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THR Hitch & Get Along<

Well, I had my pre-op appointment today to discuss not only proceeding with the 2nd hip but to go over the results of the recent CT scan of hip #1. The GT fracture shows 25% healing (I don't have the exact words in front of me as I forgot to ask for a copy of the scan report; I did call back to request it) but the OS feels like the implant is solid. He believes that we can move ahead with the THR of the other hip. Here's my question, am I CRAZY for going ahead while the fracture still has so far to go? What will my recovery look like? I should have asked these questions while there but to be honest, I felt defeated when he told me 25% and I didn't listen as well as I should have after that.

I really don't even know where to look for guidance at this point. My husband is gone for the week. I'm really feeling a bit lost right now. I browsed through the Library but I don't even know what to look under - should I proceed with a second THR while the first one has a fractured? Maybe I'm just overreacting, I don't know.

Help?
 
25% is a move in the right direction :yes!: I do however hear your frustration and concern. I'm sorry your hubby is away right now. Decisions.....you've been such a trooper through this journey. I know you trust your OS and he says you can proceed as planned. What does your gut tell you to do?
 
It's funny because right after I typed this, I received a text from the OS's right hand gal and she told me that if I had reservations, I should wait until my husband is back in town and then we can meet with OS and discuss everything. I have a feeling a meeting with Dr. "Hipster" will be happening either Saturday or Sunday this weekend (upon my husband's return). I had this gut feeling driving home that something wasn't quite right and wasn't sitting with me. How on Earth am I going to rehab one hip while the other one is trying to heal a fracture?? The CT Scan states that "though there is 25% healing, majority of the fracture remains ununited."
Hoping for some answers here in the next week or so. Thanks @SwampHiker.
 
Oh @NanaKP I am sorry about this news. I believe a meeting with Dr. Hipster and Hubby is in order to get your questions answered. I'm feeling for you mulling all this over with hubby being out of town. Perhaps tagging Josephine on this might be helpful? She has a wealth of experience and knowledge....

Sending you a flower in the meantime...thinking of you!
:flwrysmile:
 
Thank you so much @Alitm . I received a quick call from Hipster a short time ago. He thought I was "overthinking" things and made a few comments that really have me frowning at the moment (a bit condescending?) In any event, I jotted down notes during the conversation, I will discuss it with my hubs upon his return and then we will have a meeting with Hipster. I'm feeling pretty down at the moment and a bit "set back" that someone I have had to put a great deal of faith into the last 5 months has come across as so pompous. Perhaps it's the fatigue from the day's events. Sleep well!
 
Hope today gives you a fresh perspective and renewed strength. I think it would be great for you and the hubby to sit down with Hipster and discuss this. I'm sorry he seemed to be on a Hipster high horse when he spoke to you. It really chaps my hide when they come across like that - and yes that saying is well beyond my years, but I'm pretty sure I'm a 92 year old in disguise :heehee:
 
@SwampHiker - thanks for your sentiments, it brought a smile to my face this morning. Definitely a night's sleep, notice I didn't say "good", can put things in a different light. I am pretty sure that my husband did a great deal of thinking on it last night as well so am looking forward to hearing his thoughts when he calls today.

I notice your post was 3:59 a.m. - was that your time??? I do hope you are able to get some sleep. It seems like the inability to sleep well is a common factor among so many on this forum. Crossing my fingers that the end of this pain is in both of our horizons and with that, so are deep slumbers. Oh and as far as being an old soul, you sound very much like my youngest daughter who has always had that "knack" with discernment and words. She has forever made us laugh because even at the age of 20, she wanted to be a member of the "Red Hat Society" after visiting her Grammy in Floirda!

Have a great day!
Kim
 
@NanaKP I'm glad I could make you smile today. The time here was 5:59am - I must admit though, I get more of a nap than sleep at night. My fingers are crossed as well for that to change for all the hippies here.

Wanting to join the "Red Hat Society" at 20 - I love it and I can totally relate!
 
Happy Friday everyone! I am relieved that the week has come and gone, my husband should be home this afternoon/evening from his annual week long Elk hunt. It's always a week for me to get a lot accomplished and though I wasn't able to accomplish as much as I had hoped (moving slower these days), I still feel like it was a good week of list checking!!

I've had 4 nights to sleep on the results from last week's CT scan. I have vascillated between feeling horribly disappointed in the status of that left hip to being resolved in dealing with that card and going ahead with hip #2. Yesterday afternoon I received a phone call from my sweet friend Sara. She works for the surgeon who fixed my foot one year ago, an orthopedic podiatrist that I came to know and love as I was trying to get back to an active life! He is the doctor who highly recommended my OS for my hips.

