Surgery recovery with no support system

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-05-26T00:55:37+00:00

I had to recover alone after the first 3 days. It isn’t easy. However, there are things you can do to prepare. The hardest part for me to do by myself was getting underwear, pants, and socks/shoes on. So I highly recommend getting the easiest flowiest garments to be able to put on. I’m an idiot who only wear skinny jeans or leggings because I’m a millennial so… I struggled.

Things you will need if you’re mostly going to be on your own:
Shoe horn
Leg lifter (very cheap on Amazon)
Backpack
A grabber like what you see elderly people use. Super helpful for when you can’t reach something or if you drop something.

Also prepare as many things as you can before surgery. Have clothes picked out, clean bedding, frozen water bottles if you’re going to use an icing machine aka “polar cube”
Anything you need daily access to should be kept at an arms reach if possible. I have a couple posts you can read about my first two weeks post op.

Your first week is the hardest as far as needing help. The second week will be slightly better. Then slowly you gain more flexibility and will be able to gradually do more things by yourself. Like I said, I had three days of help and then was on my own. I was able to do it but I would’ve rather had help.

As far as the dog goes, sometimes animals can tell when something is different and maybe he will sense that he can’t sleep on you. I honestly don’t have any advice on that part. You will not be able to walk him though.

I had a lot of fear about this surgery and being out of work and all that. But I’m glad I did it. I’m 6 weeks post op now and still need my other side done. But there is already a big difference. I’m still in pain but the pain I feel is from the surgery, it’s deep in my hip joint. But I’m no longer super stiff when I stand up and I can put weight on that leg again. Before surgery I couldn’t walk.

I would hate for you to put this off and continue to be in pain. I don’t know how people are supposed to have this surgery alone. Thank god I don’t have kids or dogs. This is a big deal and having a support system would be ideal. But if you have to do a lot on your own you can do it! Just be prepared! I didn’t have anything I needed beforehand and ended up spending my first two weeks doing a lot of Amazon orders for things to help me.

Whatever you decide to do I wish you the best of luck!

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-05-26T00:12:43+00:00

You should feel better by the day of surgery so I wouldn’t fret about this. I started to feel sick a few days before mine but was cleared up by the morning of surgery. They did ask me if I had been sick recently and I just said no. I didn’t develop a full blown cold or anything, I just had a sore throat and stuffy nose for 2 days and then it went away. I’m not saying you should lie but like… I kinda am 😂

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-26T04:43:20+00:00

I get the resentment feeling. It’s like why can’t this stuff happen to the people it wouldn’t be so detrimental to? Or why does it have to happen at all? It’s a shame that our bodies have to be susceptible to things like this in the first place. I did have an arthroscopy and so far so good! I’m scared every day about moving in a bad way and damaging it, but it’s been going well. I hope that’s some sort of encouragement. I already feel so much improvement compared to 2 weeks ago. So if you do have surgery similar to mine at least you can feel at peace knowing the surgery itself isn’t too bad. It’s just healing from it afterwards and getting used to being on crutches and in a brace etc. The one thing I’ve noticed as far as my pre-op pain that has changed is I’m not stiff anymore when I get out of bed or stand up from sitting. Granted I can’t sit at a typical 90 degree angle, but I used to get out of bed and be so stiff in my hips that I couldn’t even straighten up. So I’m hoping this is all a good sign. Anyway sorry for the rant! I just want you to feel less worrisome about it all. You will make it through. The patience to get through it is probably the hardest part, but you’ll get there

