Update: Thank You for asking Derek
Flew back to Seattle to see Dr. Pritchett for the required incision review and follow-up X-Rays on Thursday, 9/7. Surgery was 8/22. This time, I made sure to bring one crutch for moving around. Last time I went up in April for the left hip, I did it without a crutch or cane and it was a bad move. It is amazing how one crutch on your strong side makes hoofing around through airports so much easier. I didn't really have a choice this time, since I had not achieved the point where I could walk without these aids, which meant that I was at least 3 days behind the recovery of the first surgery. However, yesterday, one day later, I did try walking around without any help, and since I was only going to be going to and from the car to my office, etc, I spent my first day sans the crutch. Big time limp, but, it felt good to give it a shot. Today, it feels even better, and the limp has improved by almost 50% amazingly.
Driving already? Yes. I thought that it would be at least a month before I could drive as this was my right hip, but, I was wrong. With the use of a pillow for sitting, and my left leg used as a sort of brace to keep me comfortable (avoiding the 90 degree thing), it is a lot easier than I thought. No extended driving. My office is 10 minutes away from work. No pain meds now during the day is the other reason I am OK with attempting it. Also, it is a pick-up, which lets me sit a little higher with better leg angles than my passenger vehicle. I would not drive my car, just the truck at this point.
Overall, the pain from the second operation is MUCH LESS from day one. During the first hip recovery, if my left leg started moving toward the center of my torso a little too far, I would get that "shooting nerve pain", and you really appreciate a pillow between your legs for sleeping and you come to your senses real quick anytime that "event" took place. That shooting pain was the same pain that occurred during my relapse 3.5 months after the first surgery. And it happened multiple times after the first surgery in those first few weeks. This time on the right side, I have only sniffed that awful pain maybe once, and it was just a sniff...nothing like the left hip. In rationalizing why, it could be that the right leg and hip have been doing the heavy lifting during the left hip recovery, so perhaps my right leg was stronger that the left one was going into the second surgery, and it could account for the overall lack of pain.
Weight loss: I never really looked at my weight during the first recovery, so I cannot say how much weight I lost during that go around. The surgery creates a significant loss of appetite, probably due to the meds. I thought for sure during the first surgery, the antibiotics were causing the sour stomach and lack of appetite, and my Doc actually let me stop a little early on the antibiotics the first time. This time, I believe I was prescribed a lower amount of pills and finished them off earlier and well, the appetite is still not there after being off the antibiotics for I am guessing a week...it has to be the oxycodone and the Tramadol, which I am only taking at night now. I have lost approximately 15 lbs so far, and I don't really have much more I can lose. I am 6'3", 179 now, and was 195 prior to the surgery.
The pain I experienced in my left leg 3.5 months after surgery has apparently disappeared. It is doing the heavy lifting now for the right side, and all appears well.
As an aside, I viewed the video with Dr. Pritchett and Orland Williams, and, just to hear it more personalized, I did contact Mr. Williams a few days ago, via googling him on the internet. He was gracious enough to get right back to me, give me a little more detail about his recovery, and he really made my day, as sometimes when you are flat on your back trying to avoid slipping into what I would describe as a mild depression due to the surgery and the inactivity, hearing someone else give a glowing testimonial, and in this case having it personalized, was just the thing I needed. The optimism that grew from his email reply was perfect for me.
So, I am only taking one pain med at night currently, and walking without a crutch or cane - but only short distances - and the appetite is currently still about 50% of normal.
If anyone has any questions, feel free. Oh, and I did fly back from the surgery on Alaska in 1st Class, and the leg room was MUCH better compared to my first back and forths on Southwest during the first surgery. While it was more expensive on the follow up because I didn't have a clear schedule on the follow up date and time, it was reasonable when I booked it a couple months in advance knowing my surgery and fly home date. If you are tall and flying to a doc somewhere for the surgery, you NEED to book the return flight in first class, otherwise you are fidgeting the whole flight trying to avoid the 90 degree thing with your legs and it basically just sucks.
I can safely say I am very happy I do not have 3 hips. The nausea from the spinal the second time around and the 8 hours of heaving/dry heaving really put a damper on this one. But again, the overall pain appears to be less, and now it is just a game of watching the calendar and looking forward to that 6 month point, where I can begin some light jogging on a school track, etc.
Thanks for listening
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS SITE AND ALL WHO WRITE ABOUT THEIR HIP RESURFACING EXPERIENCES.
Glenn