"And That's The Way It Is"

Last winter it didn't make sense for me to continue the blog. Two of my nephews have very serious medical conditions (Charlie is still in a vegetative state), the economy was/is down, and many of my friends and family are/were without jobs. I didn't feel right blathering on about me when everything else was so dire - my hip issues are nothing compared to all of the rest.

That said, I do feel like I should wrap this blog up officially, so here's my final update:

- The blade plate in my left leg never stopped bothering me. Every single step up that I've taken in the last 10 months, I felt it. Everyday I had moments where I moved the wrong way and could feel the connective tissue rub against the plate. The swelling never completely went away, although I was able to get back into most of my regular jeans by September.

- I was in PT from the end of January until the third week of July. I hit the point where I had plateaued. Still unable to run, still having a slight limp, I resigned myself to the fact that as long as the blade plate was in, there wouldn't be any more progress and my PT agreed.

- The big news is that I had my final surgery last Thursday - the blade plate is OUT. I chose to be awake for the surgery this time - it was only about an hour - so as to avoid some of the after-effects of the anesthesia. It paid off - I'm much less groggy and my lower tract is back on schedule.

- I have 4 more weeks on crutches (Canadian/Gimp Stix/Tiny Tim's/Polio Sticks - take your pick.) I'll start up PT again sometime next month and will probably be in it until March +/-. The goal is to be able to run again by the time I'm done.

- Having double FO's was the best decision I could have made. I've had plenty of pain over the last many months but I don't have any of the grinding joint pain. It's all good; it was definitely worth it.

And so today, I'm 4 days out from my final surgery and feeling pretty good. Haven't had any narcs today. The big test will be seeing if I can make it through the night - I'm thinking that I can.

And so this is it. Fellow and Future Hip Chickers - please feel free to leave comments here. I will get your message and email you back directly.

I wish you all the best,
Laura Hill

I've Only Stubbed My Toe

I haven't updated the blog in a while because it feels so very trivial to me right now.

A little over a year ago my nephew, Charlie, had a heart transplant. He survived his first year with it, which is a huge milestone in the transplant world. Recently though, he had to have some scar tissue removed from his trachea due to multiple intubations throughout his life. Unfortunately, there were complications and the end result is that he's now in a vegetative state and on life support. It's just tragic.

So, for what it's worth, I'm 9 weeks and a day post op; I'm walking on gimp stix and hope to lose them by the end of the month; PT and French Class are going well; I walk in the pool 3 days a week. But as I said, my osteotomies are trivial in comparison to what Charlie is going through.

I wish you the best big guy.

51 Days Later

I had my follow up visit with Dr. Buly today and got the green light to walk with crutches, a.k.a. Canadian crutches, a.k.a. Gimp Stix. It's so good to walk again - my atrophied left foot is cramping like crazy as the muscles get put back into play, but I'm not complaining!

I also got my hardware back and will post a picture soon - I just got home a while ago and am whooped - need to take a nap.

Tomorrow I start PT - yippee!!!

Countdown

I'm a little over 6 weeks post operative. Next Wednesday I have my follow up with Dr. Buly and have every reason to believe that I will be able to go weight bearing. It's tempting to put weight on my left leg now, but I don't.

I hope the days pass quickly!

PS - I'm pretty much over the food poisoning, but Doug is still hurting... Poor guy.

Double Down For The Count

Doug and I both woke up in the middle of the night with a pretty stiff case of food poisoning. It's nearly 6 PM now and I have only been out of bed to use the bathroom. We're not 100% sure of the cause, but have our suspicions. I feel particularly bad for Doug because through it all he still has to feed and walk Paris - to top it off, it snowed all day. Ugh. I'm probably going to bail on French class tomorrow because I don't think I'll be up to it.

Big Girl Pants

Today marks an important milestone: I wore a pair of 5 pocket corduroys with a fly and a button. Wahoo! For nearly 6 weeks, I've worn nothing but my Nike workout pants. They're all well and good, but I'm sick of them.

About two years ago I tried on some stretch cords at J. Crew. They fit so well that I bought 3 pair in different colors. Unfortunately, they only seemed to stretch in one direction and I quickly found myself with three pair of cords that were all too big. Last spring when I was flipping my closet, I contemplated sending them to Good Will but didn't because I figured they'd be good for right about now - and they are.

