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Author Topic: 3 days to go  (Read 3427 times)

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midiowa

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3 days to go
« on: February 09, 2012, 08:51:08 PM »
never been cut on before, so when i come too after surgery just what do i expect to feel? nothing, doped up? agonizing pain ? tell me.the closer i get the more i get freaked out about this , is this really the best thing to do? has anyone seen this stem cell injection method or is that just a farce? the what ifs are really eating at me the closer i get. Brad.

Dannywayoflife

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2012, 10:22:07 PM »
Hay brad,
             Welcome! Believe it or not when you come round from your op you won't feel any pain from the incision. I expect that you will have a combination of both general and spinal anaesthesia.
Stem cells are from what I was told a year ago a long way off. If you need a joint replacement then resurfacing certainly is the best option for you! A thr comes with many do' and lots more do nots!
It's perfectly natural to be nervous your going to have surgery. But you will be fine.
Keep us posted
Danny
Train hard fight easy
LBHR 10/11/2011 Mr Ronan Treacy Birmingham England
60mm cup 54mm head
Rbhr 54mm head 60mm cup 12/02/15 Ronan Treacy ROH Birmingham England
;)

Kiwi

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2012, 10:28:45 PM »
You'll be fine Brad, as Danny said it's perfectly natural to feel some anxiety as the op time comes close. The waiting was the worst part for most of us. I was so relieved afterwards and immediately lost the constant nagging OA pain.
The drugs help & you'll be in good hands, so have faith & like my anesthetist said; " kick back & enjoy the ride".
Best of luck.
Kiwi
LBHR 11/23/2011
56mm Head
Hugh Blackley (BHR Trained with Ronan Treacy)
Use it or lose it!

mslendzion

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2012, 11:07:50 PM »
After the surgery you should be kept pretty pain free. You will notice right away the OA pain is gone. It is a recovery but manageable and you progress each day. For me so far so good.
Left BHR 1/9/12 Dr. Schmitt

mslendzion

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2012, 11:21:27 PM »
Did I mention it feels great at PT to move again and start to get back into a workout program.
Left BHR 1/9/12 Dr. Schmitt

hernanu

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2012, 10:37:14 AM »
Hey Brad, I had pretty much the same experience on both hips. I was nervous beforehand, but from the moment I walked in, the nurses and staff took over and I was in the chute. 

The wait before was Ok, they administered the drugs and I just relaxed and then all of a sudden I was in my hospital room. It wasn't like sleeping, it was like nothing had happened. The nurse was there and told me that everything had gone well, Dr. Snyder came by to tell me the same.

I had some pain, but mostly stiffness and they asked me to do foot pumps and some other movement. I was on morphine, so I started to compose bad poetry and send it to my family members by text. My daughters came to visit and I made fun of one of their boyfriends (he was ditched pretty quickly), and I think I sang to them. All I know is that my oldest decided to film me since she thought this was the most hilarious thing she had ever seen.

I was given a plastic device to blow into (I think to help with clotting?), which I decided to make into a competitive event, blowing into it to get the little ball to go higher each time. The nurse stopped that foolishness, saying she didn't want me hyperventilating.

I stayed on morphine for about a day, then we went to Tylenol Plus at a high rate (just below the daily limit), but by then I had started walking, initially with a walker and then with crutches. By the time I left, I was uncomfortable, but my pain was in the 1-3 range and no drugs other than tylenol (pain) and aspirin (clotting).

The surgery goes fast, you will have some level of pain, swelling and will need to walk assisted for at least 3 weeks I think. The payoff is immediate though - No OA pain. The pain you have, and the discomfort you feel as well as the inconvenience go by fast. The recuperation is not fast, I still consider myself recuperating after a year+ and will do so until the end of the second year, but your activity level picks up quickly. I was at in the house PT as soon as I was released (scheduled by Dr. Snyder's office) and outpatient PT within 4 weeks of the surgery. I was driving after two weeks and I made a four hour drive to Maine after two months.

You'll love the lack of pain and your expanding options.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2012, 10:38:18 AM by hernanu »
Hernan, LHR 8/24/2010, RHR 11/29/2010 - Cormet, Dr. Snyder

hernanu

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2012, 10:47:46 AM »
About the stem cell research. I was involved in medical research long ago, and the process to take a working idea to delivering it to the public is massive. It first needs to show that it's working and working well in the lab on animals, then the experiment needs to be reviewed and replicated. That's just the beginning - the same process needs to be done on humans to show that it translates well, then the government gets involved to make sure that it is safe to release, then the companies that would deliver the solutions are allowed to start work, the FDA gets involved to make sure their mass production facilities work well and can deliver safe product. Once that's done, there's still a wait for approval and then training, initial tests, etc.