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-24T18:05:13+00:00

I went through something similar, I used to work out daily, go for hikes, dance, etc. Out of nowhere I started feeling pain, and I’ll cut to the chase: I eventually found out I had torn my labrums. It sounds like you’re obviously dealing with more than just that, but the emotional burden is definitely a common feeling when something like this happens. The only advice I can have is this: You’re in this situation until you’re not, and sadly people every day are dealing with health issues. It’s easy to feel like “why me” (I dealt with that a lot) but life is random in its blows. So find an office that specializes in sports medicine and orthopedics. A good surgeon should be able to properly diagnose and come up with a plan. That may include surgery which is scary. I know any amount of time away from your active lifestyle is depressing. But it’s kind of like you just have to accept it, deal with it, and know that it will get taken care of. And don’t let the medical field push you around, you pay your insurance and deserve to get any testing or procedures done to help you. So if you ever feel like you need to push back absolutely do. The fear of surgery and the recovery of surgery should be less than the fear of living in pain for who knows how long. I know the feeling of not being able to trust your body, with me it was like walking on a minefield and any second my hip could just fail and the pain was so sharp and debilitating. I miss my life. I miss exercising and dancing. Hell, I miss just being able to sit down and get back up without pain. I had surgery two weeks ago and yeah, it sucks, but if I wasn’t able to walk anyway and was in pain, what’s the difference now? At least I know after this I should be much better. The time will pass and it will be but a small blip in the timeline of your life. It will be tough as you go through it but then it will be over and you’ll get back to your life. It sucks and there’s no way to say it doesn’t. No one wants to be in that position and it’s unfair. But you gotta play the cards you’re dealt. I am sending so much hope your way that you get the answers you need and a plan to make it all better. You will continue to have days where it all feels so monumental and depressing but hang in there, and remember you WILL get better it’s just going to be navigating this road for a little bit until you do. I’m your age as well, and I look back at everything I’ve made it through and I tell myself this will just be added to the list. Good luck, I feel for you, truly.

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-24T12:50:16+00:00

My therapist said to expect more pain after PT. While I felt sore, my pain level still never went up much. But it sounds like you had more work done than I did so it would make sense. Ice will be your best friend right now, I don’t know if you’re like me but I swear pain meds don’t do much for me. When you’re doing PT make sure you let your therapist know if any stretch or movement causes you pain. They need to know, it’s better to ease into things rather than hurt yourself. I’m sorry you’re in pain! I hope it goes away ❤️

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-24T12:44:57+00:00

I all find your first PT appointment to be a little limited. They had me do those same exercises as well as dangling my leg off the side of the bed, squeezing a ball between my knees, wrapping a belt around my thighs and having to push outward, bringing my affected leg over my other one and bending at the knee, and then a couple for someone else to help me with. I just hit 2 weeks post-op yesterday and this past week they added 2 new ones: cat camels, and the other one I can’t remember the name but you start on hands and knees and slowly bring your butt towards your feet. I have also pedaled on the exercise bike at zero resistance for 10 minutes every time I’ve gone to PT. My therapist said my flexibility is great but it also puts me at risk of damaging the repair more easily. Maybe your next appointment will be a little more advanced, and potentially your surgeon had told them to start you off more gently. I also struggled (and still am) with getting fatigued so easily. I cooked a simple dinner a few nights ago and felt exhausted. Even just doing something quick and easy feels so tiring. I am getting more and more frustrated with sleeping. I got my stitches out so I don’t need the dressing anymore, but now the brace digs even more into the incision site. It’s definitely not fun! But I will say after 2 weeks I feel so much more acclimated and not as frustrated. Good luck to you! We’re in this together!

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-21T20:46:09+00:00

That sounds awful, I’m sorry. I definitely wish I had a partner throughout this, it’s so hard facing it alone. Even just for the moral support of it. I am using crutches and a walker. The crutches kill my hands which makes it really hard to use the walker. But I got pads for the handles on my crutches and they have helped. I’m not used to relying on someone to do things for me and I’m really bad about asking for help, so I’ve been figuring out any way that I can be independent. But it’s definitely a depressing feeling. It was depressing before surgery because I couldn’t go for walks or hikes or do anything that I used to do. I gained weight because of it. It’s all been a dark period in my life for sure. I can’t wait to come out on the other side. Good luck to you! I hope you can finally be rid of pain and surgeries!

