IT'S ALMOST TIME!!!

[obxpelican]

Glad to hear that all went well with Dr. Gross, most of us just did not have much pain at all until day 2, then it won't really be that bad.

Now on to number two!

Please give Lee and Dr. Goss our best regards

Chuck

[Dayton96]

OK Dan.  No beer, then I might as well stick with Dr. Gross. 

Steve, you may not realize it, but your posts help those of us who are next up, to get in the proper frame of mind for our own surgery.  Years ago when I was in the army, I used to hate not knowing how long our different training runs were going to be.  I could run 10 or 15 miles without a hitch, but I hated starting a morning run and not knowing if it was going to be a 3 mile run or a 10 mile run.  That's one of the reasons I'm planning on reading posts like yours the last few weeks prior to my surgery.  It's a way of getting my head where it needs to be for the surgery.  Even if I know there is pain and a lot of work ahead, knowing what to expect makes it all much easier.  So keep up those posts. 

Mac 

[Lopsided]

Mac, I would stick with Dr. De Smet, not just for the hip, but the whole experience is worthwhile. Also, he is quite accommodating and understanding, and you could request to change from general anesthetic to an almighty p*ss up in the pre-op room.

If you do, please post his reaction.

D.

[Dayton96]

Dan,

I will just have to settle for a bad bottle of wine or a couple of really good beers a few days before going under the knife with Dr. Gross.  I have followed your posts of your own journey last year to Belgium and Dr. De Smet.  I'm hoping you will continue posting about your recovery in Thailand.  For obvious reasons, I'm curious how much pressure you put on your cementless device and how it holds up over the years. 

Mac

[newdog]

Hello everyone!
I am in my second day as a Surface Hippy. So far it is not bad at all. The incision soreness has set in but it's really not that bad. The hardest thing is moving the operated leg on and off of the bed. I am walking around the hospital floor with crutches and my wife tags along for safety. I can put pressure on the new hip surfaces and I can't feel a thing pain wise. All I feel is the soreness as I expected. However, the good thing I can feel is the smoothness of my new hip surface. The cricking and popping noises are gone. Now I notice those noises and sensations even more in the undone hip. Maybe it knows it's next LOL!! I can't wait until it's healed enough that I can go for walks again.
I go in tomorrow to get the second hip done. I'm a little anxious but nothing real bad. Over all this has been a very interesting and exciting ordeal. Everyone here has been exceptional.
I will say Hi to Dr. Gross for all of you.

Steve (newdog).

[obxpelican]

So glad to hear things are going so well for you.

Good luck on the next one too!


Chuck

[Pat Walter]

Good Luck on the next one.  YOu will soon have 2 smooth hips!  Looking forward to hearing from you when you can post again.

Pat

[andybc]

Brilliant that it's going well. Do keep us informed of your progress. I think accounts written while you're still in hospital are really valuable.

Re food in Belgium - I know this a bit off subject, but as it's been mentioned in this thread, thought I would recount a sketch of the Brit comedian Rowan Atkinson:

He's been having Belgian lessons with a teacher, prior to visiting the country. On his last lesson, before leaving the next day, he asks the teacher - "How do I say, to my Belgian hosts  - Thank you, that was the best meal I've ever had? The teacher replied - Monsieur, you will not need that phrase in Belgium!

(Acutally, they do wonderful Chateaubriand, in Belgium and the frites are to die for.)

Andy bc

[newdog]

Hello everyone,

I AM DONE!!!

Dr. Gross did my left hip today  (1-12-2011). I had my right done (1-10-2011. Now the challenge begins.
Things went very smoothly. For those of you future Hippies, I can honestly say, there is nothing to worry about concerning the surgery. I was nervous right before both surgeries, the second one not as nervous as the first. You will be put under and you won't feel a thing. I had a spinal anesthetic along with a regular one and it works very well.
I am relieved that it is done. My pain level never went above a 2 so far. All I feel now is a little soreness at the surgery sites. When I walked in the hall way with a walker I noticed the smoothness in the joints. No more clicking and popping sounds. It's amazing.
If you have a good surgeon there is nothing to worry about concerning the surgery. If any future Hippies want to email me with any questions, go ahead.

