Ramblings regarding my scheduled 2/16 resurfacing with Dr Gross

[einreb]

I just thought that I'd post info about my upcoming scheduled resurfacing.  I've been helped a lot reading others experiences, so I thought that I would add to that with my own experience of surgery and recovery.

I'm 40 now.  I had Leggs Perthes as a kid and my hip is pretty much toast.... bone on bone, decent sized cyst, etc.  I'm an 'engineer' by trade and so I've completely over-analyzed the options.  I had actually scheduled for 8/16/2010 and backed out thinking I could put it off a bit longer.

I'm scared, nervous, and excited.  I have purchased slip on shoes and.... running shoes!  I ran a marathon in 2002, it was my last run over 2 miles.  I bike a good bit now, but even that is something that I pay for afterwards.  I doubt that I'll do marathon length again since I never really enjoyed it anyway, but I look forward to being able to go for a quick run or hike with my kids.

The mental aspect of this has been tougher than the physical pain for me.  I've had to come to terms that there is no 'perfect' solution, no perfect time, etc.  I have researched it and am now able to put myself into the hands of those that I feel can best take care of the problem.  Its a good opportunity to spend some 'mindful' time.

-Bernie

[obxpelican]

Don't worry you're in really really good hands, from beginning to end your experience will be a good one.  Everything is timed and done in a way to keep you comfortable.  Most Dr. Gross patients will tell you the pain was very minimal, especially immediately post-op when the pain could be the worst.

One word of advice, go for the spinal, you will wake up feeling like you just woke up from a good sleep.  You may have some nausea, that was the worst thing for me, some never had nausea.


Chuck

[Dayton96]

Good luck Bernie.  Like you, I spent a lot of time researching, interviewing different doctors, and asking questions.  Like you, I finally chose Dr. Gross. 

Your ongoing story will go into Pat's data base for future researchers like us.  I hope you will include everything, including the good and the not-so-good. 

Best wishes,

Mac 

[23109VC]

Bernie-

I know EXACTLY how you feel!  I am scheduled to have my left hip done by Dr. Gross on 2/23!

I have been dealing with pain in my hip for almost a decade, but it's only been "bad" the past year or two.  It was bad enough 6-7 years ago that I have up most serious sports...  I used to play a lot of racquetball and THAT hurt so I gave that up... but up until 4-5 years ago I could still run.  the lateral motions of racquetball hurt..but normal jogging was ok.  as of the past 2-3 years running was out too.  now i limp all the time.  I don't consider myself crippled or anything like that.. i have some good days where I can get by on two aleves and not limp...but I have days when my hip aches, my knee aches, and I limp all over. 

I seriously thought about doing it about a year or two ago, but watched a youtube video of the surgeyr and that was enough to convince me to wait.   now the pain is worse, my limitations are worse, and while I'm nervious about what will happen to me... i'd rather just get it over with and move on with  my life.

have you got to the point where you can't put on your own shoes or cut you toe nails?    I got there this year.  I can still get my sock and shoe on, but it's a PITA.  I really have a hard time cutting my toe nail...   i think if I waited two more years...and I got progressively worse, at the same rate I've degrated these past two years - i'd be seriously screwed... like cane all the time screwed.

i really feel sorry for people who had to tdeal with this 20 years ago and did not have this procedure availabl.e  must have been miserable.  i'm sure in 20 more years they will have some wonder pill you just eat and your hip socket grows back... ok maybe not.. but there will be some new cool fix that beats what we have now.. but at least we have something.

Dr. Gross sounds great.  i've heard nothign but great things.  i think you and ME will be in good hands.

i'm looking forward to geetting on with the rest of my life.. I"m only 38 and have a lot of stuff I plan to do with my new hip!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!   please post how you are doing when you get threre.. let us knowhow you're doing...  and post when you are done.  i paln to be online as soon as I can once done to let you all know how I did.

i hope the hopsital was wifi!!

[FlbrkMike]

Good luck to you Bernie.  I get my LBHR on 2/11.  Even though I've been working on getting this scheduled since last October the prospect is still quite daunting.  But...I'd go and do it tomorrow if I could.

[Tin Soldier]

I'm having my first on 2/22.  Can't get the shoe and sock on very well.  I think the worst part is simply being grumpy much of the time.  The decrease in general health probabaly takes a greater toll on the system than one might expect.   

[jjmclain]

Tin Soldier,

I had never been a grumpy person until the pain in my hip got so bad! I am at 2 1/2 months post op now and one of the main things I notice is that I am always happy...no more hip pain, even with all the cold and snow and sitting at the ice rink for hours watching my son play hockey. Being pain free really changes one's demeanor!!! Good Luck to you!!!

June

[FlbrkMike]

Pretty common amongst many of us here, I think.  Gradual decline in physical activity resulting in parallel decline in energy and general health, combined with increasing grumpiness and general depression.

Sometimes I get so frustrated I almost feel like crying.

Mike

[einreb]

I'm having my first on 2/22.  Can't get the shoe and sock on very well.  I think the worst part is simply being grumpy much of the time.  The decrease in general health probabaly takes a greater toll on the system than one might expect.   

I find it amusing that I'm worried how long it will take after surgery to put my sock on, but I can barely do it now.

I think it takes a huge toll both physically and mentally. I should be at 170 lbs, but I'm at 185.  In the evenings, I exercise less, eat more and probably have an extra beer or glass of wine where I wouldn't have in the past since I used to run or bike early in the morning. I spend a huge amount of 'thought time' processing the situation, surgery, etc.  Frankly, I'm looking forward to not thinking about it.  Hearing that folks forget about their hip after a while sounds wonderful.

