Before the surgery I was really only thinking in terms of not having the use of one leg. In reality, not having one leg means you really don't have use of either of your hands/arms either because you will be using crutches.
The fifth day was also the day I was able to take a shower for the first time. It was a glorious day not being nauseated and also able to shower! I had borrowed a shower stool from a friend who had had a hip replacement and was glad I did. I had also borrowed a walker and found that was quite handy for the bathroom - it was easier to support myself on that getting in and out of the tub than on the crutches. Personal preference I guess. My shower doesn't have any grab bars but I wasn't so sure I wanted to stand on one leg as long as I planned to stay in that shower to scrub off all the betadine and bandage goo still on me.
Lesson: Someone needs to put the shower stool in the shower for you. Don't try this on your own.
Speaking of bandage goo - that thing hurt like hell coming off! Keep in mind my comment from a few days ago that the incisions were lower down than I expected. Although I thought I had shaved everywhere close to where they would be going, I could have gone further down on my thigh including the BACK and SIDE where the bandage was taped.
Lesson: Shave up down, back forward and everything within a mile of the surgical site.
Back to the shower. Be sure to take something to help you scrub off that bandage goo - I think I still have some stuck to the back of my thigh though. I probably need to look up what I can use to get it off. Probably vegetable oil...
Post shower...I could have used a stool to sit on to dry my hair. My good leg was getting very tired from too much attention and that hip isn't in such great shape either.
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