They were able to look at all of my xrays and CT scans of my hips since last Spring. He praised the work that Hipster did on that first hip, including the fracture fix. He felt strongly that I should move forward with the 2nd hip because of its condition (something my PCP also stated). Interestingly though, he added that he believed my failing "good" hip was probably interfering with the healing of that first THR and fracture. He said that, knowing me and how slowly I healed last year, after the 2nd hip was replaced, I needed to plant myself and BE STILL (other than minimal walking to the restroom, kitchen, etc) allowing both hips to heal. He believes that both of those hips would heal faster if I just gave them a chance to do so by avoiding PT (done by myself, not the previous therapist that I was sent to in May) for atleast a good month, maybe more.

My husband and I have much to discuss when he gets home and also after we meet with Dr. Hipster. I do feel so much better after getting two more opinions this week. Though Hipster is gruff on the telephone, he is excellent in the OR and highly regarded by both doctors that reviewed everything this week. Whew. Guess I'm not just a slow healer, I'm a slow LEARNER as I know if I'm told to "move around", I take that to the Bank with moving way TOO much. Patience is going to have to be my motto if I want both hips to heal completely and be able to return 100% to a healthy, active life. It's going to take time and I can't rush that process, I need to accept it.

Thanks for your patience as I talked (typed) my way through this today. I woke up feeling like a dog who has chased its tail all week. Not sure if anyone will read this but that's okay, I needed to get it out in a way that I can come back and reread my thoughts when I start to feel scattered and doubtful!!
 
Today is also my girl Piper's 6th birthday. She's still playful (& sometimes naughty) despite her being beyond a puppy.
 

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NanaKP said:
I needed to plant myself and BE STILL (other than minimal walking to the restroom, kitchen, etc) allowing both hips to heal. He believes that both of those hips would heal faster if I just gave them a chance to do so by avoiding PT (done by myself, not the previous therapist that I was sent to in May) for atleast a good month, maybe more.
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Hmmm... Where have I heard this before? :whistle::heehee:
NanaKP said:
It's going to take time and I can't rush that process, I need to accept it.
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Easier said than done I know. But patience is the key to all of this recovery. Your hips are in charge.

Soon we will welcome you to the double hippie club!
 
Yes, @Jaycey - I will be a double Hippy on November 5th. I really believe that the hype one is told leading up to the surgery can be so misleading about what reality is after. I know that everyone's reality is different but I so wish I had NOT been told that I was going to bounce right through it and be scheduling my second hip within a couple of weeks. The reality, even without complications, is that it takes TIME. Your soft tissue and body goes through quite a trauma and it should be obvious that time is needed to heal all of that. I know people want to be optimistic, and you CAN be about the joint itself, it's the surrounding muscle, tissue, etc. that need time to heal.
 
I worked with a knee surgeon who said his most humbling experience was nursing his Father post op TKR. Until that time he had been giving his patients all the hype without any first hand experience. His strategy quickly changed when he saw how difficult the journey sometimes becomes.

Unfortunately we see many of our members discouraged due to unrealistic expectations set before surgery. But the good news is that you now have the knowledge and know that pushing through just doesn't work.

My second THR was a much easier recovery. I hope you experience the same.
 
NanaKP said:
Guess I'm not just a slow healer, I'm a slow LEARNER as I know if I'm told to "move around", I take that to the Bank with moving way TOO much. Patience is going to have to be my motto if I want both hips to heal completely and be able to return 100% to a healthy, active life. It's going to take time and I can't rush that process, I need to accept it.
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:idea:
We love to see the light bulb come on! It took a while for my filament to warm up too! :sigh:

Great post!
Patience during recovery is well worth the payoff.
Your friends here on BoneSmart will be rooting for you as you attain your Double Hippy status.

Have a restful weekend!:SUNsmile:
 
Patience is definitely something I need to keep working on. My wise friend Sara reminded me how slow my foot was to heal after surgery for a torn tendon . . . I pushed things too much and kept hitting setbacks. Good thing Hallmark is starting all of their Christmas movies because that is what I plan on doing while allowing both hips to heal. I shall not push things . . . I shall not push things . . . I shall not push things . . . I shall not
 
NanaKP said:
My wise friend Sara reminded me how slow my foot was to heal after surgery for a torn tendon . . . I pushed things too much and kept hitting setbacks.
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Even as seasoned hippy, it is nice to have friends to remind us of our propensities...:yes:

Keep it on the Hallmark channel and hope you have a sweet week.:loveshwr:
 
One week to go and I'll be joining you double-hippies @Mojo333! The surgeon's assistant messaged me last night to see how we (husband & I) were feeling about everything. They know we have been "gun shy" after the complications with #1. Husband read the CT report when he got home, he's still feeling very uncertain about having my "good" hip knocked out of commission but I am determined to forge ahead. Hopefully, all will go book perfect this time and I'll be feeling MUCH better and won't be needing his assistance for too long. It's a double edged sword - needing to get this done so I can move forward and not wanting to burden him any more than necessary while getting there.
 
Just remember - no 2 THRs are alike, even on the same person. My LTHR was a very long and complicated recovery (12 months +). My right took a matter of weeks. Remind Hubby of this as well. You are not decommissioning a "good" hip. You are getting rid of a bad one.
 
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