Going4fun
Former BoneSmart staff member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2018
- Messages
- 1,012
- Age
- 62
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
My six-month update ... some neutral news ... and a frightening possibility.
Met with surgeon, today, exactly 6 months after my surgery. I came emotionally ready to present my problems and my frustration with the pace of my recovery ... In response to a prompt by a good friend, who knows I often work hard to be "positive" in situations where being unduly "positive" interferes with honest exchange, I took about two days to get emotionally ready for the meeting. I came ready to present my concerns and worries and frustrations--I was determined not leave the surgeon's office feeling dismissed or unheard.
The good news is ... my surgeon heard me loud and clear ... and actually expressed concern to learn that I didn't walk without cane until week 9. His nurse, whom I have talked to multiple times, had told me by phone not to worry about my pace of recovery ... The surgeon definitely was more worried--the concern was visible in his face as he took notes--as I recounted the good and the bad about my recovery. I came ready, having literally practiced my spiel ... I spewed out the details ... the ups, the downs, what's good, what's frustrating and not soo good. I was so armed with detail that the surgeon really didn't need to ask many clarifying questions.
The "OK" news about my thigh that gets tired really easily ... he thinks I could be having a tight IT band problem ... or a trochanteric bursitis problem ... and he wrote me a script for PT ... He thinks the PT should focus on stretching and loosening my IT band.
The "bad" news ... he noticed that the device had dropped from its position immediately after surgery. He said he couldn't tell for sure if the device had fused with bone properly. He said there were some signs that it had fused well ... but that somehow ... and I didn't totally catch his reasoning here ... he'd feel better making that judgement in 3 months (9 months after surgery) ... or in 6 months (one year after surgery).
He told me to come back in three months and to call before then if anything felt really painful.
I'm stunned to be honest ... I didn't really think there was a possibility the device had failed to integrate with bone ... (though the thought has crossed my mind many times) ... And I wasn't anticipating that the device would have noticeably dropped on the X-ray. After the appointment, my mind jumped to revision ... OMG! ... but I reminded myself on the car ride home that I'm not in excruciating pain ... I danced 30 minutes non-stop. really fast! three nights ago ... I can walk a mile to a mile and a half with ease ... before I feel a lump in my thigh. The lump might come on earlier in my walks, of course, and it's possible I simply ignore the minor niggles I feel ... until later in the walk ... still ... I'm walking and I walk fast!
Also good: I'm taking far less pain medication than I took just a month ago ... and the IT band problem (or whatever the problem is) has seemed to ease with icing over the past two to three weeks.
I'll call the PT folks later this week. The surgeon emphasized that he wanted stretching and loosening work, not muscular work. Now my goal is to somehow enjoy my life day to day over the next three months ... and see how PT works ... even as the possibility of a BIG problem lurks on the horizon.
I'm thinking about asking for my X-rays ... and posting the latest one ... to see what Josephine says about how the device appears to be fusing with bone. I had figured that if the device were loose, I'd be in agonizing pain and wouldn't be able to run up and down the stairs as fast and as effortlessly as I do.
Kinda been the contradiction of my recovery: I could go up and downs stairs easily ... with no cane ... even as I needed a cane for walking.
I also know that a lot of devices drop ... a teeny bit (I think) ... over time ...without causing catastrophic problems. I think? ...
Thanks for reading.
Met with surgeon, today, exactly 6 months after my surgery. I came emotionally ready to present my problems and my frustration with the pace of my recovery ... In response to a prompt by a good friend, who knows I often work hard to be "positive" in situations where being unduly "positive" interferes with honest exchange, I took about two days to get emotionally ready for the meeting. I came ready to present my concerns and worries and frustrations--I was determined not leave the surgeon's office feeling dismissed or unheard.
The good news is ... my surgeon heard me loud and clear ... and actually expressed concern to learn that I didn't walk without cane until week 9. His nurse, whom I have talked to multiple times, had told me by phone not to worry about my pace of recovery ... The surgeon definitely was more worried--the concern was visible in his face as he took notes--as I recounted the good and the bad about my recovery. I came ready, having literally practiced my spiel ... I spewed out the details ... the ups, the downs, what's good, what's frustrating and not soo good. I was so armed with detail that the surgeon really didn't need to ask many clarifying questions.
The "OK" news about my thigh that gets tired really easily ... he thinks I could be having a tight IT band problem ... or a trochanteric bursitis problem ... and he wrote me a script for PT ... He thinks the PT should focus on stretching and loosening my IT band.
The "bad" news ... he noticed that the device had dropped from its position immediately after surgery. He said he couldn't tell for sure if the device had fused with bone properly. He said there were some signs that it had fused well ... but that somehow ... and I didn't totally catch his reasoning here ... he'd feel better making that judgement in 3 months (9 months after surgery) ... or in 6 months (one year after surgery).
He told me to come back in three months and to call before then if anything felt really painful.
I'm stunned to be honest ... I didn't really think there was a possibility the device had failed to integrate with bone ... (though the thought has crossed my mind many times) ... And I wasn't anticipating that the device would have noticeably dropped on the X-ray. After the appointment, my mind jumped to revision ... OMG! ... but I reminded myself on the car ride home that I'm not in excruciating pain ... I danced 30 minutes non-stop. really fast! three nights ago ... I can walk a mile to a mile and a half with ease ... before I feel a lump in my thigh. The lump might come on earlier in my walks, of course, and it's possible I simply ignore the minor niggles I feel ... until later in the walk ... still ... I'm walking and I walk fast!
Also good: I'm taking far less pain medication than I took just a month ago ... and the IT band problem (or whatever the problem is) has seemed to ease with icing over the past two to three weeks.
I'll call the PT folks later this week. The surgeon emphasized that he wanted stretching and loosening work, not muscular work. Now my goal is to somehow enjoy my life day to day over the next three months ... and see how PT works ... even as the possibility of a BIG problem lurks on the horizon.
I'm thinking about asking for my X-rays ... and posting the latest one ... to see what Josephine says about how the device appears to be fusing with bone. I had figured that if the device were loose, I'd be in agonizing pain and wouldn't be able to run up and down the stairs as fast and as effortlessly as I do.
Kinda been the contradiction of my recovery: I could go up and downs stairs easily ... with no cane ... even as I needed a cane for walking.
I also know that a lot of devices drop ... a teeny bit (I think) ... over time ...without causing catastrophic problems. I think? ...
Thanks for reading.