I am so looking forward to this Spring, I'll be able to do what I want, especially day hikes with my wife.

Steve   (newdog)
Surface Hippy and Bi-lateral

[FlbrkMike]

Congratulations Steve!!  I hope your recovery goes as smoothly as your surgery. 

I'm a little jealous, because I have a month left to wait.

[BrianROC]

Good luck with your recovery Steve.

[23109VC]

Steve-

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  I thought of you Monday morning as I was walking into my office... I honestly thought...  "that guy on surfacehippy.com is getting his hip done right now!!"... and I wished the best for you.  :)   

I'm so glad to hear that you are DONE!  You must feel great!!!

You have no idea how HELPFUL your posts are.  I know I will be exactly like you - I'm not going to freak out when I go in for surgery, ,but I'm not some fearless macho guy... I have no problem admitting that I know I will be scared... to some degree.  I figure there is something wrong with a person if they don't at least have some degree of fear when they think about the fact that someone is about to cut them open, drill on their bones with stuff that looks like power tools, and put in metal devices....  yes.. that sounds scary.  All those "what if this..what if that.. will it hurt".. all that stuff is going throuhg my mind..as I"m sure it did yours.. 

I had a hernia fixed several years ago...and that is minor/routine stuff compared to a hip resurfacing..and I was kind of nervous going into that...  on that one my son who was then about 4 or 5 wrote me a card that said "daddy be brave"....  that helped...

I'm going to do my best to "be brave"... but reading these positive reassuring posts from someone who just went through it is VERY comforting.

Keep posting... I"m curious to know how you feel in the following days..how long you stay in the hospital for, how fast you feel ready to go home, how the trip home was, etc.

are you flying out of Columbia, or driving to Charleston and flying from there?  The flights all seem a lot cheaper if you fly in/out of Charleston...so my plan is to fly in/out of there, and rent a car to drive into Columbia.  My wife is coming and she can do all the driving on the way back. :) 

hey, is the hospital hooked up on wifi?  I have an iPad (courtesy of Santa) but it's not 3G, only wifi....  I plan to bring it so I can do my own posts to surfacehippy when I"m there... 

I also am planning on making some videos/movies of before /after.  I"m goign to take some HD video of how bad I am right now..showing all the stuff I can't do... show how restricted my movement is... etc...  do some video of the trip...and then I'll do some "after/recovery" video...   should be cool.

Keep thinking about the hiking and other stuff you'll be able to do when you are 100% recovered!! 

you did the cementless device right?  I think practically all the ones Dr. Gross does now are uncemented....

CONGRATS!!

[Dayton96]

Congratulations Steve.  I was wondering how you were doing.  I'm impressed you are already up on your walker. 

Mac

[BrianROC]

Steve-

are you flying out of Columbia, or driving to Charleston and flying from there?  The flights all seem a lot cheaper if you fly in/out of Charleston...so my plan is to fly in/out of there, and rent a car to drive into Columbia.  My wife is coming and she can do all the driving on the way back. :) 

hey, is the hospital hooked up on wifi?  I have an iPad (courtesy of Santa) but it's not 3G, only wifi....  I plan to bring it so I can do my own posts to surfacehippy when I"m there... 

You may want to look at flights into Charlotte.  It was much cheaper for me to fly there than other airports in the area.  Charlotte is only about an hour and a half from the hospital, which does have wifi. 

[Pat Walter]

Hi Steve

Congratulations on having both hips done.  You will be on the road to recovery and running all over this summer.  Keep in touch.  I wish you the best of luck and no pain or bumps in the road.

Pat

[littleb]

I am glad all worked out so well. What always makes me smile is reading outcomes within hours of surgery that are fully coherent and informative.

[AlanN]

Great stuff Steve and congratulations!

All the best for your recovery process and keep us informed  ;)