THR The Deed is Done - Becky Joins the Hipstas/Hipsters
- Thread starter BeckyR
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marcopollo
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BeckyR
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Success!!! Finally managed to access a reply screen. I brought a small, older laptop to the hospital and have had all sorts of problems. Let me see if I can capture this amazing and wonderful experience. Your postings have meant so much to me.
First, the surgery experience itself was very smooth. Everyone at the hospital was so kind and caring. A funny twist is that the nurse-anesthetist turned out to be a graduate from the middle school where I teach! She is 31 now, and she remembers some of the teachers who are still there, and who are friends of mine. As soon as I found out she went to my middle school, I knew I was in good hands, and relaxed.
The spinal anesthesia is a piece of cake -- nothing for anyone to fear. I learned that you can't wake up during surgery when you are on the propofol (the sedative that puts you to sleep) because they have it on a continuous drip when it's used in surgery. I had it during a colonoscopy, and did feel some of what happened (though it wasn't bad). For colonoscopies, they give you a bolus of the propofol -- not a continuous drip. Bottom line: no one should fear the spinal anesthesia or worry about waking up in the middle of the surgery.
After the surgery, I woke up in the recovery room and did have considerable pain, and unbelievable cold chills with chattering teeth. They got the pain under control and buried me in warm blankets, and soon all was well. But from that moment on, believe it or not, I have not had ANY pain. I mean zero, nada, zilch, zip. No pain at all. Unbelievable! I have taken my meds by the clock, so it has prevented the pain from ever starting. Of course my leg on the operated side is unwieldy, and it wasn't easy to turn in bed, etc., but the entire experience has been completely pain-free.
My surgeon told me that my hip was far worse than it had seemed to be based on the x-ray. Once he got in there, he saw that the hip was totally covered with bone spurs and arthritis. He removed all the bone spurs, and didn't have to cut any tendons or muscles, and the capsule was preserved. I truly cannot recommend the SuperPATH procedure more highly, for those who have access to it. It is a much gentler process, surgically, especially because the hip is never surgically dislocated. There is much less soft tissue trauma, which I think is why I've been pain-free.
After all the hoopla, I did have to use the bedpan
and the first time was very unpleasant. I had to use it about five times in all, and like all acquired skills it got easier as I did it. Today I was able to get up and walk, with the walker, and use the bathroom, sit up, etc. Each time I've walked it got easier. Tomorrow I will start physical therapy in the little gym down the hall.
Just as everyone else said would happen, all the pain in my legs and other hip seem to have vanished. This is not just the painkillers (I don't think). My whole lower body is freed up after that terribly damaged hip was removed. The emotional release has also been overwhelming, equal to or greater than the physical. Even though I am just at the beginning of my "recovery journey," I feel as though I have been given a second chance at life. It is only in retrospect that I can allow myself to see how bad it really was, and how I had to get through each day on pure grit, always blaming myself and thinking if I only tried harder, or exercised more, or lost some weight, I wouldn't have these problems.
Teaching 6th graders calls for a lot of patience and an ability to roll with the punches. It is hard to be patient and loving when you are braced against and consumed with this monstrous, unyielding pain. I think my whole personality changed in many ways during the long siege, and I find myself just crying, and overcome with a sense of deliverance. This truly is a miracle. I'm looking forward to going back to school in the fall, and being able to teach and be with the kids without all the suffering I endured. I never really let myself acknowledge, in my own mind, how bad it was. I did a lot of compartmentalizing, because really that's the only way to go forward with that much pain.
In any case, thus endeth the saga of the first day after surgery. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your postings and encouragement. Logging on and receiving such a flood of good wishes is a remarkable experience. I love all my hippie hipstas and hipters and send you a huge hug.
marcopollo, it sounds as though we are having similar recovery journeys. I'll respond separately to some of the questions from others.
Sweet dreams, one and all!
