Good luck! My hip replacement was the best thing I ever did.

Count yourself lucky. After I had my resurfacing, it took at least 12 hours for the meds to get on top of the pain. The whole next day I was asking myself why I ever agreed to do it. It got better from then on, and I'm glad now that I did it, as I'm sure you'll be. After the second day, it wasn't too bad at all. Anyway, congrats and good luck.

I actually took one vicodin this AM just to see the difference. As expected it just took the
'edge off' the pain a bit. I will take one later when I want to sleep, because it worked better
as a sleep aid.

I think the 2nd hip will be a 'resurfacing' when i get it done. Hopefully the 'minimally invasive'
type of surgery, as this one was clearly not so they could get the old pins out.

Thanks so much for posting this. I am looking at a re-surfacing (not replacement) in 18 to 24 months
Lots of pain etc, but DR. wants to wait. It is an old Injury acting up from a motorcycle crash 15 yrs ago, cartilage exploded, or something any way it's all gone on the left side...
I can still rip it up on the bike or the dance floor....well THAT's subjective, but some days it hurts like hell !
Thanks again for sharing.
Hope it all works out for you.

How are the replacements doing and do you anticipate future procedures?

well, today was a bust for me. Still having issues getting my blood pressure high enough to be able
to walk around for therapy. made it the 2nd time from the bed to the chair. I am guessing it means
another day in here for me till I rally enough I will not pass out when I walk.

Called a neighbor to pick me up instead of my wife, so if i keel over he can let me down gently. No way
the wife can do that.

They changed the dressings today. I had some big ol' blister under one of them. MAN that HURT! Still
bothers me more than the hip replacement.

Took my 2nd vicodin today since surgery to help me sleep in the afternoon before my PT session. Also
'pinked up' a but with some oxygen. Stats all look great besides the BP, and actually for most people
the BP numbers I have would be excellent, but mine have alwyas run a little high, even when i weighed
significantly less, so I gotta get them back up there again. Sigh.

Stupid rubber mattress are so uncomfortable I will sleep in a chair tonite.

Staff is being excellent. Nice hospital.

How's the day going, MM?

and since you asked, it is now 3 days post surgery. (surgery Tues/today Friday). FINALLY got the
BP up high enough to go for a walk in the hall. That was monumental achievement given how the
BP had kept me down. BP still not where it should be, but high enough I don't think I will pass out.

Took a 3rd vicodin last night just to help me sleep a little, as it seems all I keep getting are lots
of cat-naps. Took a 4th today when after an earlier attempt to walk (walking is all done with a
walker) I had a nasty muscle spasm that once it subsided, my leg just kept shaking afterwards.

Pain for me has really not been a big deal -- certainly not the joint pain. But Like I told the
doc who stopped by today (my regular went fly-fishing), "You guys really beat the chit out of us
on the table. My thigh muscles feel like they have been thru a stretcher and then softened with
a meat hammer". He laughed!

So, back to walking, my firstattempt early in the day was maybe 8 feet total. BP was still down
so I bagged it early. About 30 minutes ago was my 'long walk', maybe 80-100 feet round trip. At
first I was 'toe stepping' with my left foot -- sort of walking with my toes. By the time I got back
near the bed I was swinging my leg a little bit. Supposed to have only 20% weight bearing, so that
would be about the weight of the leg itself at this time.

I will definitely be out tomorrow.

I have also spent some of my time being a practice patient for the new nursing students. they get
to prod at me and move me around. It is fun because they are very excited to get hands on experience.

That's the daily update for surgery plus 3 days.

Maybe old pins make it more invasive, but there was nothing minimally invasive about my resurfacing. To illustrate, after the surgery, I asked the doctor, "How do you affix the socket to the acetabulum?" He said, "We hammer it in with a mallet." I said, "No, really." He said, "We hammer it in with a mallet."

Why does he want to wait? I didn't have a lot of pain, and my doctor considered that a reason to wait.

Let me take a guess at this. I'm thinking doctors want us all to wait as long as possible on procedures like these to limit or even eliminate the need for additional procedures in the future. It's up to us to decide how much pain we are willing to live with before we say screw it, do something.

all these ortho procedures are 'meatball surgery'. Sockets get hammered in with mallets,
bones get cut off with hacksaws and circulating saws, things get drilled, etc. If you have
even put in a ball joint in an old car, you have an idea of what they are doing to you on the table.
And in order to get the old hip out, they cut a film of cartilage that helps prevent your hip from
dislocating -- and they they dislocate your hip. To do that they have to grab you around the
knee (hence my knee hurst and I bet that has happened for others), and all you muscles seem
ripped up because of stretching and twisting, as well as slicing and dicing.

BTW, minimally invasive hip replacement basically require NO cutting of muscles. It is a newer
technique that requires a special surgical table to do it. The benefit is, obviously, less tissue
healing due to less tissue distruction.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to add a few hints from my stay for others.

1) I have subjected myself to all the nursing students. They are grateful for the experience, it
all happens under the guidance of another nurse, and that nurse is happy because the older
students can then take care of you without said nurse for oversight.

