THR Left 2013 - Now the right

[Jaycey]

@dougie0216 Sorry you are facing #2 surgery. But hey - it's a growing club the double hippie gang! We are with you through this (again).

 

[lalo]

Your still an inspiration! Nice to hear from you although I would have rather had a different reason. I haven't been on the site in quite a while but I will keeping up with your postings.
Wishing you the best.

 

[dougie0216]

Thanks Jacey & Lalo. I have known my fate for a long time, I was just expecting it to be a little longer than three years... No fear this time. I know what to expect. The pain is OLD! Ready for it to go away and ready to quit taking pills. We are going to the Wild v Stars hockey game tonight. I cant wait to sit in the arena seatsI hope it is a good game so we can stand occasionally. I am typing from the hotel bed on a heating pad.... GoStars

 

[Constanze]

Hi @dougie0216 . I was so happy to hear from you, even though I'm sorry your right hip is going south. Do give us news about your recovery of the second hip. I wish you the same success story as for your left hip.
I'm on vacation again - 2nd time in New Zealand. In Jan 2016 we went to the northern island, this time we're exploring the southern island. Having fun in Queenstown at the moment - went canoeing, zip lining, hill walking - and my hip is fine. 2 years ago, I couldn't even climb in and out of a boat. Best wishes and do keep us up to date.

 

[dougie0216]

Hi Constanze, it is great to be pain free, isn't it?

NZ? Always wanted to go there. Hawaii is next for us. I would love to see Taupo and Ruapehu. However, she wants Hawaii and I am cool with that. We are into volcanoes.

I don't even think about my left hip. It is wonderful!!!

That being said, my significant other needs a new shoulder. We find out tomorrow when that is going to happen. I hope it is in February. Living with a joint that needs replaced is not living at all. So, I get to pay her back for taking care of me three years ago after LTHR.

I must do a good job, because once she has recovered, it will be her turn to take care of me, again.

We built our new house to be recovery friendly because we knew more surgeries were coming. Wide doors, tall counters, no thresholds. and all one level. We have 17-inch (44cm) "tall" toilets and a very large walk-in shower. Oh yes, we also bought an adjustable bed so we can elevate what ever body part is swollen after surgery

I can remember being moderately apprehensive about the LTHR. I cant wait to get the right hip done.

 

[dougie0216]

Looks like summer for my R hip. Wifey gets her shoulder surgery first, and surgeon choice #1 cant get her in until May 24. We are going to visit choice #2 in San Antonio in February to see if she can have her surgery earlier down there. I see my surgeon February 5, and we will see what his schedule for mid or late-June looks like. My wife has come to the same conclusion we all have, that having to wait for orthopedic surgery leaves a lot to be desired. I can both empathize and sympathize.

I finally saw my X-Rays today. Marked loss of joint space, acetabular osteophyte formation (bone spurs) and the ubiquitous subchondral cyst formation in the acteabular roof. The doctor's words not mine.

What I found amazing was how the joint space just vanished in the 3 years since my prior x-ray. So the prognosis was "moderately severe degenerative arthritis." I don't remember how they described my other hip other than severe and "You Ran A Half Marathon On THAT?!?"

On a different subject, during my day job I am the primary fundraiser and director of a not-for-profit. You should really consider clicking the green button below. Giving makes you feel better. I promise!

Peace out,
Doug

 

[dougie0216]

All set, I have RTHR set for June 1 at McBride Orthopedic in OKC. Can't wait! My significant other has her Right reverse shoulder replacement scheduled for March 22 this year. I get to take care of her, then we reverse rolls.


Sent from dougie0216's iPhone using BoneSmart[emoji768]

 

[dougie0216]

Thought I would stop by with a brief update. My wife's shoulder replacement went very well. She made meatloaf today while I was at work. It hasn't even been five weeks.

My pre-surgery appointment is this Wednesday. Time to get poked, bent and xrayed. Surgery is in 23-days.

I have had an adventurous last few days. This past Friday night I got to read names at the University commencement ceremony. Yes it hurt standing there for 45-minutes. When it was time to step off the platform my right leg would not work. OMG, what do I do now, there was only 10k people watching... I gracefully went down sideways. Then it started working well enough to make it to the car so I could go home.
I am so ready for surgery. TTYL

 

[Jaycey]

Gosh @dougie0216 - sounds like you are more than ready to get that hip replaced. Not long now!

 

[Constanze]

Hi @dougie0216 . Great to hear from you. I'm very happy your wife's shoulder surgery was successful. You won't have to wait long now - you'll do it.
We had a lovely time in New Zealand. The weather wasn't so hot this time but rather wet. We loved the fiords - Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound, lots of beautiful waterfalls that look even better in the rain. We also went on a short hill walk near Lake Tekapo. Hiking - no problem. In late February, I participated in a winter half-marathon near where I work. I finished in 2 hours and 10 minutes - am very pleased with the result. I'm training for the marathon again which I did last year in August. That's also in a forest not far from where I work (Langen, a town south of Frankfurt). But I had to walk a quarter of the time. This time, I will manage to jog all the way through, I think.
I wish you good luck for your surgery. Do keep us up-to-date about it. Maybe, when you are fully recovered, you will be able to go the Hawaii and New Zealand.

 

[dougie0216]

Ready? That would be an understatement. I got one hour of sleep last nite, so today is a sick day.

