I am SO Bungee Jumping!

My mother lives in New Zealand and I try to go there for a visit every other year. Doug and I were there in '06 and we spent a little time in the Lake Taupo area. While exploring, we came across a bungee jumping place that had a platform high above the Waikato River. They were closed for the day but we walked out onto it as far as we could. As I stood at the gate, 20' from the jump point, I looked down at the river and thought "I could do this..." And then "I WANT to do this!" The next day we moved onto another part of NZ and the jump never happened.

Flash forward two years and I'm on crutches, my femur having been sawed in half and reattached at a different angle. Flash forward another six months and we're back in New Zealand with bungee jumping not on the itinerary. I didn't ask before the trip - I just floated the idea by Elaine, saying that I wouldn't be doing it on this trip. I had thoughts of detached limbs - the mental image wasn't pretty.

Today I had my pre-surgery appointment with Dr. Buly regarding my left hip. At my right hip pre-surgery appointment I literally had a list of 22 questions. This time I had only five: Can I have the same anesthesiologist? What is the order in which the three procedures will be done? Is the bone sawed in half with the hip in or out of the socket? (this was a question from my friends and the answer is IN.) What do I need to do to get the hardware back? And finally, will I ever be able to bungee jump??? Dr. B. said yes - once I'm fully recovered (reasonable.) No detached limbs, no osteotomies undone - it'll be fine.

2010 NZ trip - I HAVE TO DO IT!!

Here We Go Again

It was less than a 12 months ago that I first met with Dr. Buly and proceeded on to my Year of the Hip. Now I'm 8 weeks away from having my second FO, more arthroscopy, and the hardware removed from my right hip. I'm most excited about the latter. There are days when I just want to grab a pocket knife and screwdriver and take that thing out myself.

Today I made an appointment for X-rays and my pre-surgery meeting with Dr. B. for next Wednesday. Also on the agenda is to get back into the gym with renewed determination to build up my strength some more on the right side, re-tone the arms and work on the abductors on the left side. I've also got the 8 weeks to shed about 8 extra pounds. I made sure I was on the low side of my average weight before I went in the last time and I feel like it helped - less to slug around on crutches.

It's a lot easier this go around. There's none of the anxiety - I know what to expect, I know what I'm capable of. I'm also glad I wrote the blog, if for no other reason than to have the bench marks - showering for the first time, getting out of the house, stopping the Vicodin's, going to concerts at Madison Square Garden... that kinda thing.

I don't have any dread - so far. More than anything, I want to get this done. I want to be fully well. I want to be done with the Year of the Hip.

Change of Date

My left hip surgery date just shifted by a week.

Dr. Buly travels a lot to lecture on All Things Hip (or similar) and turns out he'll be away on December 2nd. Elaine gave me a lot of other dates to choose from including the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, which could be problematic considering that Doug and I will be hosting about 15 people this year... I also could have chosen Thursday, December 4th, but I decided to push it a full week until the 9th.

My first surgery was on a Thursday and that was all well and good, but what I failed to consider is that Dr. B. and Elaine actually have LIVES. That meant instead of having them to tend to me on the weekend, I had a steady stream of residents and interns checking on me. If you want to feel really old, stay in the hospital over the weekend. I know that they're competent and all, and I have full confidence that they'd pick up the phone and call Dr. B if there had been a problem, but I swear some of them were barely old enough to shave.

Thanks Doogie Howser, but I think I want the big boys (and girls) looking after me this time.