Hi all I have just had a total hip replacement and was wondering if any of you have had one and continued with caravaning without hindrance.
I have booked our first outing in a static, the first in the van is mid July, and I am looking at getting a mains water line and waste hose to eliminate the waste and water hogs.
I had mine done 15 years ago and continued caravanning, the only problem I had was it did reduce my mobility but I rapidly learnt what and what not to do.
saxo1
Not a caravanner, but a pal had a hip replacement, and after suitable recovery period went back to his job as an electrician, now that involved all sorts of manual labour, up steps/ladders, clambering into awkward places etc., he had no problems at all.
Think there may be a few positions that you shouldn't adopt as puts excessive strain on joint, but medics will instruct on that, can't see caravanning being a problem once fully recovered from op, and maybe just a little adjustment to routine.
Thanks all, would love to be in a position to change the car, but I ain't. Hopefully by July I shall be reasonably mobile, and like mentioned, care will be taken.👍
Had my first KNEE replacement 15 years ago and have managed perfectly well with that - had the other one done two years ago and still managing. Our problem ould be if we get the van stuck in mud but that's not happened yet.
My wife had a hip replacement which later became infected and had to be removed. this involved removing a lot of her pelvis and splitting the femur to remove the cemented in spike.
Then they filled the void with bags of antibiotic beads and sent her home until the infection abated enough to fit another hip. this took 13 months.
All this time we used the MH. I modified the steps and we used the bike rack for the wheelchair. She has a new hip and is a lot better now and we have changed to a caravan as it is lower for access.
She now waits with trepidation for the other hip to be replaced
I had my right hip replaced in 2010 and resumed caravanning 12 weeks later. Later that year we even went to France for six weeks. As others have said you really must stick at the physio to get back into shape. Once I had fully recovered from the operation my mobility was far, far better than it was before. Within less than a year I didn't even know I had, had the operation. Wonderful being pain free.
thanks again looking forward to getting away again. So I am looking at serviced pitches to make things easier, what length of waste hose do you use, dont want to go overkill?
May be a bit much, but what will do a lot will do a little.
Bit like wrestling a snake when packing up though.
Couple of bungees stop it coming alive again.
We use 10 metre flexi cut into 3 with couplers to fit most situations.
The couplers are also handy to couple ends together when storing to avoid smelling
Quote: Originally posted by cliffbrown on 13/3/2021
...... what length of waste hose do you use, dont want to go overkill?
I bought a 10m length, cut it into 3.5m/6.5m lengths, and with the aid of a push fit joint, I can use 3.5m, 6.5m or 10m long to suit the pitch.
You really don't want an unnecessarily long run, as it tends not to lay flat and seriously impedes water drainage, with my mix and match set up I can cope with drains close to van and more distant shared between pitches drains, or dump into hedges etc. on CL sites, as the need arises.
10m may be a little bulky, but it's light, and fits in my front full width gas locker easily. Store it in a stuff bag or keep it coiled with Velcro straps etc. otherwise it's a beast with a mind of it's own that will fight you and take over your locker!
I'm eighty one with two new knees and still caravan. Hubby does a lot of the work but I help. We go on more service pitches now than we used to but that is the only change. I still tow, when needed, fill the water containers, help to set up but leave hubby to do most of the awning, I stand there with the poles.😊
PS I still ride a bike although it is an electric one.
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