Wow Constanze, that is great! I am strictly bicycle from now on. 10-min / mile for 13-miles, that is impressive.

 

[Constanze]

Hi @dougie0216 , So sorry, you couldn't sleep last night.
It's great you like cycling - me too. Funny how indoor cycling has suddenly become so popluar. I'm an outdoor cyclist . I cycle in all weathers. My employer supports two cool cycle projects in Germany - City Cycling - a project supported by "Climate Alliance" and Bike & Business, also known as "Go to work on your bike" (the direct English translation from the German description). I'm currently participating in both of them.
By the way, have you still got that lovely car on your avatar? My Audi A3 has almost done 200.000 km - and it's still running.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Take care
Constanze

 

[dougie0216]

Hi Constanze, Why yes, I do still have my Subaru 2015 WRX Premium. It has around 50,000km on it. And yes, it goes fast. Car and Driver say it will go 231.7kph, not that I have ever driven it 144 mph. OK, I just lied. I have a little sticker in my drivers side rear view window that says, "Objects in mirror are losing."

Most of the time I drive like the grandfather I am, but some days, I just have to engage the boost. Its has incredible acceleration and corners like a dream. I have a THULE 2-bike rack that goes on the back.

Audi's are nice cars. I'd drive one for sure. But, I'd be scared to get it dirty.

The only issue I have is my leg / hip starts killing me in the WRX after 25k. I live 40km from work, so I am driving my wife's BMW X3. It is a nice car, but it is a little too refined. We live in a rural area, and the roads are terrible. AWD is a must.

I am an outdoor cyclist. I cant wait to get back on my bike September 1. The last time I rode I cut it off at 16k. Pain. That was in March. Pretty much the only time I wont ride is if the winds are over 40 kph or it is below -5 C. The wind will quit blowing and it will warm up eventually.

I may have a problem with endorphin addiction...

Three week from now, I will have just gotten out of surgery.

Woo Hoo!

Doug

 

[Constanze]

You're amazing @dougie0216 . It looks as if we've got something in common. We also live in a rural area. My husband decided that he needed a AWD, so he got himself a Subaru Forester in 2012. Now he can help our daughters move, transport heavy furniture etc. So he gave me his Audi A3. His way of showing affection and friendship. But also was such a good helper during my recovery from hip replacement and helped clean my fishtank, helped me cook etc.

I liked your statement about not wanting to get an Audi dirty.

I drive that Audi to work. I live 30 km from work. But currently I go on my bike because I'm participating in all these bicycle projects I mentioned. My husband thinks it's crackers. To work by bike it's only 26 km because there are shortcuts through the forest. Btw I still rode my bike right up to a few days before hip replacement, even though it looked a bit clumsy, but it worked, and it gave me a relief from the pain. I could cycle and swim but barely walk.

I hope the next 3 weeks won't hurt too much for you and that you'll get some sleep. Good luck for June 1.

 

[dougie0216]

And surgery is two-weeks from today! I wish it was tomorrow. Exciting day ahead, there are supposed to be tornadoes this afternoon... The stairs in the storm shelter are so fun...

 

[Horseshoe]

@dougie0216 hip #2 is almost here.. found the second one to be a cinch, it's such a relief to be done!

Whoa.. a tornado?
I've experienced earthquakes but never a tornado, what is it like?

 

[dougie0216]

Oh man, I hope I never have to find out. We drove through Joplin, MO right after the EF5 there, and that cured me of ever wanting to storm chase. I felt like throwing up. I have also seen tornado damage in Moore, OK. Those things are scary.
Interestingly enough, I nearly drove into one last year. I left work to try and beat a severe thunderstorm to my house. I wanted my car in the garage! Well, while I was driving the 22-miles, the storm went tornadic. My phone kept giving me alerts and luckily I looked down and saw 'tornado alert.' So I brought up my radar app, and there was a rain wrapped tornado directly in front of me. I did a 180 without stopping and drove back to a grocery store I had just passed. They unlocked the door and told me to go to the freezer. I joined several others back there. Luckily it missed the store. I know you should not use a cell phone and drive, but all bets are off in a tornado, lol.
That tornado was only an EF1, but the wind field was incredible. It flipped a semi on the interstate approximately a quarter-mile

from where I turned around.
My house is 2 mi N of Elgin, the grocery store was in Elgin, OK. This is the radar image from my phone. So, I nearly drove into a tornado and technology saved me. That was on April 29, 2016. It blew most of the metal furniture off my back porch, but my house had no damage. It did trash a lot of my potted plants unfortunately.

 

[Horseshoe]

@dougie0216 wow, what an experience! Have always wanted to visit OK, KS, etc I like the topography there. Tornadoes are fascinating but am content to watch them on Storm Chasers for now, has me on the edge of my seat, those guys are crazy! We don't get a warning with earthquakes although the weather feels off ie., earthquake weather which is kind of creepy.

Best wishes to you on getting that new hip

 

[Constanze]

Oh my goodness, @dougie0216 , that sounds impressive - you were lucky to miss that tornado. Germany still sounds like a safe country, wheather-wise, however, small tornados are on the increase. Keep safe and don't drive into a tornado. Good luck
Constanze

 

[dougie0216]

After next Thursday, I wont be driving into any tornadoes, they will have to come to me. Fortunately we have an underground shelter in the garage.
I am ready. It is difficult to get a good night's sleep. I probably look forward to that almost as much as getting rid of the pain.