Next Tuesday, 5/13, I’m going in for hip replacement and am wondering if any one has any tips for a smooth recovery. I live alone but my sister and BF live about 1-1/2 hours away and will support as they can. I have to use a walker for the first week or two and graduate to a cane, no driving for at least 5 weeks, etc. I’m putting things that I have to bend to reach more accessible but things like feeding the dog and cleaning the kitty box may prove challenging. Anything you can suggest? I’m taking a 4 week LOA from work so plan on getting plenty of rest.
Definitely go through the house and think what tasks take what effort and if you can modify that task. I changed my cat’s feeding station to on top of the cedar chest (covered for protection) so I didn’t have to bend clear over. I have a long handled litter scoop. It is kind of awkward to scoop but it worked and saved me having to bend over. I also had the litter boxes in a closet and I moved them out into that room (spare BR) so I didn’t have to try and get the walker in the closet. I left them there about a month then moved them back. Make sure you have the bathroom set up and the appropriate shower bench BEFORE your surgery. Did they give you a list of helpful aids to have? I found a grabber, a dressing stick and a sock pull very useful.
I too live alone and have had lots of orthopedic surgeries and have saved myself a lot of grief reviewing tasks and adjusting as necessary. Just wander through the house and see what looks like it might be an issue. I had my left hip replaced in mid-January. I was off the walker within 2 weeks except I kept it by my bed and used it at night for least a month. That gave me some support and peace of mind that I wouldn’t get light headed, or stumble and fall down. I got to drive at 2 weeks (anterior approach) but that varies with the surgeon and approach.
You have a month off so just don’t hurry anything. You will have the time to do things deliberately and safely and you will recover fast. Do you have a neighbor or friend close that could help you faster than sis or BF? If not, you might look into getting a medical alert subscription…at least for a month. If not, be sure you have your phone on you. Time will fly and you will wonder why you waited to do it. Jingles coming your way.
1 Like
It may pay for you to have a Home Health OP/PT service to come by for an hour or two as needed for the first week or two to help and give you tricks of the trade for rehab.
They can help with any you need, drive you somewhere or drive to get you something you want, check on you and be there in an emergency.
Check with your insurance, they may pay for it, especially if you ask your Dr to fill a prescription for those services and they will know who in your area is good.
1 Like
Good luck! What approach? If posterior, will you have the no 90* bend restrictions?
Sleep on the side of the bed that your op leg is - so left side as you’re lying in bed, for left leg. It just makes getting in and out easier.
Is it possible for someone to stay with you, at least nights, for a few days? Opioids, if you’ll have some, can do weird things to people and especially at night it would be nice to have someone there for when (not if) you have to get up to pee in case you need some support
Cleaning the litter box will indeed likely be a challenge for a few days, but can be done. Put something sturdy next to the box so you can hip hinge on your good leg, op leg behind you, to scoop to a reasonably good degree, and that “something study” will give you support
I didn’t use anything special in the shower, as standing for that period of time wasn’t a problem BUT it has 2 tile half walls to lots of support. If your shower is a traditional one then a bench can be a good idea.
As you go through your days for the next few days, consider everything where you’re bending over or reaching high for, and move them up/down as best you can.
Food - as much as you can fix and store/freeze meals ahead of time, do that. I could do my hourly walking without issues, but standing still was the hardest, which would have made fixing meals in the first 2 weeks that much harder.
Set up your recliner or whatever you’ll be resting on, with a good table so you can put your stash of water, food, books, etc
Ice packs - get multiples, the squishable ones. I’ve seen people get big hip packs that strap on, but how much they’re worth it probably depends on the surgery approach. Mine was anterior, so reclining meant just putting a pack on top was good enough. Have at least 2, if not 3, so you can rotate into the freezer as one warms up.
keep on top of pain meds as best you can, more pain will just slow healing. If you’re given opioids, take your anti-nausea meds from the start, don’t wait until you get nauseous. And take the laxative/stool softener meds from the start too
Drink LOTS of water. Eat lots of protein. Lots of water. And every time you get up on the hour to walk, go to the bathroom - it sneaks up on you and you’re not likely to be able to move fast when you first get up, those muscles on ice will be stiff. So don’t wait until you GOTTA GO NOW LOL Go every hour. All the water, plus your body working to flush inflammation and water retention out, will have you in there a lot.
I used the walker for 1 week, but like Kyrabee kept if by the bed for several more weeks in case. Cane at 2 weeks, but walker at night for a few more nights, then the cane BUT I also had a fairly large dresser between the bed and bathroom to use for support.
