I couldn’t get anyone (!!!) so I rang the hospital myself, explained that I couldn’t really hear what the lady said (think it was a woman?!) but asked her (him?) to pass on a message.
My wife texted me just now and she’s OK so it worked!
Isn’t technology marvellous?! stevmk2 
Steve matey, glad the operation went well and your OH is fine. Now comes the ‘harder’ part - recuperation. Your OH will, in a day or two, have a visit from the Physio-terrorists who will have a whole list of exercises for your OH to do. The more she can cope with those exercises and the more she does them, the better.
Thanks Joe - Thanks everyone!
I’m so relieved, so happy and I’m actually worn out now!
Trying to carry on at work was hard - Gawd knows what I did cos I can’t remember anything now! stevmk2
Aw Steve 
you will be able to sleep better tonight I hope.
Wishing your wife a speedy recovery and return home
Thought you might like to know she seems fine, quite comfortable at the moment but she did get talked into Epidural and it’s just wearing off as I was leaving! 
There was some kind of “high blood pressure problem” so they are monitoring her every half hour now and she told me that they also said there was an “oxygen problem” during the Op but she has no idea what it means or possibly meant at the time.
Bit worrying still 'cos the Spanish nurse came to see her twice in the 50 mins I was there.
Nice lady - she’s from Seville! Always wanted to go there!
Another one this evening’s Dutch from Dordrecht, which I actually know from working in Holland - it’s just outside Rotterdam - great city, friendly people too.
Thanks again to everyone - the support network is great here and helped me a lot from all the advice to encouraging posts - THANKS! stevmk2
I’m so pleased your wife’s op went well Steve, you can relax a bit now Sending her all good wishes for a speedy recovery.
It is important that you both follow the doctor’s and physio’s recovery instructions only, they are the ones who know what is best for your wife.
Good luck to you both, it won’t be too long before you can go out for that meal ;-)
Steve matey, so glad everything is working out fine. My regards to your OH.
I am surprised that you say the effects of the epidural are wearing off - I had the needle in my spine taped in place for days and a constant drip of the morphine into it. Tell your wife not to allow the Physio-terrorists to try and get her out of bed if she still has the needle stuck in her back, the nurses will have to remove the needle and drip first.
As to mobilising, she should be offered a zimmer frame at first, then graduating to a zimmer frame with wheels on the front and finally a pair of elbow crutches.
On discharge, she will need to come home in an ambulance (she won’t be allowed to sit in a normal car seat!!!). Tell her she’ll probably find it more comfortable to lay down on the stretcher rather than try sitting on the seat in the ambulance. Once home, no car or even bus travel for six weeks!!! - She should have the physio-terrorists visit her at home and get her to mobilise along the street a little way - more each day (for about a week).
She will need help getting in and out of bed too - this is one of the worst things and the most painful.
Analgesics: My Hospital gave me 2 100ml bottles of Oromorph, plus a box of Zapain (Co-Codomol) to bring home. if 'she takes both at 4 hourly intervals she’ll find the pain bearable, however to counteract an unpleasant side-effect you might need to get her some Sennacot tablets too.
Absolutely right Mags.
Glad to hear that all went well for your wife stevmk2.
Glad it has all gone well. I wouldn’t worry too much about the supposed “problems” mentioned. They will be monitoring her blood pressure frequently post-op anyway, and if the “oxygen problem” had been anything serious I’m sure you would know about it.
Day by day now…
Been in to see her again - she test-drove a Zimmer today!
Joe, she had the drip they’d fitted in the theatre taken out this morning but she didn’t have a needle in her back when she came out of the operating theatre?
She’s on Paracetemol and Ibrufrofen plus something to prevent blood clots but she doesn’t know what it is called but she can’t take Co-Codamol.
BP’s still higher than it should be - perhaps that’s why the medication for the clots?
She will be getting advised on that before leaving as they are still monitoring her.
They hasn’t been any further mention of the “oxygen incident” in theatre today but from what my wife told me this evening they’ve checked her blood oxygen level at least twice today 'cos they do that with me with a finger gadget after I’ve had any asthma attacks or if the Doc’s dealing with my asthma at the time.
She’s not sleeping well because unfortunately the women “next door” has Alzheimers and talks or even shouts most of the night or keeps ringing the call bell for a nurse - they’ve offering a pill to help her sleep later but she says she doesn’t want one. 
