Hip replacement 101

Hip replacement 101


I thought I had injured my hip at the gym but after a month of it not getting better I go to the rheumatologists. She runs some tests and x-rays. The day after the doctor’s visit we leave for Ohio, we got the call that Grandpa wanted to see us all be for he passes away. We get to Ohio and he passes into eternity around 2:30 in the morning. The next week is a blur of pain and emotion. We make it back home exhausted.

I call the rheumatologists she tells me I need hip replacement surgery and refers me to an orthopedic surgeon with much dread and apprehension I make the appointment. At this point nothing was helping the pain I cannot sleep and driving is out of the question. Bending my hip to get in or out of the car brings me to tears. Sitting is painful, standing up is less painful, laying down is painless for short periods of time BUT if I lay down for too long my hip locks up. My hip locking up is the kinda pain you see on cartoons when the character has stars and birds circling over their head while they are passed out on the floor. The orthopedic surgeon confirms that hip replacement surgery is my only option. He then tells me about a new approach to hip replacement surgery the anterior approach. It is minimally invasive and in most cases people are up and walking the same day. I am really psyched about this. The holiday season is approaching and I really don’t want to wait till January so we make an appointment for my surgery and at the same time I am enrolled in joint academy. My surgery was scheduled for November 19th at 2 in the afternoon. I am excited that relief is finally in sight. Joint academy was really cool, we preregister, do all the labs and x-rays, and they told us what we could expect. I met with the anesthesiologist and we decided that sense I have limited mobility in my neck and it would be hard to incubate me that he would do local anesthesia. I would get an epidural and be numb from the waist down. The orthopedic surgeon Instructed me to stop my rheumatoid arthritis meds (from here on out will be referred to as RA meds.) 2 weeks before surgery. I leave the doctor’s office mumbling under my breath about not being able to eat till after surgery they wouldn’t even let me have coffee. If they want me to not eat they should schedule my surgery earlier. I got my wish 3 days before my surgery they changed the time from 2 PM to 7 AM which means I have to be at the hospital at 5 AM. I call Greg to let him know there was a change of plan we are both happy about being the first surgery of the day. He promises he won’t have coffee or food in front of me. We will be happy tired grumpy together.

We get to the hospital at 4:30 AM that is my husband arrives early stay late. We get to pre op and I get an epidural and think it is pretty cool that I can’t feel anything from the waist down. They wheel me into the operating room and everything around me is fascinating. My doctor introduces me to everyone in the room and tells me it is time to transfer me to the operating table. I say cool and try to crawl onto the operating table. With very stunned expressions on their faces they tell me to just lie still and they will transfer me. Not as much fun but okay. I get transferred to the operating table and they put the oxygen mask over my face. I keep taking the oxygen mask off and asking questions. The anesthesiologist puts the mask over my face holds it there and says night night. Everything goes dark and all the surgeries after me are 20 minutes behind schedule because I couldn’t shut up.

I wake up in post op and my shoulder is killing me. I try to remain calm but the pain in my shoulder is unbearable and panic starts to set in. I don’t see anyone in the room with me, I feel completely abandoned at the same time I reach panic mode the nurse starts massaging my shoulder. Shortly thereafter they give me something for my shoulder and I go back to sleep. I wake up in my hospital room and as I figured I am hungry and somewhat hyper. I eat lunch and about 20 minutes later I start projectile vomiting. As I am puking up my toe nails I pause to admire the pretty colors in my bucket, my bed, the floor, and the walls and then I start another round of vomiting. After I get anti nausea meds and a little rest I try out my new hip. I walk a little bit and am pretty impressed with the lack of pain in my hip. I am walking with the pretty pink Cain that my husband gave me. I crawl back in bed and am happy to be there. Dinner arrives and I am famished I pretty much eat everything I can get my hands on. This leads to another round of vomiting. I ask for a diet coke maybe the carbonation will help settle my stomach. The truth is I just really wanted a diet coke. They bring me diet sprite (yuck) and put more anti nausea in my I.V. I finally keep some food down. The head nutritionist offers to ice down a six pack in my sink, I smile say thank you and decline. I am settled into my bed and I look over to Greg and he just looks dead dog tired. I send Greg home he has to work and he gets up at 4:30. I am lulled asleep by the gentle pushing of the button on my morphine pump.