Today is day 6 with my newly resurfaced left hip. I have probably spent 36 plus hours on this website over the last two years. My story is similar to so many of you. 48 year old male, runner, r-ball enthusiast, avid golfer (required in Arizona). Left hip started hurting in 2005 after a very active sports weekend. To make along story short I had the hip scoped with microfracture surgery done in 2006.Surgeon informed me that the clinical study they just completed on the scoped/microfracture procedure had resulted in all patients requiring a THR or Resurfacing within 5 years. My hip never got better and I made my decision to move forward with hip resurfacing based on this website and a lot of due diligence.
My surgeon was selected based on experiece, and location( twin boys 9 months old the day of my surgery). Dr Wade Shrader from the CORE Insititute here in Pheonix. I met with Dr Shrader three times to interview him as well as the one other ortho surgeon here that had met my criteria. Dr Shrader had 64 surgeries when I first talked with him in March of 2008, 86 in September 2008, and 111 when I left the O/R Monday the 23rd.
When I awoke in recovery the doctor told me the surgery was perfect and the X-rays show great alignment. I was dopey but happy.
I was in the Hospital for five days. Day one I still had the epideral in all night, the swelling was sustantial as was the drainage. Pain was very manageable. Day two I started running a fever that reached 103. The surgeon had told me beforehand this was common in men (ouch) and did not indicate infection. Pain was awful in my hip muscles and groin area, and the swelling/drainage was substantial. I was given my first PT the second night (Holy Mary Mother of God) what have I done. At this point I could not recall any Hippies describing this type of pain level. I may have a new hip but what the heck is this pain ridden log attached to it. On day three the fever was better 101. Pain meds were ratcheted up and I thought the worst was over....then came PT.I managed to do all the exercise with limited muscle contributution. Swelling and drainage from the incision still substantial. The staff delayed my departure for two days based on the fever and drainage.
Day four surgeon cleared me for release the next day, PT was torture. I was being lapped by a 63 year old who had his second hip resurfaced the same day, with the same surgeon as me. I swore to keep my sock grabber thingy attached to my cart for PT that night to show him a thing or two....he was released later that day.
Day five I got to come home....wonderful. Pain is manageable unless I move. I was able to begin to rediscover my quads, what a marvlousl, painful reunion. Fever is gone, the swelling and drainage have slowed some. I am taking Oxycottin every twelve hours as well as supplementing this with a lower dose of Percosett. As of today the sewlling is still dramatic and the drainage still steady. I tried to reduce the pain meds...what was I thinking? Getting up in the morning is a long slow painful process. Those first six steps after resting are awful. I think today is the first day I believe things will get better at some point.
I am doing my exercises and taking all my meds and praying for improvement.
Patrick
Topic: Pulled the trigger 2/23 (Read 2492 times)
Recent Posts
