Too Young for This. Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the BHR

[Tin Soldier]

Sweet.  Always wanted to be in the army.  I'm going in next week for my 8-weeker.  Hoping to get my tags and make it official.  Sort of thought about riding my bike to Seattle for the appointment. That might be a little much.

Good job Dan.  That's got to be pretty cool.  I always wanted to get into SCUBA. 

Speaking of getting life back, I am so into biking to work, now.  I think I'm becoming a bike commute geek.  Making bike lights and dreaming of taking old army backpacks and turning them into cool panniers, thinking I might get some Portland hipster Capri pants and thick black rimmed glasses, maybe build a frame out of bamboo, and yelling at all the cyclists that blow through stop signs.  I love my new bearings!

[ScubaDuck]

You reminded me that I didn't get my tags.  Maybe it was because Susan was gone when I went for my nine week followup.  I will call.  The woman that was filling in said that Dr. P liked to do another followup in eight weeks.  Does that sound right to you?  It seems too soon.

Scuba is awesome!  I am a divemaster so I get to help new divers all the time.  I will shoe you some pictures when we get together.

I envy your ability to bike commute.  I have never had a shower at work.

Dan

[Luanna]

Curious about getting tags. What tags? Are they for members of the Pritchett army? What are they for?

Luanna

[Lopsided]

Stickers!

[Luanna]

Hi Lop, ??????????????????????

Definitions of stickers:
1. One that sticks, as a gummed or adhesive label or patch.
2. A tenacious, diligent, or persistent person.
3. A thorn, prickle, or barb.
4. Something puzzling or bewildering, as a riddle.

Curiouser and curiouser.
Luanna

[News Guy]

It's on like Donkey Kong. I am set for surgery with Dr. Pritchett on Monday January 23rd!

Though I keep in pretty good shape with P90x, Insanity and the weight room here at the station, I'm thinking about kicking it up a notch to try and get into peak condition (insofar as my hip will allow). From some of my reading around here and elsewhere, it seems those who go into surgery well conditioned, seem to make better progress after surgery.

Thoughts???

[ScubaDuck]

Absolutely!  Get in the best shape you can.  At this point you can't really do much more damage to the hip unless you get crazy.  Strengthen your upper leg muscles and core.  Stretch as much as your hip will allow.

I know that being in good shape has really helped me bounce back quickly.

Dan

[Lopsided]

Definitions of stickers:
1. One that sticks, as a gummed or adhesive label or patch.
2. A tenacious, diligent, or persistent person.
3. A thorn, prickle, or barb.
4. Something puzzling or bewildering, as a riddle.

It seems Luann, as if all implant devices come with identity stickers. These are sticky labels printed with important information for your device including manufacturer, alloy, fixation, size and batch numbers. There should be one set of stickers for each component, and each set has four or five identical stickers. For a standard resurfacing there are two components, so there are two sets of stickers. For modular implants and bolts and pins, there are often many components and so many sets of stickers.

The stickers, or one from each set, are attached to your medical records.

Many surgeons give the remainder of the stickers to the patients, but for some reason, some surgeons seem to forget that the patients might be interested in their own implants.

It is important to have the stickers yourself in case of future problem. You might be abroad, with a different insurance company, have an accident or whatever, and the treatment that you need depends of knowing precisely what implants you have got.

I have made up a card with a copy of my x-ray on one side, and a copy of the stickers (I keep the originals safe) on the other, which I keep in my wallet. It is a better conversation piece than the pictures of my children.

If you do not have the stickers, ask your surgeon or hospital for them.

Curiouser and curiouser.

I hope you understand dear Alice.

[23109VC]

I'm 39 and had my hip resurfaced about 8 months ago by Dr. Gross.

I wish I had done it sooner.  My situation was a lot like yours..lli had pain for a LNG time.lit gradually became worse and worse and less bearable.  When I could barely put my shoes and sockson it really hit me how incapacitated I really was.

I easily squat down to put them on now.  I,still remember the first time I sat up completely straight after surgery...without any pain..lbefore surgery I couldn't do it.

Get it fixed.  You will wish you did it sooner!!

[Luanna]

Lop, Thanks for explaining about the stickers. I'll ask for them.

News Guy, I was given simple PT exercises by Pritchett to help keep the small muscles near the hip toned. Also did weight training focused in legs as well as upper body. Also found Tai Chi and Qigong great for balance and pain relief. There is a weight lifting protocol called Super Slow that is very effective. Capitol Hill has a gym and trainers using this method. Extreme but safe as you have a trainer with you for each exercise and rep.

Luanna

[Tin Soldier]

Tags!  Stickers is probably a more appropriate term.

Dan - I only had the 8 week post op appointment on the first hip and I suspect that will be it until a year out. 

[Luanna]

You reminded me that I didn't get my tags.  Maybe it was because Susan was gone when I went for my nine week followup. 

Hi Dan, Susan told me that I needed to contact Swedish Medical Center - Medical Records Dept. and request them. So, I just did that. I can email you contact info if you like.

Luanna

[ScubaDuck]

Luanna, that would be great.  I just left a message for Susan today to check on when Dr. P wants to see me again (if at all) and to get my tags.

Dan

[BrianROC]

I had bilateral hip resurfacing ten months ago, when I was 38.  I had similar concerns about needing both hips replaced at my age. 

Fast forward ten months and I am now doing things I was not able to do for years, like running, playing basketball, riding my motorcycle and putting on my shoes and socks without pain.

Successful surgery will give you your life back. 

[Tin Soldier]

Sorry for a little thread creep, but the stickers, or "tags" as Lop likes to call them, used to be handed over to Pritchett, at least up until my first HR (Feb 2011), but now as Luanna and Dan pointed out, you indeed need to contact the hospital to get them.  I have no idea how it goes at other hospitals and other surgeons.  Wouldn't hurt to ask the surgeon during a post op visit. 

News - I had a fun conversation with Pritchett today.  He almost left without me asking a few questions.  Once I started asking questions he stuck around.  He's got a lot of history with HR.