingency plans. 2 heads are better than 1 as they say.

Again, thank you so much,

Sheelee

RogerBill

Hi @Sheelee Glad to have been of some help and happy to have my brains picked if there's anything useful between my ears 😊

Lilymary

Not sure whether this link will help or terrify you, but this was my blog on my op and recovery. I should warn you that I had just a bit of a hard ride, and most people have it quite a bit easier than I did (I had no idea my body was going to be such a drama queen 🙄, never having had any surgery before), but it gives you an idea of what may be coming. I suggest you start at the beginning. A sense of humour really helps! I hope you'll find bits of it entertaining, and some tips in there may help you. Big tip for day 1 though, "Get some soft pillows to sit on in the car ride home!" I've never said "Are we nearly there yet?" with so much urgency before 😅

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/54075/new-hip-day

Sheelee

Dear Lilymary,

Thank you for this reply, and another you sent that I can't find the way to be able to reply to directly. Your other reply reminded me to add some things on my "Post Op To Do List". So difficult to remember everything without someone to bounce off.

From this latest reply, am I right, therefore, in assuming you have had MRSA or is your pre op testing for MRSA (plus covid, which I can understand) standard practice?

I do know someone who had MRSA. It made hospital admissions so complex, and unfortunately, she had multiple admissions because she had brittle bone disease. Horrid.

How is your level of mobility now Lilymary 18ish months on? I dream of being able to have a decent walk again, but wonder if I'm expecting too much of myself.

Be great to hear from you again.

Best wishes,

Sheelee

Lilymary

Hi @Sheelee , I'm pretty sure they MRSA tested me as part of the pre-op tests, but I also had to do the MRSA cleanse for a few weeks leading up to surgery, which was a faff (mostly the clean linen thing - I just slept in a folded over clean sheet every night and rotated two sheets, having one in the wash and one of the bed every day) but bearable. I think this is standard practice - everyone I know who's had major joint surgery went through this.

The level of activity people get back after surgery varies enormously, and I know some who were back on the climbing wall, salsa dancing and even skiing within 6 months of surgery. But they were super-fit to start with, and that does make a difference to your recovery, and some bodies just heal better than others. Turns out my body is a drama queen, and I've had a few soft tissue complications post op which we're still working on, and then had another non-arthritis medical drama to go through 6 months later which slowed things up a bit.

But I can manage up to around 6 mile walks on rough ground, including smallish hills, and more recently with my surgeon's permission I've started horse riding lessons again (VERY carefully, with a very understanding instructor and quiet horses!), and gentle swimming in a small local pool. I haven't given up hope that I'll be back on some mountain tops again one day, but I'm resigned to the possibility that this may be out of my reach. But it does help to give yourself some targets, and the riding thing was definitely one of them. My job can sometimes be quite physical and involve ladders and scaffolds, but I've just learnt to adapt and find new ways to get my wonky body up there. It seems to work. The main thing is I'm free of that 24/7 debilitating and immobilising pain in the hip joint, and anything else I can get back is a bonus. Before surgery, things were only going to get worse. But after surgery, life can only get better.🙂

Sheelee

Oh Lilymary, you have no idea how a 6 mile walk would be a dream come true. I was a member of the Ramblers and miss it so much.

I suppose I'm mediumly fit. I have been swimming 2 or 3 times weekly for about 4 years. Started again when diagnosed with the hip to keep my joints moving. I try and do at least 100 lengths a week. I also bought a pedometer in lockdown, and try to do about 5000 steps a day. The masseuse says I do have quite well developed muscles in my legs and thighs (though a bit odd in parts due to my wonky walking style recently). She says that should help with the recovery.

My aim will be to get back in the pool, and eventually to be able to start walking again, even if it's in short walks. So congratulations to you, Lilymary, at getting back on a horse. I love horses, and generally they seem attracted to us. They are always happy to come over for a chat, aren't they?

Are you a roofer? It certainly sounds as though you have a very physical job. It must have taken some guts to get back up on heights with your new hip at first. 👋👍

Sheelee

MaureenB

Hi Sheelee, I'm now almost 3 weeks post op. I cannot believe the difference in 3 weeks. I am off painkillers except for 1 iboprufen and 1 paracetamol at night as my hip is a bit achy then. I will not deny the pain was bad, not sure how it compares to childbirth as I haven't been through it! The muscle pains can last longer but compared with my first replacement, I have had a lot less. The best thing is to get up and walk a little, even in the middle of the night. Think of it as two weeks of pain for 20 years of active living. I am walking 6-7000 steps a day, much more than at this stage with my last hip. But I had severe osteoarthritis with that one for at least 3 years and more muscle trauma. Plus which I am retired and I think less run down now. My advice would be to make sure you get physio input soon after the op and a number to call, as last time I kept getting weird pains in my foot and leg, which were temporary but worrying. My experience shows everyone's recovery is different, but some things are inevitable. Re MRSA I was tested at the hospital in the assessment tests and that was it! And maybe book a massage after week 1/2 of the operation to relax, they won't go near the wound etc.

Sheelee

Hi MaureenB,

Wow. What a dream of a recovery. And 6-7000 steps after 3 weeks. That's unbelievable. I'm so relieved for you, and your stories are things I need to hear, because I tend to be a "worst case scenario" person.

Funnily enough Maureen, I bought a pedometer during lockdown to encourage me to walk. That and the swimming are my main sources of exercise. It will come in handy.

Did you use the physios or the helpline to check out weird bits of pains? This is the problem with having no previous experiences to be able to compare things with. It's like the proverbial how long's a piece of string!!

I'm going to be in contact with Andrea post op, who gives me massage. I'm sure she will be more than happy to oblige as quickly as is feasible. And I can't believe how quickly you have managed to reduce your painkillers. I think 1 thing on my side is I have kept my use of cocodomol to only 2 tablets per day rather than 8. Consequently, if I do need to pain reduction, hopefully cocodomol should still be quite effective.

Lilymary was saying how she had this tedious and arduous MRSA regime to follow in the run up to her op. Changing sheets regularly etc. I suppose each hospital has its own policy, from minimal to comprehensive. Not wanting tonnes of extra laundry, I hope my experience will be like yours.

I'm assuming, rightly or wrongly, that you live alone Maureen (??) What did you do about food? I thought I would get in my form of "comfort food" (banana sandwiches are a must), good soups to have with bread, at least initially. I was also going to make my own ready meals, which I do anyway. Bulk cook, put in individual portions, and freeze them. OK in a microwave with a warmed up frozen jacket, and nutritious. Maybe I'm being a bit overprepared, but if things go pear shaped, there is only me who can pull it all back together.

I'd be interested in your comments.

Just so so pleased about your recovery Maureen.

Sheelee