Without A Leg to Stand On

Fifty years ago today President Lyndon Johnson signed into effect the Medicare/Medicaid act.  I was eighteen years old and probably missed that event; I certainly didn’t think I’d ever have any use for it if I even realized what a monumental thing it was.  Today I am home recovering from what will very likely be a fifty thousand dollar surgery, and I am thankful LBJ left that as his legacy.   The same surgery without the assistance of Medicare would have been as financially painful as it is physically challenging.   The irony is not lost on this patient.

Monday, July 27^th

 was my “grand opening”, and I now have a new hip.  I came home yesterday, the second day after surgery, and I promised to be honest about the experience.   My total summation:  Not bad.

The week before surgery we had an orientation day.  Larry and I went to the hospital to meet the staff and learn about the joint replacement department of Galion Hospital.  They fed us lunch, explained their program, and introduced us to staff members who were available to answer our questions. It was a nice touch because joint replacement is a scary thing.  I think it was at that very point I really understood there is very little room for error in these procedures if you want a good outcome.  Now it was really serious…..

Sunday evening my surgeon, Dr. Foster, called to make sure I didn’t have any unanswered questions, although I’m sure he must have felt like a contestant on Jeopardy after our previous meeting.  When I first started having so much pain my desire was to find a treatment to extend the life of my own hip; by the time I met with Doctor Foster I had satisfied myself that the only way to get my life back was to have a hip replacement.  I read up on the different types of replacements and the procedures for their installation.

If you are facing joint replacement I urge you to consider what travel might add to the mix.  I have friends who have had their surgery in Columbus or Cleveland, and I’ve heard good things about the results.  For me that wasn’t as appealing because my own problem had advanced to the point that sitting upright had become incredibly painful.  A two hour round trip in either direction for testing, registration and orientation was more pain than I was willing to tolerate.   We have some excellent surgeons and hospitals right here at home, and I am glad I took advantage of that.  I chose Dr. Foster because he had performed a hip replacement on my mother, and he had impressed me with his skill and after care. 

This past Monday morning found us driving through the early morning haze to arrive at the hospital at 6:30 a.m.  I can’t say I approached it with dread, but there was very little conversation in the car as Larry and I arrived at the hospital.  I think I actually felt a mixture of hope and resignation.  For three and a half months I’d been in a great deal of pain, unable to sit for long, walk very far, and hardly driving at all.  Now I could see that confinement coming to an end…but not without “investment pain” to get me there.  But I did feel confident I’d see improvement daily after the procedure instead of the steady slide into even more severe pain.

This was prep time.  My feet were marked for pulse points, and the right one was marked with a smiley face to insure the correct hip got the attention needed.  Then, after I was as sterile as one can possibly be and the IV was in place (always the worst part!),  I was off to the operating room.

As I was rolled under the big lights I noticed a figure standing to my left; it wore a clear face shield and helmet, a blue gown and scrubs and it looked like an alien.   I tried not to watch as the alien carefully placed some frightening looking instruments into their proper places on a blue draped table.  The Marquis De Sade would have been thrilled to have this great array of instruments at his disposal.  It only took a second for me to realize I didn’t want to have the vision of these things in my mind, so I quickly changed my 'mind channel' to Pinterest and thought about decorating as I drifted off to sleep.  I may be frivolous, but I’m not stupid.

I am told everything went like clockwork; I vaguely remember waking for a few minutes surrounded by my family, then nothing else till much later in the evening.  I did not wake to a blaze of pain, which I found amazing.  Dr. Foster had explained that the wound would have something placed in it to keep pain at bay for up to 36 hours, I was very happy to realize he knew what he was talking about!  That evening I got out of bed and walked a little way down the hall with the assistance of some very nice gals, the next day I made two much longer sorties outside the room to therapy.  By the time I left on Wednesday afternoon moving was becoming easier and less painful.

Now I’m home and on the mend, but this is still only the third day after surgery.  On the ever popular pain scale of one to ten I would list my current discomfort as a two, spiking to a three or four as I get up from bed.  I also have to think about moving, which is awkward.  The restrictions include not pivoting on the right leg, not crossing my legs, and not bending into more than a 90 degree angle.  As long as I give those directions the thought they deserve my pain is short lived and quite tolerable.  When I don't I have come to an intimate understanding of what a great instructor pain can be.  Dr. Foster says there will be good days and bad days, just take it easy and let your body heal.  

If you are headed down the path to joint replacement I urge you to go through your house and think about how you will manage on a walker.  Some temporary adjustments can do wonders to help you through recovery.  Those little changes and assists will mean a lot because every movement is ten time more difficult when you get home.  To prepare yourself I strongly recommend using hand weights to keep up the strength in your arms because they are your most dependable mode of transportation after surgery.   Do your homework on your physician and hospital; there is an enormous amount of information available to you on the web.  Make your choices, then plant your feet on the road to recovery and get on with it.  

