Become an Insider

Hip Infection 2 stage revision, hip infection

OMG! You poor dear! What is wrong with these people? I would definitely hold them responsible should it cause you further problems post-op! I've never sued anyone (though I've had just reasons to), but this is just plain unacceptable! I wonder how many have or will have problems due to their carelessness! I'm so sorry my friend! As you know, I promise to keep you in my prayers. As far as tidying up, Walmart sells these wonderful disposable washcloths online and they're very affordable.

Here's a link to them....

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Assurance-Premium-Washcloths-Extra-Large-144-count/24360534
 
@dinsmaum
I cannot believe you're going through this!! It's not enough we both had an infection and have to do this All Over Again! In so sorry!

I know they prescribed no PT or OT they said its 50% weight bearing.

I too am done with the PICC line and now on a round of 2 weeks of Doxicyclin to just ensure the infection is knocked out then off a week check labs and surgery is scheduled for July 6th.

I too have my frustrations with all of this, I noticed the past couple days I cannot do heel-toe. It feels like the implant when I use my heel is loose and hurts really badly. My other frustration is the time I'm loosing out this summer with my kids doing the activities we all love because of this. Last summer was lost because of the original hip surgery and now having to do all over is sometimes hard to swallow.

Hang in there:) you have 11 days and then your done with this then onto a new hip.
Bigs hugs from me to you!!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
Oh @dinsmaum I am sooo upset! I can't believe this happened! I have a few moments to respond now, but will be back this evening to check on you. To both you and @KcSweet1975...this will pass, but you still need to get through this spacer hurdle!

If I was closer, I would come and help you. I really wish I could! I used to have nightmares about this happening. I was told 30% weight bearing but I hardly put 10% on the whole time. I am picturing myself in your shoes right now and feel the pain of it all coming back.

As you observed, the problem begins in the hospital with the quality of care after having a spacer put in. There is no 'teaching moment'. I'm not going to say much more because I'll just begin venting and that's not what you need right now. I read back on your previous post and see that everything was going great and there was no sign of infection. That's good news so the spacer did it's job.

Eleven days to go but that's a long time given the state you are in. What did your OS say about you being by yourself with a broken spacer? You do have help, right?

It gets better, really. I am walking normal now and it all becomes a distant memory, which I have selectively pushed out of my mind. I have removed any sign of disability from my home so I could start fresh. Maybe that's one reason I haven't been on the site much...I needed some time away.

Please just breath and focus on the moment. You need to take care physically. Yes, you may be missing much of life right now but it will be there for you to enjoy very soon. No use trying to keep up with 'time' that stops for no one so focus on the moment that you have right now.

Hugs and prayers!:console2:
 
Oh, @dinsmaum, I am so sorry about this, what a mess up! And that's worrying about the surgery being more difficult for the doctor, not to mention your pain and limited movement. All because you somehow didn't get notified to be minimally weight bearing? Grumbling for you big time. Wish you didn't have to do those stairs ever again until you are recovered enough after the surgery. Love and hugs...
 
Yes indeed - that is a most unfortunate occurrence.
dinsmaum said:
Instead of the spacer being pulled out in one piece, the OS is going to have to figure out a way to get the bottom piece out, which is way down the bone.
Click to expand...
Actually, I've scrubbed for quite a few such cases and getting the bottom plug out shouldn't be that difficult. In fact, we often had to remove broken metal stems! We had a variety of methods

1. drill a hole in the broken top and screw an auger into it (most good ortho theatres have such things!). Provided the auger was seated firmly, it can be hammered out fairly easily.

2. there are cement removing instruments that can be obtained on loan from most firms and they include all sorts of purely engineering type tools that enable cement removal

3. cut a small window in the femoral shaft just below the level of the fragment. Insert a punch (that's a flat ended tool used between a hammer and whatever it is that needed to be moved) and push it up until it's against the end of the fragment and hammer upwards. The square of bone that was removed is placed back in the hole so it heals.

4. And then there is OSCAR, a device that uses sonic waves to break down the cement. See more about this broken link removed: https://www.msa.com.au/product/uncategorized/orthopaedics/ and here's a Youtube! Only animation, though.

