Hall Pass #1

I'm excited that I get to get out of the house tonight to go to my (former) team's holiday dinner party in the city. It's one of the two exceptions Dr. B. granted me as part of the terms of my post-surgery house arrest. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone although it's bittersweet that this is likely the last time we'll all be together as a group.

Right now I'm hanging out on the sofa (shocker!) waiting for the PT to arrive. Last time around, I didn't do any physical therapy until I was off of crutches. I'm glad that I can get an earlier jump on it this time and that my insurance covers 60 visits a year.

Christmas Cards

I spent the bulk of the day on the sofa, oh wait! Now I spend the bulk of all of my days on the sofa...

One of the smart things I did before my surgery, before the layoff, before Thanksgiving even, was to buy holiday cards. It's been years since I've had the time to send them out due my career which I loving called "the job that ate my life."

Being the type-A that I am, I also used the time to add my holiday contacts to my new (personal) blackberry. I know that I could import them from the old to the new, but my data base isn't as tidy as I'd like, and hell, I've got the time...

One Week Post-Op

I'd like to be able to say that I can't believe that a whole week has gone by already but the truth is, it feels like my surgery was at least 10 or 12 days ago. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing...

For me, the biggest difference between this surgery and the last is my mobility. Dr. Buly only wants me going down and up the stairs one time a day. I'm finding it harder to use crutches at this point - I can't swing through like I could the last time. I'm not stable enough for them and my hips are really, really swollen, and so I use the walker about 95% of the time. I'm able to put more weight on my arms with it. The upside that because I'm not holding up my left leg up all the time to swing on crutches, my circulation on that side is better (from toe touching) and my calf on that side doesn't feel like it's about to explode.

The other big thing for me this go around, is that I'm taking Dilaudid instead of Vicodin for the pain. I take 4 mg at bedtime and no more. I do have more vivid dreams on it, but none of the Steven King-like nightmares that the Vicodins gave me. I'm going to try to stop taking them next Monday or Tuesday. I also take 1,000 mg of Tylenol every six hours. I don't need a watch - come 5 to 5.5 hours after a dose, my hip lets me know loud and clear that it's time for more.

Here's what I'm hoping to accomplish over the next week:

• Be able to put a sock on my right foot
• Be able to get in and out of the tub without help from Doug
• Be better at crutching
• Be less swollen
• Ditch the Dilaudid

I think these are reasonable goals - stay tuned!

The Claw!!!!!!!

The visiting nurse came yesterday to do her evaluation before the PT arrives later in the week. We talked about the things that I can and cannot do at this point.

She didn't have an entire hip kit with her - she was missing a leg lifter, which I could really use this time around. I passed on the sock putter-on things - Doug can handle sockage for now. But I did take the sponge on a stick for washing my toes and THE CLAW!!!!!

How did I get through the last surgery without it?! Love it!

Keeping it Positive

When Doug and I were both working, there were always a thousand things that needed to be done around the house that we never seemed to have time to do. Since Doug has been laid off, he's done things like clean the gutters, do the brakes on the car, catch up on doctors' appointments, etc.

Now that I'm in the same boat I'm trying to do some of the same. Being on house arrest, tired, and with limited mobility has put a bit of a damper on this, but today I managed to call the dryer repair guy and the stove repair guy, two things I've been trying to do for weeks, but just hadn't found the time. Oh, and I also don't have to worry about one of us working from home to be here for the repair - we'll be here... Other than crossing those two things off of my list, the day was fairly uneventful. The visiting nurse came today for my evaluation and the visiting PT is supposed to come later this week.

I have some more calls to make tomorrow and will start on my Christmas cards. I'm hoping it won't be too rainy and Doug can go out and get a tree. Often, we don't get one because we feel we won't be home enough to enjoy it. Not so this year!

Anesthesia: Love It/Hate It...

When I was in pre-op last Tuesday I was a little disappointed to learn that I wouldn't have the same anesthesiologist that I had the last time. I had had such a good experience with her - I didn't remember a bit of the surgery, despite being "only" twilighted and the nausea after the fact wasn't too bad.

