Aggravating Semantics.

[katekosar]

This is just a random thought, but I put it out there because it bugs me.  Three years ago, with the left hip resurface, I'm down in physical therapy, and the PT refers to the surgical hip as the "bad" hip, and the nonsurgical hip as the "good" hip.  It just kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  I didn't want to call the surgical hip "bad."  Actually, I'd already named it Zelda.

So a couple of weeks ago, they roll me down to physical therapy after my second resurface, and by goodness the therapist referred to the surgical hip as the "bad" one and the former surgical hip the "good" one.   hunh?  It still aggravated me.  I figured I wasn't going to get in the therapist's gristle over semantics, but I don't want to refer to a rehabbing body part as "bad" under any circumstances.   I haven't found an appropriate name yet for Zelda's counterpart, but she's not going to have any negative implications when I do find one.

Do other people have this use of terms applied to their surgical and nonsurgical hips, or is this just a little unfortunate local custom?

~~ kate

[Pat Walter]

I am still laughing.  Thanks for the insight!  You could name the new one - BHR   bad hip repaired!    ;D  Oh, or would that be GHR - good hip repaired!

Pat    ;)

[China Lady]

yes, they have done that to me in HongKong also. I am bilateral, same theater time. the PT always told me to take special care of the "bad" side. but it makes sense in some way. one of my hips is a little bit slower with everything than the other one

[oldsoccerplayer]

How did you come up with the name "Zelda"?
I'm trying to suggest an appropriate name for the other hip but I don't know of any name that could easily be a partner. I like wordplays, so maybe "Adlez" (Zelda spelt backwards) would work?
Wikipedia just told me that the author Scott Fitzgerald's wife's name was Zelda, so how about Zelda and Scott?  :D

[patm]

I've worked in physical therapy for 14 years as a PTA and we were taught NOT to say the "bad leg", or shoulder or whatever, but it is still a great temptation to say it when teaching how to do stairs, etc ( up with the good, down with the bad) - what we were told to way was the "surgical hip", or if there wasn't surgery, maybe the "injured" knee, etc. But you are going to find most therapist saying "the bad leg", so especially if it really gets to you and irks you, then maybe make a joke of it and say "hey - that's not the BAD hip - that's ZELDA!

[hernanu]

My PT's (home and outpatient) didn't call them bad or good... just misunderstood....

No, really - they used "your hip" or "both hips" and somehow we all knew what was being spoken about.

I considered both bad before the surgery, the unoperated was my bad hip after I got the first done, since it was both painful and quickly outperformed by the operated.

Now I've got two rehabilitated good hips. No bad no mo'

[katekosar]

patm, that's exactly the context:  up with the good, down with the bad, on stairs.  It's an easy little ditty to remember, and probably that's why it's done that way.  I was so anal in middle school that my own personal up and down ditty in the back of my mind is "xylem up, phloem down."

Occurs to me that I should name my bilateral hips Xylem and Phloem.  ha!

I guess I just have a trigger response to calling stuff "bad."  Especially sentient stuff.  My dogs, for example, are never bad dogs.  Oh I've let a few good ones rip, especially when furniture is shredded, but I really try not to tell them that they're bad.  You can just see the spirit and life drain out of them when you use the word "BAD."  So I guess I just don't want to do that to my hip, either.

Goofy stuff you think of early in recuperation.

Thanks for sharing.

~~ kate