Preparing for Hip Revision Surgery

 I am still waiting for Hip Revision surgery, and it looks like it is going to be a long wait after all. 

The city has a massive number of Covid cases, and our ICUs are beyond capacity, so non-emergency surgery is on hold yet again. I find it hard to deal with the uncertainty of the situation, but with the extremely high risk of covid in our community, I believe it is just what needs to happen. I have been struggling to move forward with anything, and I am very much in a holding pattern; I can't exercise much, I risk falling, I can't work, volunteer, or do much work around the house, and with Covid, there is no chance of going shopping or visiting with friends right now. I have had a hard time focussing on all the things I can do and tend to slip into thinking about the things I can't do. 

Hip Reversion surgery is what it is called when there is a problem with a hip replacement, and they do a second surgery to try and fix damage around the hip and its parts. Basically, the name says it all. They are revising the surgery that was done before. In my case, since I have had a serious dislocation and now it is still unstable, they intend to change the lining section in the hip socket to a different type that fits differently and restrains the amount of movement of the hip a little more. They will also check for things like damaged ligaments etc. In the meantime, I am at significant risk of it dislocating again, and I have some pain and mobility issues.

When I had the original hip replacement, I didn't really know what I should expect with surgery and the rehab part, and I was pretty scared. I learned a lot from Facebook groups, and internet sites and friends and the hospitals did have prehab classes where I spoke with their dietician, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist who tried to prepare me for surgery and recovery and teach me ways to cope while living with arthritis and explain what they can.

I wound up needing a different car to come home in than when we had at the time and a different bed because we were sleeping in a low bed with a raised wood frame around it. I needed a bath seat, raised toilet seat and a handle around the toilet. I needed a walker and crutches to deal with stairs into our house. It was highly suggested that I get a recliner chair to sit and probably sleep in.

This will be my third time in hospital dealing with this hip, and I am starting to feel like quite the expert. At least this time, we don't have to buy any of the furniture or medical supplies! Been there, done that! I might not know "when," but I do have a better idea about the "what" and "how."

Packing lists

 

The last time was an ambulance ride with no jacket, no shoes, no phone, no nothing. My husband followed the ambulance to the hospital, and of course, they wouldn't let him in because of Covid 19, but they did take my phone from him and got it to me sometime the next morning. It was good to get in touch and tell him what was happening and eventually to Facetime on Christmas with my family. This time I plan on being prepared. I won't be having any company allowed, so no one to bring supplies.

Items I will Need to Pack

In the Hospital

• iPhone and earphones. Save some podcasts and music to my phone to keep me distracted.
• Charging cable and wall plug connector.
• glasses and a labelled case to put them in
• pen and notepad, maybe some activity book like colouring or crossword
• Slippers with good grips that you can easily step into.
• housecoat
• moisturizer and lip balm
• Hairbrush, elastics, hair clips.
• toothbrush and toothpaste in a case
• They do provide soap but if you have a particular kind, pack it along too.
• mini nail kit
• Pillow, comfort items or a small blanket if you want to. Things to keep you more comfortable.
• important papers your hospital might require like a list of medications and your health care numbers,
• Hard candies to suck on, or maybe breath mints
• Money is tricky. Loose change is usually a good idea, but with covid, nothing is open anyway.
• I would bring a garbage bag for dirty laundry.

Going HomeTime

• fresh underwear
• skirt and shirt or easy pull-on dress. (pants just don't work out well)
• I'm thinking about other slip-on shoes rather than my slippers for getting into the car.

Pickup Time

• Husband Bob is to bring a jacket or sweater if needed
• walker to get to the car
• crutches to get up a couple of stairs into our house.

When I get dropped off at home, Bob will go to the pharmacy to fill prescriptions from the hospital for pain killers and assorted other items.

I will update this post if I think of anything I forgot!

💚

I will stop whining about my hip for now and, like a good recreation person, move on to all the things that I can do until I actually have surgery. 

There are lots of things that don't involve much bending or stretching. And don't including all the things you can't do because your city is under severe constraints and risk due to Covid 19. 

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