2) take in drugs with you that you may need. the hospital pharmacy may not like it, but they
cannot keep you from using your own drugs. for narcotics they may wish to be the dispenser
of said drugs, but there are ways around that if you are really nice tot he nurses and they are
no ball-busters. Everything in a hospital is counted and added to your bill, and a 50 cent vicodin
or doxycyclin becomes a $5 or $10 pharmacy dispense. We all have co-pays, so doing this will
save you some money in the end.

3) I sleep on my side, so sleeping on my back is very annoying. I found a way to bridge that gap
by making a V-shape pillow up against the bed and one of the side rails. By sleeping a little sideways
and shoving my head in there it almost feels like sleeping on my side, so I sleep better that way.

4) Bring a laptop. Keeps you connected to the world, and most hospitals now have wi-fi.

5) work out your arms/upper body/especially tri's before you go in. Moving yourself around
really requires your tri's, and I am happy I have strong ones and worked them out previously.

6) Be nice to everyone. Your pain is your pain, and don't get grumpy at them for it. The nicer
you are, the faster the response when you hit the call button etc.

7) If you sleep weird hours like I have, ask help from the staff AFTER shift changes. Lots of
things happen at shift change, and they are busy. Wait 2 hours and they have lots of time to
talk to you or work with you.

Fatta.Sounds like you are recovering. I am surprised they'd let you bring in your own drugs...
.... Hope you are doing better than my cycling buddy whose hip was damaged in a crash.. The ball was shattered. He could not get out of the hospital because some kind of blood clot threatened his well being. His wife was pretty freaked out.. He is ok today.. Stable. But, his pain is incredible. We'll see him today.. I offer my friends problems. because maybe you are feeling better than him.
.. Yes.. Be nice to your nurses. They are your portal to the rest of the world. No matter the discomfort what's the point of being grumpy. It only makes the hole deeper.
.. My best friend died of cystic fibrosis.. He was always a happy person and big time joker.. He was so pleasant on his death bed, the nurses cried when he died.

I guarantee I am doing better than your friend. No blood clots (knocks on head) and I have a high
pain threshold for things like this. I am also guessing your friends trauma pre-surgery has added to
his pain level, as the surrounding tissues would be more damaged than mine.

As for bringing in drugs, non-narcotics are allowed once the pharmacy takes a look at them.
Technically the nurse is supposed to dispense them, but if you are good they leave that to you.
Narcotics are supposed to stay in the pharmacy for them to dispense (hence a dispensing fee)
but again, if the nurses like you, well...

Also, though the hospital will supply them as well, a big box of baby wipes is a great way to de-stink
and clean your face etc.

certainly the longer you wait, hte longer the life of the replacement, BUT...

There are three main replacements:

1)Small ball with 'nylon bushing'

2)Big ball metal

3)Ceramic.

of the three, the first will wear out in about 15 years or so for someone active, the 2nd should last an entire lifetime, as should the third. Also a resurfacing is a form of big ball metal, with similar lifespan.

NEW HINT:

It is VERY important that the people who move you in the hospital have a clue and FOLLOW YOUR LEAD.
I just had a CNA/NAC guy help me, and he moved way too fast as he was NOT listening to
me. That move hurt quite a bit. Also, since your leg should not roll in, nor out much, ALWAYS
make sure when someone moves your leg for you, the do a hand over your ankle, and a hand
under your knee. This keeps the general position of your leg right where it was when they picked
it up for you. I also found raising the bed a LOT helps you get out if you are tall.

I haven't had hip surgery but just to add to this, I have had a spinal block twice now and they made sure I was awake. Trust me I asked them to knock me out but they couldn't. I also can recall the whole thing and wish I had forgotten. It was so uncomfortable. The first time the anesthesiologist said that she doesn't do spinal blocks and if the doctor ordered one someone else would have to do it. Well the doctor ordered one and there she was with the needle. Of course she had some complications while this needle was in my back while I was wide awake. NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE!

Huge +1.

After one of my spinal blocks the nurse was like okay come walk over here and tried getting me to walk. I proceeded to say that I was still paralyzed from the waist down from the spinal block and I couldn't move my legs. She didn't understand.

Yeah, must been the same look my dog gives me when he is confused. ALWAYS be a vigilant and active patient.
Read up on your procedure, ask lots of questions, and say NO if necessary. After all, in the end it is all about you.


*****************************************************************************************


I am OUTA here (the hospital) in a few hours -- WOO HOO!

Made my first move to the bathroom today as well as my first BM in days. Wiped me out.
Amazing how much strength you lose just laying around. Going to the bathroom seems
so automatic, but it took some 15 minutes, lots of energy, and I felt like I had done a
long bike ride at the end. Whew!

At home we will have one of those elevated donut things that just goes on the bowl, but
here they have the elevated seat on it's own frame that sits above the regular bowl. those
arms really came in handy when sitting and standing, and were great to take a break on when
I got tired. I may return the bowl donut and go for one of these other things.

They showed me a video on cumadin today pre-discharge. Waste of time. I would swear that
was prepared for the senile or mentally challenged. You could have summed it up in 5 lines on an
index card. Oh well, no one wants to get sued I guess.

