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Revision THR Complex surgery with revisions, infection, sepsis, and more…

@Layla

WOOHOO! I got it to work! When I read your post asking if I see the emojis when I tap OR click....?
I realized I always touched the screen of my laptop to 'like' something. I decided to go back and move the mouse to CLICK on it and ALL the emojis popped up!

Thank you!!!
 
Yay! Glad you have it figured out, danelady! :yay:

Thanks always, Roy, for your willingness to help. Much appreciated! @Roy Gardiner
 
@danelady yep, had my L5/S1 done as I was/am dealing with spondylolisthesis and had major movement going on. I had read on other sites about there being a higher risk for dislocation because of the fusion. I also have a tilted pelvis that had to be considered as well. The OS did additional xrays from the side, had me sit on a hard chair and do a few movements. I guess he wanted to see the amount of movement that was still in my spine and what the various angles were.

From my reading I had asked my OS about a dual mobility ball as it sounded like those would work better in my instance. The OS said he would do more research on it and have a device available in the OR in the event he felt it was needed. I don't have one so I'm assuming he didn't feel the need. I will say that while the THR helped a lot I seem to have regular episodes of trochanteric bursitis.

I hope you can try to tolerate the brace at least for part of the day. Really don't want you dislocating anymore. I do understand the claustrophobia issue. I have sleep apnea and made them give me mask that has nose pillows and doesn't cover my nose and face. Became very claustrophobic from wearing a protective mask in the Army.
 
dane lady I think about you often and am curious how you are doing these days?
 
If you can't tolerate the brace you're in ask if you could use a knee immobilizer instead? The theory is that if you can't bend your knee it's harder / impossible to dislocate. My surgeon has suggested the dual mobility and some sort of constrainment hardware for the revision of my resurfacing "revision". I will know more in the next few days what the plan is.
 
Hello all, hope you are on your way to a full recovery. I was this close to leaving on a trip, just to get away, when suddenly....

The last dislocation you knew of was on October 8. Then I got the brace....wore it home and never put it back on. @Gray Horse, as a matter of fact they did give me a knee immobilizer and I had no problem wearing it at all.

A week goes by and hip is holding strong. November 8th arrives, exactly one month since last dislocation but hip feels stable and I'm feeling great!

November 9 starts out as another beautiful day. I decide to visit a friend and she invites me in for coffee. I'm sitting on the couch, sipping coffee and it happened again....dislocation #4. Quickly, quietly and painlessly it simply slipped out of the socket and positioned itself where it always did, up on top.

My friend is freaking out, not knowing what to do, but I knew the routine by now. I looked at my pickup sitting near the giant saguaros, wanting it to roll a bit closer for me, lol. I explained that if I could somehow get myself up into the driver's seat I could drive to the ER myself instead of calling an ambulance and leaving my vehicle there.

She knew 3 strong men who lived nearby and she asked them if they could help a friend of hers. They weren't huge muscle bound weightlifters but apparently they had experience transferring older relatives and within minutes they lifted me off the couch, onto a metal chair, somehow managed to carry the chair, with me in it, to my pickup then carefully got me facing forward in the driver's seat so I could drive in. I first drove to my neighbors to give them a house key to let the dog out and continued to the hospital 34 miles away. I parked at the end of a line so it would be easy to be extricated and made the call.

It's sad when you are on a first name basis with the staff at the ER, lol. I was having a real hard time sliding off the xray table back onto to the wheelchair when I noticed a familiar set of black scrubs running into the room. My surgeon happened to be on call and he came running when he noticed my name. He said he had the lockring already in his possession and I was getting admitted right then, surgery would be on Friday. Well, okee dokee! But I was NOT allowed out of the bed AT ALL! You know what that means? It means BEDPANS!

It was sheer torture, I cried every time I had to go and even though I was still needing to go every 2 hours, it took me forever to, ya know. So humiliating. Then on Thursday I get a call that surgery has been bumped up to Saturday. It was a difficult time, I did not like being at the mercy of all those happy, smiling people but thankfully they seemed to put up with me just fine....and the food was pretty. good.

Surgery was quick and I was out of bed and using the restroom once again. I loved getting out of the bed I was up when the surgeon stopped by so he said I could go home on Sunday. The doctor there that day said he would have preferred to keep me till Monday but I let him know that if he did he better bring me up some margaritas to celebrate my birthday.

