Hip Infection Surviving THR Revision

[Legin]

Hope you are OK and not on detention.

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[Cynthia777]

@Sullivand
I am so blessed by just seeing how blessed you are!!!!

Vacation was good and now I'm trying to get my mind back to focusing on my surgery ahead. My surgery date was moved to September the 23rd and God willing, this is the final date (I start all my pre-op doctor, dentist and cardiologist this week).

I am so happy for you! You've been through so much, but He has held your hand throughout your ordeal! God is good!!!!!!

 

[Sullivand]

Hello Bone Smarties! I am heading towards week 15 and in full swing at school! I now have had two full weeks with my new students and we are getting along quite nicely. I am still wear a compression stocking and using a cane through the hallways and to recess~ my former students wave to me and smile as though they are my cheering section~ quite the motivator to stand straight and tall! I also managed a full day of work followed by an evening meet the parents night where the teachers present the curriculum and procedures etc for the year followed by question/answer time. So glad I'm an old hat at this so it was a pleasant evening~ gave me a chance to show a cane carrying person does have brain power! Haha!
I still need Tylenol once or twice a day and 9 hours of sleep or at least off my feet that long to keep the swelling at bay. I feel tired like a normal person at the end of a long day but very very stiff if I spend too much time at my desk planning and on the computer. I have to remind myself to go home when I feel that way and not ignore my body just to finish "one more thing"!'
My spirits are good and my daughters are actually treating me like mom again ~with all the drama it brings on and guess what?! I love it~ what's a flat tire, cockroaches in the shower, boyfriend drama and a missed graduation requirement compared to surviving two major surgeries and strep infection?! Nothing to it! God has held me close!
I will be checking your posts~ Love the teacher w cane image @copsham and hope you are well. Love your new avatar @KarriB! I hope your school year begins well for you. @Tweefishy and @donor how FABULOUS you both look! No old ladies in that pic! @Legin no detention for me but I am meeting a mom tomorrow re a student who might be! @Cynthia777 wishing you the best preop preparations. You are a pro at this! @CricketHip ~ a sweet newbie~thank you for words of encouragement~I hope that I can inspire you to be patient and take a day at a time. @Suzette and @Granny Di and @sunbunny ~ your cheering me on and words of advice are very special. Thank you!
I see the surgeon Sept 4 and will let ya'll know what he says~ I still have worries but figure it's all normal~ You would laugh at all of the hand sanitizer stations in my classroom and I spray bleach on the counters and water fountain every afternoon~ other than that all is well.

 

[Tweefishy]

You are a super star! Great job, great faith, great care of yourself, and best wishes for your new year at school. Must feel awesome to be back to some normalcy. Wonderful news!


RTHR, posterior, 15JUN2015

 

[KarriB]

I've been wondering how you've been doing at school. Open house night can be quite exhausting after a full day of work at the beginning of the year, glad to hear it went well! It does help to be an old hand at this profession. I am starting in service days this Wednesday and students August 31st. I'll be watching to see what the dr. says.

 

[KarriB]

Thanks for the photo compliment! I HATE having my pic taken and have just recently tried to get over that as it makes my friends and family angry. IT was taken at the wedding weekend in Virginia.

 

[WarriorWoman]

Hoping to get in touch...

I read your amazing journey with your hip infection challenges and how you have come through, and was so hoping to connect with people who have gone thru what I fear is happening for me with an infection which occurred from post-op bronchial infection while in hospital and my new left THR having an infection. I had a successful right THR 8 yrs ago, but it is having symptoms now as well 5 mos. post op of left THR too!

I am so hoping to get info on who your support doctors, ortho surgeon & infect.disease dr.; I have no support from my ortho-surgeons at all. In follow-up appt. with him 6 wks post-op after being treated in ER and admitted in hospital, he denies I had an infection despite him knowing full well I was treated with iv antibiotic for a week in hospital ! I live in a small town and have gone to Atlanta, Georgia for spine surgery they have excellent doctors there.

