Interstate usage with a new hip

[Titus]

My wife, who is not yet 60, was playing basketball and fell and broke her hip. She is on day 3 after a total hip replacement and is being cautioned on all kinds of things to not do - at least for the short term. Wondering if anybody out there has advice on using an Interstate (or not) after things have healed:
1) Getting up into and down out of the Interstate
2) Using the small bathroom. Right now she is being advised to put her bad leg out when sitting down. There is little 'leg out' room in the Interstate bathroom.
3) Getting in and out of a lounge bed. I have never understood why some have converted to twin beds - but maybe we should now do so???
4) Other problems that I have not thought of?

We had a trip planned for early Oct, that is likely not going to happen. But what about even being able to use it next year?

[wachuko]

Titus, very sorry to read this. Hoping she has a fast recovery.

[InterBlog]

Sorry to hear this.

Was basketball a regular thing for your wife?

I ask because there are VAST differences in recoverability based on physical fitness and intended activity levels. If your wife was a regular player, and/or a fitness buff generally, she might not suffer much long-term degradation at all in her abilities. So the Interstate might not turn into an issue for you.

I've got clients who have replaced this, that, and the other body part due to physical lifestyles including work in the heavy industrial realm. The ones who are very physically-oriented generally... often times, I'd never guess that they are partially constructed of titanium. They experience very few restrictions.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Titus

Wondering if anybody out there has advice on using an Interstate (or not) after things have healed:
1) Getting up into and down out of the Interstate
2) Using the small bathroom. Right now she is being advised to put her bad leg out when sitting down. There is little 'leg out' room in the Interstate bathroom.
3) Getting in and out of a lounge bed. I have never understood why some have converted to twin beds - but maybe we should now do so???
4) Other problems that I have not thought of?

My sixty-two year old wife is about twelve years into a total hip replacement, a year into a partial knee, and five or six years with a new aortic valve.

Your wife (especially with her apparent fitness level) will be just fine using all of the facilities in the AI once the joint is healed and she's finished physical therapy. There will be some minor angle limitations with the new joint, but basically she'll be able to return to all normal activities within a few months. Physical therapy is, of course, key to recovery. If she does well with that, she'll be good-as-new.

My wife prefers the walk-around Sleep Number mattress queen in our Born Free Super-C, but she's does just fine in our front-sleeper AI, which is probably even more of an issue getting in and out of than your rear lounge sleeper.

[Hawk-ination]

So sorry to hear of her accident! Keep the faith she will be okay and heal up. My daughter was in a full leg cast a few years ago and we had to make a lot of adjustments for a while, but it does pass. PT works wonders!! Hang in there!

[InterBlog]

PT does work wonders, especially when it emulates the natural conditions under which we evolved.

[OTRA15]

Echoing the benefits of PT . . . done carefully and fully. Progress in this will gradually inform the answers to your questions. We each heal at our own pace, and creating expectations is not all that helpful at this point [IMO].

You might want to ask the doctor and the PT staff, about what the future holds in store. They are the pro's.

"To Every Thing, There Is A Season . . . "

[Ron1934]

May have sent incomplete reply so again.First best wishes for your wife rapid recoveryI. Now 85 I was an ardent racquet ball player until back surgery at 79 and empathize with your wife’s concerns to return to an athletic life style.You might consider using suction grab bars for her support, I use four in my Sport 16 for getting up and down and general stability moving from point A to point B.
Best
Ron

[Alex AVI]

TITUS - Very sorry to hear about the accident and surgery. All the best for her speedy recovery (and yours too, because it takes its toll on both of you). My wife had done surgeries many moons ago when she did ortho cases but she still does not know all the stuff going into PT, especially with today's PT advances. Luckily, my son-in-law is a local PT so I will ask him if he has any info that may help with our/your lifestyle involvement in the Class B rv. He is obviously very familiar with the tight quarters, so will ask and forward anything he has. I just had a good cycling buddy who had reconstruction on both legs and both hips due to accident. Even though he wasn't the fittest in our group, the orthopod said his fitness level (which was better than most his/our age) did wonders in how fast he recovered. It does make a big difference how good your system was prior to accident into contributing to faster healing.

Best to you both.

[wkerfoot]

Having gone through two hip replacements, the cautions I was given are:
1) don't bring the foot past the centerline of your body; 2) keep the angle between your trunk and leg greater than 90 degrees and 3) don't point your toes in toward the other foot. In both sitting down and standing up keep the bad leg forward and don't bend at the hip to make the angle less than 90 degrees. The last think you want to do is dislocate the new hip, so be cautious.


If she is moving and walking the trip in October should be fine, but I don't know how long of a trip you were planning.


Bill

[PCJ]

When I had my hip replaced we were living in a split level home and I had to move slow down those steps to go out to walk. I'm sure they will tell her the importance of walking even after it first happens even when she may not want. Even ground is very important.

