Total Hip Replacement surgery: Day 1 post-op

Written on Wednesday 24th January 2018.

Still a little light headed this morning.  Blood pressure is now up to 102/68 which is still massively low for me (having had to monitor it in the past my 'usual' would be 135/90). 

But I felt up to reaching for my phone and typing up notes. Breakfast was good. Managed a full English and some fruit and a smoothie. And managed to keep it all down. 

With nurses help I've had a wash, changed my nightie (and finally got a pair of pants on) and brushed my teeth. Have even stood up with zimmer frame. Bonus!

Hoping will manage to do physio excerises today. 

Been given a suppository for pain relief as well as the paracematol through the drip. Off saline now but still catheterised. 

Have got a TV here but I'm not much of a daytime telly person so thank goodness for Instagram. 

Richard came to visit in the morning. Had first set of physio bed exercises. Still struggling to move leg outwards at all. Need to repeat these exercises 4 times a day.

Afternoon physiotherapist got me to walk around the bed on the zimmer frame and I had one more walk before bedtime too just out to the corridor and back. 

Today was also xray day and blood tests. All ok. Haemoglobin a bit low but to be expected post op with 600ml blood loss during op which apparently is average. 

Miss T and granny came to visit in the afternoon. I could see T's worry even though she put on a brave face. She is one mega awesome 5 year old to deal with all her own health issues and take it in her stride and see me going through this and cope with that too. I'm so proud of her. 

I hope my boys are doing ok too. Have been what's app video calling them each day. 

I drifted to sleep in the evening and awoke when I heard the consultant say "she's fast asleep". He reassured me that today was the hardest day. Beforehand he had said that the first 24hours post op are the most painful so I'm hoping I'm past the very worst of it. 

Although the pain is being kept at bay with meds (now all taken orally: 1g paracetamol, 50mg diclofenac, omeprazole and anti-coagulant) I am feeling a general stiffness and soreness all over.

Throughout the day I've questioned myself...what have I done? Have I made the right decision? 

At this point in time I feel no better than if I was living with my arthritic hip. At least that journey was known and familiar to me. 

I've felt tearful on several occasions today. Wanting to have a great big sob and get it out my system but afraid that if the tears start to flow they may not stop. 

I've opened my bowels today on 3 occasions getting to the loo with my zimmer frame. It's the little things that feel like big achievements at the moment. 

Trying to settle to sleep for the night, my legs felt agitated.  I felt a desperate need to move them around and I wished I could lie on my side in my usual sleeping position. But sleeping on either side is a no no. (Can't sleep on left because of the wound and can't sleep on right side because of risk of hip dislocation if leg crosses over midline when sleeping on right)  So I was pleasantly surprised when I awoke to find it was 4am. So I'd managed to get 5 hours of unbroken sleep. 

I couldn't get back to sleep after that. Felt emotional again wondering what the future held before reminding myself that my priority today is to get through today and not worry about the future. 

I'd enjoyed my dinner which was a big improvement on the evening before when I had nibbled on toast while lying down. I had been up and "walking" with the zimmer frame.  My daughter had been to visit me. Lots of things to be thankful for.