Well, just about 60 hours away from my surgery and I am fairly calm. I think I have everything in order at this point! EVERYONE just keeps asking me if I'm nervous. I wasn't... until everyone started asking me if I was nervous!!
My fancy Millenial Crutches arrived this past week. I was hoping to get red, but instead they are dark gray. Oh well... They are assembled and ready to go to the hospital on Wednesday. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I tried them out a little bit. I was pleased to discover that they were the "Pro" edition with ergonomically correct handles, making them right and left specific. In light of this I thought it best for me to mark one somehow. My right crutch now has a pretty green ribbon adorning the handle!
I have my bag packed, but am not sure how much in that bag I really need. I am sure that twizzlers aren't on the list of suggested items to take for surgery! I just know that I'll have lots of company, and I want to make sure that I have something for the kids when the come. Yeah, anyone out there reading this who knows me realizes at this point that I'm full of shit. The twizzlers are for me. But the chocolate chip cookies are for the kids, I promise!! I also packed a new nightgown and robe, the Sudoku book that the kids got me for my birthday and plenty of sharpened pencils. My iPod is loaded with music and my noice reducing headphones are packed.
Friday was my last day at work and I believe that I have everything settled with backup resources for all of my responsibilities. I'm sure they will survive without me! Everyone knows who is doing what and if they get to a point where they don't know what to do, they will figure it out!
So my plans for the next few days are to do nothing, just take it easy and chill out. I've got lots of hard work ahead of me so I'm planning to have a few easy laid back days before!
Showing posts with label PAO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PAO. Show all posts
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
There's No Place Like Home!
Okay, I'm back... seems I've not been very diligent in keeping this up to date, but I vow to get better! I promised to fill you in on the rest of the hip arthroscopy story, so here goes...
Once I got home after getting thrown out of the hospital it didn't really get much better. My dad and husband had to CARRY my up the two steps to the front porch so I could get in the house. The crutches didn't seem to do very well, as my left leg had virtually NO feeling. I've discovered that it is hard to walk on crutches when your "good leg" is actually a bad leg. Once they carried me into the house I made it to the kitchen table to find flowers and twizzlers! Woohoo twizzlers - John's the best! The flowers were nice too! :-) Then I parked myself on the couch for the night. My son decided to sleep downstairs on the floor to be close in case I needed anything. (He's such a good nurse).
About an hour or so after getting home I realized that I was going to have to get to the bathroom. I thought about it for quite a while and worked up the confidence to stand up. I got my crutches on my right side to help me stand up. Good left leg and crutches on the right, just like that told me at the hospital! I got about halfway up and crumpled right down onto the floor. So, there I laid in a pile on the floor with my mom and son staring at me, mortified!! I eventually managed to pull myself up on the couch and then get up to the bathroom. In the night I had to go to the bathroom again, and the event repeated itself. Yes, I fell TWICE that night.
I should have been in the hospital. Do you hear me OSU East? I should have stayed in the hospital!
When I went back to see Dr. Ellis' assistant Stephanie to have my stitches out she was appalled to hear my story and assured me that Dr. Ellis and the director of surgery at OSU East would know what happened. I hope my situation helps another patient someday. I know my insurance approved an overnight stay, my doctor cleared it as well. I just can't seem to figure out why I had to go home that night. The recovery room staff never considered admitting me, so very disappointing.
I ditched the crutches after just a few days (surgery Wednesday, crutch-free on Saturday) and did really well with the recovery. I have noticed a "tightness" since but it seems to be working itself out. It's been 6 weeks and I feel just like I did pre-surgery! Now I'm ready for PAO... here we come again!!!!
Once I got home after getting thrown out of the hospital it didn't really get much better. My dad and husband had to CARRY my up the two steps to the front porch so I could get in the house. The crutches didn't seem to do very well, as my left leg had virtually NO feeling. I've discovered that it is hard to walk on crutches when your "good leg" is actually a bad leg. Once they carried me into the house I made it to the kitchen table to find flowers and twizzlers! Woohoo twizzlers - John's the best! The flowers were nice too! :-) Then I parked myself on the couch for the night. My son decided to sleep downstairs on the floor to be close in case I needed anything. (He's such a good nurse).
About an hour or so after getting home I realized that I was going to have to get to the bathroom. I thought about it for quite a while and worked up the confidence to stand up. I got my crutches on my right side to help me stand up. Good left leg and crutches on the right, just like that told me at the hospital! I got about halfway up and crumpled right down onto the floor. So, there I laid in a pile on the floor with my mom and son staring at me, mortified!! I eventually managed to pull myself up on the couch and then get up to the bathroom. In the night I had to go to the bathroom again, and the event repeated itself. Yes, I fell TWICE that night.