I'm a little sore and the femoral component feels like its halfway out of the socket. dr says that's because it is taking up more space now and the dirty lowdown is that yes, it is till possible for me to dislocate.
 
OMG, you have got to be kidding, you have been through sheer torture.
I'm so sorry to read this and that you needed another surgery.
When was your birthday and did you get to enjoy a margarita???
 
@myglasshalffull G'morning! I actually walked myself out! My ride had arrived, I signed all the papers but my nurse said she had to do something and would be back. I'm standing in the hallway and my surgeon laughs then waves for me to leave, don't have to tell me twice so I beat feet outta there! YES, I was able to celebrate my birthday on Monday with a margarita!
 
I gave you the update on what happened physically, now I'll give you the other update, the mental, emotional and spiritual change that also occurred. This past year put me through the wringer and I almost didn't make it out the other side. Retiring and then becoming instantly disabled without even being in some sort of life changing accident had me lashing out at anyone, EVERYONE. Failed surgeries and disabling pain from a fairly common operation which is meant to give you BACK your quality of life, not strip you of every semblance of independence, leaving you with absolutely NO quality of life. What sort of medieval torture chamber had I become trapped in?

That surgery in August when I finally received the custom fit acetabulum really was a success. The only pain I was feeling was the recovery pain. I realized my life was coming back to me, but I was still in that fight or flight mode, cussin' out these drs...the new ones, the old ones, even the ones I watched on youtube, lol. Ever so slowly I was actually getting better, the weight of a future where I would only be existing till I was lucky enough to die was lifted off my shoulders, I even felt a smile growing on my inside.

I remember how seeing my surgeon made my skin crawl, it was like hearing fingernails dragging across a blackboard. A year has now passed and he has seen me inside and out. I suppose you could say we now have a decent working relationship, I might even like the guy a little because he is communicating honestly with me and it almost feels like respect.

I am well on my way to a mental recovery and it feels good. I've even dug out my camera and my art supplies. I do have a problem with my right knee from compensating for a YEAR. That's the pain I'm dealing with now, not the hip,

I do have a humongous purple bruise on my hip but I'm thinking it might have something to do with the reduction. My knee also turned purple and hurt a bit after dislocation #2, caused by the Cap't Morgan method of reduction, I believe. (I went home and bought a bottle of Cap't Morgan to help, lol) Right now I have a Pico14 negative pressure wound vacuum with an extra long leash attached...quite bothersome, but I'll make it.
 
Wow, danelady. My heart goes out to you in all you've suffered on your journey this far. I can't believe you drove yourself to the ER...amazing! It's sad that after all you've been through, there is still the possibility of another dislocation. I pray not and hope this is the beginning of a healing process that brings you better quality of life without pain and additional trips to the ER. Big hugs to you! :friends:
@danelady
 
danelady,
I hear you loud and clear on the mental end of this journey. Mine has not been anything close to what you have endured but that little voice in back of my head keeps me on my toes!
Fingers crossed this is it for you and no more dislocations.
I wish you all things positive.
 
@Layla Thank you for the kind words, Layla. I don't want to say I've lowered the bar, it is more of an adjustment when it come to my expectations. I will just have to refrain from going too far off road once I heal. The ambulance will only go so far into the desert to rescue me, after that they send the helicopter and I sure don't want to be hit with that bill, lol.

I feel good now that the constant hip pain is gone, gone, gone!
Yeah, my dr shook his head when I told him I drove myself in. I mean, I was only a truck driver but emergencies happen all the time when out on the road, gotta learn to adapt and improvise. Thank you again.
 
Oh, my, what an ordeal! I'm very glad you made it out the other side. It speaks volumes to your strength of spirit. It reminds me of my dear friend who also celebrated her birthday on Monday. It is wonderful that you've pulled out your camera and art supplies. That's definitely a step in the positive direction. May the healing continue both physically and emotionally. We're here for you.
 
@Hip4life HI! I appreciate the positive boost! So, your dear friend is also a Scorpio? Then you should be familiar with the way we seem to have a NEED to sometimes just push the envelope. Sixty-eight years old and still forgetting there are limits to my superpowers! HAHA!

i see new members here....each with their own interesting story. Makes for good reading!
 
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