Author: physiotherapynewforest

At my friends House for one night.

It’s different when you are suddenly let loose with out the hospital support. Because of my profession I have a major advantage but I’m sure it’s quite daunting for others.

The Journey to New Forest

Fortunately our car is quite high, this makes it easier for the new hips.

A Big fat squidgy pillow in the foot well.

Nice soft pillow in my low back.

Seat reclined half way.

Off we go,

Timer set for hourly intervals for stopping.

Ankle pumping into the big fat squidgy pillow.

Five hours later we arrive home.

Pleased to say no swelling as the big fat squidgy pillow made my calf work squeezing any fluid back up the leg.

First port of call lie flat on the bed.

Heaven to be home there’s nothing like your own bed.😊

Day 4 post op

Forgot to mention the type of replacement I have had, in case anyone is interested.

Accolade II & trident cup with ceramic head and X3 poly liner

A bit about Medication

Take the pain relief don’t let pain creep up.

ALSO you will be offered laxative medication TAKE it. codeine is frequently given which is guaranteed to “cement “ your bowel , as are many of the other opiates.

Anticoagulant injections are given daily☹️

My Progress

Now walking with two crutches, managing bed exercises and floor exercises easily.

Wounds are fine.

I can do the stairs up and down easily.

( good leg to “heaven” ie up the step first, crutches always stay with the bad leg, they follow with it. Coming down, crutches down to “hell” first, followed by bad leg)

With two hips it’ll be obvious which one is the stronger so treat that as your “good “leg

Mr Hoad Reddick is very happy for me to go home.

I have a very long journey to get to the south coast, he is fine as long as I stop regularly and walk and pump my ankles in the car.

Going home to my friends for one night and then the drive south to the New Forest. which I’m not looking forward to.

I’ve a concern about the going for a wee in a public loo😂😂😂

Seriously most women dislike public toilets☹️

I don’t want any infection.

I remembered before I came into hospital I had a “Shewee” which I’d never used. Don’t ask but you’ll find them online.

It was to prove fantastic 🥱

Day two and back on the ward.

Have felt a bit vulnerable as night and day I’ve been tied to the bed by Flowtron compression garments. These are on the calf and alternately compress and relax to promote circulation.

You can’t take them off yourself as they are below the knee and after hip replacement you can’t bend down there.

The staff remove the “Boots” then up and about firstly on the frame.

When two hips are replaced at once, for ease of recovery a catheter is used for 24 hours.

I didn’t fancy it but to be honest it was a godsend as you didn’t have to keep getting up for a Pee.

Day 3

Catheter out this morning, in the shower which I managed on my own – It was bliss.

The dressings used are waterproof.

Hospital gown off tracksuit on.”Boots” off during the day so need to keep the ankles moving and not sit for too long.

Onwards and upwards

Rest and exercise in equal measure.

Taking my own medicine and listening to my body.

Two hips is big surgery but I seem to be coping, long may it last.!!!

It’s worth mentioning, you have to be fit to have two hips done at once.

The worst one is done first and then you are wheeled back into the anaesthetic room to make sure you’re okay. The theatre is cleaned and then your wheeled back into theatre as if you were a different patient.

Everyone is different you must discuss with your surgeon whether it’s appropriate for you

I woke in the recovery room.Was then transferred to critical care.

As I had had two hips replaced they like you to have 24 hours here to make sure that you’re okay.

You also have a catheter- sounds not nice but a godsend for the first day.

BUT There is no rest for the wicked the staff get you up and walking within a couple of hours of the operation.

Next x-rays are taken to make sure that the hips are aligned properly.

Mr Hoad Reddick was delighted with his work.

Even at this early stage ,where to be honest you do feel like you’ve been hit by a truck ,it was a different sort of pain.

It’s the pain of a healing wound not a horrid nasty stabbing knife in the groin and into the knee arthritis pain.

Anna the ward physio came and of course I had to behave myself and do exactly what I’m told.She was lovely.

Mr Hoad Reddick has an app which you are given pre-surgery. It explains preoperative expectations and treatment in a short video then a video every day post operatively. I think it’s absolutely brilliant. There is a positive, reassuring message each day, as well as exercises on video and other useful information.

The important thing with hip replacement is that you don’t bend your hip beyond 90° and don’t cross the midline of your body with your foot and definitely don’t cross your legs. Sleep on your back

These precautions apply for 3 months.

This means the joys of high chair seats,raised loo seats,sock putting on aids and a long handled grabber – a great weapon 😂

My consultant surgeon is Mr Adam Hoad Reddick from Manchester. He is a expert in hip and knee surgery.

I brought the operation forward as my activities had imploded in just a few weeks I had gone from playing golf to being unable to walk. Even so I was scared stiff!!!

Sometimes too much knowledge is not a good thing.

At 8 am paperwork completed, operation gown on – Such undignified garments.

The leg is marked up with a marker pen under my jurisdiction so that it was correct – the right is to be done first as it was the worst.

Limping down a Hospital corridor with the anaesthetic nurse.

A final check with the surgeon. He says the Stryker Mako robotic arm is set to go under his guidance

The Anaesthetist joins us. I am to have a spinal anaesthetic with sedation.

Orthopaedic surgery is a noisy business and I really don’t want to be aware of it.

Firstly a cannula is introduced into the left-hand to administer drugs and drip through.

I’ve already had my blood crossmatched, but any loss of blood during the surgery will be filtered and run back into me.

Now for the spinal anaesthetic. A splash of exceedingly cold alcohol and then a sharp prick. An extremely warm sensation into my butt and down my legs as the blood vessels dilate and then a numbness.

My legs are lifted onto the couch something is administered into the cannula and I know no more.