I have all my digits free for typing now.


Okay, so here is part I of My Hip Resurfacing Operation(s):


We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn because that is where H has points. It is about a quarter of a mile from the hospital on the opposite side of the street. Not far, but one those Marriotts is literally across the parking lot from the hospital. Even I could have walked that far. We are in a handicapped room. My husband thinks a very fat person slept in the bed and created a large trough in the center.


We had a hip class with Bruce in the morning. We learned of the three precautions for after surgery: 90 degree rule, no crossing legs or ankles, and no toeing in. We also got to see the sort of room we would be in. There is a couch that converts to a bed.Everyone we met was informed and welcoming and wanted us to be satisfied.


PreOp was in the Irmo office. The waiting room was pretty crowded but I didn't wait  long to be seen. I had more X-rays done, this time with a measuring device in the picture to figure out what size implant I would need. I met the people I had been talking to over the phone and exchanging emails with. Lee asked some questions and did the "can you do this?" tests. I am not the star I was on those tests even six weeks ago; my range of motion had shrunk. Dr Gross came in, and as mentioned in the earlier, shorter post, went over my X-rays and let me handle the implants (not mine). Again I have to say that meeting these folks made me even more confident of my decision to have HR in SC with Dr Gross. They know their stuff.


A few notable points: H asked if I would really be able to go home on Sunday. Lee and Dr Gross said yes. (of course, this assumes I can pass three tests: pee, walk up a few stairs, not be throwing up, and that I feel capable of traveling.) He asked about durability of the HR, would it last me the rest of my life. Dr Gross was careful in his answer saying that there isn't enough data to know for sure, but he was optimistic. Finally, my H asked about running on the HR. (You can see he doesn't read the material beforehand.) Dr Gross gave a careful and honest answer and said yes but that some people do not return to running. The new hip will be a pretty darn good hip, but it is not the original. I asked about swimming, and if I would need a dysplasia cup.


Got crutches, prescriptions to fill, ice machine. Sent H to fill prescriptions and he had a hang up with the narcotics. I still haven't figured out if the issue was H not wanting to pay out of pocket, wanting insurance to pay, or if H looked like a seedy drug seeker. So we are waiting on the pain pills to take home. I sent him back and told him to just pay.


Oh! Where we ate: Blue Marlin the first night. I had shrimp and grits and calamari. Colas the second night. Mussels, a wonderful beet salad, Boulliabaise (sp), flour less chocolate cake. A glass of wine.


Operation One:
We arrived at 730am. Filled out a few simple forms. I was taken up maybe at 830. The nurse who prepped me was great.I was weighed, measured (my neck---have to ask why), took about six pills, got an IV started, got swiped with the red disinfectant, gowned up. Met the anesthesiologist and had a chance to ask questions. Lee came by to check on things and to write on left flank. I got versed before the blood for PRP type use was drawn and it made me very sleepy.


I remember being in the operating room, moving to the operating table, being told to sit up for the spinal.....then nothing. This is what the anesthesiologist had said would happen. I woke up in recovery. Alive! No pain! I was there drifting in and out of consciousness for a while. It was a sleepy kind of rest, like when you know you can stay in bed a little longer. The ice machine was on me. My legs and lower body were completely numb. I tried to move my toes, contract my quads, anything. Nada. The left, operative leg came back first oddly enough. First quads, then toes, then buttocks.Right leg woke up more slowly. I was dying to touch my toes, but couldn't with that 90 degree rule. I did keep trying to contract muscles and to wiggle toes, though, until all my parts woke up.


I was patient number three for the day. I hear I went in about an hour late, so wasn't in my room until 3:00ish. I didn't see a clock before then. Nurses were all great. They love their jobs and bend over backwards to do things right and to answer questions.


H brought me some Starbucks coffee and an orange. (working on that constipation already!)


I couldn't get up the first day because it took so long for my legs to wake up. I was still pretty numb on the nonop side at six.


Didn't sleep too well the first night with all the traffic in and out. H didn't stay and probably would have hated it. My resting heart rate is pretty low even now that I am not running like I used to. The under fifty bpm alarm kept going off at the nurse's station. After we talked about it, they weren't so concerned. However, when I went to sleep it dropped into the thirties a few times, and the night nurse came in to check that I was alive. Didn't take the extra pain pill at night because I didn't need it. I didn't like being stuck in the same position all night and looked forward to morning and getting up.


I did take a pain pill before PT. Not because I was in pain, but I was afraid I might be and didn't want the pain to get ahead of me. Showered, took a walk down the hall, peed on my own, brushed teeth and hair, dressed, not necessarily in that order. Looking forward to afternoon PT.


Dr Gross came by to check on me and brought my post surgical X-ray. I did end up with the dysplasia cup. No surprises, everything as predicted. Friday will be easy hip.