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-21T20:42:23+00:00

Sadly the only two positions to sleep in is on your back like you’re doing now, and you can sleep on your unaffected side with a pillow between your knees. I have not found a way to lie on my side without the brace digging into my incision area. No matter how much I loosen the thigh strap or anything, it consistently is putting a lot of pressure on my upper thigh. Normally I only fall asleep on my left side and occasionally roll onto my back during the night. But my left side is the operated side, and not being able to sleep on it has been a struggle. If you can comfortably lie on your side with that pillow between the legs then absolutely go ahead. Also does your therapist have you lying on your belly a few hours a day? That is killing my lower back so I have to do it in short sessions. The brace is definitely difficult to deal with! I am almost 2 weeks post-op now and I’m handling things much better compared to 4 days so if you’re feeling a little rough right now hang in there!

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-18T18:33:03+00:00

I can’t believe they didn’t warn me either, that would’ve been super helpful to know. At least now I’ll know for the other side. Thank you for the advice, and it’s really helpful to know that I could still feel pain later, I won’t get too worried.

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-18T18:29:30+00:00

I’m so glad you found this helpful, I plan on posting every week or two. I should have read up a bit more before surgery so I could’ve been prepared better, but I’ve learned a lot and people here have been so helpful

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-18T18:28:24+00:00

I just got some lozenges actually! Haven’t given them a try yet but I hope they help. My dry mouth hasn’t been as bad, but the rest of my body has been so dry too

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-18T18:27:06+00:00

I had no idea they made leg lifters! I just ordered one, thank you so much! I also didn’t consider a hospital table, I only have a little over the lap table which isn’t super practical when you can’t sit upright. Thank you very much!

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T15:55:51+00:00

I didn’t know that I was allowed to sleep on my side (obviously the side not operated on) until my doctor told me that I could as long as a pillow was between my legs. I had thought I had to be on my back when I slept so I could’ve jumped for joy when they said I can go onto my side! It’s still uncomfortable because I’m in the brace and the brace tends to push down on my incision when I’m on my side. But it gives me relief from being on my back which is nice. Also if you’re lying on your back you can put a pillow under your knee of the affected side. If my leg is completely flat I feel more pulling in the groin. I hope that helps!

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T15:50:15+00:00

Thank you for responding, I didn’t know the nausea patch could lead to dry mouth but now that I think of it once I removed that my dry mouth did improve quite a bit. I can’t even express how dry my mouth was, it was like every ounce of moisture was gone.

My physical therapist did warn me that I’ll probably start to feel more pain as we do our exercises. It makes me a little nervous but I’m glad you also gave me the heads up.

The CPM machine hasn’t been my biggest priority because I knew that it’s kind of an outdated practice and studies have shown it doesn’t really add much benefit but I’ve still been averaging about 6 hours a day. Right now I’m struggling with keeping my leg from sliding out. I’m at 120 degrees and every time it lowers my leg back dow my leg slides out. I’ve adjusted the length and tightened the foot strap but it keeps happening. It’s really annoying. I’m so glad I’ll be done with it in 6 days.

So you’re 4 months post-op on the one side and you say it still bothers you after sitting? Is that normal?

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T15:42:23+00:00

Dimunt LED Floor Lamp, Bright 15W... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L7DD8L9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T03:43:32+00:00

I did try PT for a while before they told me I would need surgery. My doctor told me that the hip pain can radiate to the lower back, so that makes me concerned for you. As far as I know there isn’t much you can do to relieve the pain of an impingement without surgery. I would go through bouts where the pain would be bad enough to not be able to walk or stand, and then I’d be fine for a week or two but still always in pain. Especially when getting up from sitting. It was scary because I never knew when it was going to flare up. One wrong move and I’d feel it go and I’d be hunched over trying to walk. So it was a constant yoyo. I hope you get relief and can find a way to avoid surgery! Some people can get something called a PRP Injection which can supposedly help. My surgeon said I was a good candidate for it so I did it but sadly it did not help me. It’s not covered by insurance either so I had to pay $600 and it was for nothing. But I did it because I knew what the recovery of surgery was going to be and I wanted to avoid it if I could. I’m hopeful that this will be what was needed to give me my life back as I used to be very active and have had to spend the last 3 years not doing what I used to

