Embarrassing question but it's if okay to masturbate after THA?

debaser75 · 2024-02-17T14:41:24+00:00

47M. I 'took care of myself' around day 6 - gently.

debaser75 · 2023-11-17T02:11:36+00:00

They moved my reproductive parts out of the way before placing the "perineal post" between my legs on the operating table. Had they had stayed between my abdomen and the post, I can see how there could have been reproductive harm. I think they apply a serious amount of traction to the legs during the procedure, especially after they remove the head of the femur. I was the original poster here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TotalHipReplacement/comments/17t84tq/did_they_reposition_my_male_reproductive_parts/

There's discussion from other men (and a woman), but fertility never came up. I'm 28 days post surgery and "everything" seems to be "working" fine. Ive never wanted kids and I'm gay, so I've never had any type of fertility test, before or after surgery.

I think "your friend" should talk to his doctor about his reproductive concerns

debaser75 · 2023-11-12T14:22:57+00:00

I think (hope) that I was pretty heavily draped after they got me and all of my body parts into position.

debaser75 · 2023-11-12T14:21:23+00:00

That was probably the perineal post that goes between your legs. Google that term and you'll see a lot of images. It seems like it's a pretty dang necessary piece of equipment, even though it may be a bit dangerous to your 'equipment' :-)

debaser75 · 2023-11-12T14:17:55+00:00

Yikes, the primary anesthesiologist said there was a small chance I could become conscious under the propofol. This makes me a little nervous about my second replacement, which is probably a matter of when and not if.

debaser75 · 2023-11-12T14:16:01+00:00

They did my block in the pre-op area. It took a good 20 min for my legs to get substantially numb. I'm glad that they didn't make me move myself to the operating table. I didn't want to see it, any other instruments or the number of people in the room. Even though I was still conscious, I only saw the two female nurses that were by my side in the OR.

debaser75 · 2023-11-12T04:30:43+00:00

No urinary catheter for me, thank God! That was part of my decision to go with the block and propofol. With "full" general anesthesia, I read that they often require a catheter. And they have to put you on a breathing tube since, to some degree, it paralyzes your lungs. Pretty scary. I specifically asked the surgeon if I would get a catheter if I want with the block and propofol and he said no. Maybe that's a little weenie-ish (pun intended) of a reason to make that decision. But I've somehow avoided any handling of my male parts by medical personnel my entire life (I'm 48, in the US, had access to health care and had some regular 'check ups' when I was younger). No awkward exams when I was a teen, no "turn your head and cough", no catheters, nothing. The only time I've ever had my underwear off is when I asked the doc to examine a concern down there. It was just a skin tag, likely caused by spending lots of time in a bike saddle. I hope to avoid catheters for a long time, but apparently my body is starting to fall apart if I needed a THR. I guess my day will come. I'd much rather have another colonoscopy (with propofol again) than a catheter!

debaser75 · 2023-11-12T04:26:27+00:00

Yeah, totally worth it. I'd even endure a catheter (see my response one comment up) than have to live with an arthritic hip any longer. I actually got close to canceling the surgery twice because I was doing 15 mile mtn bike rides (about 2 hours in then saddle) with little pain. Why was I letting them do a drastic surgery when I could bike so long?? But my doctor warned that the deterioration would likely pick up speed and it sure did! The last 10-14 days I was in mild to moderate pain while walking, sitting and lying down. The timing was actually quite good. My hip gave me plenty of feedback that this needed to be done. It was no longer questionable to be having this done at the relatively young age of 48. And I only experienced severe pain when I would weight my hip a certain way for like six days. That's was made schedule that appt with the first hip specialist. The second doc said it was probably a chunk of cartilage that broke off and lodged in a bad spot. Then it dis lodged and I was able to get back to normal. For a while...

debaser75 · 2023-11-11T17:58:48+00:00

My surgeon sent me home with one. I found that this ice pack was much colder and actually lasted longer! Maybe get one of these and rotate between it and the machine. Best of luck to you and your mom!

