Surgery with Dr. Gross Nov 22

[Carrie]

Hello,
Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Tom, a 55 yo x-ray tech. My dance partner and girlfriend's name is Carrie,  a 41 yo massage therapist. We are both from Tucson, Arizona. It is Carrie that received the news her Labral tear was really a hip replacement waiting to happen. That was a couple of months ago, and now we have a November 22 appointment with Dr. Gross . This site and recommendations from people we talked to led us to Dr. Gross.

I am going to be Carrie's helper through all this. I have booked airline tickets, am looking at rental cars and shopping Polar Care 300's on ebay..the whole nine yards. I wanted to get the ball rolling on any tips, tricks and shortcuts for the event. We have been swimming four times a week and Carrie has lost 12 pounds (an athletic woman really) .

We aren't looking for advice on Dr's or which procedures are best, just general advice on recovery, plane travel techniques and such. I am relatively new to discussion forums, and have found reading these posts extremely helpful.

Thanks,
Tom

[sroberts]

Hey Tom,

I'm in Tucson. Email me at magoo451@msn.com




best,

spencer

[obxpelican]

Tom,

You'll get a polar care unit from the hospital.

You are in great hands with Dr. Gross, things I would recommend:

-A laptop (hospital has wi-fi) and it's a safe hospital, I had mine the whole time after I got my own room.
-Atletic silky shorts
-Buy the kit they offer you, it has a grabber and a sock puller that was great to have due to the 90 degree rule.
-Buy an elevated toilet chair with handles on the side, great and makes it easy for her to get up.

If Carrie has good bone density and is on 100% weight bearing, make sure she walks as much as her body will allow her to.

Most of all relax, she is in great hands, Lee, Nancy and Dr. Gross and the rest of the staff are top notch, the hospital is great, just a few floors, the nurses are select and know Dr. Gross's protocols to a T.

I had mine done last August 6th and I can put you in touch with a gal that Carrie can discuss things with as woman are a bit different because of bone size and slightly different in recovery.

Private msg me for her phone number and mine if you like.


Chuck

Hello,
Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Tom, a 55 yo x-ray tech. My dance partner and girlfriend's name is Carrie,  a 41 yo massage therapist. We are both from Tucson, Arizona. It is Carrie that received the news her Labral tear was really a hip replacement waiting to happen. That was a couple of months ago, and now we have a November 22 appointment with Dr. Gross . This site and recommendations from people we talked to led us to Dr. Gross.

I am going to be Carrie's helper through all this. I have booked airline tickets, am looking at rental cars and shopping Polar Care 300's on ebay..the whole nine yards. I wanted to get the ball rolling on any tips, tricks and shortcuts for the event. We have been swimming four times a week and Carrie has lost 12 pounds (an athletic woman really) .

We aren't looking for advice on Dr's or which procedures are best, just general advice on recovery, plane travel techniques and such. I am relatively new to discussion forums, and have found reading these posts extremely helpful.

Thanks,
Tom

[Carrie]

Thanks for the tip . I don't believe Blue Cross covers the Polar 300 so I am just looking to save a little out of pocket. Tom

[obxpelican]

You might find that polar care unit falls into "hospital supplies" and you end up getting one.  Hospitals bill that stuff all in one lump bill sometimes and it's buried in there.

Chuck

[obxpelican]

BTW--- here are some tips and info about Dr. Gross this was from a patient of his, she gathered them up from other patients.

He's done over 1900 hip resurfacings
He does minimal invasive surgery (small 4 inch incision)
He uses your blood to make a mixture to put in the femur cap and along the incision for bone growth and faster incision healing
He uses a bandage that is some kind of bio-bandage that you can take a shower in and don't have to change at all until 10 days post-op where you take it  off for good
He uses a certain cocktail of meds for nausea and pain management
He has them even put a patch behind your ear (for nausea) before surgery
He has been involved in Conserve (and presently) Biomet medical studies.
The Biomet parts he uses in patients (cementless) --- HE designed for better stress resistance and bone growth.
He is a young man as far as doctors go
I have been told by other posters from the board, that he finished some of his "fellowships" in his career in a way the most doctors envy
He REALLY knows what he's doing, and has it down to a science
He doesn't tell you bologna
He's quite strict with hospital personnel when it comes to the care of his patients
He's NOT a pompous ass
He explains your situation in a way that is not over your head
post-surgery, he gives you a detailed written report of everything done during your surgery


SOME Tips:

