I just wanted to share my story as to how my recovery from last Friday's surgery is going. I'm typing this, sitting in a regular chair at my computer, at home in Nebraska. I've got both legs bent normally and equally.
I want to emphasize that I think the biggest thing I can brag about right now is a lack of pain. I received 10 mg Oxycodone pills on Friday and Saturday, and nothing but a couple of Tylenol and ibuprofen a day since then. I think I can now actually just stop with the pain pills alltogether, 4 days out of surgery. I don't think this is typical. The guy across from me at the Hospital was right after me with surgery and wasn't ready to get on crutches yet on the day I was leaving. (which was Sunday, July 3rd.) But I'm moving around quite well on two crutches. I've even loaded and unloaded the dishwasher.
Now I definitely felt like I got hit by a truck on day one. I have a scar that's almost a foot long on the side of my left butt, and a couple of big primary and secondary bruising. Dr. Mont does the anterio-lateral(?) approach. I can't imagine having to sleep on that huge scar if I'd had the posterior approach. Pulling on the surgery site as I'm getting in and out of bed is the most painful thing that happens to me currently.
As I said, my mobility with my left leg is quite good. I still can't lift it up or sideways with any strength. But I am probably using 30%/70% between my left and right leg when I sit down. I'm getting ready to "run laps" around my kitchen island for 20 minutes, working on having my left leg make "normal" walking motions with the help of the crutches. Again, I think I've been lucky because I think my mobility right now is unusual this early after surgery.
Dr. Mont is a pretty unique, talented guy. I will say I didn't get to see him much when I was conscious however. I believe he did 7 different surgeries on Friday. I couldn't make 7 batches of cookies in a day, much less operate on 7 different people!! I would have liked more face-time/organization regarding post-operation steps and life. I got it, but it was somewhat piecemeal, with much of it coming from the nurses. (All of who were great!!) Sinai Hospital in Baltimore is pretty "vanilla" also. I definitely wouldn't wanted to have been stuck there a week. But actually, I wouldn't want to be in any hospital a week, even if it was at Disneyworld. The tubes and IV's and catheter, and these pneumatic compression stockings that I'm still wearing....I don't ever want to be in a Hospital again!!
Here are some closing observations....I didn't want to get the catheter pulled or have to take a stool softener until I knew I could move around. (The pain medicine gives you constipation. You then have it pressing on your bladder, I ended up having to go to pee every two hours..) But I will never take a stool softener again. I took it for two days, and it decided to kick in at the airport. And I guess the way it works is by giving you symptoms exactly similar to an intestinal virus. I had diarrhea and vomiting up to 30 minutes before getting on the plane. And finally, fly Southwest Airlines. They have open seating, and seat people in crutches and wheelchairs first. We got the front seats of the plane an all four flights coming and going. That would not have happened on any other airline, none.
Hope this is informative to anyone considering this procedure. I can already tell my "old pain" is gone. And I'm getting clues that I've already gotten a better range of motion. I have a lot of work to do yet, but this surgery with Dr. Mont so far appears to be a "home run." And that's exactly what I wanted. Get this surgery, be reasonable in your lifestyle afterwards. (i.e., no marathons, skiing, clog dancing, etc.) Maybe we'll have this last for the next 30 years!!
Mike Hromanik
Topic: July 1st Resurfacing done by Dr. Mont in Baltimore (Read 1997 times)
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