First, the surgery experience itself was very smooth. Everyone at the hospital was so kind and caring. A funny twist is that the nurse-anesthetist turned out to be a graduate from the middle school where I teach! She is 31 now, and she remembers some of the teachers who are still there, and who are friends of mine. As soon as I found out she went to my middle school, I knew I was in good hands, and relaxed.
The spinal anesthesia is a piece of cake -- nothing for anyone to fear. I learned that you can't wake up during surgery when you are on the propofol (the sedative that puts you to sleep) because they have it on a continuous drip when it's used in surgery. I had it during a colonoscopy, and did feel some of what happened (though it wasn't bad). For colonoscopies, they give you a bolus of the propofol -- not a continuous drip. Bottom line: no one should fear the spinal anesthesia or worry about waking up in the middle of the surgery.
After the surgery, I woke up in the recovery room and did have considerable pain, and unbelievable cold chills with chattering teeth. They got the pain under control and buried me in warm blankets, and soon all was well. But from that moment on, believe it or not, I have not had ANY pain. I mean zero, nada, zilch, zip. No pain at all. Unbelievable! I have taken my meds by the clock, so it has prevented the pain from ever starting. Of course my leg on the operated side is unwieldy, and it wasn't easy to turn in bed, etc., but the entire experience has been completely pain-free.
My surgeon told me that my hip was far worse than it had seemed to be based on the x-ray. Once he got in there, he saw that the hip was totally covered with bone spurs and arthritis. He removed all the bone spurs, and didn't have to cut any tendons or muscles, and the capsule was preserved. I truly cannot recommend the SuperPATH procedure more highly, for those who have access to it. It is a much gentler process, surgically, especially because the hip is never surgically dislocated. There is much less soft tissue trauma, which I think is why I've been pain-free.
After all the hoopla, I did have to use the bedpan
and the first time was very unpleasant. I had to use it about five times in all, and like all acquired skills it got easier as I did it. Today I was able to get up and walk, with the walker, and use the bathroom, sit up, etc. Each time I've walked it got easier. Tomorrow I will start physical therapy in the little gym down the hall.Just as everyone else said would happen, all the pain in my legs and other hip seem to have vanished. This is not just the painkillers (I don't think). My whole lower body is freed up after that terribly damaged hip was removed. The emotional release has also been overwhelming, equal to or greater than the physical. Even though I am just at the beginning of my "recovery journey," I feel as though I have been given a second chance at life. It is only in retrospect that I can allow myself to see how bad it really was, and how I had to get through each day on pure grit, always blaming myself and thinking if I only tried harder, or exercised more, or lost some weight, I wouldn't have these problems.
Teaching 6th graders calls for a lot of patience and an ability to roll with the punches. It is hard to be patient and loving when you are braced against and consumed with this monstrous, unyielding pain. I think my whole personality changed in many ways during the long siege, and I find myself just crying, and overcome with a sense of deliverance. This truly is a miracle. I'm looking forward to going back to school in the fall, and being able to teach and be with the kids without all the suffering I endured. I never really let myself acknowledge, in my own mind, how bad it was. I did a lot of compartmentalizing, because really that's the only way to go forward with that much pain.
In any case, thus endeth the saga of the first day after surgery. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your postings and encouragement. Logging on and receiving such a flood of good wishes is a remarkable experience. I love all my hippie hipstas and hipters and send you a huge hug.
marcopollo, it sounds as though we are having similar recovery journeys. I'll respond separately to some of the questions from others.
Sweet dreams, one and all!
OP
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BeckyR
senior
sandpiper, I have lived in Boynton Beach for 11 years. Lived in Boston for 27 before that, and grew up in NYC, where I also lived for 5 years after graduating from college. I never thought I'd live in Florida, but came down with my husband one winter and suddenly said, "You know, I could live here!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. My parents had moved here in the 1970s, and my mother and her husband were living here at the time my husband and I had our little revelation. Although I will always have a special love for Boston and New England, I do love it here, and don't miss the winters. It's not only the warmth, but the bright colors and flowers and later sunsets in the winter. I'm very happy here, although my husband says that we really have only two seasons -- good summer and bad summer. There are a lot of cultural opportunities here in South Florida and so many people from NY and New England. I was also able to start a new career here, and am very happy that we made the move. Also -- I found my magnificent surgeon, Dr. Elvis Grandic here!
