👯‍♀️ Hips and Knees part 7

I had the same, and I told the anaesthetist I didn't want to hear anything, and he obliged. I was in Recovery before I joined the land of the living.

Please don't worry sparkle. I opted for a spinal block and sedation for a TKR I remember not a thing until I was suddenly wide awake, my leg held up while the surgeon wound what seemed to me miles of bandage around my knee. There was no pain at all.

The major advantage for me was no nausea afterwards, it was simply like waking from a deep sleep. Quickly back in bed I was soon happily eating a sandwich and drinking tea while messaging folk to say all was over.

I had previously opted for sedation for two more minor processes and been encouraged by those experiences. It truly is nothing to worry about but why not tell the anaesthetist when you see them pre surgery, I’m sure you’ll be reassured and they will be aware of your fears

Good luck GemmaMack , I have been trying to get out of the habit of crossing my legs now before the op . There seems to be so much to remember but there seems to be lots of good advice here.
One thing that's worrying me is a friend telling me she could hear everything in the operating theatre . I'll be having the spinal block and sedation , could one of you lovely ladies put my mind at rest . I'm currently absolutely petrified .

I was advised that I could sleep on my side right from the start. Obviously with a firm pillow or cushion between the knees. As grammargran said, you won’t find movement very easy in the early days anyway because the muscles in your operated leg have been weakened. I found sleeping in either position wasn’t easy initially.

FWIW my op was on the NHS but at a private hospital. I don’t know if that makes any difference to the post op advice given.

GemmaMack When you go home, I am sure you will be told to sleep on your back for 6 weeks and put a pillow between your legs to stop you from rolling over. For comfort, you may want a pillow on one side. Unless you are incredibly lucky, you may find it very difficult. Why not try it now, pre-op.

Hi GemmaMack and welcome. I, too, had my TRH done privately last Nov twelvemonth because age wasn’t on my side and like teabag, saw my savings plummet but hey, what are savings for? I think you’ll find, restless sleeper or not, your movements will be very limited in the early days anyway. Like you, I’m a bit of a fidget and found frustration the worst enemy because I couldn’t toss and turn in my sleep! All the best for Feb and keep us in touch with your progress.

gemmamack I’ve had both hips replaced and am glad to be free of the pain. After the operation you will be told to sleep on your back, which some find difficult. I put pillows down the middle of the bed to stop me trying to roll over while asleep and found that worked well for me. Sometimes a pillow between the knees helps to keep your legs in the right position.
I hope your operation goes well.

Hello Gemmamack, I had my THR done privately, last October. Took a hefty chunk out of my savings but like you I couldn’t wait any longer and it has been well worth it.

I’m not the person to answer your question about crossing your legs as I’m the opposite of you, a back sleeper who hardly moves. I believe the advice will be to pad yourself with pillows but someone, more experienced than me, will be along soon to give you the answer.

Hello everyone. I’m new here although I’ve been ‘lurking’ for a while before I finally took the plunge and joined Gransnet - after all I am a (new) gran now.
I’m booked in to get a total hip replacement done privately in February. It’s gutting to have to pay but I’ve been on a waiting list to simply be seen by an NHS consultant since last March and have been told that I’m not likely to be seen till August! The pain has worsened significantly since then, as has my mobility and when I saw the (private) consultant in November he told me that there was no cartilage left.
I’m very nervous about the operation as I’ve never had an operation other than tonsils and adenoids taken out as a child, a long time ago, and I’m hoping that being able to ‘talk’ to people who have gone through it or are going to go through it, will help. In the meantime I’m reading up as much as I can about what to expect (my daughter showed me a virtual reality simulation of the operation although I’m not sure how much that helped ), doing my pre-op exercises and trying to swim as much as I can.
I do have one question that I hope someone might be able to help with. I know that it’s really important not to cross your operated leg over the other one but is it likely that I might do it by accident, for example when I’m sleeping? I am a pretty restless sleeper and generally move around, changing position, a lot so it’s something I’m a bit concerned about.

Happy New Year to everyone on this thread. (I was sorely tempted to say Hippy Knee Year but, in the end decided to be more grown up - I am well into my 80s after all.) To those of you pre-op, wishing you all the very best, life will be so much better; and for those post-op, well, you know it was worth it, don’t you! Whatever stage you’re at, do keep in touch. I feel as though I’ve met new friends here since my THR 14 months ago, and it’s so good to share the ups and downs together.

Fingers crossed sparkle

Before my THR I was lime you Sparkle, life on hold and feeling that I was going downhill. Now, although I’ve hit a bit of a bump in the road, I’m feeling much better, am far more mobile, have much more energy and am free of the constant pain.

Thankyou all . Fingers crossed and I'm so glad your THR was a success MaisieD my life has been on hold and I've really gone downhill since the beginning of the year , so happy to hear positive outcomes 🙏

I’m mid Essex and was given an operation date before the pre op date was fixed. The pre op date was about a week before the actual operation, that was on the nhs but in a private hospital.
I hope you don’t have to wait too long sparkle.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, sparkle1234.

18 months on and I still think my THR has been like a miracle. It has changed my life

Hi MaizieD , I'm in Surrey , I saw the consultant mid Dec and things have moved surprisingly fast , I had a phone call on 27th giving me a date for the pre op . I wasn't expecting that at all as was told its roughly 18 weeks but you go on the list according to clinical need . I don't want to overthink it but surely they wouldn't do a pre op unless the surgery was imminent.

Thankyou Nannytopsy, that sounds positive. I'm really hoping I get a date for early February. I need 3 months clear to fly in May . I'm also in so much pain and very miserable . Good luck , keep us posted on your progress 👍

I think it depends on where you are, sparkle1234.

I'm in the NE. I got a date for the op before I had a pre op date.

(I won't detail how short our waiting list was and how many centres I had to choose from for the op, others might find it a bit annoying)

I had my pre-op last Monday for a THR in “January or February “. However, I had 3 pre-ops before my knee was done. They repeat every 13 weeks.

Hello all , I have a date for my pre op assessment for my hip replacement. How long after the assessment were you given a date for surgery . Is it optimistic of me to think that if all is well it could be soon after or am I still looking at months away

Hello all and Happy New Year.

It’s just over three months since I had my left hip replaced. I was doing well but recently I seem to have gone back a bit. The muscles around my hip are more sore and my ankle has become very stiff. Has anyone else experienced this? I’m wondering if I’ve overdone it a bit and am planning to take things gently for a couple of weeks to see if that makes a difference. Any advice will be gratefully received.

Two separate hip replacements within 18 months, from initial diagnosis, brilliant service from the NHS

Good news BAGY, once you’ve had some decent sleep life will begin to improve.

BAGY pleased to hear you have had a change of drugs and more to the point, they are working. You can face a day better after a decent night's sleep. I can't say sit down and enjoy TV because for me, it has been abysmal with so many repeats. The evenings will get lighter, and I promise you Spring is around the corner. You will feel totally different then.

Thank you for your uplifting messages exactly the tonic I needed. The hospital visit was productive and sympathetic, more painkillers were prescribed.I was given pregabalin which under my son’s supervision I’m taking sparingly before bedtime. It certainly aids sleeping between the inevitable night time loo visits. There are side effects, fatigue and a little disorientation but worth it. Oxycodone has been marvellous for quicker acting pain relief in the day. I feel progress is being made. Thank you all for your understanding. It helps a lot.