My disappointment quickly faded moments later when Dr. Buly came in to the room and told me that the anesthesiologist that I would have for my surgery is the same one that he had had when he had knee surgery and the same one that his wife was going to have when she had surgery later this month. If he's good enough for Dr. B. and his wife, he's good enough for me. Too bad I cannot for the life of me remember his name - I'll just have to wait for his bill to arrive for that.

My anesthesiologist this time was super nice, like the last, and I had none of the nausea that I had the last time. One minute I was getting settled on the first procedure table (they use one for the arthroscopy and another for the rest of the surgery) and the next minute I was in post op. I didn't need any of the anti-nausea patches that I had the last time. I was very, very pleased.

Oh, but the downside of anesthesia and the narcotics I'm now on... I don't want to go into too much detail because anyone who's every had surgery or been on narcs knows what I'm talking about and it's just, well... indelicate. Colace, Senna, and a whole lotta backlog (pardon the pun) is all I'm gonna say. I dislike this day as much as I did the last time around.

But as they say, this too shall pass. (again, please pardon the pun.)

Home Again

This afternoon I came home. It was a bit of a challenge getting in and out of the Xterra, but the trip home was otherwise uneventful. All of the movement did take it's toll though - I had Doug fill my Rx's and took 2 mg of Dilaudid when he came back with them. (Cut to 3 hours later when Laura wakes up from a coma-like nap...)

I'm so happy to be home though and OK with the month of house arrest too. I would have preferred not to have been laid off, but I am really glad that I can (for once) focus on getting myself well and not push myself back sooner than I should. Had I not been laid off, I'd be completely stressed about the fact that would have to delay my return to part-time work by a week, as per Dr. B's orders, and then stress about how quickly I could push myself back to being full-time. I'd be back on my emails and conference calls on Monday, despite the company policy of NOT working while out on short-term disability, because my department would expect me to - there's policy, and then there's reality. Now I don't have to worry about any of it.

Right now it's about getting better. PERIOD!

PS - the picture is of the wreath that Doug bought for our front door.

One More Night

Dr. Buly came by this morning to check on me and wish me well until I see him again in January. He restated the terms of my "house arrest" for the next month - he really wants to keep the right hip protected. He is granting me furlough for a party next Thursday though - I'll have Doug along as a spotter/chaperon and I won't be able to drink, so it will be OK.

I'll be released from the hospital tomorrow. It amazed me last February, and it continues to amaze me again, how quickly the body starts to heal itself. This morning I still felt a little dizzy and weak on crutches. By this afternoon, I was able to walker down to the PT room and then go up and down the 4 practice stairs that they have. I feel worlds better than I did just six hours ago.

It's too bad that the entire recovery process isn't this quick. I can remember last spring feeling as though I would never be able to walk without a limp; fearing that the swelling on my leg would never go away. I was also never able to really run after my last surgery - mostly because I had a set of mismatched hips, one corrected and one not. I'm hoping that I will be able to run again come spring time.

I am so thankful to be on the other side of this surgery. Now, all that's left is the hardware removal next year, and that will be a piece of cake compared to this!

For Mom

Here's the photo of me right before I went into the OR.

On A Scale of One to Ten

All of my hip chickers know this line: "on a scale of one to ten, what is the pain?" In the hospital, in pre-ops and post-ops, we are asked this over and over, all day long. My pain has been in the 4-5 neighborhood post surgery.... That is until the PT comes around.

About an hour ago I was decathed and got up on the walker to make my first trip to the loo. Standing up spiked my pain up to about a 9.75 for about 30 seconds. It's all consuming, but it passes and I know that it's part of my recovery. Oh sure, I'll squawk about it, but for the most part I'm dealing with it. I also think I happen to have a pretty high threshold for pain.

Not so for one of the women down the hall. I have no idea what she had done, or what the PT's are doing to her but she's been SCREAMING at the top of her lungs "NOOOOOOOO!!!!! I CAN'T DO IT!!!!" She's got a long road ahead of her. Literally, the entire floor can hear her. I think on a scale of 1 to 10, she's got to be registering about a 35 right now.

Maybe it's in my head, but my right leg already feels better having had the blade plate removed. I'm happy to be on my way to getting fully better.