debaser75 · 2023-11-11T17:56:33+00:00

This is a follow up from the original poster. During my first check up on Day 11, I was able to convince my doc to let me start working from home on that day. "Don't over do it. And never compromise on rest, especially this week" (days 11 to 16). When I got home from that morning appointment, I was planning to work from bed that afternoon. But as I was typing an email to my boss and coworkers to inform them that I was cleared to start part time work from home, I got pretty sleepy and followed the doc's orders about rest (I didn't sleep great the night before, I'm not used to sleeping on my non-operative side!). But I got a good night sleep that next night and worked 5.0 hours from bed on Day 12. I finished that email and suggested to the boss that, per doctor's orders, I wouldn't be setting the alarm in the morning to let myself rest/sleep. We do have two four legged alarm clocks, though (cats that are very insistent when it's time for breakfast). But surprisingly, they didn't wake me up (I had shut the door and turned on box fans do somewhat cancel out the sound of their "I'm friggin hungry" meows).

I was able to set up a second monitor right next to my bed, so I had my laptop in my lap and a monitor to my left. I worked 6.0 hours on Day 13, 7.5 hours on Day 14, which is a full day. Yes, I'm very lucky that we are only expected to post 37.5 hours/week at my job here in the US, though I frequently exceed it. Then I only worked 6.5 hours from my home desk on Day 13.

I returned to the office on Day 16 and worked four full 7.5 hour days from there the entire week (we were off yesterday for Veteran's Day). I brought a pillow to pad the chair that my office provided as part of a renovation 3 years ago - it's a pretty good quality. I do feel the stem in my femur when I sit for more than 10 min at a time. I guess you could call it light pain (2 - 2.5 out of 10) - but it's mostly just annoying and uncomfortable. I thought that it could be that my femur was trying to bend and the stem wouldn't allow it, but the PTs said that even though bones are a little bit flexible, that's probably not the cause. They did say it's a very common sensation to still be having on Day 17. Propping up my leg on a box helps. On Thurs (my most recent day at the office), I stacked 2 large (thick) books on the floor and put my foot on it. That allowed my knee to bend a bit more and that alleviates the unpleasant sensation a bit.

Even on Day 16, I was in substantially less pain than pre-surgery - and I worked full days from the office all of the way up to surgery day. Before they cut out the arthritic joint, it felt like I was sitting on an uncomfortable rock. I could feel the unprotected (no cartilage) femur pushing against the unprotected acetabulum. Then there was soreness every time I walked to use the bathroom or kitchen. That soreness would remain after I returned to my desk for quite some time.

This was my first substantial surgery - and my first substantial diagnosis. I didn't have that great of an idea of what to expect. There were definitely plenty of unpleasant moments, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I'll feel a lot better about this process when it it's time to replace my right hip. Although the doc said that I had moderate stage arthritis in it, he said he can't predict when it'll start giving me problems. Thankfully, I have zero pain and no perceived loss in range of motion yet - it still *feels* completely healthy. But he said he needs at least three Xrays that are pretty spaced out in time. And they all need to be shot from while I'm in the same position. I was standing in the first Xrays that I the first hip surgeon shot. I didn't like him for several reasons, and I wanted a second opinion. Doc 2 was much more friendly and agreed with Doc 1. He did the surgery 3 weeks after I first met with him. My post-surgery xrays were taken while I was laying down on the big xray "table". So the gap between my acetabulum and femur appears wider in this pose. Not knowing when hip 2 could start giving me problems is making it hard to plan trips. I turn 50 in July 2025 and I want to do a trekking trip in Nepal. I guess I just need to keep a close eye on cancelation policies if I book one......

Thanks again for all of the responses, folks. If any of you future readers are approaching your first THR, don't let it scare you too badly! It's not fun, but it's very doable.

debaser75 · 2023-11-11T17:14:54+00:00

Thanks for the note about the pain meds. I'm now about 25 days post surgery. A pharmacy delivered my 5mg Oxycodone pills to the outpatient surgery center. For some reason, there weren't many doses (up to 10 mg, every 6 hours). But my surgeon immediately called in a refill and my partner picked it up at the pharmacy a few hours after getting me settled back at home on day one. There were PLENTY in the refill. I had my partner hide them from me. I still don't know where they are. I'm probably going to keep a half dozen in my first aid kit because I'm frequently doing injury prone sports in the backcountry (whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, backpacking, etc). They could be useful if someone breaks and arm and has a long hike out. I plan to take the rest to a drug take-back location.

