you put your left leg in, your left leg out

[pensnest]

Well. I have been filleted, drilled and sewn back together, so now I have a new hip. It all seems to have gone very well. I'd been down as last on the list for the day but the anaesthetist decided that as I'm diabetic I should be moved up, so I was done second. This worked out well for me. By the mid-afternoon I was able to enjoy a nice cup of tea and a yogurt, and had a full dinner that evening - I wonder if a very nice dinner is a particular perk of going to a private hospital? I was an NHS patient, and I have an idea that most NHS patients needing new hips or knees these days are sent to private hospitals. This works out well all around: we are not in the big hospitals with people who are actually ill, and the private consultants specialise in (presumably lucrative) joint replacements so they get plenty of practise at it. There's no emergency care at the private hospital I attended.

The doctors - I saw three, my surgeon, my anaesthetist and a general doctor - were meticulous and pleasant, but the nursing staff were absolutely lovely: friendly, kind, matter-of-fact and profession as required. It was oddly reassuring to be asked my name, date of birth, and what I was there for every time someone came in to do something - and I had a large arrow drawn on my left thigh and initialled by the surgeon!

Anyway. After physio on Friday morning, plus blood tests and what not, I was eventually discharged at 3pm, and supplied with crutches and an elevated loo seat. Getting into the car was an interesting struggle, but it was nice to be home. Sable was not impressed, though, by me lumping about with Sticks. We had kept the adaptable chair we bought for Grandpa, which elevates so as to enable me to get out, and then in, so it is easy for me to get into and out of, which is pleasant, I don't think Grandpa ever used it to do anything other than sit in. I'm learning to plan ahead for things like making breakfast, which is a very longwinded business since I cannot easily carry the made breakfast anywhere and have to slide it along the kitchen island instead.

So I'm crutching about quite satisfactorily, going up and down stairs in the approved manner, and managing to swing myself out of bed, though not quite into bed yet. The exercises are getting easier. I have a bunch of extra pills and gloopy liquids to take every day for various reasons, and Beast is being splendid about keeping track of them. He is proving a very useful companion for me while I'm semi-helpless, as I knew he would. Unfortunately I do keep him running around after me, because of the need to move things up and down the stairs and so forth. But for this morning I am now settled in my chair and ready to relax.

Comments

[manna]

Yay! I'm glad to hear everything went well. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

[pensnest]

Thank you - so far I feel a little bit better every day, but not getting great sleep last night left me with a bit less energy than I could wish.

[sperrywink]

Glad it went well and here's to a speedy recovery!

[pensnest]

Thank you - i hope so too!

[spikedluv]

I'm glad the surgery went well! I hope your recovery continues to go well (and speedily).

Did they send you home with a stick with a loop on the end, to help lift your leg into the bed? If I'm remembering correctly, they gave my aunt something like that (when she had knee surgery). I'm sure she never used it.

[pensnest]

I did not get such a stick which is a pity because it sounds very useful. On the other hand, perhaps having to make more of the effort myself is good for me. I'm not quite able to haul my left leg up onto the bed, but close.

[pensnest]

Following your suggestion, I have handily used the belt of my dressing gown to loop around my foot - thank you! It works very well.

[spikedluv]

Oh, I'm glad you found something that works!

[kat_lair]

Glad to hear the operation went well.

[pensnest]

Thanks!

[minoanmiss]

Sends you good healing vibes

[pensnest]

Thank you - goodthoughts always welcome.

[dine]

so glad things went so well, and you were treated like royalty (as is only deserved)!

it's good you have that chair (I love mine on occasion) and Beast to help haul stuff around - it's quite hard when you don't have even one free hand, isn't it?

wishing you a quick and easy recovery!!

[pensnest]

I suspect it was a great deal more comfortable there than our local big NHS hospital would have been - and it's a good division of labour to do things that way. I was also on the operating list a lot sooner than I thought I'd be, I suspect someone dropped out so that I got a November spot instead of February or March.

