Recent Email

I just wrote this email to someone having surgery soon. I figured it could help other people out too:

I had that surgery on August 29th. Was released on the 30th and crutched to my second story apartment. If you are leaving later the second day, just stay the night be cause they are charging you for day two anyway! (I wish I had known this). Plus if it is the weekend, most likely the pharmacy will be closed and you WILL notice when the pain meds start wearing off.

A raised toilet seat is a plus! The orthopedic nurses ordered me one as well as a shower chair. The original seat didn't fit the toilet so I had to be watched until the stable bedside commode (this can be placed over your toilet) came in. This cost more but the handles came in handy. I also slept propped up with pillows and one under my knee (I'm still doing the knee pillow).

I also stopped taking the narcotics about day 4. When you are on them make sure to take a stool softener. They forgot to tell me this. Trust me take the stool softener.

After one week I was off the CPM and TED tights. I was also cleared to drive, swim, stationary bike, and to walk without crutches around my apartment. I began walking about 14 days out but I'm still not 100% stable (only walking around the apartment, crutches everywhere else). I stated swimming MWF two Wednesday's after my surgery. The walking and freestyle have really helped! I do have a word of warning, stay away from the breaststroke for a while, that one hurt!

I returned to work September 15th, 4 hours per day. For the first week after 4 hours I was sore and grumpy, but a 2 hour nap solved that problem every time! I'm entering week 2 of work. I'm still part time but slowly increasing my hours.

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any further questions!

Fall and Go BOOM!

I am three weeks out from my surgery. Week two I started swimming (20 min ~3x a week) and using the stationary bicycle ( 10 min ~2x week). I have also been walking around my apartment without crutches for about a week now. Last week was my first back to work and I went 4 hours a day. It was definitely tough (and school days even tougher). By the end I was crabby and in pain, plus Tylenol wasn't cutting it. (Working in aerospace doesn't give to well with the narcotics so I'm left with Ibuprofen and Tylenol right now). But overall life is grand!

So I wanted to share a little story. This past Thursday was supposed to be bike day (10 minutes), but before hand I wanted to make chocolate pudding. I needed my measuring cup which was in the back of a bottom cabinet. I was squatting and reaching when my knee popped! It didn't hurt but the next thing I knew I was collapsed on my back on my kitchen floor. I'm really glad I didn't land on my newly fixed hip!! I was more shaken up than anything else. Lesson of the day: Don't make pudding before working out!!

Update

Tomorrow will be two weeks since my surgery. The surgery went really well. Dr. Polloski (sp) preformed his arthoscope first with my leg in traction. There was a bit more damage than they were expecting so he cut off two cartilage tears and then melted the rest of the cartilage back into place. Then Dr. Sink opened my hip joint from the front side and removed bone from my femorial head and neck region. After removing the bone, he placed his finger in the removed area and moved my leg around... no impingment!!!

Then I was off to recovery. When I woke up I kept saying "My hip hurts" over and over again but I guess it came out as grunts. lol They finall figured it out and gave my a little over 3 mL of morphine directly into my hip (a person my size can have up to 10 mL). It knocked me right out and the nurse commented "she's just a baby." LOL a 5'9" person is not a baby, but I sure can't take my pain meds. The doctors and nurses ended up having a powow after this to discuss the lack off tolerance in pain meds. After than I was put on a 0.6 mL morfine pump (the lowest posible dosage).

The first day I slept most of the time. I was lucid while they hooked me up to the CPM (continous passive motion machine) that moved my leg up and down. It REALY hurt and first but then got better.

Time to make a list with my mom. I'll update the rest later.

Alive!

I'm alive and well!! My surgery went great and I came home the next night (Saturday). Yesterday I spent the day sleeping and having snacks. Today is even better! Maybe I'll venture outside for a bit. I'll update on the surgery and hospital soon!

Take care!