Before your surgery

My hospital provided me with pre-admission instructions, and I'm going to guess that each surgeon and hospital has their own protocol for hip replacement patients.  Make sure you check with your hospital and surgeon at least a month before your surgery so that you can make purchases and plan out any pre-op activities.  My list below is what I was asked to do, and I'm including this just to give you a sense of the planning.

Instructions my Surgeon:

• Two Weeks Prior to Surgery
• Stop taking any NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Meloxicam).  Why?  Because NSAIDS tend to thin the blood, and the surgeon wants to make sure that you are not at risk for too much blood loss during the procedure.
• Stop taking any Estrogen or hormone replacement medications.  Why? Hormones increase the risk of stroke, so this is to mitigate that risk.
• Night Before Surgery/Morning Of Surgery

• Wash with Hibiclens 4% cleanser the night before the surgery, and the morning of the surgery.  Why? Because skin normally carries a lot of bacteria and the surgeon wants to reduce risk of infection.  In my case, my surgeon had a very specific protocol that went along with the Hibiclens washing:
• Use freshly laundered towels to dry yourself (one towel at night and another freshly laundered towel in the morning).
• Wear freshly laundered pajamas to bed
• Change your bedding and sleep on freshly laundered sheets the night before surgery
• After your morning cleanse, wear freshly laundered clothes to the hospital

Questions to ask your surgeon and hospital staff before you are admitted:

• What is your pain management protocol:
• What is the game plan for immediate post op pain medication?
• What can I expect when I'm released from the recovery room?
• Will I be able to fill any post op prescriptions at the hospital (or will I be required to go to a pharmacy on my way home?)

•  Post Op Recovery Questions

• Will I have a catheter immediately following surgery? If so, how long will I have it in?  
• Will there be a commode in my room?
• Will I have a walker in my room?
• Will this be "my walker" to bring with me when I leave? Or will I have an opportunity to order one before I'm released from the hospital?
• Is there a reclining chair in my room?
• How soon after surgery will I have PT?
• Will I wear TED hose or have WRAPS available while in the hospital to help prevent blood clots? Does the hospital supply these?  Will I need any additional compression garments once I am released from the hospital? 
• Does the hospital allow my significant other to stay with me in the hospital overnight? If so, is there a place for them to sleep? Sidebar: my hospital allowed my boyfriend to stay with me overnight, however they didn't have a bed for him to sleep in.  He used the recliner chair and the hospital staff helped him with sheets and bedding! I'm not sure if this was truly "allowed", but no one questioned it and I'm sure the staff appreciated him being there as he helped get me fresh water, ice packs, and walked me to and from the bathroom, which freed them up to take care of other patients. 

 What to Bring To The Hospital:

• Non-skid booties or socks
• Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing: underwear, t-shirts, pajamas, sweat pants.  Make sure your clothing is roomy and stretchy as you are likely to SWELL and the last thing you want is to feel restricted or have your clothing rub or put pressure on your skin!
• Lightweight Bathrobe so that you don't have to show your behind if you end up wearing your hospital gown and want to get out of bed! Also helpful if your room is chilly!!
• Toiletries:
• Toothbrush & paste
• Dry shampoo (in case you have shower restrictions while in the hospital)
• Soap 
• Long body scrub brush (in case the hospital shower doesn't have a handheld nozzle).
• Deodorant
• Body Lotion

• Personal Items: Each hospital is different, however I suspect that most will say they are NOT accountable for lost or missing personal items.  Despite this, I took a chance and brought along these items. You can judge for yourself whether you are comfortable bringing these items to the hospital:
• iPad and charger
• I preloaded my iPad with several of my favorite shows, various music playlists and several Kindle books! The hospital TV selection was bad, so this really helped me pass the time!
• My hospital had WiFi, however it was an unprotected network, so I made sure to use my mobile phone as a secure "hot spot" whenever I was online.
• Mobile phone and charger
• Helps with keeping in touch with loved ones AND useful if you need to set alarms for taking pain medication.  In my case, the nursing staff was instructed to provide medication "as needed", so I found myself needing to set alarms in order to get my pain medication every four hours.  I'm sure each hospital (and physicians instruction) is different, so be sure to ask about this BEFORE you go to the hospital.
• Insurance Cards
• Medications