Do all your laundry before hand
I lived in loose sweat pants for a few weeks, partly for ease of on and off, with pockets. Others have lived in dresses or big nightshirts
Compression hose it’s going to be a beast to get on your op leg for a while since you’ll likely have a very hard time bending enough to reach your foot, plus their tight! So, talk to your surgeon about options for getting that done by yourself. I sure couldn’t get mine on for about a week. Off, yes, just not on.
What’s your work ? 4 weeks is pretty early for a lot of jobs. But if you’re able to stand and sit and recline and walk around during your working hours as needed, it can work Just know that at 4 weeks you may still tire easily.
Will someone be able to get you food and take you to your (I assume) 2 week checkup?
I have a doctor who went back to work, seeing patients and doing procedures, the Monday after a total hip on Thursday. I saw him for a procedure the next week, and he was doing great, walking with a cane and occasionally cheating, walking without it 
I had a different big hip procedure with more non weight bearing/time on crutches than joint replacement, but a couple things that helped me were:
Really loading fluids and electrolytes the week before surgery
Drinking Juven post op, which is something the ensure people make and is clinically proven to improve wound healing (and it also prevented that post op hair loss that’s so common from the anesthesia/stress of surgery!)
Practiced standing on one leg (my “good” one) before surgery so it was easier to do post op
Best of luck, I’m sure you’ll do great!
What’s your fitness level now? Whatever it is, it’s time to ramp up upper body strength, and your good leg strength. Practice pistol squats as best you can, raising and lowering yourself with one leg, using a chair as your safety net. Practice hip hinges/romanian dead lifts with as much weight as you safely can. Good form, always, get some guidance if you’ve never done these before, but they’re not difficult, even if you have to start with no weights.
The stronger you are the day before, the easier recovery will be, compared to not being very fit 
1 Like
Good luck - I’ll be watching this thread closely! I have PRP next Monday but feel like my hip function has been on a sharp decline over the last 2 months and if I don’t get immediate relief will start to pursue replacement instead…not sure how quickly I could get one but will start laying the ground work.
I saw my 75 year old aunt recently and she had a hip replacement (anterior) in January and was doing great. She feels better than ever!
1 Like
All great suggestions, thanks! A few more details:
My shower and bath both have grab bars already installed as the last owner was disabled. There’s also a ramp outside to one of the sliders on the sun porch.
This is anterior and, unfortunately, on my right leg so no driving for a while. I think my BF is planning on taking me to my 2 week check up as my mom, at 96, shouldn’t be driving anymore. Also unfortunately, I have no close friends and I don’t really want to rely on the neighbor for a variety of reasons.
I work from home at a desk job
I was thinking about checking into a visiting nurse service or temporary home help. Good idea on the checking if my insurance would cover it.
I’m going to invest in the grabber and a few of the other tools of the trade.
Unfortunately, I’m not very fit at all because the pain has made exercise take a back seat for some time. In fact, just sitting here at the computer is uncomfortable.
I went shopping yesterday and stocked up on easy to prepare meals and put a couple of my most used pots on top of the stove so no bending into the cabinet. My BF made soup and froze it in several containers and is also making a pot roast or something to keep in the crock pot and eat out of that. He’s quite the chef 
3 Likes
If you stay overnight in the hospital for the procedure, some insurance plans will cover food which is delivered to you. Of course, you can’t order it until after your night in the hospital, so won’t have it for the first week. We did this for my mother after her 1st hip replacement. They sent a box with a weeks worth of food consisting of frozen entrees, snacks and breakfast foods, and fruit each week for I think it was 6 weeks.
They also covered a visiting nurse coming to the house a couple times a week, and a PT coming to the house. She had a complication - drop foot, so it took her a while to get walking normally again.
Her second replacement went off without a hitch.
That explains the delay Here, it’s 6 weeks for the right leg and many posterior, so it’s good you have someone to take you at 2 weeks. I assume BF can also get you other places and/or bring food to you?
Better than having to go in! Be sure your desk or “desk” is set up so you can stand for good periods of time. YMMV but for 8-10 weeks or so my op side glute was utterly opposed to sitting upright on a harder surface, and not happy sitting upright on softer ones, so most of my sitting time was in a recliner, or a chair with a soft cushion.
Your food situation sounds great to start! You may not feel like eating (much) in the first 1-2 weeks, then you might become ravenous, but do your best to eat plenty of protein in the first months to help with muscle repair
I had both mine done separately, posterior approach. I was able to drive about 3 weeks out from the right leg and 2 weeks from the left leg, but no long distances – just short hops in my small town.
If it hasn’t been mentioned before, please don’t forget to have stool softener on hand, and take it even if you don’t feel you need to! (Don’t ask me how I know this …)
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
1 Like
I’m taking a 4 week LOA. While I could do some work from the couch, I think it might be more of a hassle than it’s worth.
4 Likes
