It won't be that long. By two weeks, I was going out, using a cane. At about 3 weeks I was driving (it was my left hip). The first week, I needed a bit extra help getting up ans down. Spent a lot of time on the sofa. Watch out for stairs, be very careful, and avoid in the early weeks.

You'll be fine!

It’s his right hip so I wonder when he will be cleared to drive. I hope it will be soon. He is in pretty good shape so we will see.

Being older I have several friends that have done this and a lot depends on the type of surgery. However with both hip and knee surgery women seem to heal faster. Good luck with the sanity.

Orthopedic surgery techniques and recovery have gone through revolutionary changes in my lifetime. Today, hip procedures (along with a whole raft of other orthopedic procedures) heal much faster because of almost immediate PT, exercises, and USE. As I recall hearing from those who've had this procedure (and I'm sure many here can comment from their own personal experiences), I think there are certain types of movements and angles of position that are to be avoided. Otherwise, he's likely to be on his feet almost immediate, walking carefully and doing more over time while the appliance's connections "set". Good luck.

Women heal faster than men? Is this real or just anecdotal? I'd like to hear more about that.

I have a bionic younger sister, and one thing that helped was that I bought her a large piece of upholstery quality foam, which she put under the cushion of her easy chair to raise the seat, and her DH designed some stable risers to put under the feet of the chair too so that she did not have to struggle so much to get out of the chair. I also had a bib apron made from oil cloth that someone gave me and I never used. She found that helpful for protection at meal time when she was limited in her movement at first. She was so doped up with pain killers initially that she did not enjoy reading or watching the kind of TV shows that required attention to detail. And remember for diet planning, pain killers contribute to constipation problems.

The most important thing I can tell you, and him, is: IF IT HURTS, DON'T DO IT!!!! This particularly applies to PT. There is a web site which was immensely helpful to me, both before and after surgery. Not sure I can post it here, though.

When I had my first replacement, there was a guy who was going up and down the hall with only a cane while the rest of us were using walkers. We happened to have our first check-up at the same time. I was still using my cane while he was using no walking aid. He was talking of cleaning out the garage and playing golf while I was doing good to resume cooking. The next checkup, I was walking with no aid and he was using a walker -- way too much, way too soon.

That might, Elmer, be why it appears women may heal faster. Men, being men, expect themselves to do better sooner and so many times overdo it, setting themselves back -- the tortoise/hare syndrome.

I used an unfolded garbage bag on the seat of the car. If you sit on it you can rotate into the car with less friction from the upholstery. Move the seat all the way back before the patient sits, tip back of seat if necessary.

Hip replacements relieve so much discomfort. He will be amazed.

I have had both of mine replaced....two different surgeons and two different techniques. Have a chair with arms on it so he can lift himself. Someone suggested a foam piece under sofa cushion. For the first few days, he might need help getting in and out of bed. I used my good leg to put under my replacement leg to help swing it into bed. I hope his surgeon will have him do a lot of exercises to strengthen muscles before his surgery.

Don't "baby" him too much ...the more he uses it, the better he will do. Insist he does his PT and exercises...even if it is rather painful. Don't let him get hooked on opioids! I only took Tramadol then Tylenol.

I had my last one awake!...just a spinal...talked and joked with surgeon all the time...got to skip recovery room. It might not be for everyone to hear the sawing and hammering.

A lady that lives close to me is now home and doing very well after spending close to a month in a nursing home for short term care after her hip replacement. I was thinking that is the normal procedure after hip replacement? She lives alone but my brother-in-law did the same and my sister was at home.

My husband had hip replacement surgery in March 2017. We were both very impressed with the speedy recovery. We had no home health care assistance and managed fine. He came home after one night in the hospital.

How is your shower or tub set up for showering? Our downstairs full bathroom has only a tub/shower so we purchased a bench thing that enabled him to sit, scooch, swing his legs in, and shower in safety. I dried him off before he got out and made sure of his safety the whole time. He slipped in the shower at the hospital!

Do you have your socks puller uppers, long handled reachers, and other gadgets designed to prevent bending?

You will need to help him dress, since he will not be allowed to bend at the hip after certain procedures. Our biggest obstacle was that we did not have a suitable chair for him! They are all too low to the ground for a hip patient, other than high backed dining chairs. We ended up renting a lift chair recliner....a huge blessing because he could sleep in it comfortably. Getting him and out of bed was a real challenge at first.

He remained as active as possible every day, taking longer and longer strolls with his walker then a cane once or twice a day unless he had PT.