Prepare your home - move loose wires/rugs/things you might trip on.
Figure out which shower (if you have 2 bathrooms) is easiest to get in and out of with help
Don't bring a ton of stuff to the hospital, you'll never use it
Clothes that you bring should be loose or oversized
Make sure the hospital keeps your ice machine full of cold ice all night (they will send you home with the ice machine)
The first 5 days at home is a little tough because you are trying to figure out how to manuever
FOLLOW any restrictions Dr. Gross gives you - guard your hip!
Use the at home tools they will give you (grabber, sock-putter=oner, shoe horn)
Don't live in your bed at home..get up move about...then rest in another room
Use LOTS of pillows, and ICE every possible minute, it keeps the bruising to a minimum
YOu can add extra ice by using ziplock bags (besides the ice machine hip wrap they give you)
Do the phase I exercises faithfully (it will be tough at first, this is normal)
Your leg will be a bit like a useless log - don't be afraid, this will pass in a couple of weeks
You may have a sensation of clunking in your new hip...this is normal and will pass in later months
Don't do anything stupid to "see if you can do it now"....protect your hip
Switch up chairs, try the kitchen one, the couch, etc...find your happy place
If you have pets, keep them at bay by using your crutch (I have 3 dogs)
Make sure you have help at home
You may get depressed, emotional, angry, etc... this is normal
Try to get outside for a few minutes, and after a couple of weeks..have someone drive you to the store or mall and you can zip around in one of those cool driving carts
At the hospital, try to take a shower using the "sit down" chair....you will feel great.
TRY .... TRY to do what the PT folks ask of you even if you feel like crap....try!

[Carrie]

Thanks for all the tips! If we ended up with two Polar Ice units, that would have been a shame.
Tom

[John C]

Just a couple of minor tips.
Book first class airline seats for the trip home, even if you normally never would.
Take advantage of the wheelchair assistance if you have to move through any big airports, like Atlanta. The Columbia airport is a breeze.
If you have any time in airports between flights, find a way to elevate her leg.
Many of us found recliners to be our favorite spot for the first couple of weeks.
When I had my surgery with Dr Gross, my wife stayed in the Marriot next to the hospital while I was still checked in so that she could just walk over. We chose to stay a couple of days before flying back, and moved to the Marriot Residence, which is about three blocks away, and has full suites with kitchens and a small living area.
With Dr Gross's protocols, the entire hospital/surgical experience is usually very easy. The first week or two at home was challenging for some of us, so be prepared with lots of physical and emotional support.
Read Chuck's list again; it is very good!

[obxpelican]

Read Chuck's list again; it is very good!

Wished those tips were mine, it was Karen's but we can sure add John's to the list. I took out the self injection part for blood thinner, Dr. Gross uses aspirin now.


Chuck


He's done over 1900 hip resurfacings
He does minimal invasive surgery (small 4 inch incision)
He uses your blood to make a mixture to put in the femur cap and along the incision for bone growth and faster incision healing
He uses a bandage that is some kind of bio-bandage that you can take a shower in and don't have to change at all until 10 days post-op where you take it  off for good
He uses a certain cocktail of meds for nausea and pain management
He has them even put a patch behind your ear (for nausea) before surgery
He has been involved in Conserve (and presently) Biomet medical studies.
The Biomet parts he uses in patients (cementless) --- HE designed for better stress resistance and bone growth.
He is a young man as far as doctors go
I have been told by other posters from the board, that he finished some of his "fellowships" in his career in a way the most doctors envy
He REALLY knows what he's doing, and has it down to a science
He doesn't tell you bologna
He's quite strict with hospital personnel when it comes to the care of his patients
He's NOT a pompous ass
He explains your situation in a way that is not over your head
post-surgery, he gives you a detailed written report of everything done during your surgery


SOME Tips:

Prepare your home - move loose wires/rugs/things you might trip on.
Figure out which shower (if you have 2 bathrooms) is easiest to get in and out of with help
Don't bring a ton of stuff to the hospital, you'll never use it
Clothes that you bring should be loose or oversized
Make sure the hospital keeps your ice machine full of cold ice all night (they will send you home with the ice machine)
The first 5 days at home is a little tough because you are trying to figure out how to manuever
FOLLOW any restrictions Dr. Gross gives you - guard your hip!
Use the at home tools they will give you (grabber, sock-putter=oner, shoe horn)
Don't live in your bed at home..get up move about...then rest in another room
Use LOTS of pillows, and ICE every possible minute, it keeps the bruising to a minimum
YOu can add extra ice by using ziplock bags (besides the ice machine hip wrap they give you)
Do the phase I exercises faithfully (it will be tough at first, this is normal)
Your leg will be a bit like a useless log - don't be afraid, this will pass in a couple of weeks
You may have a sensation of clunking in your new hip...this is normal and will pass in later months
Don't do anything stupid to "see if you can do it now"....protect your hip
Switch up chairs, try the kitchen one, the couch, etc...find your happy place
If you have pets, keep them at bay by using your crutch (I have 3 dogs)
Make sure you have help at home
You may get depressed, emotional, angry, etc... this is normal
Try to get outside for a few minutes, and after a couple of weeks..have someone drive you to the store or mall and you can zip around in one of those cool driving carts
At the hospital, try to take a shower using the "sit down" chair....you will feel great.
TRY .... TRY to do what the PT folks ask of you even if you feel like crap....try!
Just a couple of minor tips.
Book first class airline seats for the trip home, even if you normally never would.
Take advantage of the wheelchair assistance if you have to move through any big airports, like Atlanta. The Columbia airport is a breeze.
If you have any time in airports between flights, find a way to elevate her leg.
Many of us found recliners to be our favorite spot for the first couple of weeks.
When I had my surgery with Dr Gross, my wife stayed in the Marriot next to the hospital while I was still checked in so that she could just walk over. We chose to stay a couple of days before flying back, and moved to the Marriot Residence, which is about three blocks away, and has full suites with kitchens and a small living area.
With Dr Gross's protocols, the entire hospital/surgical experience is usually very easy. The first week or two at home was challenging for some of us, so be prepared with lots of physical and emotional support.

