45 yr old total right hip

[TinyNurse, RN]

My mom (45 yrs old) had a total right hip replacement yesterday at 11:30 am. Today ( april 2nd) she went home at 5:30 pm. ( her choice and doc okayed it).............. WOW!!!!!!! how cool.... i knew my mom was motivated, but not THIS motivated!!!

my mom is a respiratory therapist at this hospital, everyone there was wonderful!!! My mom was out of bed and up to the BSC 1 hour after getting to her room post op!!!! I'm still saying "wow". Today she is walking everywhere, went home, walked up a flight of stairs at home. OMG!!!! I'm simply amazed!!!

~~I worked this floor in nursing school and I can remember 50yr/males moaning 3 days post op when asked to stand at bedside~~

I"m sooooooo proud of my mom!!!! Home health will be at her house at 8:30 am, and i'll be there at 11am.

I work in the ED now, but can remember last year in school, with total hips, and people were there at least 3 days moaning in pain....... wow.... my mom is awesome.

One thing here folks, please help me on this one........ her temp was 100.1 when she left the hospital. I told her this is normal 12-24 hours post op, but that it would have to be monitored. She asked her nurse, and the nurse said "this is normal post op", but it had been more than 24 hours. I bought a thermometer for my mom and will continue to monitor it for her.

YAY for my mom!!! she rocks!!!! please bless her with a healthy recovery!!!

[nurseunderwater]

woo hoo! Your mom is amazing! Sending lots of healing thoughts her way to help in her continued recovery. :)

[nursemary9, BSN, RN]

Hi

I have had Both of my hips replaced--but it is about 12-13 yrs. ago when they kept you in hospital forever!! I have to say that I think I could have left MUCH earlier especially after the first one.

Your Mom sounds like a wonder woman!! You should definitely be proud of her! Do have her moniter the temp, tho and more importantly, moniter for wound drainage. You know when drainage looks ok and when it starts to look gunky!!

I have always told people that hip replacements are not so awful!! I think total knees are much worse!!

Anyway, good luck to Mom & I think she is really brave & great!!

I went back to work full-time as a nite staff nurse as soon as possible & even had a second day-job in home health; my hips never bother me now!!

If only the rest of the arthritis could be managed so easily!!

Mary Ann

[Grace Oz]

AMAZING! Sending BEST WISHES from "Down Under", for a speedy recovery to your Mum.

Our THR pts spend at least 5 days in hospital, then transfer to a rehab unit for ongoing

treatment. Mind you, most of those pt's are not as young as your Mum!

Still..... she's pretty amazing to have been D/C SO early!

Cheers,

Grace

[bukko]

Wow! to your mom. I'll be 45 for another month yet, and I'm recovering from a left hip Fx. (Crashed my bicycle while riding to work -- try to do the healthy thing and it half-kills me!)

I can hardly believe they sent your mom home after barely 24 hours. I was in the hospital for FIVE days and I didn't even have surgery. (Chips off both edges of the acetabulum, crack partway through the head of the femur -- wanted to let them heal naturally because I've seen too many post-op infections.) What about physical therapy? I was not one of those who whined and moaned -- I asked the PTs for extra sessions. But it seems like your mom should be getting at least BID PT for gait training, learning hip precautions, etc.

One bad thing about geting new parts so young -- the likely prospect of needing replacements in 10-15 years. Warn her to watch out for arthritis and bone infection in coming years, especially if she's really active.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Fever is absolutely no problem with ortho patients unless it hits 100.5 they don't even remark about it. Even then they look for other symptoms, like respiratory infection or drainage from the site. We keep some hips for 3-4 days, so don't worry until after that.