Knee, hip, cataracts

Truly very pleased for you. And wish you all the very best for your hip replacement and hope it goes ahead as arranged.
Isn't the NHS wonderful when it's reallly needed. Let us hope it is not going to be ruined by increasing privatisation of services.
Christmas will be wonderful without all that pain. Good luck.

Thank you! Maybe we could celebrate with a local meet up in the new year? Nannyfran Phoenix et al?

So pleased for you Ariadne.

Our health is so important. I never valued it in the past but as I get older I do everything I can to preserve it.

Ariadne Am indeed very pleased for you, and that you've given such a glowing acknowledgement to the NHS. #cheers

Bionic lady!

Now we know why the NHS is running out of money

It's no fun falling apart is it Ariadne.

If an 'Annus Horribilous' was good enough for the Queen then you have been in good company.

As you say maybe Christmas might be a tad 'mucked up' but here's hoping 2015 will be good to you.

Ariadne I so happy for you that these problems are going to be resolved and you will be better than before , great to know to are getting good care.

Here's to 2015

What is left for 2015 then? Boob job? <ducks behind sofa>. Seriously you are one brave lady!!

Ariadne - you're an inspiration.

It's also so good to see positive posts about the NHS

We met up with MIL's oldest pal recently, she's 90 and just had one hip replaced. She confided she'd expected to be told she was too old for a hip replacement, and the money would be spent on someone younger. She's due to have the 2nd hip replaced in a few months and looks forward to being able to walk her dog for longer. Another inspirational woman who lives not too far away from you, on the south coast

Ariadne you really do meet these life events with panache! I'd love to be like you and face these operations with your 'let's get on with it' attitude. Bravo!

You mentioned special exercises before you had your knee done Ariadne. Are there special exercises before you have a hip op? Only asking so I can start now! [hips and knees both dodgy at the moment].

Tegan yes there are. You need to get your quadriceps and your gluteal muscles as strong as possible. When standing, squeeze your buttocks together for maybe 10 times. For quads exercising, you want to be able to lie on the bed and straight leg raise, again 10 times each leg.

Also lying on the bed- you should be able to abduct each leg while straight, one at a time, outwards. Again maybe 10 times each leg.

Sorry if I have not explained this very well.

Yes - I did some pre-op exercises too:

Lying in bed.....

- push knee of op side down into bed - count to 3 then release; repeat 10 times
- squeeze buttocks together as above
- bend knee up whilst keeping foot sliding along bed as above
- straight leg raises - but I abandoned these when my back started to hurt

Oh, thank you all! You have really cheered me up. I do thnk, though, that having had cancer helps me keep stuff in some sort of perspective. Well, it must do. (That was eleven years ago, but you don't forget!)

Yes, I have been doing the exercises - they really made a difference with the knee.

Ariadne Given how well you managed your knee I hope the hip goes as well.

The good thing I have, as a result of having bad back problems for 33 years is good strong thigh muscles. I can still crouch down and stand up again quite easily. I just don't bend in the middle.

Ariadne Very pleased you have had a positive experience.

I had my second knee replacement on Tuesday ( first one was in June). I too have found everything efficient and all staff friendly and helpful even whilst it is obvious they are run off their feet.

Horrible when things do go wrong but pity more of the positive side is not shown.

Ariadne. If you got through the knee op OK, the hip will be a breeze. having had both I can assure you that the hip is much less painful. The pre op exercises will help a quick recovery, I just used the exercise bike twice a day for 30 min to build up my leg muscles.

The big difference is that there is no restriction on using a knee, but the exercises are very painful to get it to move (and still are) . There will be strict limitations on the movement of your hip for some while, but there are no really painful exercises, just those to build up the muscles that will keep the joint in place.

One tip, get slip on shoes or elastic laces, you will not be able to bend to reach your feet for some while.

Ginny, how is your knee now, the first two weeks for me were very painful.

Yes, quite painfully but I think it helps that I know from the first one how much better it will be eventually. The bending exercises are definitely the worst! I. Am glad you are now doing well.

I'm having THR next month. My 1st pre op assessment is two weeks away. Currently I do swim and walk 4 miles a day to build up my muscle but I'm anxious as I do not know what to expect.
Can anyone who has a first hand experience enlighten me??
my other concern is that I live in a flat with no lift and I am not sure how I will manage to go up 5 flights of stairs.

I have posted this elsewhere, but then this thread reappeared! Still here, as the op was postponed until 7th Jan ; I was a bit sad but completely understood that emergencies take precedence, and have had a lovely time over Christmas, with a second wave arriving tomorrow!

Hey ho....

I had a total hip replacement 2 weeks ago tomorrow with a sedative/spinal block. Everything seems to be going well.

Please don't be anxious danlon. i found it all quite manageable.

I can even sleep on my back and inject myself in the stomach every evening.

If you have any specific questions please feel free to PM me.

Danlon - are you living on your own? You might need to talk to the hospital about how you will manage, especially with all those stairs - do they know you will have you do 5 flights to get out? They do check that you can manage stairs before you leave, but I guess 5 flights is a bit much and you may be stuck in the flat a bit for a while.

I am not a good person to talk to about hip replacement as I am still in pain after 13 weeks - it seems that a nerve has been irritated and it may take up to 9 months to regrow and stop hurting. This is not what I had expected and indeed not what has happened to all my friends who have had the surgery, so I am feeling a bit hard done by; but I guess it is the luck of the draw. I also react badly to pain killers so am managing on paracetamol. Most people get over it very quickly and there is no reason why you should not.

I hope that it all goes swimmingly and that you get all the help at home that you need.