Re: Had total hip replacement on 12/02/08

[Guest guest]

Congratulations!

Sounds like you are doing great.

My husband had RTHR on 11/19 and he has been feeling better little by little. 

Our bedroom is on the second floor also, with a spiral metal staircase.  He has

been going up and down a few times during the day and night.  I hold my breath

while he's using the stairs.  He mostly is just using a cane for now. OS doesn't

know this yet. 

You made me laugh with your half hour back scratching requirement.

Happy healing,

Sharon

From: dwatts4827 <dwatts4827@...>

Subject: Had total hip replacement on 12/02/08

Joint Replacement

Date: Friday, December 12, 2008, 5:25 PM

Let me start by saying that I am one of the really lucky ones. I had

no pain from the operation and stopped taking the pain pills about day

three because I couldn't tell the difference between taking them and

not taking them.

The history for my right hip is that it has been bad for a few years,

it was bone on bone for at least a year. When the doctor first looked

at the xray, he asked be to walk to see if I could.

Prior to the operation, I had four weeks of PT to get ready. The PT

started about 5 months ago, I went in once a week to get what I should

do at home. The next three weeks were just to review what I was doing

and to see if I did it correctly. This was done at Hines hospital

outside of Chicago, a VA hospital. By the way, I am 65. The VA was

great.

I had the operation done at a hospital other than the VA because my

first scheduled date was posponed because they had emergency ones to

do instead. I didn't want to go through that again.

When I went into the hospital, on the day of the operation, I knew

there was a couple of ways they would put you to sleep, prior to the

entering the hospital I wanted on the full sleep one. After they

explained what each was, I took the spinal tap and was very happy

about that. I woke up with no upset tummy.

The hospital has two one hour PT meetings each day for knee/hip

operations. I was in with 6 women, 3 hips and 3 knees. By the third

day I was upset. The 6 women were all climbing steps, walking to the

pt room etc, while I was brought in a wheel chair. I knew at that

point I may have a problem. But day four( the day I left) God looked

down on me. I walked back from the pt room and left the hospital.

The only problem I had was with the general doctor that was assigned

because mine doesn't go to this hospital. The hip doctor, hospital

and pt had me ready to go by 10:30 on the fourth day. The GP showed

up at about 5pm and told me I had to stay one more day.

The doctor told me no one gets out in four days. I told her the other

6 knee/hip operations from the day I entered were gone. She than told

me that I was not ready. I told her that PT and the hip doctor

thought I was ready. I than told her that if she felt that way, I

wanted to check myself out. She told me I could not do that. Besides

that, I didn't have a visiting nurse ready for when I went home. I

told her that I had a telephone and would take care of the nurse.

The doctor left and the nurse came back in and told me it looked like

I was staying. I asked the nurse to start the paper work to self

release. The nurse asked me to wait 10 minutes and she would look

into the matter. The nurse came back in 15 minutes, told me

everything was taken care of and I was on my way home within an hour

with everything I needed.

My house has the bedrooms on the second floor so I have the bed in the

family room now. Its not easy getting in and out of bed and general

movement is more than just getting up and going. But each day

something new works for me. Even with the walker, its easyer to walk

than it was prior to the operation.

The hospital was neat. They give you an menu and you call in what you

want. I had lobster one night. I never had a problem eating, not as

much as usual.

I worried a lot prior to going in as I am sure everyone does but let

me say this, I was treated as a king. If it didn't cost so much, I

might think of going back.

One last thing about a problem I had. They give you a list of things

you cann't do than test you - no crossing feet - no 90 movement of

legs etc. My wife didn't believe that one requirement was that in

order to get better, I needed a half hour back scratch every night.