What Help Will I Need After Surgery?

[Pat Walter]

Pat:

   Thanks very much for this "labor of love".  As is, I am sure the
case, with many others, I have been fortunate in my life to be blessed
with good health. This problem is very frustrating to me. My "bone on
bone" is a genetic issue, which, fortunately, has only been noticed in
the last 18 months.

I do not like anything that I don't have at least a modicum of control
over. Both the operation and any in-patient care/fairly lengthy
recuperative period is very new to me and my family. 

I have unfortunate timing in that my family is moving out of a house to
another state during my second month of recuperation- so, especially
with lifting furniture/boxes, I will be prohibited from doing it.

One quick question- my wife asked me what she will need to be able to do
to help me during the recuperative period?

Can you begin to answer what sort of support (outside of emotional
support) a spouse offers?

I want to ease her mind that she can do most everything with me after I
finish with the Physical Therapist.

Thanks.  5 weeks out and counting!!

Best,


Wayne Wagner

[Pat Walter]

Hi Wayne

Thanks for writing to me. I understand how you feel.  I was 61 when I had my
hip resurfaced in March 2006 and never had any surgery before then.

Your recovery can vary.  I had a very quick and easy recovery even though I
was not in good physical shape.  I was on one crutch at 4 days and no crutch
at 4 weeks. I had no swelling or bruising. But patients seem to recover much
faster with the overseas doctors since they have much fewer restrictions
than the US doctors.  There is really no way of telling how quickly you will
recover. The main thing to remember is that you will be out of pain and
starting to live life again.  If it takes 3 or 4 months to get back to being
normal or 7 or 8, everyone still ends up in the same spot eventually. Living
a pain free life and able to do anything they want to.

I had my husband with me in Belgium and it was a help, but many people have
had hip resurfacing by themselves even overseas.  You really don't need much
help since you are taught to walk on crutches by the next day after surgery.
They also teach you to do stairs.  The one thing you normally can't do is
bend down to pick something up off the floor. You are not to bend your leg
more than 90 degrees. I assume you know most of the restrictions.  I was
able to bend over and pick things up off the floor by putting my operated
leg out in back of me when I bent over. The one thing I could not do was put
my own socks and shoes on.  My husband helped with that for quite awhile.
Some people used a sock putter onner, but if you have a helper it is easier.
He also helped me get in and out of my underware and jeans for a week or so.

You will recover quite quickly and are able to do most things if you do them
slowly and think about it. I was fortunate and could raise my leg from the
floor to the bed about 4 days after surgery.  Your PT will work with you to
learn exercises to get you back into shape. They are not very difficult and
in the begining your leg does seem to have a mind of its own. But you soon
gain control back.

So your wife really won't need to do much but help you get your socks and
tie shoes on in the morning and off at night.  Other than that it is nice if
she would cook for you, but you could even do that.  You can stand in the
kitchen with a hand on the counter to do things. As soon as you are on one
crutch there is little you can't do for yourself.

The best support she can give you is just moral support.  It is great to
have a caring friend after surgery and post op. I was able to drive when I
got home from Belgium since I had my left hip done.  You probably won't be
able to drive for a few weeks if you have your right hip done.

I was walking about 3/4 of a mile by day 11 with one crutch.  I walked the
whole Wal Mart store when I returned from Belgium, I had not been able to do
that in years.  I stayed in Belgium 9 days after surgery.

Where are you located and what doctor is doing your surgery?

Do you mind if I post your letter on the discussion group - if I don't post
your full name or email address? People usually always have many of the same
questions in mind.

Let me know if you have any other questions.  I have my free book on my
website which gives a day by day detailed description of the surgery.  There
are also quite a few other detailed stories too.

Pat

[Pat Walter]

Pat:

You put alot of effort into drafting this response. I REALLY appreciate
it. Please put anything you want about any communication I have with you
on your site. 

I feel very fortunate to have the military health care benefit as a Navy
retiree. Being on Tricare standard, I was able to seek any "stateside"
doctor I wanted (that left out Dr. De Smet). Because I live in the
greater Washington, DC area, I elected to go with Dr. Mont, who, as you
probably know, has over 1000 resurfacings to his credit.

Beyond the obvious reason for having the resurfacing (given that I was a
candidate) in being that they did not have to go into the femur, I was
told that there would be the possibility that I could run again. This
has driven me crazy for the past 9 months. I hope, as you say, to have
that life back.  It seems unfathomable to me that one dose of general
anesthesia later, this nagging pain will go.

All the best- and God Bless what you are doing!!

Wayne Wagner