Total hip replacement

Glad to hear that dragonfly. As charleygirl says we're all different. And as your daughter is relatively young she will recover more quickly.
It's a wonderful operation, whatever our age. At 70yrs I had to slowly rebuild my muscular strength, walking a little further each day.

dragonfly that is good to hear- we all behave differently.

My DD is much better now and getting out and about with crutches and doesn’t need painkillers.

It took me just 6 weeks to be back to normal, although I had been walking with 2 sticks for nearly two months prior to the op and in a lot of pain.

My doctor told me to take Panadol every 4 hours during the day as it is cumulative. I only needed a mild herbal sleeping tablet for the first week.

I only needed the Panadol for a month.

I did my physio exercises every day and had my staples out after a week.

At that time, I had 12 stairs to climb but found I could do it sideways holding onto the rail for dear life and putting the 'good' foot down first.

My lovely surgeon (now working in Truro) said, 'We have absolutely no reason to assume bigger, heavier people will recover more slowly than thinner ones. In fact my experience has been the opposite.'

And so it proved.

I had a complete hip replacement and came home after three days having been taught to do stairs. Occupational health gave me raised loo seats, blocks for the armchair and a perching stool for the bathroom. I had absolutely no post op pain. I used crutches for the first week or so and a stick for 6 weeks. I worked very hard at my physio and made a full and quick recovery. I’ve never looked back. One thing - sleeping on your back is almost impossible but necessary.

In the early days all the tissues around the operation are a bit swollen so very painful which is normal. This gradually wears off.
After that you start to move about more and gradually rebuild your muscular strength. I had a few months of physiotherapy.
As Charleygirl says it takes a year to fully recover.

I have PMed you.
Like many others you will feel totally different and a year from now you will wonder what all the fuss was about!

It takes a year to fully recover!

thank you Charleygirl5. I have a downstairs loo and a husband. I found your advice helpful re; nightwear and would be grateful for any advice with stairs. I have a straight flight of 13 steps which are just about manageable up but coming down is a problem at the moment with the painful hip and I haven't had the op yet! I tried coming down backwards but felt very vunerable (it's the forward/downward movement of the leg which is painful). However, I can put up with all the inconveniences if I can expect to return to former mobility after op.. Yes?

Thank you for replies ladies.

I had my THR five weeks ago. Home after one night, having been taught how to manage stairs - surprisingly easy. Needed a raised loo seat for 2 plus weeks, painful sometimes at night for about a month but can now sleep in all my usual positions. Driving again within 4 weeks. I stuck to the painkiller regime for over 3 weeks before I gradually cut it slowly and am now off all of them. The physio and nurses had advised that painkillers work best if taken regularly before the pain starts. I can honestly say that I feel as if I have been given a new lease of life and friends say I look ten years younger, which is good for morale. Getting rid of that constant arthritic pain is wonderful.

OP - it might help your daughter to use ice packs next to her painful area. I did that.
And yes, sleeping on your back is difficult.
Beamed I was in hospital for 3 weeks back in 2006, but it's much shorter now - more like 3 days?

aggie - interesting that you can take only paracetamol. Pain relief was a huge problem for me after hip replacement as I cannot take anti-inflammatory (gastritis) and have severe adverse reaction to morphine-related drugs. I was in a bit of pain just on paracetamol!

I hope that your DD will be feeling better soon OP. It does take a while for things to settle. I found that I was more comfortable when trying to sleep on my back if I put a small pillow or rolled towel under my knee on the affected side.

Beammeupscottie you do not usually have to have bed blocks- you would find it very difficult to get in and out of bed.

Nightdresses are easier- you would not need help but you would not be able to fit pyjama bottoms on by yourself safely.

You will be taught how to "do" stairs before you are discharged. Have you got a downstairs loo?

If you have any mats around the house, remove them because they are a trip hazard.

Do you live by yourself?

PM me if you have any queries.

My MIL bought me a sheepskin when I had my hip done - she said it had helped her to sleep on one. It did help! She got it from Dunelm I think. I recall the first 2/3 weeks being pretty unsettled, then it gets better!

Just a thought , I was feeling pretty ropey and found out I had a waterworks infection , antibiotics and was good as new

The physiotherapist made sure i could manage the stairs before my discharge , I wore my usual PJs , I had Op on Friday and was home Monday !

I am about to have a hip replacement and have concerns about climbing stairs afterwards. I know will have to have blocks to raise bed and sit in an upright chair. Do you need nighties or pj's in hospital and how long are you kept in H.

I was told that i could ring the ward anytime if I was worried , maybe she could ring for reassurance

Would putting a a pillow under your knees help at all?

My husband has had both hips replaced twice, the last one last December. It does take time to get over the operation and he also found it very hard to sleep on his back. He found being more upright, propped up on pillows helped him to sleep.
He carried on taking pain killers for some time but was back driving and travelling to work by train after six weeks.
I do hope your daughter feels better soon.

I couldn't take any painkillers except Paracetamol and remember trying to sleep on my back as awful , but after a week the pain was a lot less

I've had both hips done and sleeping on the back is hard if you don't normally sleep like that. I really didn't have any pain afterwards apart from getting on and off the bed. I was walking with a stick after 3/4 days and had to negotiate stairs as soon as I was home on day 4. Ì was managing most things after a week. I hope your daughter recovers quickly.