I want to get support in place for what is happening I fear the infection has spread to my right leg (older implant) & I dont want to loose it now! ....I have been educating myself as much as possible and understand the infection spreads systemically thru the blood and it can get into the bone where the implant is and both implants now!

Thank you so much.

Warrior Woman

 

[Sullivand]

Dear @WarriorWoman
So you are close to Atlanta! ~ I used Resurgeons Orthopedics ~ Dr Robert Yarbrough~ he consulted w Dr. Hanna also w Resurgeons and took pictures through the surgery on his phone for advice~ Yikes! No modesty left for me! Thought about using a pic for my avatar ~ haha!
I used Dr Manuel Rodriquez with Infectious Disease of Atlanta. I would love to adopt him in my family ~ the most caring man!
My surgeries were at Northside Hospital.
You are in my prayers. Warrior Woman for sure~ my girls tell me to wear those scars with pride as war wounds. You will get through this!

 

[Sullivand]

I have been busy living life and have not taken the time to check in for a while. I thought an update was due. I saw the surgeon yesterday for my 16 week follow up. I find my progress has slowed down but every two weeks or so, I will realize that I am doing something that I couldn't do a few days before without pain. Then I cry with thankfulness!

The surgeon was quite pleased with my progress and told me to use the cane as long as I need to~ I haven't mentioned this before but it has had an impact on my full recovery and that is the fact my leg at the hip had to be "torqued" or twisted slightly because there was infection damage at the pelvis and that in order to be sturdy on my feet, there is a bit of a twist. So with that said, the surgeon said it isn't really a limp I have but the knee turning in as I walk. He said at this point I won't damage muscles if I walk without the cane. I try for a while everyday but the weakness and pain are still my companions and the cane helps. He also told me to see the PT for a few visits to get exercises and gait training that I can do at home for 15 minutes a day. He said a few minutes a day is better than an hour at time. My timeline looks like a full year or more before full recovery and I expected to hear that. The surgeon said " I am proud of you because you are a trooper and have been through a lot". I did have some lab work done regarding my liver function because I am still taking Tylenol 2-3 times a day. I hope the results are normal!

So school goes well~ I am settled in and have assessed all of my readers and writers and have put them in groups so that now the intense teaching and learning comes to fruition. It takes a while to get the school year rolling and now I am hoping the long hours of planning will be a bit less now that we are in full swing.... hahaha! We all say that at school and it really doesn't let up~ always something new to do. I am not complaining~ so very delighted to be back in life. I am changed though~ I feel so very blessed and am always willing to stop and talk to my colleagues and students and families ~the people not the projects are most important.

I send prayers out to ya'll and hope you are up and walking soon without pain and with joy!

 

[Samy]

wow....I just read through your thread and wanted to say what an inspiration you are.....

 

[nochoice]

Thanks for checking in @Sullivand. So good to hear about your progress. You will be both comfort and inspiration to many hippies yet to log on. All the best!

 

[Cynthia777]

I pray you continue to improve and continue the wonderful light you send through your posts! God bless my friend!

 

[Granny Di]

Such good news! You truly are an inspiration for everyone who joins this forum and for all of your students and colleagues. Wishing you a wonderful year!

 

[KarriB]

Thanks for up dating @Sullivand , I've been wondering how things are going at school. I've put in my first week with kids, but it was torturous with temps near 90 and high humidity with no AC. We have a few more days like that next week, ugh!
I also felt "changed" after recovering from my TKR and infection. I felt (still do) so grateful for everything and weirdly a need to change things that were ordinary for me. When I went back to work I changed my wardrobe from dresses and skirts to all pants, bought a car that was out of my comfort zone and doing things I hadn't done before. My close friends noticed this change as well. I also seem to deal with stress differently, I don't get as upset about things.
Don't push yourself too hard, I know it's hard not too!

 

[boseytal]

Hi @Sullivand and all posters! Just wanted to say how great it is to read about people in similar situations to my own. In a difficult place at the moment, and great to know there's some support and advice out here on the world wide web.

Wishing you all a full recovery and all the best in the future. Joe