The Thrill is Gone

I'm sick of this:

• I'm so over being on crutches.
• I hate that I have to ask Doug for the most mundane things (a glass of water, a cup of tea, my hot water bottle, another blanket, something to eat, etc.) because I can't just pop up off of the sofa and get/do it for myself.
• I'm done with bathing while sitting on a shower chair.
• I hate that I'm paranoid of falling since I had the close call.
• It snowed today so Doug had to escort me to and from French class - again.
• I still can't sit like a normal person for more than an hour or so without pain.
• I'm still uncomfortable each and every night and have trouble falling asleep as a result of my discomfort.
• I can only sleep on my back.
• My tailbone is killing me!
• I still have TWELVE more days on crutches...

pppppppppt!

Five Weeks Post Op

Another week has ticked by... I have two more to go before I see Dr. B. and (hopefully) get the green light to go weight bearing.

I'm thankful that I can get out of the house when the weather cooperates - cabin fever has definitely set in. We went to the mall (which has indoor parking, read: no ice) the other day just so I could get out. We're in for some bone-chilling temps and precip later this week - I'm trying to get mentally prepared for being on lock down again. I'm glad that I'm taking the French class since I have loads of time for the homework in between naps.

My big whoop today was that I stopped by the PT office before my class and set up my first four appointments. Can't wait to use 'em.

Close Call

Today is the big day: Day 30. The day that signals the end of my House Arrest.

To mark the occasion, Doug and I went into the city so that I could go to my first French class. For years I'd been daydreaming about taking a language class just for the fun of it, but I was working in The Job That Ate My Life and never found the time. Now that I'm on short-term disability and soon to be officially laid off, I figured why not? It turns out that my class is on the same block as the place where I did my physical therapy after the last surgery - tres commode!

We live in the 'burbs just north of NYC and use the commuter rail to get in and out of Manhattan. The southbound tracks are on far side and getting there involves taking an elevator (or stairs if you're not on crutches) up to an enclosed and heated pedestrian bridge and then taking another elevator down to the platform. So, we park in the lot (in a handicap space, thanks to the temporary gimp pass) with about 15 minutes before the train is scheduled to arrive. We hadn't eaten yet, so Doug went to the coffee shop to get bagels; I went on ahead and told him I'd meet him on the bridge. I take the elevator up, step out, and immediately my left crutch flies out from under me. THANK GOD, there were two quick acting guys who caught me inches before I would have slammed to the ground. If it were not for them, I have no doubt that I would have stayed down until the EMT's arrived to cart me off to the ER for X-rays. One of them stayed with me while the other went and found Doug, who got me back up. From there I slid on my good foot and crutched along the wall - we still managed to make it on to the train with time to spare. Those guys were truly angels. I'm thankful to have survived unscathed. The incident served as a very important reminder for me to be careful, careful, careful as I negotiate the outside world again.

whew.

"Bonus" Week

I got a call from Dr. Buly's office today - he's going to be traveling to Italy to lecture the week of January 19th so they're pushing my appointment on the 21st to the 28th. It means I have an additional week on crutches as a result. Blah!

My arms do look fabulous though.

Four Weeks Post Op

Today marks four week since my surgery - in fact, at this very moment 28 days ago, I was knocked out and under the knife while Doug was hanging around waiting and waiting. I'm thankful that those 5.5 hours went by in a blink for me.

Not a lot has changed for me since last week but noteworthy is:

• My pain levels are getting better all the time and I've even reached the point where I can skip a Tylenol dose every now and then without breaking.
• It's gotten easier to sleep through the night - my pattern now is to sleep (like the dead) from about midnight until 6 AM, get up, pee, re-dose on Tylenol, and then sleep deeply for another 3+ hours.
• I still need a big 'ol nap every afternoon and still snag a catnap (read 10-15 minutes) about twice a day.
• I can sit upright for longer periods of time, but still need to be in the chaise lounge position for most of the day.

So, today is my 28th day - is that a month? Only if it's February... Thursday will be my 30th day and I'm deciding to call THAT a month and will venture out on that day. Big plans. Stay tuned...

Sleeping Beauty

I didn't update the blog yesterday because there really wasn't anything to report. Ditto for today actually but I figured I would anyway.

I spend my days on the living room sofa; evenings I'm in the TV room on that sofa. Occasionally I'll sit in a chair in the kitchen and keep Doug company while he's cooking, but for the most part my waking hours are, you guessed it, on a sofa.

I sleep about 10 hours each night but still need a solid nap every afternoon plus catnaps here and there. I know my body is just taking the time that it needs to heal itself.

