Richard's hip

[dreamshark]

Richard seems to be doing just fine recovering from his hip replacement, but is feeling a bit discouraged that he hasn't been miraculously healed overnight. Ask just about anybody about their hip replacement surgeries and they are so enthusiastic about it that you get the impression it was a "Lo, and I rose from my wheelchair and walked!" kind of experience. Hip replacements tend to have very good outcomes, and I think a lot of people kind of edit their memories of the post-surgery period with that in mind. It's not actually that easy, at least with an older patient who still has bone spurs and arthritis in all his other joints.

Anyway, surgery was last Tuesday and he came home on Friday. He is hobbling around with a walker and definitely needs the pain meds every 4 hours. He is spending most of his days and all of his nights in one or the other of our big recliner chairs. The hardest part for him is getting up. We have one magic chair inherited from his father that actually rises up on its hind legs and tilts the occupant out onto his feet. This is finally coming in very handy. He has been shifting back and forth between the magic recliner and the one that is actually comfortable but hard to get out of.

Even though he was too worn out on Friday to actually play any games, he enjoyed having gamers over to amuse and distract him. Thanks to the folks who came. Here's what the magic recliner looks like.
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Comments

[pameladean]

I do recall some people of my acquaintance having a rough time for a couple of weeks after hip replacement surgery. Maybe it depends on just how bad the hip was to start with. I hope Richard feels more healed soon.

P.

[quadong.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I correctly understood that he enjoyed having us there. (And that he enjoyed having us there.)

And that chair is freaky!

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I loved the look on your face the first time he activated it!

[seekerval.livejournal.com]

Good luck to Richard on his path to healing. These things always take longer than we expect, don't they? Those who have gone before want to forget much of the journey, I think, so only speak of the ending days/weeks.

My mother has one of those magical assist chairs. Even at 95, she rarely bothers to use the electrical lifting assistance unless reminded to do so, insisting on working her way out of the chair on her own.

[faeriefiles.livejournal.com]

I'm new around here just passing through. I sure hope he recovers quickly. I was really disappointed with how very very long it takes to recover from surgery. It's hard to be patient.

[mle292.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update, I'm glad things are progressing and I hope he has a speedy and non-eventful recovery.