Time for nap. That 'potty break' really wiped me out.

Good to hear that yours went well, and that you are nearing discharge from the hospital. I would really recommend the toilet seat with the arms on it... you'll need it for awhile and you do not want to fall right now.

I had one hip done last August and am ready to have the other one done probably in June (I'm 54). Like you, I chose metal on metal. Since it has been awhile, we tend to forget all the details. I had a spinal and do not remember anything from the surgery itself and all went well with respect to that. I remember the second day or whenever I could start feeling more that it felt like I had a grapefruit on my hip (from the swelling I guess). I had some problems like you in getting right up and walking the first day and was light headed. I wound up having a pulmonary embolism so had to go to intensive care for a couple of days. Surgery on Monday and was ready to bribe anyone to get out of the hospital on Friday, which I did (not the bribe, but my orthopedic surgeon made sure I got released :)). At first I was a bit concerned about going home, but things after this could not have gone better.

I hope everything goes well for you at home, and thanks for taking the time to write about this... it is helpful, even to those of us who have been thru it!

Thanx! I figured a day to day blog for at least a few weeks would be worth it to all the lurkers
who think about hip replacement but have apprehensions. Again it is only me, and like you had
a complication, mine has been easy. Either way, I hope all this helps others in the future.

*****************************************************************

Post Surgery Day 5 / At home day 1

Did a lot of moving around in bed last night trying to get comfortable. Again stuck on my
back and while happy to not have that hot sweaty hospital matress, the electric beds there
Do make a difference. I am camped out in the living room on a sleeper sofa (quality one)
with another matress tossed on top, so I have a good firm bed. To be able to incline the head
would sure be a big bonus, but you can't have everything.

Made an attempt to sleep on my side last night with pillows between my legs and that was a total
bust. Just not comfortable. Think I was stretching the stitches inside or the staples outside,
Got up in the morning to find my wound had been draining as well, though that may have been because
I tried to wear underwear AND some stretch gym shorts. Ended up in the buff before I got comfortable.

Also ran a small fever last night. Tylenol took care of that and I went from chills to feeling nice and
warm again in no time. Now on the mandatory blood thinners as well. Will be visited by a home
healthcare nurse 2x/week for the next few weeks to monitor wounds, blood, etc.

EVERYTHING takes more effort than you think. Getting into bed, getting out of bed, using crutches
to get into the kitchen for a drink. It is all just MAJOR energy. My wife got me some baby wipes to
use last night, and left them on a table about three feet from my bed -- on the wrong side of the
bed. At midnight I longly looked at those wipes thinking how much work it would take to get them
just to wipe my face and gave up. I would have had to get up on the left, use the crutches, go
around the bed to the right, toss them on the bed, turn around, set the crutches right, and pull
myself back onto my bed, reach over, and use one wipe. No way.

In the kitchen we are fortunate enough to have 'bar stools' that are just a perfect height for me
to sit on one corner and keep my hips at less than the prescribed 80 degree angle. If you want to
spend any time in the kitchen, you may want to buy a bar stool just for you to sit on there, as well
as using it for a break when you get there.

My urinal is my friend. When you have to go at night, NO WAY can you get up fast enough to
get down the hall in time to go -- especially if you still have anything in your system trying to
purge or you have drank caffine drinks.


HINTS:

1) Do not wear underwear, just wear very loose stretchy gym shorts in bed (looser the better)
2) Have a place to take a break and sit when you get to another room -- elevated chair, stool, ???
3) Urinal will be your friend
4) Look around before you get into bed, or your friend/spouse/whoever else calls it a night. If you
need it, make sure it is within arms reach when laying down.
5) Trips this early in the healing take LOTS of energy, make them work for you. Use a backpack if needed.
6) I find sleeping with my knee elevated is comfortable, you may want to try as well
7) LOTS of pillows are needed. I am using five already.
8) Keep a couple non-leaky water bottles at your side.

Post Surgery Day 6 / At home day 2 (morning)

Another sleepless (for the most part) night as I personally cannot get all that used to sleeping on
my back. Tried again last night to sleep on my good side with pillows but not to be yet -- everything
seems to pull internally so you do not get comfortable.

Strength is starting to come back. I went down the hallway yesterday and was wiped by the time I
hit the bathroom. Now not so much. Getting into bed was a major effort yesterday AM, today not
so much. What do they say about 'time heals all wounds'...

Weird things that have happened to me include having night sweats last night, hot and cold spells.

Home healthcare nurse stopped in yesterday. Felt everything was going real well for me. Nice to hear.

Hints:

1) Slick sheets are way easier to move around on that loosefitting or flannel-type sheets
2) labels in the back of clothing sitting under your skin for hours are annoying -- sleep in the buff
3) Your wound may drain past the bandages as mine has, so expect stains accordingly

Good luck Fats!!

I'll drink a beer to your health.

If that is all the pain you are feeling you might have a career as a human punching bag.:eek: You do have a very high pain threshold.

Get better quick man. I have found it is always hard to sleep after getting out of the hospital because you usually are sitting around resting/recovering all day anyway.