He was prescribed an opioid for perhaps a week and he absolutely took them. Don't let the pain limit his movement. He said (and I just talked to him about it) that his pain didn't come from the hip anymore, but from the surgical activity required to replace it. After he was finished with the opioids, he was given Naproxen. Pain was really not much of an issue, frankly.

Make sure that you are taught how to enter and exit your vehicle. I made the therapist come to our truck.....it's a big one with a step up....to show us. I also had our neighbor waiting for us when we got him home for the first time.

My biggest fear was that he would fall. I hovered a lot. Do everything you can to make your home free of obstacles and tripping hazards.

If you or your husband have a questions about anything at all, don't hesitate to ask. We relied on the advice from others who had been through it. The most important thing to remember is that in a very short time he will be wondering why he didn't have it done sooner.

I had two hips replaced when I was 63 and 64. (Decades of steroids to keep me breathing hastened joint deterioration.)

I was home the second day after each surgery. I was pushing a cart at our local grocery by the end of the first week -- DH beside me. I used a walker briefly, then a cane. I used a raised toilet seat in our guest bathroom. (I borrowed these and a shower seat from our Senior Center's lending closet.) PT came to me.

DH was my caregiver. His biggest challenge was helping me pull on those *impossible* compression stockings without flexing my surgical hip -- resulting in hysterical laughter every morning!

He did the driving, fetching and carrying. He would physically re-position my legs to keep them straight as I got in and out of bed. He washed and dried my legs and feet and applied lotion; he put on my shoes and socks.

Our one-floor 'forever' home was a help. Wide doorways. No stairs. Not Too Big.

I should add that we have both enjoyed good general health. Neither of us is overweight. We have relatively little stress in our lives. We're retired, giving us the *time* to help one another.

Maybe Outside Playing should schedule some helpers over these six weeks -- time to get out and play?

My suggestion. If you don't already have a comfort height toilet, a raised toilet seat (available at drug stores) may serve him well. Talk to his doctor about it.

Here's but one article that supports Norar's statement [which I don't think was meant to be gender stereotyping nor insulting, absurd and fallacious female generalizations] as you pose, Elmer. Do a Google search yourself. There are many credible website statements that support her offering...including one from the Harvard Med School also linked below.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171538/

https://www.askdoctork.com/do-any-health-conditions-affect-men-and-women-differently-201304044614

SIL went through two replacements. She did the required therapy at the facility. OT and PT make recommendations for what is needed at home.

She had the raised toilet seat as Brushworks has suggested. My DH installed grab bars in the shower and one near the toilet.

She used a walker, then a cane. I think she used the cane far to long because she felt "people respect you when you have a cane."

Basically, your DH needs to do what he is told and when he is told . There are rules to follow. Very important to follow them.

The missus had a hip replacement on June 20 of this year. There was, through our Medicare Advantage plan, a therapist who came to the house the day after discharge. PT was begun the following week. Three times per week. Although the missus is about 100 pounds overweight, she got discharged from PT after three weeks. She used her cane for a few more weeks, then put it aside.

Interestingly, when we cruise she takes it with her and it is amazing how many 'move to the front of the line' situations there are. Sure we accept those, but they really aren't needed.

Sleeping in a 'new' position might be one of the things that will change at home. One just has to make some adjustments and within 4 months, all should be smooth.

I would stock up on my favorite foods in the freezer in individual servings. Also favorite snacks. We have found that it is better to have something available, because both of us may not want to eat at the same time. There is not a whole lot I like that can be delivered, but if something you like is available keep the numbers handy. The more you can relieve any stress what so ever, the better. If you have pets, make sure to have plenty of their food and treats. Anything you can get ahead of time the better.

"That might, Elmer, be why it appears women may heal faster. Men, being men, expect themselves to do better sooner and so many times overdo it, setting themselves back -- the tortoise/hare syndrome."

Is there evidence that women heal faster than men?

You're into gender stereotyping, norar? Do you like those about women too?

winter, with all friendly and due respect, you've demonstrated (as others have before) the dangers of Google searches done into areas the searcher has a less than full understanding of. It's especially dangerous with PubMed, where a less than thorough search can lead to the wrong conclusions. Let me tell you what I saw when I looked at your links:

1) the first one was the abstract of a 2011 article suggesting women recover faster from knee replacement procedures. Had you clicked on the "Cited by others" link, you would have come upon this later study in 2015 entitled "Clinical Outcomes in Men and Women following Total Knee Arthroplasty with a High-Flex Knee: No Clinical Effect of Gender".

What does this mean? How do the two square, if they do? Maybe both have been found to be wrong? Without being an orthopedic surgeon who follows the literature, there's no way to know. Technical words can't be read on their face if the context and underlying subject matter aren't well known and understood.

Another study, no gender differences in the procedure studied

2) Your second link is a brief article written for a general audience, addressing the question - do conditions affect men and women differently? And do treatments affect them differently? And conditions one gender is more likely to get than another? Sure, everyone knows these to be true. Does anything said relate at all to what norar said? No. Not close.

Actually, men heal faster than women. Estrogen interferes with healing, and men have less estrogen.

Here's an article from the US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Who heals faster?

My goodness, what did I say to irritate you so much? I gave an example of the guy who had his surgery when I did and what happened to him. I've read several posts on the forum I mentioned from men who talked before they had their surgeries about how quickly they expected to recover, mainly because they were is such good shape, and then their posts afterward about how they had injured themselves by doing too much. and wished they had not. Sure, it happens to women as well, but I just stated expectations could explain the appearance of women recovering faster. I think most women, especially older women, are easier on themselves physically than most men are and are more likely to take things slow and easy. That has been my observation of the people I have known. If you wish to take it as stereotyping, so be it.

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions. He is having the surgery at Vanderbilt Medical and part of their protocol is that we attend a 3 hour course prior to surgery. We went at the end of October. Part of it was presented by a nurse associated with the practice. She went through everything, including what DME to have on hand (wheeled walker, elevated toilet seat, cane, etc), opioids and the new regulations, pain management, what to expect pre and post surgery in the hospital, how to wash with the special solutions he was given before surgery, and other topics. The hospital PT will have him up and walking the first day of surgery and prior to release the day after.

Then a physical therapist spoke to us. She went through pre surgery exercises, what positions to use and not use the next 6 weeks when getting up from a chair (no 45-degree movement), proper body positions, etc. We also had to fill out other paperwork because we have PT arranged with a provider outside Nashville. The whole process was very thorough.

Our home is single story with only 2 steps to gain entry. We have hardwoods and plan to take up the runners in our hallway. DH is very strong and I’m sure he will manage just fine after a few days. He already has cut some thick foam for a chair he plans to use and more to place under his leg.

I really liked the suggestion about the plastic garbage bag to reduce friction. Rhizo, we have a very large shower with a door and a small lip. I think he should be able to negotiate it fine. I can assist. I hope getting in and out of the bed isn’t too bad. Ours isn’t really high nor low, somewhere in between. Socks are hard for him now on his right foot and I have to help sometimes, so I will look for those sock puller uppers.

Vanderbilt is a highly regarded institution, both the hospital and the med school. You'll be in good hands. Best wishes.

I want to add that my SIL is not active and doesn't exercise. She sailed through both. So, a man like your husband who is fit and in shape, will not have a problem.

Sounds like you have received a really good education on what to expect and what to do.

Wishing your DH a speedy recovery.

I don’t have any advise regarding post surgery care but want to send well wishes your way. I’ve known a couple of people who’ve had similar surgery and was amazed at how quickly they were up and about again.

My brother, a physician, is fit and in shape and had his hip replaced a couple of years ago at the tender age of 58. He went back to work very quickly (against orders) and had the complication of a bleed of some kind. Had a huge hematoma down his thigh for months. He says it still doesn't feel right. So don't let him overdo it!

Thanks for all the good wishes. I really appreciate your advice and concern. I will definitely try to keep him from over-doing anything. I think that is the hardest with some people, especially after the first week or two when one starts to feel better.

DD is fairly close by and is a Nurse Practitioner. She will read him his marching orders if she thinks he needs to hear them. And I will call on her husband for help if needed and we also have good neighbors I can call.

" I used my good leg to put under my replacement leg to help swing it into bed."

I did that for several weeks when I had leg surgery in August. it wasn't about a replacement part - just a mass found in my left lower leg area. My right leg was a tremendous help to its leftie twin and me!

I still take my cane when I'm outside walking and when I go to the store - just in case I need it. And I found the hook is very useful to reach things on a shelf sometimes since I'm short. It comes in handy for that!

phoggie, you are one tough cookie!

I'm going to save this thread in case I end up needing a hip or knee replacement.

I had a THR in 2014. I was home in 24 hours, and my BF stayed with me the first night. My son was home from college at the time, and he would go out on walks with me. I had 6 home PT visits, and in 2 weeks and 2 days, I was released to drive, work, and that night I and rode 15 miles on the bike at the gym. I have been a regular at the gym since I was 25, so I was in decent shape and I rode the bike for several hours a week before surgery to make sure I didn't lose any muscle tone. But I have an obese cousin, who is not terribly active, and she had the surgery a year after me, and had nearly as good of a recovery, so don't think you have to be a superman/woman to get through it.