[Wazbro]

My father had both knees replaced claimed no pain during PT. Told me the most important things for PT was take the pain pills 2 hours before starting so there is little to no pain (they need time to start working). Also don't try to do less then they want you to.

[Al and Missy]

I have a Classic trailer, so I can’t speak with any authority to your situation with the Interstate but I am 3 months post replacement of my left hip and 6 years for the right.

I was lucky to be able to replace them prior to any injury and was therefore able to have the anterior, or front, approach. There is only one restriction for the front, i.e. I should not over extend the leg to the rear while turning the toes out. What I remember from the pre-surgery class is the restrictions for the side or rear approach are mostly of a temporary nature but the healing period is longer.

PT is a must and keep getting it until she is as good as she was before the fall, or better. I didn’t do enough PT after my first replacement. My left leg, with the new hip, is now stronger than my right and I am working on continuing to build strength in both with a home exercise machine which spent years as a clothes rack.

I am better able now to use our trailer than I have been in the last two years and do not feel that the hip replacements are constraining me in any way. You and your wife should have a discussion with the surgeon to be sure to understand the long term restrictions appropriate for her specific situation.

Best wishes for recovery and your continued enjoyment of your Interstate.

Al

[Alex AVI]

TITUS - Just to followup - spoke with my son in law who is a PT. He said he can have more specific precautionary things to suggest if he knew where the scar is (one of 3 locations - front, side, or rear). Also my wife said if your surgeon is old school (like her) they may have preferred the tried & true procedures & ball/socket replacement structures which could dislocate. But the more modern & advanced ball/sockets (while not yet having the long term data/history) used by the more cutting edge surgeons do not pop at all. This surprised me. So I re-asked to make sure and she confirmed the new ball/ socket designs will not pop out.

If you have not gotten any info yet from your current PT on long term future use of AI, you can PM me with the additional info if you want my son in law to recommend (if any) precautions/issues in long term AI use. He has a unique 1st hand experience with AI than most PTs since he travels in our's on most of our trips and knows the space constrictions well, not just seeing it, but using it 1st hand in long trips. I gould not rememver if you ate slao cyclists but he is also a long distance cyclist like me, so can also recommend bike specific recommendations.

Best to you both.

[Alex AVI]

TITUS - Just to followup - spoke with my son in law who is a PT. He said he can have more specific precautionary things to suggest if he knew where the scar is (one of 3 locations - front, side, or rear). Also my wife said if your surgeon is old school (like her) they may have preferred the tried & true procedures & ball/socket replacement structures which could dislocate. But the more modern & advanced ball/sockets (while not yet having the long term data/history) used by the more cutting edge surgeons do not pop at all. This surprised me. So I re-asked to make sure and she confirmed the new ball/ socket designs will not pop out.

If you have not gotten any info yet from your current PT on long term future use of AI, you can PM me with the additional info if you want my son in law to recommend (if any) precautions/issues in long term AI use. He has a unique 1st hand experience with AI than most PTs since he travels in our's on most of our trips and knows the space constrictions well, not just seeing it, but using it 1st hand in long trips. I could not remember if you are also cyclists but he is also a long distance cyclist like me, so can also recommend cyclist specific techniques.

Best to you both.

[Airtandem]

Too cautious. I was in my 70's when I had mine done. I was walking and climbing stairs day after surgery and home by noon. At 3 months I was riding recumbent bike 10 - 15 miles. DO THE PHYSICAL THERAPY , makes all the difference.
My incision was between 3 and 4 inches for the total hip.
mj

[Virgogirl]

Speaking as a Physical Therapist Assistant with 30 years experience...At this point your wife should be home and doing PT either in home or on an patient basis. She should make one of your her PT goals to practice all of these things, on and off toilet, in and out of your rig, on and off the bed. Her physical therapist should be more than happy to do all of these things to make sure she is safe and not breaking any hip precautions she may have. This should put you both at ease...
Good luck and safe travels

[CBM]

I had extra grab bars installed at all doors so I could use both hands getting in and out. For a while a riser on the toilet will help. Getting up from something too low can be a problem with a new hip. Her physical therapist should be able to give you some good suggestions. I’m in my 70’s and was able to get in the side pretty easily at 6 weeks and the passenger door at about 3 months. A little step stool helps.

[pebbrb05]

My wife was confined to wheelchair but could stand and maneuver inside.
Bought a hydraulic lift table from harbor freight. She would stand on lowered table, hold the rail and I would pump the hydraulic pedal. Lift height almost interstate floor level. It was on heavy side but I could roll or drag to and from rear and lift in and out. In down position took up almost no additional usable space.
As far twin beds just don’t fold one or both side couches and you have twins.

Bathroom is what it is.

Hope this helps.