Hi all, first time poster long time lurker,
After 8 years of dealing with hip pain and run arounds by the medical system I'm booked in just over a month with Dr Pritchett.
At first I was super excited, that excitement has quickly disappeared and has been replaced with doubt, fear and anxiety. I'm travelling from Canada for the surgery. On top of just the surgery having to deal with the covid restrictions and the ever changing rules to go and come back are overwhelming me.
Just hoping by posting on here will help release some stress.
Thanks
Hi Welcome to Hip Talk.
I wish you the very best. Dr. Pritchett is one of the best hip resurfacing surgeons in the US.
Everyone is nervous - but think about this Spring and Summer and being active and out of pain. Be patient and be positive.
I'm looking forward to your posts telling us about your recovery.
Pat
Hello and welcome to the forum,
As Pat mentions everyone has doubts and nerves before surgery it would hardly be natural not to. I am a bilateral Pritchett patient, just passed my 3rd year anniversary and life is good again- the OA pain is a thing of the past and it will be for you as well. Dr. Pritchett and the surgical team he works with are simply one of the very best in the world and his track record of success attests to that. Every single person in the operating room will have a single intention- your best interests and a successful outcome and their commitment to that goal will be evident in every interaction you have with them. You will wake up in recovery and find the pain is gone and it will come as a tremendous relief. It can be difficult to let go of the doubts and nerves but you've found a surgeon you can trust. Please keep us informed of your experience and progress and best wishes- your life is about to get a whole lot better.
Hey Fivehole
Glad to hear you made the decision to see Dr Pritchett. I am from Canada also and went to Belgium just last September for resurfacing. 3 months post op now and I'm feeling fantastic. I'm even back skating without any discomfort (I assume you play hockey based on your name) :). Have no fear, you are in great hands with any of the recommended doctors on this website.
Covid is a complication but you will be able to navigate it. In hindsight it wasn't that big an issue even coming from Belgium. Just have the ArriveCan and Services BC apps ready when you hit the border. In Belgium the hospital provided me with a covid PCR test, and you may likely get the same with Dr. Prtichett. It was required then and isn't now, but I would take it if it's offered. It will undoubtedly make the cross simpler.
Just try to keep in mind that you'll be back doing everything and anything you want in short order. This next summer will be a great one for you! And you'll be opening up the fivehole in no time :) Hmm... Maybe that joke doesn't really work... ;) I'm sure you catch my drift.
Cheers,
LDub
I was also so unsure as I had never undergone any surgery before. I must stress, what a life-changing procedure this is. I am now training 55 miles per week and have returned to competitive running at the age of 65! May you have as great an outcome as I have, and all the individuals who have informed you of similar! After 6 months you will wonder why you ever worried! All the best from Bonnie Scotland!
Thanks LDub,
Your comments made me laugh, us Canadians and our hockey. I'm flying in from Alberta, Westjet just announced they are cancelling 15% of their flights into the US until the end of the month. I may have issues just getting there now...
Quote from: LDub on December 30, 2021, 03:24:30 PM
Hey Fivehole
Glad to hear you made the decision to see Dr Pritchett. I am from Canada also and went to Belgium just last September for resurfacing. 3 months post op now and I'm feeling fantastic. I'm even back skating without any discomfort (I assume you play hockey based on your name) :). Have no fear, you are in great hands with any of the recommended doctors on this website.
Covid is a complication but you will be able to navigate it. In hindsight it wasn't that big an issue even coming from Belgium. Just have the ArriveCan and Services BC apps ready when you hit the border. In Belgium the hospital provided me with a covid PCR test, and you may likely get the same with Dr. Prtichett. It was required then and isn't now, but I would take it if it's offered. It will undoubtedly make the cross simpler.
Just try to keep in mind that you'll be back doing everything and anything you want in short order. This next summer will be a great one for you! And you'll be opening up the fivehole in no time :) Hmm... Maybe that joke doesn't really work... ;) I'm sure you catch my drift.
Cheers,
LDub
Dr. Pritchett resurfaced my right hip just shy of six years ago, and resurfaced my left hip in March 2021.
I completely understand the doubt, fear, and anxiety. I think every person that has had major surgery has felt the same way. Even when I was in the operating room, just before the anesthesia, I seriously considered cancelling the procedure. Thankfully I didn't, and later I became a repeat customer, which tells you it all worked out.
I can't speak to whatever protocols are in place at the border now or in February. I can tell you about the protocols at Swedish when I had my surgery in March, but I have no idea whether or not they've changed. Two days prior to surgery I had a Covid test at Swedish. They asked me to avoid restaurants and stores where I could be exposed to the virus before surgery. Day of surgery, obviously you will be wearing a mask. After surgery you are taken to the recovery room. You are never checked into a regular hospital room. Your physical and occupational therapy sessions are performed in the recovery room. After those are completed you are released. I was the first surgery of the day. If memory serves me correctly, I checked in at about 5.45, was wheeled into the OR around 7.45-8, woke up in the recovery room, had my pt/ot, and was out of the hospital by 2.
Everything was fine. Like I say, the protocols may have changed since then. Feel free to ask Susan any questions you might have about what is going on now. She's very responsive.
Hey Fivehole
Even with a 15% drop I'd guess there are still flights available. Likely they are seeing a drop in ridership. Planes were kind of empty even when I went to Belgium in late September and there was no omicron variant yet. It's just one more challenge to overcome I guess. But the outcome is more than worth it. Persevere and you'll be doing great by the spring. You'll be glad you did.
Cheers,
LDub.