[JeanM]

Tom,
I just responded to your other post about wanted the Polar300 before I read this one.   I'm certainly willing to sell mine.  But, Dr Gross will provide you one.  When I had my surgery last year, I had Blue Cross insurance and they did cover it.  Plus, if you purchase it separately then keep in mind that you'll want to bring it with you because Carrie will need to use it while in the hospital.

As usual, John and Chuck's tips are great.  I wrote a long list of things last year.  But, I can't remember them anymore!  See?  Isn't it nice that recovery becomes a distant memory.  I'll try to find that post. 

To John's point, when I flew home, I was grateful for the wheelchair assistance in the airports.  There was a hurricane along the east coast, my direct flight was canceled and replaced with one requiring a connection through Atlanta (which was, of course, packed with people).  So, it really it nice to have because you never quite know how things will go.  Might as well take advantage of this free service. 

The other thing that I want to mention is that I really loved my recliner chair.  I bought an inexpensive (~$200) LaFuma recliner.  It was an indoor version with a micro suede pad.  I spent a lot of time in that chair.  I also often moved from bed at around 3am each evening and slept the reminder of the night comfortably in the recliner.   

Best of luck to you!
Jean

[JeanM]

Found it!  I wrote this last year about a month after my surgery.  I hope it helps!


Crutches/Cane
During your pre-op appt. with Dr. Gross the day before your surgery, the tech will come in and fit you for crutches.  So, you don't have to worry about getting crutches ahead of time.   You will want to get a cane to start using at some point during your recovery.    I used two crutches for the first several days, then I went to one crutch on post-op day 5 and started using the cane on post-op day 7-8-ish.   On post-op day 5, I was somewhat surprised to find it actually much easier to manage with one crutch, rather than two.  Then, it was good to have the cane sitting there so that I could start to experiment with what the cane would feel like.  I found it a much bigger deal to go from one crutch to a cane and for several days I used both as I gradually weaned myself from crutch to cane.  I bought a cane at Walgreens.  They had a good selection.  I recommend getting one with a nice comfy foam grip handle.  You'll appreciate the cushioned grip on longer walks.


Hip Kit
Also during your pre-op appt. with Dr. Gross, Nancy Smith will provide you with a number to call to order a hip kit that they'll deliver to you in the hospital.  I ordered the kit in the hospital because I was going to stay at my sister's house in NC for a week before flying home to Utah the following week.  If you'll be flying out the day after your released from the hospital then perhaps you'll want to get one ahead of time at home and save the trouble of packing it up and checking it with your luggage.  For me the most important items in the hip kit have been The Grabber, sponge on a stick and chair thing that fits over the toilet.    I have found all of these things very useful.  I used the leg lifter for only the first few days to lift my leg in and out of bed. 

PolarCare 300
When you wake up in recovery you'll find that your hip is wrapped up in a nice cool Polarcare 300.  You get to take this home with you as a parting gift!   The Polarcare was my best friend during the first week of my recovery.  I went through about a bag of ice a day.   Each day when my brother-in-law came home from work carrying a bag of ice I would scream out 'The Iceman Cometh!'.  You'll need a lot of ice!   The Polarcare is a little square cooler that you fill with ice water that has a hose connected to a neoprene wrap with little plastic cells on one side that the ice water circulates through.  The neoprene wrap is designed to fit your hip and it attaches around your hips and upper thigh with velcro.  Usually you plug it in and the pump that continually circulates the cold water from the cooler through the wrap runs on electricity.  However, it also has a hand pump that you can use to re-circulate the ice water.  I'm telling you all this because you'll want to bring the polarcare home with you.  They'll give it to you in a box that you can easily pack it back into and check at the airport.  So, you may want to bring a marker and packing tape to seal the box and write your contact information on the box before checking it.  Or, if you have someone traveling with you who's willing to carry the Polarcare on the plane, then I think it would be great to have the Polarcare with you on the plane and use the hand pump to circulate the water.  It should easily fit into the overhead bin during takeoff and landing.  My boyfriend stayed home to care for our dogs while I travelled east for the surgery and my entire family lives on the east coast.  So, I flew alone and I checked my Polarcare and I was wishing that I had it during the flight. 

Flying Home
I arranged for a wheelchair ahead of time for getting through the airport.  Again, if i wasn't traveling alone, I certainly could have managed it without it.  But, it's a service that's provided and it worked out well for me especially since I flew on the day tropical storm Hannah was hitting the east coast and the airports where jammed with people.  The last thing you want is some nitwit who's rushing and not paying attention to knock you off your feet.

Recliner Chair
On Surfacehippy, I kept reading about people raving about their recliner chairs during recovery.  I didn't have a recliner chair and I didn't want to spend a lot of money to buy a recliner.  My sister didn't have a recliner at her house either and for the first week that I stayed there, I had a hard time finding any comfort while sitting.  Most of the time I spent in bed with my legs on a pillow or on the sofa with my legs on an ottoman and a couple of pillows.  I was always uncomfortably slouching because I was paranoid about breaking the 90 degree rule.  I broke down and ordered a $230 zero-gravity recliner from relaxtheback.com.  It's called the La Fuma Microsuede Recliner and it's absolute heaven on earth.   It's the only chair that I've been comfortable sitting in and I even find myself sleeping in it a lot.  Whenever I come in from a longer walk, I usually pass out for an hour in my recliner.  It's sooooo comfortable.  Plus, it's portable.  So, we move it around easily from the TV room, to the back patio and upstairs to the bedroom.  So, if you already have a recliner then put it in the room that you'll want to spend most of your time because you'll be spending a lot of time in the recliner.  If you don't already have a recliner then I recommend spending the $230 for the La Fuma.  It's worth every penny for the comfort it provides. 

Stairs
When you're in the hospital, the PT therapist will teach you how to do stairs.  I found the uncarpeted, cement steps at the hospital to be terrifying the first time.  But since then, I've found stairs to be very easy to manage.  You'll quickly get the hang of it.  I wouldn't worry too much about the stairs.

Kids
I don't have kids, so I really can't offer any advice on taking care of kids.  I bet the older kids will be really helpful to have around as gophers and shoe-tyers.  My biggest problem is that have to have my boyfriend put my sneakers on for me before he leaves for work each morning and I have to keep them on all day.  Sometimes I'm still snoozing in bed when he's putting my sneaks on for the day.  I wish I had someone to tie my left sneaker during the day!

Physical Condition
Since your username is Triathloner, you must be a cyclist.  I'm a cyclist and it was the one thing that I could still do really well despite my hip.  So, I did A LOT of it in the months prior to surgery.  I was in very good shape going into the surgery and I think that has paid dividends during my recovery.   So, my last piece of advice is to go into surgery in the best shape possible.  I think it may help.

Lastly, I was terrified about the surgery.  I was second-guessing it all throughout the week before.  Luckily, when you get to the hospital everything happens very quickly and before you know it, it's all behind you.  The difficult thing for me right now is that I feel like it's going to be long time before I really know if this was successful and that bothers me.  Right now, it seems like everything is good and right on track.  But, I won't really feel good about calling this a success until I get to that 6 month mark.  Boy, that's a long time!

[obxpelican]

Jean,

Thanks for the addition tips, I've often thought about having Pat make a link to a bunch of these tips for Dr. Gross hippys to be.

I may break down today and do it and ask Pat if she will do it.  Might be nice if the Dr. Su and Dr. Mont folks and other doctors do the same.

Maybe I'll post a sample and maybe some of Dr. G's patients can proof it for me.



Chuck

[obxpelican]

Ok.... I have an email in with Miss Patty, go to http://surfacehippy.info/hiptalk/index.php?topic=1512.msg9517;topicseen#msg9517

Comment, add if you wish and we'll see if we can get a lasting tips page up for Dr. Gross.


Chuck

[wesinator]

Hi Tom,

I am posting this in responce to your email question about the ice machine. 

Sent you an email showing my reciept or charge number callout, or whatever its called.  The ice machine is listed under "Cold Therapy - Pain Care".

Can't speak to other's situations, but for me, it wasn't covered by insurance, nor provided by the hospital.  I paid for it at Dr. Gross's office at my pre-op appointment, they gave me a box with the ice machine in it, and then I took that to the hospital with me.  They collected the box at the hospital before I went into surgery, and then when I woke up, it was in my room, and they got started using it.

Let me know if you have any other questions, would be glad to help in any way.

Best Regards,
Wes