Another lady’s been moved because she had an extra day of the Alzheimers lady’s antics and was exhausted!
At the moment they’re still not saying when she will come out as it depends on the physiotherapist’s opinion on her capabilities tomorrow.
We think it’ll be Friday though, probably afternoon but nobody’s said anything about not being driven home in a car Joe but my wife will be asking as soon as she can tomorrow.
Afternoon will be fine for me 'cos I’ve got an appointment 100 yards from her on Friday morning - deaf stuff!
I’ve organised a push wheelchair now from work for as long as we need it and I’ve been adapting it a bit trying extra seat cushions to increase the height so the position of the seat & foot rests will give her the required 18" plus under-90 degree angle at the knee!
Handy working where I do at times!
That’s it for now, and thanks to Pats & orangutan. stevmk2
Steve matey - daily bulletin???
Steve - in some places it is routine to check the oxygen saturations after certain ops, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about that.
Hope you have both had a good day today.
Sorry, been a bit busy.
She had a fairly good night last night but Wednesday night and early yesterday were very bad.
She was given a pill for blood clots - I think - and at 5 o’clock yesterday morning she was violently sick then passed out!
Luckily she fell onto the bed so no damage to the new hip or anything but the team there found her BP very, very low and her oxygen level was very low again.
The other two patients rang the bell like mad to get 'em in ASAP!
Whatever the problem is it must be under control 'cos she is waiting for Meds she says then she can come home.
She told me last night that I may have to administer meds by injection - dunno how long for and not happy about that but I’ll find out later. 
I’ll keep you informed folks! stevmk2
Could be Tenzaparin Steve matey - a type of fast acting anticoagulent which I had - nurses had to inject in the stomach - if that is the injection your OH has to have warn her she’ll bruise like mad and they are painful!!! - I had to have five of them before I went into hospital - I finished up with five bruises the size of tea-plates around my waist-band.
I’ve got about ten minutes - gotta do dinner!
Well she’s home - that went fairly well!
(Must be the meds but I couldn’t seem to do anything right.)
She’s got all her medications ready but she’s going to have to keep a record herself 'cos she has 400mg Ibruprofen plus Paracetamol and some kind of anticoagulant pills too - can’t remember the name now but NO injections 'cos that disagrees with her too!
The heavy-duty painkillers are a No-No 'cos that zonked her out apparently!
It’s all very well me doing Meds list for now but I can’t be off work too long - we can’t afford it!
I’ve booked a week of my holidays but I don’t really want to use them all up 'cos I get a bit knackered by August!
My “oppo” is still off until mid-July so it’s all on me at the moment at work - bit worn out now so…
Betta get on. stevmk2
Wow!!! - that was quick - glad your OH is now home and you don’t have to trudge away to the hpospital to visit her, but I’m thinking it may be a bit too quick.
The heavy-duty analgesics that your OH says ‘zonked’ her out, are actually designed to do that - sleep is one of the best things to aid recovery from major surgery.
Bet you are pleased to have your good lady home now…best wishes for her speedy recovery.
Not really, the average hospital stay after hip replacement surgery will usually be around three to five days.
First night back home and she seems better this morning.
To be honest I think I’d have preferred for her to stay in hospital longer because I’m finding it more of a strain because of my deafness, believe it or not.
She seems a bit short-tempered with me, especially last night when she got all worried about her leg, saying it looked swollen and to look at her notes.
I didn’t know where her notes were but she insisted they were in the bag, (they weren’t!), then told me she thought I should ring someone about the apparent swelling, which to me looked just a bit puffy and entirely expected!
I can’t just ring someone!
I am deaf and it was 10:30 at night - that’s what I mean but I have to read the lips too now, even with her, and she knows that!
Anyway, we’re getting there but I wish I’d known a lot more about the recuperation and exactly what we’d need to do and have ready!
Housework and cooking are no problem to me but it’s a struggle looking after her.
I love her dearly but she can be pig-headed at times! stevmk2
Steve matey - are you being visited by the Physio-terrorists??? - Don’t be surprised if, following the exercises and perhaps a short walk along the pavement, your OH collapses in the chair, thoroughly worn out - that is to be expected (it does get better the more she completes her exercises).