Sometimes I think it's too bad that I'm not lazing about on a chaise lounge under a palm tree on a beach in Mexico (I'm thinkin' Playa del Carmen) but then I think of how hard it would be to crutch through the sand to get there...

Goodbye 2008

2008 was the Year of the Hip for me and I'm deeply grateful that I'm done with five out of six surgical procedures to correct my hip dysplasia. But 2008 was also the year in which Doug and I both were laid off and the economy is the bleakest I've ever experienced. I know that things won't turn around quickly, but I'm hoping that by this time in 2009, I'll be looking back on a year in which Doug and I both took advantage of fabulous career opportunities (and at least one of us lands a job with health insurance) and the economy is soundly out of the crapper. What can I say? I'm an optimist. What I do know is this, a year from now I'll be able to walk, run, and sit cross legged once again. Gone are the stabbing pains in my hips as the result of my bones grinding away at my cartilage - I will always have this as one of the positives of '08.

Tonight Doug and I will have a quiet night at home. We're having Chambord Swiss Fondue (a.k.a. Fatdue) and champagne. We'll watch TV and the snow falling outside; we'll kiss this year goodbye and look forward to whatever 2009 has to bring.

Happy New Year to all!

Three Weeks Post Op

Today I am three weeks past my surgery and I'm feeling pretty good. Here's where I am:

• I can put on my right sock and shoe, but still need help with the left.
• No problems getting in and out of the shower on my own.
• I still know when I'm coming up on my next Tylenol dose, but the jags of pain are getting to be fewer.
• My biggest challenge, by far, is that I cannot sleep through the night. Every night between 2:00 and 4:00 I am awakened by leg pain and muscle spasms. Once I'm awake, there's nothing I can do to get comfortable again. I've learned that if I wake up on the early side to just take a benedryl or two to knock myself out. Otherwise I'd be up for hours.
• I still need a big nap every day.

PT came for her last home visit today. There's not much more that she can do with me, it's just isometrics for now until I see Dr. B on the 21st.

Home Again

We're home from the Cape. It was good to see the in-laws, but I'm happy that I will be sleeping in my own bed again and eating my normal comfort foods.

Definitely going to bed early tonight.

Fugitive

I never made it to the gym on Friday to suspend the membership - I took a nap instead.

Yesterday we made our way up to Cape Cod to see Doug's family. It's a year in which we would have normally been with them for the holidays. His parents are getting on in years and can't come to us, so we made the drive. We're staying at the inn where we customarily stay, having made (and paid for) the room well before my surgery. Ours is a nice room with a big king bed on the ground level and dog friendly.

I know that Dr. B. wants me to be extra cautious with my right leg, thus the house arrest. I am being super careful, but what I didn't count on is this: I. Am. Wiped. Out. I'm glad we're not traveling back today because it would be too, too much. This morning I got up for breakfast and then went back to bed until noon.

The upside to my escape is that I now fully and completely understand why I need to rest and I remain thankful that I have the time to do so.

Boxing Day

My sister and her family are coming to visit later this afternoon, so I guess you could say that we're celebrating Boxing Day. (Mom, I know this does you proud!) I'm looking forward to seeing her and her husband and the kids. She's bringing eggplant Parmesan for dinner - one of my favorites!

Life in Hipville plods on. I seem to have a "rough patch" every day between 4 AM and 6 AM - it wakes up with pain and I can't get comfortable no matter what I try. I doze on and off until it's time for me to take my Tylenol again at 6 AM and then sleep hard until 9 or so. In the pre-dawn hours I also get muscle spasms in my left thigh that don't hurt, but are strong enough to wake me up. Throughout the day I get jags of pain that, at times, take my breath away but they're thankfully brief and usually only occur in the last hour before my next dose of Tylenol.

I'm thinking about sneaking out of the house today, with considerable help from Doug, so I can suspend my gym membership for a while. I didn't do this the last time, because I didn't know that I could, but I figure saving the $75/month isn't such a bad idea.

Christmas Eve

There's not a lot to report when you can't leave the house. I got a suprise visit from the PT this morning - I swore she said she was coming on Friday... She'll come back for her final visit next week and then we'll be done.

Hmmmm, what else? Not much really. Doug bought some special treats for dinner tonight and tomorrow. We're just going to hang out with each other and the pooch and enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

Two Weeks Post-Op

Paris is my constant companion on the sofa.

Today marks two weeks since my surgery and again, it feels like it's been longer. I pretty much accomplished the goals I set for myself a week ago:

• Be able to put a sock on my right foot - I can do this about 8 times out of 10. I'll have this nailed by the 3 week mark, for sure.