Post Op - Day 2

What I'm feeling more than anything is tired. I slept really well last night (in between being woken up from the depths every 2 hours for vitals) and when I woke up around 7 I was ready for another nap.

PT spoke with Dr. B and he's agreed to let me put a little more weight on my right leg but he wants me to TAKE IT EASY. My post-op mall rat days are done - I have to lay low for the next month. PT had me up on a walker and I made it all 18 feet +/- to the door and then back. And now I'm exhausted again.

Other updates - my epidural is out and so is the IV, except for the tap. All that's left is the cath, which will come out after lunch.

Did I mention I'm tired? Going to take a snooze before the food shows up.

Come Fly With Me

First of all, Doug apologises for not posting yesterday. He was pretty tired after the day. Ha! He doesn't know the meaning of the word. I getting tired just typing this.

I did well with my Triple Threat (osteotomy, arthroscopy, and hardware removal.) The biggest challenge now is figuring out how I am going to grow wings and fly. I have the residents and PT in a conundrum - Dr. B said that I can toe-touch on the osteotomy side (10 pounds or so of weight) and be 50% weight bearing on my hardware removal side. Hmmmmmm.... that leaves roughly 40% of my weight to be supported by??? My arms, as it turns out. Sadly, I can't fly, but HSS has a walker rigged with arm supports. OK, what about when I get home? What am I to do with the flight of stairs every morning and night? I'm waiting for Dr. B to come by and hopefully tell me I can do the stairs at full weight on the right side.

OK - going to nap now. Tired, tired, tired. More later.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Lots To Do

It's Sunday afternoon and right at this minute I'm really, really thankful that I don't have to go into work tomorrow (which I would have) because I still have a lot to do:

• Finish shopping for my husband's Christmas gifts
• Wrap his gifts
• Finish up with about two more family Christmas gifts
• Get a pedicure (of course)
• Return my new cell phone since I just got my post-layoff blackberry
• Email still more people re thanks for thinking of me this week and PS please hire me as a freelancer as soon as I'm off of the DL...
• Straighten up my side of the bedroom because I hate an untidy room and I'll be spending more time than normal in there soon.
• Have a nice dinner at home and savor a glass (or two) of wine since it'll be a few weeks before I do that again.

My left hip has been hurting more than usual in the last 24 hours - and in a strange way, I'm very happy for that. It was never, ever as bad as the right but I still knew that it was better to get it taken care of sooner rather than later. I suppose the good thing about worrying for 4 months straight about being laid off is that it was part of the reason why I decided to have this done NOW. I'm glad I've still got the decent insurance, I'm glad I'll have my disability time. It was definitely the right move. I think my left hip has just been reminding me of this in it's own way.

The Good News, the Bad News, and the Good News

It's been quite a week for me... Who am I kidding? It's been quite a last 3 months for me.

So, the good news is that I had my pre-ops this past Tuesday and successfully donated blood to myself with an amazingly high iron count of 13.7 - truly a good number for a vegetarian. But that's not my good news... I have lived my ENTIRE adult life believing that I'm 5'3.75" inches tall. I rounded up on my license, passport and at every doctor's office I've ever been to - I've been passing myself off as 5'4" for years. So, I'm having my pre-op physical and the nurse actually measures my height instead of just asking me. "5'5"" she says. "No, I'm 5'4"." She measures again. "You're 5'5". Oh wait, your chart from the last time says you're 5'4"." Me: "no one measured me the last time. I don't remember the last time I was actually measured. High school, maybe?!" She takes me to the other scale with the measuring thingy and checks my height for a third time. "You ARE 5'5" tall." Me: beaming for the rest of the day and thinking to myself "I'm 5'5", I'm 5'5", I'm 5'5"! "

So, here's the bad news - I was laid off from my job yesterday. Doug was laid off from his at the end of July and is still looking for a job. This is why there were no more posts about the dreaded Cigna insurance drama - we switched onto my company's policy in September.

But here's the other good news - my company gave me a generous severance package that will go into effect after I've taken my 3 months of short-term disability leave to have my surgery and recover properly. I'm happy I don't have to crutch my way back to the office 3 weeks after going under the knife for fear of losing my job - I already have.

I am at peace with my layoff - everything has a time and a purpose. I took the job with goals in mind, and I accomplished them all. It's time for me to have my surgery, heal, and then move on to something bigger and better.

I don't know if any of my 35+ employees have secretly stumbled across my blog. I had intentionally kept it on the DL from them - being the boss and all, I wanted to keep these two parts of my world separate. If any of them have found it, and for those of you many readers who weren't my employees, they and you should know that my team was the best part of my job. I will miss them the most. They are a fine group of professionals who always did me proud.

Me? I'll be fine. I'm looking forward to the next chapter in life.

Now, on to that osteotomy!

2 Weeks and a Day

Last night it started to hit me for the first time this time that - OMG, my surgery is in TWO WEEKS!

I'm not worried about the pain or the surgery - been there, done that. I'm a little concerned about my right leg being able to carry the load since it will also have been opened up for the hardware removal and it's still less than a year since it was fixed. I only have two more weeks to get my ducks in a row, finish my Christmas shopping, wrap up the loose ends. I know that it will be here tomorrow.

What is perhaps most daunting to me this time, is that I know how looooooong it takes to get better. For the entire season of Winter I will be walking with a device - walker, crutches, gimp sticks, and then cane. I must focus on Spring and the renewal that the season symbolizes, for I will finally have a complete set of rebuilt hips.

4 Weeks to Go

Today I'm 4 weeks out from my surgery date. In fact, at this time a month from now my surgery will be OVER. I'll be in my room and on my way to recovery. I can't wait.

I've definitely been way more laid back this time around. After all, I know what to expect. Oh sure, I still have my staff on Sick Patrol - i.e. don't come in if you're sick and don't come near me if you think you might be. But I'd like to shed a few pounds and I've been working out some, but not nearly as much as I should be. It's been crazy busy at work and I just don't have the free time. Last February I was much more focused on the surgery because I had no idea what to expect and getting in shape was, in part, how I dealt with the stress of it. I'm not stressed this time around.

I read Cass' post about every surgery being different - a point I took to heart. I can't expect this to be any easier just because I've been through it before. To start, in addition to the usual femoral osteotomy and arthroscopy, I'll also be having the metal plate (or deep implant in insurance speak) removed and that will make it more challenging. But, what I do know is this - I won't break. I know that I'm strong and my attitude is good. It's going to be OK.

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.

Pop Up Day - 6 Months Later

September 1st - the other Pop Up Day of the year in the world according to Laura.

How far I've come in 6 months:

• I feel like a normal person most of the time.
• My left hip hurts more often and more painfully than my right.
• My scar isn't so bad.
• It was worth it, worth it, worth it.

In 3 months and a day I'll be back in to have my left hip done. My second surgery will be almost a year to the day that I learned I have hip dysplasia and that the pain that had been plaguing me for years could be alleviated.

I'm looking forward to February pop-up '09. I'll be done with my surgery, done with my crutches and done with my cane. And except for the final hardware removal, I'll be done with the year of the hip.

A Debt of Gratitude

Last week Lauren and Sarah published "How Hip Dysplasia Works" - http://health.howstuffworks.com/hip-dysplasia.htm - it's an amazing resource and one that I wish I had when I was diagnosed less than a year ago.

The internet is a fabulous thing - I've found blogs, met Hip Sisters, checked up on my surgeon and hospital, and read what information I could find on hip dysplasia. If this link had been around a year ago, I would have devoured it. It's more comprehensive than anything else I've seen.

Thank you Lauren and Sarah for all of your hard work. You've provided a tremendous service to Hip Sisters (and Brothers!) everywhere.

Brava!

A Drink with Sarah and MP

Last Friday I met up with Sarah for a glass of wine after work and she brought along MP for me to meet. Sarah's right, she is HEAVY. She also has a gnarly sharp edge where the top is pushed into the femoral head. Forget the marrow, that's the part that skeeved me out a bit.

It was an altogether fascinating thing for me to touch and feel what I've only been able to imagine is inside of me. I don't reckon Dr. Buly ever shows these to patients before their surgery. I think I would have had a harder time going in if I had known - I might have run for the door.

Every time I've climbed a set of stairs over the last several months, I've thought to myself that my blade plate must weigh a lot because I thought I could feel the weight of it. My logical self always dismissed this, I mean really, it's just a little stainless steel. Can't weigh more than a fork... Right? Well, my instinctual self was right - it is heavy.

I can't wait (weight) to get it out.

Hello Bangalore!

I see I have had a lot of hits from Bangalore in the last week or so - what's the interest in Prilosec?

Born Dysplastic/To Be Wild

The trip we took in June had me really missing riding a bike. I got my motorcycle license in 2002 but was never 100% comfortable riding the sport bike that I had at the time. That bike has been sitting in the garage unused for the last two years. So, back from the west coast I started tire-kicking used cruisers and came across one that I just had to buy. For those who know/care it's a 2006 Honda Shadow VLX 600.

My left hip is hurting me more and more, but this I can do. I love it!

Two Hips, Two Pains

Last night I ran pretty hard at our masters' level agility class and this morning I was feeling it in both hips. My right hip was tight in that hard-workout kinda way, but most of it was walked off by the time I got to the office.

Not so for the left side - it hurts in that mortar and pestle, bone grinding on cartilage kinda way. There's no walking this pain off - it only got worse as walked my commute today. I will likely be reaching for my old friend, the IB's, before long.

It's days like these that make me so deeply grateful for having had my surgery.

And ready for the next one.

Agility Practice

Here's a clip from last Friday night's agility class:

Granted these are short distances and relatively slow speeds, but I am running and my right hip doesn't hurt! I do feel it on the left side though.

Adam, I Think We Need a Break

A couple of weeks ago NYSC opened up a new and beautiful gym a mile away from our house. Adam and I came up with a workout plan for me and off I went. I was supposed to see him a few more times this month, but meetings came up and PT appointments got cancelled. Then this Monday, I looked at my calendar in the morning and realized that I was supposed to be at PT 10 minutes earlier. Oooops!

I just don't feel like I need it any more. So I called up Adam and we agreed to stop for a while - I'll call him if I feel I need to. I'll probably start back up in October with a pre-game plan, but for now, Adam and I are taking the summer off.

Blade Runner

On Wednesday night I ran for the first time since my surgery. Oddly, when I'm in a full-on run I'm a lot smoother than at slower speeds.

I ran Paris at agility once that night and then again a few times on Friday night. My calves are still sore, but I can't even describe how good it feels to be running again.

Hip Bike Chick

Every few years or so, our friend Mark organizes a bunch of friends to meet up somewhere, rent Harley's and ride.

Last December Mark told me about the trip he was planning for June - San Francisco to Lake Tahoe to Yosemite to the Pacific Coast Highway and back to SF. Six days, 1,200 miles.

It's a lot of time to spend on the back of a bike, but Dr. Buly seemed to think it would be OK. . Well intentioned, but non-riding friends told me I couldn't do it - no way, no how. I'd have to sit this one out.

Don't tell me I can't do something...

It was an AMAZING trip. I stretched whenever we stopped and I was totally fine. My left hip was the side that gave me the pain - not the right. I'm so glad I went.

Happy Flight Delay

Doug and I are headed up to San Francisco for a vacation with friends and right now we're hanging out at the Admiral's Club because our flight has been delayed by at least 2 hours.

So, why do I have the big grin on my face? Because I'm sitting crossed legged!

Happy day!

The Good (?) Thing About Hip Pain

Lately my left hip has been bitchy - the grinding pain and the sharp pangs that wake me up in the middle of the night. This was always my "good side."

I don't like the pain, but every time I have it now I am reminded of how amazingly improved my right side is. My former bad side, that hurt everyday to some degree or another for the last decade, isn't causing me pain any more. I am my own before and after comparison.

The question I'm most often asked is if I'm glad I had my surgery - I am 1000%, yes. Pre-surgery there was a little part of my brain (that I squelched) that wondered if we weren't making a big mistake - What if something goes wrong? What if I limp for the rest of my life? Will I ever run again? I knew there would be no undoing it once I was wheeled into the OR.

I am so thankful that I decided to have my FO. I am deeply grateful to have been born into a part of the world where fixing my hip dysplasia is even an option. I'm looking forward to having the left side done.

And then I'll be done.