Eating as I type this, focusing on the high fiber foods. I have to say my right, preop hip hurts more than my left one at this moment.


So far so good!

Glad things have gone so well for you thus far!  You definitely chose the right surgeon. And, being a bilateral female (no offense intended), makes it even more critical that Dr. Gross is in charge.  My only advice is don't rush your recovery.  I can tell from your posts that, like me, you have that Type A mentality.  Nothing wrong with that, but our bodies are often not in sync with our minds.  I think taking it easy and allowing others to help may end up being your biggest challenge.  Good luck with number two (dual meaning intended)! 

Sounds like you're doing very well. Much better than me on the pain front for day one (no way I was going to skip any of the painkillers until ~late day 2)! That's fantastic that your pain levels are already lower than your other hip.

Great news, and glad you're through to the other side. I bet the second one tomorrow will be easy now that you know what to expect!

Yes, last night waiting in bed my right hip hurt worse than the bionic hip.


Okay a short nine fingered note for now.


Two bionic hips and feeling great.


Spent yesterday sitting up, taking little walks on crutches, hip class, frequent tinkles. My concentration was not good, so more texts and internet than real reading and writing. I made a lot of progress figuring out how to move.


The night was more restful. In part because I wasn't on the hr monitor and so when my hr dipped no alarms went off. However, I had a big waking up scare when I went to tinkle, brush hair and teeth and wash my right flank: I fainted in the bathroom. One minute feeling fine, then some nausea, me thinking I should have eaten more, then I am sitting on the floor and thinking wtf.


I was fine, completely fine. I scared the nurses more than I scared myself. I knew I wasn't hurting and hadn't hit my head. They didn't. A quick X-ray showed nothing was broken or knocked askew. Surgery two went on as scheduled. Today more calories, more salt, and someone watching me pee. (I have children; pee privacy is not necessary.)


Future hippies, know that nausea can be a sign of impending lack of consciousness. And if you are coming to SC, know that you will quickly be x-rayed and Dr Gross will be there to read the results.


Second surgery was uneventful. This hip had no cartilage, but also no cysts and was less dysplastic. My legs came back to life faster and so I DID get to walk today. With a chair following behind me after that morning's excitement!Right hip is sluggish, left hip has made great strides from the first day.


Now to eat some salty foods and get that bp up.

Sounds excellent yet again blinky!

Yup, I was extremely close to fainting the first time I tried to walk day-of surgery. I stood up, took 3 steps, and blood pressure fell through the floor. I went white as a ghost and was pouring sweat. I knew right away I needed a chair!

Glad things are going so well for you.

Congratulations Blinky!  It sounds like you are off to a good start.  Don't be afraid to let people do things for you the first week home.

Leaving the hospital soon. Everyone has been solicitous, it has been a pleasant stay, but time to move on. Dr Gross came to check on me this morning. All systems go. I am being more careful with my bp.


I learned how to walk on crutches and go up and down stairs with two weak hips. I took a shower. I am gaining confidence in getting myself up and out of sitting position to standing. The first few times I was afraid my legs wouldn't hold me, but now I am sure that they will.


Debating whether or not to take one more pain pill. I think sitting here a minute will revive me. Might take one tonight to sleep better.

Whew! Home again. Getting home was the hardest part.

I'm glad you made it home OK blinky. Back to the comfort of your own house and ready to relax.

Seems like things are still going well for you which is great news.

Great stuff, my turn next let's hope it goes as smoothly as yours seems to have 😀

Thanks. Sitting here in my fancy recliner,in my very own home, I will offer a few more details.


Dr Gross came by Saturday to check on me and brought the surgical report, which was pretty cool. H was terribly impressed; how often does that happen?!?!I was thoroughly briefed on what would happen when I was released, and everyone started working toward getting me out. I had PT and OT to show me how to manage, and got written and verbal instructions on what to take and what to do once released. One final standing X-ray.


The leaving parts were all the hardest parts. Getting in the car for example. How to duck low enough to fit in a sedan without breaking 90 degrees? Then getting out. H had set up a throne for me in the hotel and we expected I would watch football and chill for a few hours, then we would have one more nice dinner at Motor Supply and go to sleep.  It was not to be. I was so exhausted, so drained from the whole experience, I couldn't go out. I got dressed and ready, then at the last minute said I just couldn't. So we had carry out sushi and watched football and SNL.


The trip home was tough, I won't lie. At the Columbia airport, people are very kind and helpful. A bell hop who is used to Dr Gross' patients came to help me in and get me through security. He was very gentle. The TSA folks listened when I said I would rather not stand up and patted me down gently. Getting off the plane we were taking to Atlanta was another bilateral Gross patient. He was a young guy and his mom stopped to talk to me, to be reassured that this wasn't a mission of madness. First flight was fine. The Atlanta airport was a challenge. I had a wheelchair and people did what they were supposed to do, but it is a big, crowded airport. I didn't take enough pain pills and got behind, so there was a lot of lamaze breathing on that second flight.