 
@Josephine : Animated it the *only* way I want to watch anything surgical related, lol! But thank you, I feel better knowing there are less drastic options than my imagination supplied. My imagination can be quite...well developed! :loll:.
@keepmovin : Thank you! You have such a kind and generous spirit, I feel heart warmed by your communications. I do have help now, much more often than not. My son's job has slowed to a crawl, which is bad for him but good for this situation. And I have a couple of friends who check in regularly and would do pretty much anything I needed. That whole situation is much better.
@Cynthia777 : Thank you for the tip about the disposable cloths, I will definitely follow up on that. Those would be helpful and convenient, and given we can't shower for awhile after the surgeries, would come in handy for awhile yet!
@KcSweet1975 : ooh, better keep an eye on that not stable feeling. Is your OS good about patients calling with concerns and questions? It would be worth letting him know. Of course I am coming from a place of super caution now. I hear you about feeling like you are missing out. It is even harder with kids. I keep trying to refocus on what I *can* do now, and that this is just temporary. Because our infections were caught in a relatively timely manner, we are not fighting for our lives, and our hips are fixable. Had we become septic, that would be a whole different story. Doesn't make it less hard to miss out, but does, for me at least, keep some perspective.
@Krista : Bed for downstairs arrives tomorrow!!! Then no more stairs unless I decide to go up for a shower!! I can hardly wait! :egypdance: We ,and by " we" I mean "my son and friend" got the space cleared out and good to go.

On the brighter side, I did get to get out a bit this weekend, thanks to my new best friend the wheelchair. Son took me to see the latest Marvel movie, perfect escapism. Worked out well, I was reasonable comfortable. Only drawback was the spots to park your wheelchair are closer to the screen than I like, and because of the head tilt, I got motion sick during the fight scenes and had to close my eyes a lot.:sick: But given that I get kind of bored with the fight scenes after a bit, that wasn't so awful, lol.
And then a friend took me to the store to get a some birthday and condolence cards. Being strolled around the store was nice, as was picking out the cards myself. However, getting back in the car turned out to be problematic, for the first time. I just could not find a position that allowed me to get my leg back in with out some real serious pain. Which was startling and scary.
So I decided as lovely as it is to be out, I am in. It just feels too risky. I have to go out Thursday for the aspiration, and if that goes well, I will see about getting out next Sunday to see my niece and her little ones as they will be in town for 1 day, from out of state. Otherwise, I am staying put!

9 more days! The countdown continues!:yes!:
 
Oh, I wanted to add; I will be talking to the surgeon about where the ball got dropped in the hospital. There does need to be some accountability. I realize that this is a rarer situation, but that is no reason staff, including PT and nurses, should not know how it should be handled. Every single staff person who spoke to the weight bearing issue told me the wrong thing. I do feel some anger about that, especially if it turned out that the resident wrote the orders correctly and people just weren't paying attention! :gaah: I am not out to get any individual in trouble, for sure, but I also don't want this to happen to anyone else!! At this point I feel like refusing PT services in the hospital, and I may well do so. We will see.
 
Hurray, @dinsmaum, for the downstairs bed, and for trying to make sure that what happened to you about the weight-bearing orders doesn't happen to anyone else! Having that checked out and finding out where the ball got dropped are so important for educating people about proper care. Glad you got out to that movie, and I am right with you about not liking to be too close so that I have to tilt my head. Also, I could live without any of those fight scenes, so it's good you could close your eyes and escape. Enjoy your at-home-bed-downstairs life for the next 9 days. You'll have more after you get back from the hospital, and gradually you will get back into the outside world!
 
@dinsmaum - It's wonderful to hear that you are well taken care of and that you are at peace with your situation. I am sure it felt great to be out of the house, but as I remember, it was a relief to get home in safe territory.

A few more days and all this will be behind you. I look forward to hearing about your freedom from the spacer and on your way to a real recovery with your new hip!

Hugs and blessings,
:friends:
 
Hello, everyone!

