Second dislocation! Arrrrrrrgh!

[nemuiko]

It happened AGAIN.  I had just hit the 3-month mark and was just starting to feel comfortable cruising down the sidewalk on one crutch and hobbling around the apartment with my cane.  It's starting to get extremely hot and humid here (skirt weather) in Tokyo and, a couple of weeks ago I was chatting with a friend online (at 1AM) with my knees together.  It's kind of a habit when I wear a skirt.  This time, when my dislocation occurred, I knew EXACTLY what had happened.  I couldn't reach my cellphone though so  had to bang on the wall with my crutch to wake up my roommate.  She called 119 (our 911) and they were here instantly, throwing stuff across the room and hauling me out the door.  I was a lot more careful not to move my leg this time but, being the middle of the night, my doc really DIDN'T come to the hospital this time.  The procedure was performed by the on-call doctor and, when I woke up, it hurt a LOT more than the previous time.  Getting decent painkillers from the resident in the ER was like getting blood from a stone.  He realized I refused to get out of my bed so, after about 3 hours and numerous phone calls to his Godfather of Pain, they finally gave me a couple of IV's of the good stuff.  As if I suck my femur up into my waist so I can get drugs for kicks!  Sheesh!  I had a very important birthday party to attend two days later, so I killed the pain with lots of alcohol and am told I stupidly tossed my crutches aside and shifted around on the dance floor.  I've spent the last week and a half in bed with a cold and a fever (which is OK, since doc told me to stay at home for a couple of weeks).  What irritates me the most is that he TOLD me I would be OK after 3 months.  I ASSUMED that meant I would have a normal range of motion--knees together, etc.  Apparently I will NEVER be able to wear a skirt again?!?!?!  He also (BELATEDLY) informed me that every time I dislocate my hip, it sets back my progress by ONE MONTH, which means I have to wait until SEPTEMBER to start looking for a job (assuming it doesn't get dislocated again).  I've had several teaching jobs over the years, but most of the teaching jobs available involve children.  How the hell am I supposed to keep up with them?  I was offered a job by a random Nigerian man on the street shortly before this dislocation.  It would only involve sitting at a table with drunk businessmen, getting drunk and telling them how clever they are.  Having worked in admin at a college it would be a strange career move, and my husband would never respect me again but HEY!  It's MONEY!  Oh yes and BTW I also take sleeping pills every night...hate sleeping on my back!  PPS I finally took a short walk today to the 7-11 where (not being able to jump out of the way like normal walking people) I inadvertently stomped on the sandaled foot of a young woman.  Whoops!  Sorry!  Cripple coming through!  Japanese people need walking lessons.  On the walk home I stuck my right arm straight out to the side so as to avoid further mishaps.  I'd rather people looked at me like an insane foreigner than maim or be maimed.

[Pat Walter]

I am really sorry to hear about your second dislocation! I am sure it is terribly painful and frightening.

I have only heard of several dislocations, but of course I don't know about everyone that has ever occured since not everyone in the world posts here.  It is an unusual occurance and fortunately, for others, it has not happened very often.

I don't know what to say for advice.  I am not medically trained and would assume being cautious would be enough.  I guess I would wonder at this point if your acetabular cup and femur cap have been placed properly.  Several of the best surgeons in the world will give you free email consultations if you contact them and attach copies of your x-rays in a digitial format as a .jpg   I would drop Dr. De Smet of Belgium and Dr. Bose of India emails with your x-rays and ask their opinons.  They are among the best in the world and very, very experinced.  They might be able to tell you if something is wrong with the placement of your device or give you other suggestions.

I wish I could give you more guidence, but again, I am not medically trained.  I am giving your Dr. De Smet's and Dr. Bose's information below.

Pat

Dr. Vijay C. Bose
1400 Hip Resurfacings to date ***
BHR Regional centre - India
Apollo Speciality Hospital, 320, Mount Road, Chennai - 600035. INDIA
E-Mail: bose5vijay@hotmail.com
Telephone: 0091-44-(0) 98400 - 32251
Hip Resurfacing India Website


Dr. Koen De Smet
3000 Hip Resurfacings to date ***
ANCA Clinic
AMC-Gent
Krijgslaan 181
9000 Ghent
BELGIUM
Phone: +(1)32 9 2525903
Fax: +(1)32 9 2526457
+1 for USA & Canada:
E-mail: helpdesk@heup.be
ANCA Clinic Website