Since this physically painful chapter in my life I’ve been thinking about what it must have been like a hundred years ago without this kind of surgery available.   The surgical techniques, implants, and drugs required to restore a persons health and movement just didn't exist.   I am so grateful to live in the day and age where we have these minor miracles.  Even considering all the stress and strain these are really the good old days.

I am in less pain today than I was when Larry and I drove through the early morning hours to the hospital just four days ago, and that says it all.   For the next six weeks I plan to read, write and relax. Patience has never been my strong suit, but God knows I am trying to learn.  I’m very lucky to have the world’s best friends and family who seem to take great pleasure in reminding me when I forget. 
I am anxious to see what the next couple of weeks bring.

Thanks to all of you for the prayers that went up on my behalf and the kind thoughts that came my way….Life is Good.

It's time to get out of this joint.

I’ve been absent from blogging for a good long time.  Somehow this year seems to have drained my creative energies and left me adrift in a sea of lethargy.  I hope this is my first step out of those energy sapping waters.

The past nine months have seen a lot of change in my life, and that can be draining.  My current challenge has inspired me to get back to blogging in the hopes that it might help someone who’s going thru the same thing.

One of several big changes in the last few months is a new house.  After living in the same house for 36 years we stopped at an open house on a lark, fell in love with the place and bought it on the spot.  My husband and I are not snap decision makers, so this was totally out of character for us.  Somehow, even though we’ve had longer discussions about where to go for lunch, we jumped in with both feet.   

And so it was that we found ourselves in our new home surrounded by boxes of belongings we had forgotten we owned, too much furniture, and each of us in too much pain to do much of anything.  Filling and lifting boxes had wrecked my husband’s back the day before the movers arrived.  Trying to pick up the slack I discovered my right hip became more painful every day; by the time we were actually in the new house I could hardly walk.  With the help of family and friends who have now reached ‘sainted’ status we managed to get moved into the new house.  With their continued efforts (and that of some folks we hired to help us out) we got the old house ready for the market and listed.   At first the new house had all the charm of a jumbled unit at a Store and Lock It, but slowly it has become home.  There is still a lot to be done…but some things will just have to wait.

After trips to half a dozen doctors, prescriptions and pain injections, x-rays and therapy, we are now informed medical consumers.  All this accumulated knowledge has told us what we knew at the start:  Larry has a bad back and I have a bad hip.  He seems to have come through the worst of it for right now, but I am not going to get any better unless I have joint replacement surgery.

It’s sobering to think that a doctor (think Doogie Howser) is going to cut into my body, amputate the ball at the top of the femur and replace it with a shiny silver knob, put a new piece into the hip socket, then glue it all back together.  It’s a thought that sent me to the internet to do some research.   I checked out the surgeons in the area, spoke with some people I know who have had joint replacement, and plunged ahead.  First I checked on therapies that might extend the life of my own hip.  When I settled on a doctor I’d want to know about those options; maybe I just need a little WD-40?

My choice of doctor was somewhat influenced by proximity.  In my particular case I only have relief from this maddening pain when I lie flat out; sitting upright for any length of time becomes excruciating.  Having already made a few trips stretched out in the back of our van I decided trips for tests, exams and whatever else they might require of me meant I needed to be able to get there in a short amount of time.  Fortunately we have some excellent joint replacement surgeons right here, so I don’t feel I am sacrificing quality for convenience.

Finally the day arrived for my first appointment with the surgeon.  His staff was excellent, and he took a great deal of time to explain things and answer my long list of questions.  It soon became apparent my WD-40 treatment was not an option.   In fact there were only two:  I could continue to struggle through my daily life using a cane and/or walker with this permanent grimace on my face OR I could get on with the joint replacement surgery.    I have opted for the latter. 

So far I’ve been through tests to determine if I’m healthy enough for surgery (I am), and a meeting to answer questions, discuss services and simply allay fears of the procedure (I am more than ready).  I’ve asked my questions and settled the answers in my mind.  Let’s roll.

I hope by letting you in on my experience it might help someone who’s facing the same type of surgery feel just a little more comfortable when the time comes.   I will be completely honest about the pain level and recovery.  I’m curious about how it will feel to have a foreign object doing the job of the original equipment.  Will it feel “natural”?  How many of the people I see striding around have artificial joints?  I know one thing for sure, after four months of living in bed, in a recliner, or struggling to walk on a cane, I am ready to reclaim my quality of life.  I do not want to live from one pain pill to the next and modify my life to accommodate my deteriorating hip any longer.  

Having always been an active person it’s difficult to confine your shopping excursions to stores that have the electric carts or wheel chairs to make your trip even possible.  Constant pain not only alters your life, but the life of your spouse.  My husband’s patience and thoughtfulness are amazing, but I don’t want my problem to dictate his

life as well.  I am grateful that my surgery may restore both our independence and my semi-good humor!

So….one week from today (Monday, July 27^th) I will be taking the plunge.  I will keep you posted on the experience, and if you should talk to God today please mention my name.

                                                                Life is Good