I'd never have thought of using the fancy chair, but it is really handy right now. Grandpa, having gone through all the steps to acquire it, never used any of the adjustments at all!

[turlough]

It's so good to hear your hip replacement went well! I'll keep everything crossed you will now heal up swiftly and without problems.

I remember how incredibly frustrating it was to not be able to carry anything when using two crutches! Hopefully you will soon be able to use only one *keeps fingers crossed*

[pensnest]

I have adopted a large bag on a loop around my neck, but it isn't much use for cups of coffee, so my willing assistant has to bring me refreshment. I tried cooking lunch today, and kept Beast very busy fetching things from other parts of the kitchen. But there is now lentil soup in the slow cooker, very wholesome.

[frausorge]

I wish you thorough healing and recovery, may the new hip serve you well!

[pensnest]

Thank you. According to the consultant this design of hip was first used thirty years ago and the people with it installed are still happily using theirs, so it should see me out!

[watervole]

Glad to hear it all went well:)

[pensnest]

Thank you. Me too!

[lexin]

Glad to hear it went well.

[pensnest]

Thanks - me too!

[turps]

I'm glad the op went well, and send you many good healing vibes.

You must be so frustrated having to crutch around, so it's good Beast is there to help when needed.

[pensnest]

I am finding I can manage quite well with just one crutch now, and today made and transported a cup of coffee! This is a great triumph. Beast is, of course, excellent. There are a few things I can't do for myself - like when I drop a ball of yarn, I'm not allowed to bend more than 90 degrees so I can't pick it up!

[rebeccmeister]

Count me among those glad to hear things went so well. It's amazing how nowadays they can get you moving again so quickly after this kind of surgery. I hope your recovery goes as smoothly as it can.

[pensnest]

It was a bit intimidating to have to get out of the bed just a few hours after the op, but they know what they are doing, and the nurses were really reassuring and helpful. It must be, oddly, a lot less disruptive to a body to have a mechanical piece replaced than to have someone digging about in the chemical factory of the abdomen.

[rebeccmeister]

My general thinking is that good blood flow aids greatly in recovery, so for joint surgeries the goal is to get to moving as soon as possible. But in contrast, for abdominal surgeries there's probably far more concern about staunching bleeding and more. So, yes, far less disruptive!

May your good recovery continue so you are able to experience improved mobility overall!

[tielan]

Glad to hear it went well, and hope the healing is still continuing at a good pace!

[pensnest]

I think so, thank you! The biggest struggle is still to lift the operated leg all the way onto the bed - I'm so close now! But I have adopted my dressing gown belt as an aid in case I can't quite get the job done. Standing up from any seated position is quite easy now. A little bit of progress every day.

[brandywine28]

Oh, wow, congrats on the new hip, and also on the uneventful hospital stay! Sounds like everything went swimmingly, but I'm still gonna be sending you lots of good and healthful vibes. Just try and stop me. :)

[pensnest]

Healthful vibes are very welcome! Yes, I think I'm doing very well - and thanking my yoga teacher for my weight-supporting arm strength and the ability to easily rise onto my tiptoes, which is part of the regular exercise regimen.

[chalcopyrite]

Congratulations on your new hip! I hope it serves you well for many years. Wishing you a smooth and timely recovery, though I'm sure Beast is being the best assistant anyone could hope for.

[pensnest]

The hip is supposed to be good for at least 30 years, which sounds about right! I feel as if I step up at least a small stair of recovery every day, as I can still notice progress-from-yesterday, which is encouraging,

[copracat]

I'm so glad it went well.

[pensnest]

Thank you - me too!

[jacieleigh]

Glad to hear your surgery went well. I hope you have a very speedy recovery and that your new hip serves you well for years to come!

[pensnest]

Thank you! The surgeon told me this hip design has been in use for thirty years, and very few users have had replacements done, so I think it should see me out.