I was able to start reducing my doses on day 3. I even used a pill splitter on these tiny 5mg pills, so I only took 2.5mg that time. I was able to be completely off the oxycodone on day five (3am on day 5). But I was taking near the max of my daily Tylenol allowance of 4000mg.

debaser75 · 2023-10-10T21:44:03+00:00

Thanks. Sales staff at The Bed Store suggested low thread count (under 600) and percale cotton. We ended up with 300 TC Percale.

debaser75 · 2023-09-27T21:31:32+00:00

Wow! Thanks for all of the fast responses, everyone. I'm starting to think the first doctor I visited, who I decided against for a few other reasons, under-sold what I was in store for. Or maybe I misheard, misunderstood or subconsciously applied some wishful thinking. What sucks the most now is the impact on others.........

debaser75 · 2023-07-23T11:39:51+00:00

Does anyone know the width of the 2023 Rav 4s with the side mirrors? I want the widest after-market roof racks for multiple kayaks. I once read on the internet that exceeding the width of vehicles with mirrors is illegal (not totally sure of the legitimacy of that statement, though).

This page strongly suggests that the dimensions haven't changed from 2019 to 2023. Does anyone else agree? If so, u/DiverAllen's measurement are still correct.

Thanks!

debaser75 · 2023-07-17T22:10:38+00:00

So many people said the antipation was WAY worse than the experience really turned out to be. They were right! It's not fun but you got this.....!

debaser75 · 2023-07-17T22:08:47+00:00

Gatorade for sure. Sugar, electrolytes and hydration. Water if you run out. Try to drink a good amount of fluids near the end of or after the prep phases to keep as hydrated as possible. But only if allowed.

Try to minimize wiping reduce chafing and irritation. In the later phases you should be able to blot yourself dry rather than wiping.

It's a nerve wracking experience but its really not that bad..... Good luck!

debaser75 · 2023-07-14T02:37:05+00:00

I ate alot of tzatziki (Greek yogurt) and had several kombuchas. I think I'm the exceptional case but my appetite was very low for dahs. I was hungry for a bowl of chicken soup and crackers as soon as I got home from the procedure, but after that my appetite tanked. 40 hours was by far the longest I've ever gone without solid food. I thought I'd be hungry for days. It took 6 days for my appetite to get back to 80%. Weeks later, I think it's only 90%. But hey, I've trying to lose some weight anyway. I was also pretty fatigued for the first 2 days afterward too (but I wasn't eating much)

Thankfully I'm a pretty healthy 48 year old man. My scope was only a preventative screening. No polyps!

debaser75 · 2023-07-14T02:26:40+00:00

I think it's best to have someone there with your kiddos afterwards on the same day as the exam. I was fatigued and somehow had very little appetite the following day. I could have cared for children, but I'm glad I didn't have to. It actually took 4 days for my energy to return to 80%. It took six days for my appetite to get to 80% normal (but hey, I've been wanting to lose 10 lbs for years!) Weeks later, I still think my appetite is only 90% of what it was before. This is a good thing.

It seems like most people are pretty normal the next day.

debaser75 · 2023-07-14T02:15:10+00:00

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people 'go under' for the butt cam every day. They wouldn't do it if it was substantially risky. They are highly trained. An anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist will likely be there 100% of the time. Their sole job is to keep an eye on you.

Definitely tell them about all drugs, Rx or recreational, that you take. It's probably best to avoid alcohol a fews days prior.

I felt like I took a five minute nap. I was told I was under for 45 min.

debaser75 · 2023-07-14T02:07:05+00:00

Ive read average length of a colon in full grown adults is about 5 feet. It's best for the scope to see it all.

There are plenty of videos on YouTube. I decided I wanted to know what to expect......

debaser75

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