Random drug note for the archives...

I took advil on and off for years, switched to diclofenac for the last 9 months with no noticeable side effects.  It was easier just taking 2 pills a day rather than advil every 4 hours.  My primary care doc gave me a vicoden prescription a week ago and I've been taking that occasionally at night and I sleep much better.  I had been trying to avoid the 'hard stuff' for as long as possible, but I think the benefits of a good nights sleep are worth it at this point.  I'm curious what it will be like off the diclofenac for the week before the surgery since its on the Gross no-no list.

[newdog]

The mental and emotional turmoil is there before surgery, not after. There will be some discomfort and challenges, but not that bad. Bernie, I went through the same anxieties as you and others. Believe me, when your surgery is over you will see that it's not anything like we imagine. The imagination runs wild and you think of all of these "things". I had both done Jan. 10 and 12. It just doesn't seem possible that the surgery was performed on me and four beautiful pieces of artwork and technology were implanted in me. (How's that for colorful description?!!) It's just not near as scary and bad as we imagine. I pictured myself freaking out as they wheeled me into surgery. It's not that way. You will be relaxed and won't remember that much. When you wake up in recovery, you will be very comfortable. My first words (at least the ones I remember) were, "Is that it"?
Providence Hospital is amazing. Wonderful, friendly staff. When you meet with Dr. Gross, Lee and Nancy, tell them how you feel. They will talk as long as you want and it will make you feel better.
I'm sure others will tell you that they questioned their sanity at times about getting this done.

Something that helped me was, think of what you can't do now. Think of what you had to give up. For the first time in over two years I'm looking at backpacking gear. Less than one year ago, I thought those days were over for me. One word that I don't say anymore is "owww"! You will see. It still seems unreal.

Steve

[Tin Soldier]

Bernie and Mike -

You guys will be ahead of me.  I look forward to hearing how things go.  I probably won't be posting from the Swedish Hospital overlooking Puget Sound, but I will when I return to home.  I wish the best for both of you.

Can't wait to run again, like a golden retriever on a sunny beach in a goofy dogfood commercial!   How's that for happy thoughts?

Bryn

[FlbrkMike]

I've heard that the hospital I will be in has wifi in the rooms.  I'm having my wife bring me my Kindle and my laptop.  I'll try and post here ASAP when I'm done.

It may look something like this:

39543ojgto4309it4po[jk$%TYUHJ

...buy I'll still try.

[einreb]

so... wtf is leggs perthes?  no one really knows what causes it.  apparently during a growth phase in childhood (4-8?) the 'ball' of the femur gets starved of oxygen in a bad growth plate and 'dies'.  you grow out of it, but at that point, the ball is deformed.  at some point, you 'grow out of it' and the bone recovers, but is no longer a nice uniform shape.  it may be a minor change or a major change.  for me, i get the impression that it was a bit worse than average.  I also have a decent cyst in the ball in the top.... i suspect that its right where the rod in a resurface goes into the bone.

normal hip....  



my perthes hip...

[FlbrkMike]

Bernie, I don't know anything about Leggs Perthes, but that sh*t looks painful.  You need surgery, and soon.  

That's my analysis.

Sincerely,
Another "engineer"

[Tin Soldier]

You shouldn't show pictures of the normal hip.  Makes my envious of all those healthy hips out there.  The spacing is so consistent, no osteophytes, no cam, no pincher, so beautiful.  Never thought I'd be so into an x-ray of a hip.  Mine are gonna look pretty cool soon though.  Bionic and all and perfectly round.   

I've seen a few posts about leggs perthes, I have no idea what it is, but it looks painful.

Good luck.

[einreb]

Ha... that hip served me well for many years... just not the last 8 or so.  I played high school hoops and soccer, 2 marathons, 10's of thousands of road biking miles, multi day backpacking hikes and some pretty decent mountain biking.

For the archives: 

Once diagnosed with perthes (2nd grade?), I spent a couple months in traction, a couple months in a wheelchair and 3 years in leg braces.  It was a bit annoying, but I didn't think much of it.  I suspect it was rougher on my mother worrying about me than it was on me dealing with it.

Not a lot of resurfacing doctors have much perthes experience.  I spoke with five surgeons while in the decision process.  I think that Bose and Gross both commented that they have done 60-70 or so perthes hips each with both of them having resurfaced hips in 'worse' condition.  I'm curious to talk to Dr Gross pre-surgery as to how it will affect his process.  I imagine that the measuring and instrumentation devices are not built for that sort of anatomy.

[obxpelican]

He uses all sorts of gauges and alignment pins, once he finds dead center on your hip the bad parts will be probably ground off. 

BTW--- you cannot see that big hole in the head of your femur?  You got a really good sized one, Dr. Gross will be busy doing bone grafting to fill that hole.  On the 2nd and 4th x-ray you can see the cyst, you can see it much better in the 4th one down.

Don't worry, Dr. Gross does a lot of difficult surgeries, I bet you come out of this ok.


Chuck

[obxpelican]

[einreb]

you cannot see that big hole in the head of your femur

No... I see that.     I found that image after writing the text thinking I just had the xrays.  That's from the CAT scan.  Its the image that originally scared me into scheduling the surgery.

He didn't actually think that much of the cyst (neither did Bose) and has dealt with much worse apparently.

[obxpelican]

Gross said I had both, I could not spot them on my x-rays, but on yours they were so obvious.  I think I could sink a putt in your cyst   

I am sure Dr. Gross has done worse, actually I've seen worse deformaties in x-rays and Dr. Gross fixed them up just right.



Chuck