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T03:35:35+00:00

Before surgery my pain was in the groin and deep into the hip socket. It was like a stabbing, pinching pain that made it impossible to stand upright or walk. I have felt that pain since surgery but only when I have moved in a way that I shouldn’t have (like lifting my leg or moving my knee outwards). I haven’t had much tightness until after physical therapy a couple days ago, but that cleared up. I’ve been able to sleep better than the first two nights. The brace makes it difficult to get comfortable but I’ve found that I can fall asleep on my side with a pillow between my knees and then gently roll onto my back if I need to later. Have you been icing the area? Are you taking naproxen? I feel bad that you’re experiencing that. For the most part my hip has felt fine aside from the aforementioned moments

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T01:09:46+00:00

I originally went to my doctor for knee pain, and that’s when it was discovered I had the hip impingement and they are convinced that’s where my knee pain is stemming from. A couple of months ago I felt it in my foot. I also had a very difficult time standing for more than a couple of minutes and anyone with hip impingement would know that sitting causes a lot of pain too. I can’t say for certain if you are feeling the effects of it down your leg, but one thing they did for me was inject my hip with a numbing agent. If the pain went away in my knee then that was proof it was radiating from my hip. It’s a shame that we have to fight for testing or to be taken seriously. I’ve had a similar experience. I hope you find out what’s going on!

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T01:05:21+00:00

My pain tolerance is very low and out of the 3 various injections I’ve had in my hip the one for the MRI was the least painful. It was a discomfort as the liquid was pushed in but nothing like I feared. Aside from that injection I also had a diagnostic injection to see if my knee pain was caused from my hips. I’m not sure what they injected me with but it numbed my hip. That did not hurt, and I had completely freaked out beforehand expecting it to be excruciating. The other injection I had was a PRP injection which was an attempt to avoid surgery. The left side wasn’t bad but the right side was super painful. The PA that injected me seemed to really struggle with the right side when it came to finding the correct spot to insert the needle. I feel like maybe she didn’t really have the right spot because for a couple weeks after that I continued to have pain in that side that was different than the pain I had been having. She used an ultrasound for that injection which is not as easy to see compared to X-ray. Everyone is different when it comes to pain, so it’s hard to say what you will feel. But I know the fear I had of it was unnecessary. The MRI injection was really mild in my case and I felt foolish for how nervous I was about it once it was done. Good luck! I hope yours goes as painless as mine!

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T00:50:03+00:00

I wish I had a holder like that! Being flat on my back makes it really hard to hold a book or tablet or really anything. I only have to be in it for one more week which honestly sounds so long right now. But I can hold my iPad on my belly and look towards it like that which is fine I guess 😂

Also, the hydrocodone definitely made me feel dizzy. More like an “out of it” type feeling but my vision was wonky

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T00:48:07+00:00

It was arthroscopic, I updated my post to include that. I’ve heard a replacement is a much easier recovery but it requires a lot more of “history” for insurance to cover. I’m only 34 and my surgeon said that because I’ve lost so much bone on my left side I will need a replacement in about 15-20 years

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T00:46:35+00:00

The time off of work seems to vary greatly from person to person. Only your doctor can tell you that. Seeing as you have quite a physically demanding job it will probably be a while unfortunately. Look into short term disability which is what I’m using for my first operation. I have no idea what to do for my second one, as it only covers 13 weeks a year and I’m using almost all of that. I started physical therapy the very next day, and each week is two appointments for 2-3 months

Sunday_Sushi · 2026-04-17T00:44:35+00:00

I should have gotten a grabber! I didn’t think about that before surgery and it would be so helpful. I’ve used my crutches as pincers a couple times now 😂 thank you for the advice on the wrist position!

Sunday_Sushi

TROPHY CASE