I should have been in the hospital. Do you hear me OSU East? I should have stayed in the hospital!
When I went back to see Dr. Ellis' assistant Stephanie to have my stitches out she was appalled to hear my story and assured me that Dr. Ellis and the director of surgery at OSU East would know what happened. I hope my situation helps another patient someday. I know my insurance approved an overnight stay, my doctor cleared it as well. I just can't seem to figure out why I had to go home that night. The recovery room staff never considered admitting me, so very disappointing.
I ditched the crutches after just a few days (surgery Wednesday, crutch-free on Saturday) and did really well with the recovery. I have noticed a "tightness" since but it seems to be working itself out. It's been 6 weeks and I feel just like I did pre-surgery! Now I'm ready for PAO... here we come again!!!!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The Journey Begins
At birth I was diagnosed with what the doctors called Congenital Hips, now commonly known as Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. The doctors diagnosed my condition at birth and I was rewarded with a shiny new brace to wear for the next 12-18 months. Rumor has it that the doctors felt I might never walk. They were wrong! I have been walking, running, jogging, cycling, hopping, skipping, dancing, frolicking and jumping through life for almost 36 years now!
About a year ago I began experiencing a great deal of pain in my groin and right leg. I pretended it didn't exist for a while and then took Advil to hide the pain when I couldn't ignore it. Eventually my mom noticed the limping and we were off to her orthopedist! Dr. Keith Berend with Joint Implant Surgeons in New Albany, Ohio reviewed my x-rays and diagnosed moderate dysplastic hips. This was obviously not news to me!
I then had an MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography), an MRI with the added bonus of dye injected into the hip! The MRA revealed some arthritis and a tear to my labrum. The labrum is a “gasket” that surrounds the rim of the hip socket. Dysplastic hips are characterized by shallow sockets and labral tears occur due to the way the femoral head (ball) sits at the edge of the acetabulum (socket). Due to the findings, Dr. B referred me Dr. Thomas Ellis at The Ohio State University.
Dr. Ellis and his PA, Stephanie, reviewed my x-rays and MRA then talked to me at great length about my options. After careful consideration I opted to schedule an arthroscopy (scope) of my hip then, at a late date, the Periacetabular Osteotomy. The scope would allow Dr. E to repair the torn labrum, debried (clean out) any arthritis chunks in my hip and determine the level of damage already done to my hip. Too much damage in there and I wouldn’t be a candidate for PAO at all. Then the only option would be to wait until I was old and crippled enough for a Total Hip Arthroscopy (replacement).
On March 19, 2008 I went under the knife at OSU East! Dr. E decided NOT to repair or debried my hip during the scope, but to just wait and fix it all when he opened me up for PAO. I have since scheduled my PAO for June 11, 2008.
For those of you still with me, thank you for reading all of this boring stuff!
Tomorrow I will tell you more about the hip scope experience. It is sure to be a thrilling post for those of you who get excited over people falling down, eating (almost) all of their vegetables and peeing on the floor!
About a year ago I began experiencing a great deal of pain in my groin and right leg. I pretended it didn't exist for a while and then took Advil to hide the pain when I couldn't ignore it. Eventually my mom noticed the limping and we were off to her orthopedist! Dr. Keith Berend with Joint Implant Surgeons in New Albany, Ohio reviewed my x-rays and diagnosed moderate dysplastic hips. This was obviously not news to me!
I then had an MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography), an MRI with the added bonus of dye injected into the hip! The MRA revealed some arthritis and a tear to my labrum. The labrum is a “gasket” that surrounds the rim of the hip socket. Dysplastic hips are characterized by shallow sockets and labral tears occur due to the way the femoral head (ball) sits at the edge of the acetabulum (socket). Due to the findings, Dr. B referred me Dr. Thomas Ellis at The Ohio State University.
Dr. Ellis and his PA, Stephanie, reviewed my x-rays and MRA then talked to me at great length about my options. After careful consideration I opted to schedule an arthroscopy (scope) of my hip then, at a late date, the Periacetabular Osteotomy. The scope would allow Dr. E to repair the torn labrum, debried (clean out) any arthritis chunks in my hip and determine the level of damage already done to my hip. Too much damage in there and I wouldn’t be a candidate for PAO at all. Then the only option would be to wait until I was old and crippled enough for a Total Hip Arthroscopy (replacement).
On March 19, 2008 I went under the knife at OSU East! Dr. E decided NOT to repair or debried my hip during the scope, but to just wait and fix it all when he opened me up for PAO. I have since scheduled my PAO for June 11, 2008.
For those of you still with me, thank you for reading all of this boring stuff!
Tomorrow I will tell you more about the hip scope experience. It is sure to be a thrilling post for those of you who get excited over people falling down, eating (almost) all of their vegetables and peeing on the floor!
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