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What happens after hip replacement? Sleeping? uh oh...
Bones, Joints & Muscles | Last Active: May 14, 2022 | Replies (14)Comment receiving replies
Cindi - Not only do you need to arrange to stay in the hospital for a few days as your doctor suggests, you need to arrange help for you and your husband for at least a couple weeks after you get home.
The first few days you will need to focus on ice, self-care, ice, rest, ice and may need help positioning in bed, doing basic therapy exercises, with showering, etc. You will not be doing laundry, cooking, caring for someone else...these are major surgeries, and you cannot recuperate and try to be a caregiver at the same time.
Do you have family members who you can truly rely on for this daily assistance for at least a week? If not, now is the time to look into how you will handle it. If you spend at least 72 hours in the hospital, home care, household help with ADL (activities of daily living) and home PT can be prescribed and paid for through Medicare. Maybe that is why the doc would like you to stay? Like all else in the marketplace right now, home care is in short supply, so you need to arrange it in advance. The hospital social worker or your state office on aging can help you with resources.
Have you been thinking about any of these details yet? Don't let it overwhelm you - there are plenty of people on Connect who can step up with suggestions.
Keep asking questions, and keep your goal in mind - fixing the @#$%& pain!
Sue
Replies to "Cindi - Not only do you need to arrange to stay in the hospital for a..."
Thank you, I am reviewing my messages as the time draws near for the surgery. I'll check with Medicare insofar as ADL is concerned. I'm wondering how and if I can get out of bed the first few days when I'm home. I asked the doctor's office yesterday to tell me again which type of surgery he expects to do (he told me but I did not write it down) -- whether it's lateral, or whatever. He told me (I don't think it's lateral, he said from his experience the surgery he performs has a better long-term rate) but I forgot. My concern today and I can't call his office because he's out today -- is how am I going to get out of bed? All of this anxiety is making me think I should put off the surgery for a while until I'm comfortable (not in the dark) about going into it although I think he's a good surgeon.
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Yes, thank you again. I will see my dr in a few days and will ask him questions about recovery, also about the details of what and how he expects to do it. I've been getting cold feet again but I suppose I will take the risks. Since I am virtually immobilized now (I can walk but with great pain, so therefore cannot do what I need to do, I sit a lot) I hope the surgery will certainly help. I'll keep in touch with you all, I've been encouraged by the replies. We will arrange for care for my husband, although it is very expensive. We don't qualify for 'free' government assistance for home care. P.S. As far as ADL from Medicare, like washing and bathing, the helper was always in a rush when she was treating my husband, she washed him only and did not do anything like laundry, making him lunch, etc. I shall inquire even further if I can. Regards.