• Be able to get in and out of the tub without help from Doug - I barely managed to do this the last time I took a shower, I think it's still a little hit or miss. Again, by week 3 it'll be a no brainer.


• Be better at crutching - I'm still on the walker most of the time, but it's gotten much, much easier for me to get up and down the stairs on the crutches.


• Be less swollen - after 2 weeks (and continuing) of nearly constant icing, I am a lot less swollen. My left knee once again looks like a knee.


• Ditch the Dilaudid - Check! I still have pain; I still know each and every time when I'm within 30 minutes of my next Tylenol dose; I almost broke down and took a Dilaudid this afternoon, but I didn't.

I'm looking forward to Christmas Eve and Christmas. Next week I'll be looking forward to New Year's Eve and the following week I'll be looking forward the end of my house arrest. Again, I am thankful to have the time to recover.

Happy To Be Housebound

Today was frigid here in the northeast with temperatures in the teens. (Apologies for not knowing the Celsius equivalent, but it's way below zero.) It was A-OK with me that I'm confined to the house - I like winter and all, but not bone-chilling temps. I find that having an 8" piece of stainless steel implanted in my femur doesn't help matters when the weather is cold or damp.

It was otherwise a fairly uneventful day - my PT came in the morning and gave me a bunch more isometric exercises to work on. She's going to come by on Friday to wrap things up. At this point there's not much else that she can do for/with me; my real PT will start up once I'm off crutches.

"Skiing Accident?"

This afternoon I went to my second of two holiday parties for the season, from here on out it's me on the sofa and in the house. No more trips into Manhattan until January 9th. Next Saturday we're going to schlep up to the Cape to see Doug's family and that will be my last outing during my month of house arrest. I'm thankful for the holidays and the snowy weather we've had. It makes me less cabin-feverish.

The dinner this afternoon was a nice affair - a small gathering of old friends. We meet at the same restaurant in December every year. I'm so glad that I didn't have to miss it. As we were headed back to the car some random guy on the street says to me: "skiing accident?" It took me a beat but I just said "no, hip dysplasia," never breaking my stride (or whatever it is that one doesn't break when ambulating on crutches.)

It always strikes me as odd when people make comments like this. What exactly are they thinking? What do they want? I'm sure they don't know that they're being rude and I guess a part of me is satisfied that the default is that I look like I have a sports injury and not a congenital hip defect. But I still don't understand what motivates complete strangers to verbalize what's going through their tiny little heads. Or maybe the real question is, why do I feel compelled to answer?

The Good or The Bad?

I've read and heard from several of my Hip Sisters who have had surgery on both of their hips that there is a good and a bad experience - one is definitely easier than the other. I've thought a lot about this and honestly can't say which is which - I think that they're just different. I guess if I had to pick, I would say that my right (first) hip was my Bad One. Here are the positives and negatives as I see it:

RIGHT HIP:

• I had no idea what to expect. (-)
• The pain wasn't as bad as I had imagined. (+)
• The Vicodins made me nauseous and gave me nightmares, the anti-nausea patches gave me blurry vision. (-)
• I was tired all the time, for months. (-)
• I was out of the house the day after I came home. (+)
• I pushed myself back to work too soon because I felt like I had to. (-)

LEFT HIP:

• I knew exactly what to expect. (+)
• The pain really hasn't been bad. (+)
• I have the time that I need to properly recover and don't have to push myself back to work for fear of losing my job. (+)
• With a couple of pre-determined exceptions, I can't leave the house for a month. (-)
• I'm not yet strong enough for crutches. A week and a half post surgery and I'm still using the walker about 90% of the time. (-)
• I'm not on Vicodin and the Dilaudid didn't give me any bad side effects. (+)
• Swelling on both legs just sucks. (-)

OK, so now that I've actually broken down for myself, I guess the first one was the bad one. I guess I can add one more thing to the LEFT HIP column:

• I've already done the Bad One. (+)

Last Night

I had a really good time at my team holiday dinner last night. It was about midnight by the time I was getting into bed and I was due for Tylenol. Bedtime is when I usually take my Dilaudid, but I figured I'd just take the Tylenols and then hit the hard stuff if I woke up during the night in pain.

Happy day - I made it through the night! I'm feeling pretty good today, albeit tired from last night, but the pain level is OK. I'm going to make a go of it again tonight on just the Tylenol.

One of my biggest motivators - if I'm off of the narcs I can have a GLASS OF WINE!

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!