The process from a bright thought to actually injecting someone with stem cells by a physician is huge. Stem cells are political flashpoints as well, which will delay the process even more.

So I would really look at something in the order of ten to fifteen years before they are available readily if they work properly at all.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2012, 10:49:43 AM by hernanu »
Hernan, LHR 8/24/2010, RHR 11/29/2010 - Cormet, Dr. Snyder

mslendzion

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2012, 11:48:17 AM »
My daughters came to visit and I made fun of one of their boyfriends (he was ditched pretty quickly), and I think I sang to them. All I know is that my oldest decided to film me since she thought this was the most hilarious thing she had seen.
Hernanu,
Would love to see the video. You should post it for your hippy fans.
Left BHR 1/9/12 Dr. Schmitt

hernanu

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2012, 12:04:47 PM »
She might have posted it on youtube already ... she definitely threatened to.

She has this misguided idea that what I say is hilarious; she's a singer online and is followed by a lot of people and she tweets stuff I say all the time. I haven't seen it yet (hate to watch my own movies, it's a hollywood thing).
Hernan, LHR 8/24/2010, RHR 11/29/2010 - Cormet, Dr. Snyder

mslendzion

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2012, 12:14:12 PM »
:). So you're not going to make it easy for us to find these. Care to offer any clues?
Left BHR 1/9/12 Dr. Schmitt

hernanu

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2012, 12:22:03 PM »
 :) have to check what she did with it.....
« Last Edit: February 10, 2012, 12:22:52 PM by hernanu »
Hernan, LHR 8/24/2010, RHR 11/29/2010 - Cormet, Dr. Snyder

Dan L

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  • LBHR Dr Brooks, 10/2011; RBHR 2/2012
Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2012, 01:04:24 PM »
You will not and should not feel agonizing pain, most important thing to know first few weeks is to use the meds, all of them, whenever needed, BEFORE you get into anything approaching "agonizing pain".  It will keep you heeling better if you are not in pain.  Let your medical team know your pain level and make sure they get your pain down when it does occur.  Ice, ice, ice also.  It's your best pal, and no side effects either.

The last day before surgery will be the last day your hip will get worse, every day after it is fixed you will see a trend of steady improvement, with some relatively minor ups and down as you go through the weeks and months.

For me and most here, it is the best thing to do, once you realize your hip has to be fixed.  The surgery was relatively easy, and my recovery has been great, now at 4+ months.  I liked it so much, I immediately scheduled my second surgery, which is in a couple weeks.  I smile when I walk alot, just because the good hip is soooo freaking smooth, and all bone on bone pain is only a memory in that hip.

A first surgery is very scary for sure, you'll be fine and it is the start of something so much better.

Best regards, keep us posted, there are many incredible and helpful people here who will support you throughout this process.

Dan
LBHR Dr Brooks, 10/2011; RBHR 2/2012

Tin Soldier

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2012, 04:09:48 PM »
Hern puts it well, regarding the chute.  Once you've committed, you really should try to turn your brain off and just let the staff do what they do best.  I think the most unnerving time for me was the few hours leading up to the hospital and the waiting room.  Once in the prep area, they'll give you a cocktail of drugs.  Surprisingly at Swedish they did not give me any benzodiazepenes (Valium, Xanax, Atavan,...), just a dose of oxy, celebrex , and a few other things.  I asked about all that and they said the oxy generally cuts the nerves pretty quick.  Indeed it did. 

Maybe I'm generalizing, but I think most staff who work in an OR or prep/recovery capacity are really super friendly, and exude confidence, and they understand that the patient is pretty damn nervous about the whole deal. 

Once in the OR, depending on your form of anesthesia, you'll either quickly fall asleep under a general, or if you do a spinal, you may be asked to assist the staff by helping get yourself situated on the operating table, which is followed by a pretty quick-paced prep for surgery, by clamping you in and so forth.  As soon as the spinal is set, you'll begin to feel numbness in your legs and hips.  They might poke at you to see where the numbness is.  In addition to the local numbing they use, they'll also put in a benzo which they'll use to make you hover below consciousness.  The anesthiosologist may actually be talking to you and letting you know what's going and I suspect for most folks, when they say, "now I'm going to put in something that will make you sleep", you'll be asleep before you know it.  You'll probabaly stay asleep for the duration.  Depending on your body weight and probabaly a bunch of other factors you may "wake up" here and there during surgery.  Keep in mind that at high doses of the benzo you have absolutlely no anxiousness whatsoever and the lower half of the body is absolutely numb.     

Also, before surgery you meet with the anesthiologist and they're in the OR by your side the whole time.  You can generally chose which form of anesthisia you want.  I'd go with the spinal, quicker recovery with less sickiness.

