Walking the dog at Barnabarrow, overlooking Lynmouth. Part of the active life-style I dreamed of resuming once I'd had hip replacements.
I've always lived a fairly outdoor life - walking our various boxer dogs, sailing our various boats over the years. Arthritis in both hips had gradually put paid to the possibility of either - without considerable pain and narrowing the possibilities. Even sitting on the sofa wasn't pain free. Life was getting more and more restricted.
Imagine my delight when I was offered the first full hip replacement. And, of course trepidation. My first book - Hip Replacement - All The Things You Never Thought to Ask : The book I would have liked to read before a hip replacement grew from a conversation with my new room mate at the hospital as we waited for our first hip replacement. I wonder if ... Do you know ? Will they ... ? The questions kept coming. So I decided to take notes and start this journey. I hope some of the answers are here and that it helps you on your journey.
Apprehensive ? Not sure what's going to happen with hip replacement ? Before, during and the in the critical 6 weeks after the procedure ?
A practical book intended to help you make the most of a potentially life-enhancing step - based on personal experience and discussions with others who have been down the same path.
It is not written by a professional and there are no gory bits. You can find those details on the web if you want them. It's intended to make you better informed, less worried and help with the practical matters which can make it a simpler and less painful procedure than it would otherwise be.
It's also relevant to those with knee replacements - many of the issues are the same.
This is a personal account of a hip replacement which tries to answer as many of the questions you may have. It gives a time line for the big day and for release. Plus details of the next critical 6 weeks which are vital to the success of the procedure.
Worried about the risks ? Rely on the professionals to make that assessment and help you to minimise the risk of infection or a poor outcome. They do this day-in and day-out and have forgotten more than you or I will ever learn about such procedures. In the same way that they stress the importance of targeted exercise, they also recommend you take the pain-killers provided. You're not a wimp if you take pain-killers - they're intended to help you through the difficult bits and ensure that you can do those all-important exercises.
Are there things which could badly affect you ? Yes - but this book will tell you about the 90 degree rule, the no-twisting rule and the don't you dare cross your legs rules. You'll be told these things plenty of times by the physios but having a book to hand to remind you is a great help.
Hip surgery is one of the commonest elective procedures - and, I was told by the specialist who referred me, one of the simplest. So it is highly likely that you will encounter loads of people who have had a replacement or are waiting for one. But you will undoubtedly never ask all the questions which range through your brain during sleepless nights or when you're waiting to be taken to theatre.
What mustn't you do ? and why ? What did I wish I'd taken to hospital - and what was a waste of space ? What worked - and what didn't ?
Good luck with the process - it can be truly transformative. I hope this book makes the path to a new hip and a new life easier and simpler.
Imagine my delight when I was offered the first full hip replacement. And, of course trepidation. My first book - Hip Replacement - All The Things You Never Thought to Ask : The book I would have liked to read before a hip replacement grew from a conversation with my new room mate at the hospital as we waited for our first hip replacement. I wonder if ... Do you know ? Will they ... ? The questions kept coming. So I decided to take notes and start this journey. I hope some of the answers are here and that it helps you on your journey.
Apprehensive ? Not sure what's going to happen with hip replacement ? Before, during and the in the critical 6 weeks after the procedure ?
A practical book intended to help you make the most of a potentially life-enhancing step - based on personal experience and discussions with others who have been down the same path.
It is not written by a professional and there are no gory bits. You can find those details on the web if you want them. It's intended to make you better informed, less worried and help with the practical matters which can make it a simpler and less painful procedure than it would otherwise be.
It's also relevant to those with knee replacements - many of the issues are the same.
This is a personal account of a hip replacement which tries to answer as many of the questions you may have. It gives a time line for the big day and for release. Plus details of the next critical 6 weeks which are vital to the success of the procedure.
Worried about the risks ? Rely on the professionals to make that assessment and help you to minimise the risk of infection or a poor outcome. They do this day-in and day-out and have forgotten more than you or I will ever learn about such procedures. In the same way that they stress the importance of targeted exercise, they also recommend you take the pain-killers provided. You're not a wimp if you take pain-killers - they're intended to help you through the difficult bits and ensure that you can do those all-important exercises.
Are there things which could badly affect you ? Yes - but this book will tell you about the 90 degree rule, the no-twisting rule and the don't you dare cross your legs rules. You'll be told these things plenty of times by the physios but having a book to hand to remind you is a great help.
Hip surgery is one of the commonest elective procedures - and, I was told by the specialist who referred me, one of the simplest. So it is highly likely that you will encounter loads of people who have had a replacement or are waiting for one. But you will undoubtedly never ask all the questions which range through your brain during sleepless nights or when you're waiting to be taken to theatre.
What mustn't you do ? and why ? What did I wish I'd taken to hospital - and what was a waste of space ? What worked - and what didn't ?
Good luck with the process - it can be truly transformative. I hope this book makes the path to a new hip and a new life easier and simpler.
Coping with a Hip Replacement
plus new subjects arriving here shortly...
- New version of Hip Replacement - 9 months after the first hip replacement and 4 months after the second
- New book on the pros, cons and tricks to living aboard a boat
- Catamarans vs. monohulls
- Recipes - for the boat and for home
- Linux software - why you could save yourself loads of money