I didn't post last night, because it turned into a long, long day, and I was ready for bed when I got home. The surgeon had an emergency surgery and then another with unexpected complications, so my 2:00pm procedure was over 2 hours late. :bored:

I was chill about it though, as I am quite sure I have *been* that patient who caused delays for others, and because that is just the nature of surgery.:ice:

I made a point that everyone I spoke with knew for sure I had a spacer, and a broken spacer at that. So, my concerns about more pain were very well addressed. :thumb:

Procedure itself went well. OS said fluid looked very good. The cultures will be checked on Monday, for the definitive answer, and drs staff will call Monday with either the green light for surgery on Tuesday, or the red light. OS was very confident we will be going ahead.

Due to the lingering effects of sedation and a dose of really good pain meds in the hospital, I slept very very well, and as of right now, no extra pain from the procedure.

My son is going to be my primary caretaker after my daughter goes home about 7 days post op. I hope to be home for a couple of days before that, and she will be able to help him learn how to best help me. But I am wondering if any of you are aware of any little articles or check lists that he could read. He wants to know precisely what to do ahead of time, lol! I keep giving him vague answers like "fetch things for me" lol. The articles I found were more medically oriented and spoke a lot about watching for infection, or changing the dressing, stuff like that. He won't need to do any of that, as my sister-in-law will pop in from time to time for that.

Only 4 days, if all goes well. I am so ready!!
 
So happy for you @dinsmaum!
Maybe a list of grocery items you like to make sure you always have in the fridge or pantry? Which pharmacy you get your meds from. Ummm...not sure if he'll need those types of directions. Hard to think of everything because many men/boys don't have a clue how to find anything in the house, but not sure how capable he is. I think you should be treated like a queen, so maybe a list of little comforts you like each day (I love my afternoon coffee, so I would put on my list, "One sugar and two teaspoons of coffee mate" as an example). Oh, and a few signs around the house with "PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE!" :heehee:
 
What a relief that the aspiration is over. Hoping for good results and surgery on schedule. As far as what you son can do for you, yes, your daughter will clue him in about what she does for you. Perhaps you could tell him that you aren't sure of specifics now, but when you are home you will know exactly what you need him to do, and that your wish is that he quickly respond to your specific requests then. He'll get the drill, and routines will happen. And your needs will be constantly changing as you get better. If he could just be as flexible as possible, and with good cheer, that would help you very much!
 
Hurray! Surgery is on for tomorrow! :yes!:

I have some usual pre surgery apprehension. As ready as I am to have this done, and move forward, I can't get excited about going through the surgery process and early weeks of recovery again. :groan:

I also feel a bit unprepared. Last time at this point I had my packing list and had started packing, had some food stocked up, papers gathered, etc. I had been eating super well and exercising as I could. This time, after the spacer broke, I lost a lot of steam and emotional energy. And I think a part of me held back on mentally addressing it, in case they said the infection wasn't gone and we weren't going ahead yet.:shrug:

On the other hand, I have done this a few times now, lol, and I am sure I can pull it all together without undue stress!:spin:

See you on the other side!:wave:

 
Looking forward to your first update post surgery. May it all go smoothly and this message find you once again on the road to recovery!
 
Hello!
Well, I am on the other side!:loveshwr:
I haven't seen the OS today, but he spoke with the kids yesterday and apparently everything went very, very well. He got the spacer out easily, and everything went more smoothly than they were anticipating!:wowspring:

I cannot believe how much more comfortable I am all ready! The pain is being managed well right now. They are reducing the stronger meds, and will leave with Norco instead of Percocet. I am a little nervous about that. But I will try to not worry about it, see how it goes, and will call doctor if it doesn't do the job. I like the idea of going to less and reducing until I am off of all of that, so this would be a good start. :chillpill:

I did 2 rounds of physical therapy today (very gently) and went for 2 little tiny walks. I could not believe how strong I felt after all of this inactivity. :yes!:

Of course, the constant urination hasn't started yet,and that will be annoying but hopefully won't cause more pain. Except to the nurses who will have to come in while I walk to the bathroom, it is only a few steps, but it does interrupt them. But that is just as much part of their job as anything else, right?

My hope is to go home Friday, but we will see. I am not going to push it, for sure.

I know this is just the first day, and suspect it may get worse before it gets better for good, but I sure appreciate this good day!

Thanks, everyone, for the support!:loveshwr:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Corganics CBD
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Staff online

Members online

Total: 1,241 (members: 3, guests: 1,238)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom