New Hip #2... bidding adieu to the pain UPDATE

[Baby Barista]

Well, the day has come. Tomorrow morning Dr. Pritchett will install BHR #2. The last few days have been extremely painful, since stopping the Celebrex. I'm hoping the early recovery will be a little less painful than last time, but I'm prepared for whatever may come. I'll try to update once I'm coherent tomorrow.

[Pat Walter]

Good Luck tomorrow.  I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Let us know how you are doing, when you can. 

Paat

[hernanu]

Good luck, BB - it'll make a world of difference, as you know.

[patrick_d]

Best of luck, you'll do great!

[Woodstock Hippy]

Good luck BB, this one should go easier because you now have a good leg to support you

[Canadian-Ice]

Good luck, man, into the breach.

I hope you have a speed recovery on the way out again.

You're an inspiration.

[Baby Barista]

Hey everyone,

Having a late night snack here at Swedish Orthopedic. Dr. Pritchett was fresh off of one of his annual hip resurfacing conferences. Said he spent a lot of time chatting with Dr. McMinn. I've always had confidence in Dr. Pritchett, but when you hear he's just spent the weekend chatting with Derek McMinn that gives you an even greater level of confidence.

Surgery went well. Dr. Pritchett was able to once again use a 52mm femoral component. As he was installing the acetabular cup, he said he was having a bit of trouble getting a good angle and getting full bone coverage (because of my dysplasia). Also, he said my bone density was off the charts and didn't have much give. So after taking an intraoperative X-ray, he held the impactor at the correct angle, while one of his stronger assistants did the hammering.

Funny thing is, the force required on the impactor WOKE ME UP!!! I remember hearing whacking and my whole body shuddering with each blow. In that moment, I realized what was happening and turned my head toward the sound. That when the anesthetist said, "night, night" and pushed more of the sedative. I'd say this lasted all of 8-10 seconds... but it was freaking AWESOME!!!!

My pain right now is a little different than last time... a lot more in the groin. But all and all I feel pretty good. I'm gonna go home Wednesday afternoon.

And a quick update: at the "Seattle Jingle Bell Run/Walk", I used my opportunity of holding a hot mic in front of 15,000 people to give a few shout outs. First to Dr. Pritchett and hip resurfacing in general. And second, I told them about this website. I've already gotten a couple messages from people who called the station, wanting to learn more about this site and hip resurfacing. That's a pretty great feeling to know you might have helped a few people find answers... like I was in search of two years ago.

Thanks to everyone here for being a shining beacon of truth for a surgery that has given so many of us a better quality of life.

Fraternally yours ,
Rob

[Pat Walter]

"bam, bam, bam"  What a thing to wake up to.  At least it didn't hurt!

Congratulations on the new hip.  Glad everything is going well.

Good Luck.  Give us some updates when you feel well enough.

Pat

[Woodstock Hippy]

WOW,  that's amzing.  I'm glad they got you right back to sleep.  Also glad you are recovering and getting midnight snacks

Now it just keeps getting better

[Dee Dee]

Hip hip hooray for number 2. Frieky weird that you woke up to the hammering.  Glad you are recovering well.

Dee

[OtterDriver]

Good Job Rob -

Sounds like the stuff nightmares could be made of!?

Remembering your ROM video demo...I'll be looking forward to the next episode detailing your performance of a "Grand Ecart" or "Grand Plie".

Congratulations!

Bruce

[hernanu]

Well Rob - you are DONE! Congrats and now there's nothing but good stuff ahead. Welcome to the club.

[Tin Soldier]

Too funny, I had almost the exact same experience on number 2.  The anesthesiologist knew that I had a slightly larger dose of Versed on the previous surgery, so I think he kept it down a notch on the second and so I woke for about 3 or 4 hammerings, which skooched me across the table a bit and I recall asking the anesthesiologist about it.  I did try to look and I remember someone putting a hand on my head and that was all.  Stoner voice -  "hey man what's going on?  you putin the cup in? woooooow, that'sssss cool". 

I don't recall the name of the anesthesiologist but he was a kind of a surfer dude.  Maybe he tends to go a touch lower on the dosing, fine with me. 

Congrats on the new one.  Sorry I missed the send off.  The other day I remembered it was coming up for you and realized I hadn't been on in  awhile.  Off having fun again.  geez

BTW - in McMinn's book "Modern Hip Resurfacing" the last section is co authored by Pritchett.  That's kinda cool.  I'd like to think that most of the really experienced surgeons are discussing HR a lot and doing so at conferences and at the pub afterward too.  I think it's very healthy for the science of HR. 

Nice job on the PR, too.  Good job and speedy recovery to you.   

[Baby Barista]

Just arrived home... and wow, what a roller coaster the past 36 hours have been.

The morning after I wrote my most recent post (yesterday), I couldn't even stand up with a walker. I was having severe muscle spasms in my groin and and glute. Dr. Pritchett came up, and ordered some dilaudid and flexeril. After taking them, I had an occupational therapy session. I felt a million times better than I had just a few hours earlier. Later in the afternoon... I had a PT session and that went well too.

Today, I woke up and felt awesome! Far less pain than with my left BHR. I think a few things are at work. The flexeril (muscle relaxer) has prevented cramping, which plagued me last time... and from the moment I woke up, I've been self massaging my quads and other soft tissue surrounding the incision. I have also been on an anti nausea and have been aggro about drinking water.

So hopefully, the other shoe doesn't drop, because I like how I'm feeling right now. Last time, days 4-7 were the worst for me. Day four is tomorrow..... I'll follow up then.

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

[obxpelican]

I've heard this many times that from Bi Lats, each hip was slightly to majorly different than the other, so, maybe this hip will be the hip that does not bother you.

You got it now, just a short bit of time and you'll be running around like a nut.


Chuck

[Ross]

Congratulations....the dial audio works well but man it can really make you nauseated. I was given OxyContin 30mg and barely noticed the pain except when walking or standing. Enjoy your family and Merry Christmas to you. It's over.

[patrick_d]

Soooo..... freaking awesome is not what I would have been thinking if that happened to me, but I am glad you had a great attitude about it!  Slow and steady....keep it up.

[Baby Barista]

Well, what would progress be without a few setbacks....

For those who've been on this board since my last BHR, may recall that I got very ill a few days after surgery. My temperature spiked to 106 and I began to vomit uncontrollably. Of course when that happened, my first fear was infection. Well, it wasn't infection, it was (a guess by a few different doctors) a reaction by my body to a traumatic surgery.

So this time around, I made sure to stay in the hospital an additional day and I made sure Dr. Pritchett sent us home with anti nausea medication. That all seemed to be working well and good...

Until last night...

At about 8:00, my stomach started feeling rock hard and I could tell all the liquids I had been drinking were just splashing around in there. Within a half an hour... even with anti-nausea meds on board, I began vomiting uncontrollably. During the next three hours my temperature shot up to 106 and I became delirious. It was the weirdest thing. I couldn't judge time or space and felt outside of my body. My wife checked, and my incision site didn't show any signs of infection. The doctor told her to give it one hour and give me more Tylenol and ice packs to bring down the temperature. If it didn't budge, we were to go to the ER.

So I proceeded to have this strange out of body experience the next hour, while my wife tended to the ice packs and cold wash cloths. My temperature finally broke and within the hour had dropped to about 100.5. I felt like I'd been slow-rolled by a tractor and finally fell asleep at about 2:30am.

It's now just after 8am and I feel pretty good. For whatever reason, my body has a serious and violent reaction to surgery. Just like with my first hip, it began on the 4th day post op and was done by the 5th. Not sure if there is anything to be learned here, since this seems to be a pretty rare and unique complication. I guess the one takeaway for everyone would be... don't freak out and think you have an infection just because of a slight fever and some nausea. It could be. Or, maybe you're just a weirdo like me who doesn't tolerate surgery very well!

As a footnote: my muscular pain this time around is WAY lower than the last surgery. I've spent a lot of time massaging through he tightness and discomfort in my thigh, and it seems to have worked. I feel like I could already move to one crutch if I wanted to! Even though I won't. : )

[obxpelican]

Hope that will be your only setback.  The minimal pain you have sounds like a positive thing.


Chuck

[Pat Walter]

Sorry to hear about the surgery attack!  Haven't heard it before, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened or won't again. Thank You for sharing your story for others.

I am glad you feel better today.  I hope that's the end of weird stuff for you.

Good Luck.

Pat