At least that's how both of my surgeries were.  Probabaly some variation among different hospitals.  Don't worry about it.  You'll be fine.   

LBHR 2/22/11, RBHR 8/23/11 - Pritchett.

Boomer

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2012, 04:46:01 PM »
You have already heard from some of my favorite Hippys, people who helped get me to the hospital on my scheduled date. I don't have much to add except a brief personal note. I told my anesthesiologist how terrified I was of the surgery, operating room etc. He answered my questions and then put me out in the pre-op holding area. I never saw the operating room, didn't remember a thing and didn't feel any pain until about 12 hours after surgery when the original cocktail starts to wear off. The nurses were ready with whatever I needed to be comfortable. Worst thing was getting behind the pain for a couple of hours, but that was it. That was my fault. I was feeling so good that I passed on a couple of opportunities to takes some painmeds. I won't make that mistake on the second hip.

Listen to these experienced Hippys. Get to the hospital with a good mental attitude and then release yourself into the care of some very kind and competent people. They know how to take care of you. Let go of the fear and start looking forward. I kept reading the encouraging posts from Tin and Hernanu over and over again the night before my surgery? Good stuff and just what you need to ease you over to the other side where we Hippys are working hard to pick up all the pieces of our lives that we had let go.

We look forward to hearing from you when you get to the other side.

Boomer
RBHR with Dr. Rector on 11/30/2011
LBHR with Dr. Rector on 6/11/2012

obxpelican

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2012, 06:17:36 PM »
The vet that I know of uses fat from the dogs body, processes it and injects the stem cells derived from the fat.  I can't see any problems if the stem cells are from the person's own fat tissue.

His success is pretty amazing so far.

Hopefully your time frame is wrong.


Chuck



The process from a bright thought to actually injecting someone with stem cells by a physician is huge. Stem cells are political flashpoints as well, which will delay the process even more.

Chuck
RH/Biomet U/C Dr. Gross/Lee Webb
8-6-08

hernanu

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #15 on: February 10, 2012, 07:00:09 PM »
I hope so too, would be great to have it earlier. I've been involved in both research and on the pharmaceutical manufacturing side, so maybe that slides my perspective. From your mouth to Gods ear.
Hernan, LHR 8/24/2010, RHR 11/29/2010 - Cormet, Dr. Snyder

hipnhop

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #16 on: February 11, 2012, 05:35:18 PM »
Iowa, I just got out of OR last week.  Dont freak out. This is my second BHR and third time being cut.  Surgical team know what they are doing.  Just relax - taka a Xanax or something before the surgery. They told me I could take one with a sip of water.  When you wake up you will feel little pain, the next morning get ready to meet the Physical Terrorist. For me the hardest part was getting up the first time. I almost passed out. I think I was just too doped up.  After that the pain is really maneagable. If you had OA for a while it feels just like that. It is just the other stuff that sucks.

Bowel movements, Dry Mouth, etc.  You will do fine with it all. LEt me know how your first steps go.  You might make me look like a punk.
3/2011 and 2/2012 HR Dr. Craig Thomas

midiowa

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #17 on: February 11, 2012, 05:59:22 PM »
hipnhop, i hope your right, the this week has been the worst just cant get any position where i can sleep without pain, you know the rest of that story. iam ready, last week i could have put if off thinking i was feeling better but had a pretty physical last week of work and it kicked my butt.  i think i will recover fast but never had anything of this level, broked hands, knee otho, stichs just minor stuff and always bounced back ahead of schedule but lets face it getting older and this is major stuff. never thought getting so close to go time would make me this nervous.

WTW15

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Re: 3 days to go
« Reply #18 on: February 11, 2012, 07:13:44 PM »
I was scared beyond belief as well.  Spent less than 24 hrs in the hospital after having each kid - that was my experience....  here's what I remember - pre-op check in, getting the IV started, meeting with the anestheologist, he said I"ll get a spinal then general, meeting with the dr who went over everything one more time, including saying that if things didn't look right she'd have to do a THR - agreed.  She signed my left hip and away she went.  Kissed Hubby one more time, went into the very cold surgery room, bent over for the spinal, moved on to the cold table and then woke  up in recovery.   Don't be a hero - take the meds and use the pain pump - I'd wake up about 1am and hit it once, then wait the 8 min and hit it again, then get some more sleep.  After the 1st day the pump was gone and I stayed religious with my meds - I was on percocet.  Just take those first few days to be comfortable so that you can move through the PT and get rest.  I'm so opposed to the meds, but knew this time around I really needed to be friends with them and use them to help get through this. 

Hang In There - it's going to be a distant memory in no time!
Successful LBHR 1/19/12 Dr. Cynthia Kelly
Fear causes Hesitation and Hesitation causes your worst Fears to come true

 

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