I bought a fold-up cane, never used it after I went back to work, but glad I had it for walks around the neighborhood. Also bought one of those reach/grabber thingys and still use THAT fabulous device to this day. If you don't have a recliner, get one. If you don't have a comfort-height toilet, I would make certain to have at least one installed. I had one in my guest bath and was redoing my master bath right before surgery, so I went ahead and put one in there too. (Why on earth I didn't get them sooner I don't know.)

The biggest PITA (literally) was the constipation caused by the pain meds. So get a head start on that. Either ramp up the fiber (I mean seriously) or start taking stool softeners. You WILL need the pain meds, so the after-effects just have to be dealt with. Best of luck!

We are both tall so we have the comfort height toilets in 2 bathrooms. Still have a regular one in one bath because of our grandkids but probably will eventually replace it too.

I have had ACL replacement in both knees (snow skiing) in the past, so we have crutches, canes, and all sorts of stuff. I learned to hook one leg under the other for getting in and out of tub and a bed (we lived elsewhere when I had the first one). We also have one of those toilet seat extenders with handles.

Oh yes, the class covered all that info about how the pain meds can affect your system, so we are prepared.

Outsideplaying, You will find a lot of good advise on this forum including stories from people who will or who had the same surgery. I've been following along reading the good and not so stories because I too have been told I need a hip replacement. Best regards to your husband and you during his convalescence.

I will second and third the advice on Bonesmart.org. I used it for my research, and it is a fabulous source of knowledge and experience. Really THE most valuable resource out there for HIP and KNEE surgeries.

I'm guessing your challenge may be preventing your DH from doing too much, too soon -- and making sure he takes the pain meds as prescribed. The PT should stress the importance of having them working before he does the exercises he must do, and not over-do. He'll need to quell his DIY impulses while the joint heals. (Elmer will probably recognize this as a genuine 'gender difference'.)

Sock 'puller-uppers' may not adequately prevent hip movement. It's easier to 'throw yourself at his feet' for socks, briefs, pants. I did this while my DH's clavicle healed from a fracture.

IMO it's a stretch to call all assistance 'caregiving', especially when the patient is strong, competent, and ambulatory, and when the need is temporary. My DH is designated 'caregiver' by my cancer center. I know the level of care may increase, but since diagnosis in late May, my treatment for multiple myeloma has caused little change. I'm still 'keeping house'; he assists more -- if I have pain or unusual fatigue. We care for one another as always.

"it's a stretch to call all assistance 'caregiving',"

Agreed. I think perhaps if the patient is one that had great deterioration in their abilities before they made the decision to have surgery - and had other complications...maybe. But certainly a THR usually does not require a "caregiver", in the normal context of the term.

“There is one person overlooked by everone in the case of a loved ones illness. That person is you as the caregiver ! If ever you feel stressed, frustrated or overwhelmed, please don't feel less of yourself and ask someone for help. Caregiver stress is real and debilitating.”

You never know how true these words are until you’re in that role. As parents and spouses, we’re natural care givers but add an illness long term or short and it gives the term a whole new meaning. I suspect with all the support and preparation you’ve done, you will do fine, just have a vice planned for yourself for when you need to step away. An errand to run, a show to watch or a warm bath or shower, I can’t tell you how often my vice has saved me from snapping when I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed or frustrated.

Believe me, I will bail out and make a grocery store run or head out to a movie or some such if I need to. In fact we have season tickets to the theater and the first show is Nov 17, probably too early for him to go and enjoy it. But I may be safe to go and take my neighbor with me who will really enjoy it.

I did enjoy several of the discussions on Bonesmart already. Thanks for that link. And many of you are right. He is resisting meds because he fears addiction. DD and I both have to remind him there is a big difference in managing pain and addiction.

They'll only give him a prescription for a couple of weeks of meds, at MOST. So tell him no worries. He won't even be able to get any more unless he is having serious complications. They really have tightened down on the opiods. But he'll need them, sleep will be impossible unless he manages the pain.

Also, the pain meds work better if you take them BEFORE it gets unbearable. Don't take more than prescribed, but do take as directed. If he has a timed release twice a day, take it as close to 12 hours apart as he can. If he has one to take every 8 hours do the same.

Bonesmart is the forum I was talking about as well. Don't forget to reward the hospital workers a bit -- from the person who sweeps the floor to the person who hands out pain relief and the person who will show him how to get into bed. Both times I took some good candy to put out in my room for anyone who was there to tend to me. I'm sure that didn't really affect the level of care, but everyone likes to be appreciated and it sure can't hurt.