Tips for future hippies: use the family bathrooms. They are big enough for a wheelchair and your partner. The side arm on the aisle seats on airplanes does raise. H knew how to lift the arm so I could slide in. Load yourself up with pain killers for the trip home. Elese, one of the Providence nurses who was very motherly and protective, gave us bags for ice for the airplane.


I made it home in time for the walking dead. Still don't know what happened to Glenn...


I will post on my recovery and some random thoughts from the surgery itself.


So far so good!

Great to hear you are home.  Take it easy and you will feel better soon.

I changed the title of your posts so it better represents you current surgery and recovery.  Hope you don't mind.   That way people will be able to follow your recovery easier.

Good Luck with your recovery.  I look forward to reading your updates.

Pat

So glad everything turned out so wonderfully for you and that you are back home!!

Looking forward to reading more from your experience.

Deb

Congrats on making it back home. I had Elese too. She was very nice. Take it easy and let H do things for you. Take care.

Yesterday was an excellent day. So happy to be home. I slept well and soundly and felt rested when I awoke. The first trip to tinkle was a bit of a challenge as my blood sugar was low and my legs were more swollen from  not icing overnight. I crutched my way to the breakfast table and enjoyed coffee and oatmeal and then felt much better.


We have two cats. They were discombobulated from my being away and spent much of the first night just staring at me. Finally one felt brave enough to climb up next to me and sleep.


I was lucky enough to have a steady stream of visitors both in person and via text/email/phone. Maybe too much as I went to sleep pretty late and woke up more tired. H took a much needed break from me and went out a bit, leaving me with a series of babysitters.  In a few days I think  I will be confident enough not to need the help. I will have figured out how to manage and will feel stronger.


Okay, the nitty gritty details of recovery: left leg, the first and worst leg, feels great. It is the better leg now, the lead leg. Right leg is behind. A little achier, and I think my right knee collapses in too much because of a disparity in strength between adductors and abductors. Some of that may correct itself as I become less swollen. I am just being aware of it and trying not to encourage it.


I need to eat more. Calories are needed for healing and bulk for the elusive BM. I have no appetite. I will set some eating goals today. Taking it slowly, I can take in enough to feel better. I am parked here with a bag of prunes and a bottle of water, but am also taking stool softeners and have sent H out  for MofM. Once I get my digestive system working right again, I think I will experience another great leap forward. Close to success, but not there just yet. This is an area in which you have to keep your sense of humor about you!

You are doing great, if mine goes half as well on Friday I'll be very happy! (Mind you as I'm not having both done by default it's only going to be done half as well!)

Still sounds like you're doing fantastically blinky! Don't worry, it'll all get fantastically easier literally day by day.

The bilateral part still seems super challenging to me. I had a lot of acute pain using some of the muscles in my operated hip, so I was very thankful to be able to do things like stand on my good leg and kick out the bad leg while sitting. Having both legs be weak/painful sounds really hard!

Major breakthrough today: restoration of peristalsis!


Aka I pooped.


Whew. That was the big worry yesterday. A friend brought me some Miralax (that is true friendship!) but it was working too slowly, so I took some MoM. I knew I needed to eat more, needed to take in more calories, to feel better, but my gut was full and eating made me nauseated. I would take half an hour to slowly consume a bowl of oatmeal. I drank lots of water, having to get up and pee in the middle of the night a few times (assisted by H; I was so sleepy I was afraid of falling). I didn't have any appetite.


Everything fell into place this morning after the first cup of coffee. Great success. Soft stool, no straining, but not too soft. I had a week of no action. A few promising rumbles, but nothing.


As an aside for future hippies, my next line of defense was magnesium citrate. I had some at the ready, but didn't take it. I was worried it would work too well, too abruptly. If you ever have time, there are some hilarious reviews of it on the internet.


I stopped the daytime Nuycenta today. I think  I will feel okay with just Tylenol, Mobic, and ice. We will see how it goes. I will keep the nighttime narcotic at least one more day.


Other goals for the day: walk some circles in the house (again). I walked fifteen minutes yesterday, very slowly. I am getting up to eat at the table for meals.


I feel worse in the morning fwiw. That first trip to the bathroom/kitchen table is tough.

Well, glad that is out of the way :)

Appreciate the details -- I am scheduled for right hip with Dr Gross exactly 1 month from today... yikes!

Good luck to you! Dr Gross and his staff are fantastic. It is amazing how well they handle all aspects of the surgery. All medical procedures should be this well run.


I appreciated all the nitty gritty details about how people managed at home, so I am happy to offer my own.