Just got back home from LBHR in Seattle

[Tin Soldier]

I just got home yesterday from the hospital, had a BHR placed on the left side by Pritchett at Swedish Ortho Institute on Tuesday afternoon (2/22/11).  I was super anxious and now I'm just trying to get my guts back in place from all the meds.  I don't think oxycodone and I agree.  I'll send more info later but for now, here's a summary:

Bests - 1.  Ice chips never tasted so good in recovery
           2.  Warm blankets never felt so good in recovery
           3.  Never knew hospital meatloaf was that good
           4.  Unloading 4 solids meals with prune juice and coffee never felt so good
           5.  Having my beautiful wife be at my bedside the whole time

Worsts - 1.  Pre-op anxiety for a whole freakin week
             2.  Recovery shakes
             3.  First PT session, made my cry like a baby, made my wife almost pass out
             4.  Drive home,5 hours with traffic and snow
             5.  First night at home, kids wigged out, nausea, everyone saying, "what the hell did we get ourselves into?"

Today is much better.  My Dad reminded me, like many of you here, that recovery is not exponential or linear, you have good days and you have bad days.

Thanks to everyone's support.  BTW - I told Pritchett that I'm not signing up for number just yet, he understood.

[halfdone]

Congratulations!  Wise father.  No rush, just let things settle.  Celebrate the small victories as you progress. 

Best wishes.

[ScubaDuck]

Glad to hear you are safely back home.  The weather almost trapped you in Seattle for a few extra days.

So it sounds like everything went smoothly.  I will be interested in more details as you have time.  If I didn't mention before, I have a consultation with Dr. Pritchett in two weeks.  Send me a private message if you don't want to broadcast it.

Just remember that this pain is only temporary and replaces a pain that would have worsened and been permanent.

[newdog]

Congradulations Tin Soldier on your new HR!

Yes, there will be ups and downs during recovery. I think the first days are the worst. I too was nauseous for a few days after wards, not throwing up, just felt sick. I think it was the heavy meds. Rest and do what the doc says and let us know how you are doing.

Steve

[Dayton96]

Well done Tin Soldier.  I've enjoyed your story and appreciated your sense of humor.  Keep it up. 

Mac

[maxi]

well done cobber ....     each day is new and presents a new challenge  ......

enjoy the victories as they happen ...

im 3 weeks out now and progressing each day .. pain has all but subsided  . now, to work on my med addiction ...

cheers  paul

[Tin Soldier]

I love you guys!  and that's not the oxycontin talking.  Done with that crap.

Hey I started a blog which might be a little long-winded for folks, but I've seen others do it.  People might say, "yeah another blog, whatever".  I had a couple of objectives in mind.  It helps me remember the whole thing, which was a fairly big event in my life, and it updates friends and family, and who knows, maybe someone in the hip community will get something out of it.  URL is below.

http://onehipdude.blogspot.com

My wife came up with the title.  Pretty clever, but like Halfdone, what will I do when I get the other hip done?  Nohipdude, 2hipdude?  BTW - not thinking about the other hip right now. 

[ScubaDuck]

Hey thanks for the link to the blog.  What a great idea.

That seems like a bigger incision than I imagined.  Oh well, there goes my underwear model career.

I hope everything is going well.  I am excited for my appointment.

Dan

[maxi]

just checked your blog out

thats one hell of a suture job there mate ..

happy healing ..

[newdog]

Love the blog! After seeing the suture pic, I need to bleach my eyes out though. Just kidding, it is interesting to see the "suture artwork" of the surgeons. I wonder if they sign our implants?
Now I suppose I'll be looking at guys behinds in the locker room to see if anyone else has surgical scars like ours. LOL!!

Steve (newdog)

[Tin Soldier]

That's pretty funny.  I had a friend in high school that had both lungs collapse within the same year (but not at the same time).  He had scars from the drain holes opposite each other on each side of his chest.  One was a little lower than the other and so he used to joke around like he was hit with a javelin. :o  It really did look like that could have happened.  Yet he was standing there telling you, so it couldn't have been real.  I would think the heart would have been perforated if you really had a javelin go through your chest.

Anyway, if and when I get the next hip done, it might look like a shark chomped on my arse.   

BTW - for anyone interested, I'll try to keep updating the blog.  Thanks for the support.