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BeckyR
senior
One funny thing I forgot to mention in my "saga" posting is that the hospital requires all orthopedic patients, post-op, to be tethered by a little alarm to either the bed or the chair. If we become overly confident and get up without having someone here to help us, a freakishly loud alarm starts blaring. I know what it sounds like because I accidentally set it off in the middle of the night just from the way I moved. It became disconnected from my gown, and -- suddenly -- pandemonium! It's a little like electronic monitoring for people on house arrest!
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BeckyR
senior
BTW -- My incision was only 2 1/2 inches long and was closed with glue. I find that hilarious, even though I'm sure it's a pretty common way of closing incisions these days. There is also a puncture wound -- they actually call it a "stab wound," but I forgot why the find it necessary to stab the hip as well as slice it. In any case, my dressing is the size of a large Band-Aid, and since I don't sit on it I don't have any trouble sitting at the computer. It is high up on the back of the hip -- that's why another name for SuperPATH is "Northern Exposure."
nmay51
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BeckyR Your update was worth the wait!
. What a fabulous experience... except the bedpan 
I can so relate to your pre op compartmentalizing and denial about how bad thing were. YUP... been there and can relate. Now we get to wake up every morning to a new lease on life! Isn't that fantastic, and the energy you're going to have for your students when you get back into the classroom. How exciting!!!
Tiny incision... how nice, not much to hide when you hit the beach! Mine has 29 staples. Not sure how I'm going to camouflage that piece of art!!!
Sweet dreams my friend and again, what an amazing journey you've had. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy
. What a fabulous experience... except the bedpan I can so relate to your pre op compartmentalizing and denial about how bad thing were. YUP... been there and can relate. Now we get to wake up every morning to a new lease on life! Isn't that fantastic, and the energy you're going to have for your students when you get back into the classroom. How exciting!!! Tiny incision... how nice, not much to hide when you hit the beach! Mine has 29 staples. Not sure how I'm going to camouflage that piece of art!!!
Sweet dreams my friend and again, what an amazing journey you've had. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy
Jojool
member
BeckyR Thank you SO much for the details of your surgery! I am having the SuperPath procedure, and the more I hear about it, the better it sounds. I am still anxious about the surgery, but reading what you have been going through has lessened my fears even more. Bless you!!!! Please keep us up to date, I'm so glad you feel good, no pain is something I can't even imagine right now!!!
LeeApril26
post-grad
BeckyR It's wonderful that you are well and pain free. Totally relate to the euphoria from no pain. The sudden acknowledgement of what you had been enduring is stunning, and the relief is just profound. So very happy that you are without pain. It gets even better when your leg stops feeling like a tree trunk.
Thanks for the description of the SuperPath procedure. Very interesting.
Thanks for the description of the SuperPath procedure. Very interesting.
bottomshollow
Former BoneSmart staff member
marcopollo
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BeckyR, I am so happy both of our procedures went so well yesterday. And we are both on our path to a quick recovery.
I've been so focused on the surgical pain and management of it with movement that I jut normalized the pain on my other side seems to have gone away! And the knee on the surgical side,too. What a trip! Thanks for reminding me and making me notice...
I've been so focused on the surgical pain and management of it with movement that I jut normalized the pain on my other side seems to have gone away! And the knee on the surgical side,too. What a trip! Thanks for reminding me and making me notice...
mbtokyo
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BeckyR
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nmay51 randy62, Jojool, mbtokyo, marcopollo, bottomshollow, LeeApril26, sandpiper, and all my other hippie hipstas and hipsters! Day three, and still no pain. I'm going to try cutting the dosage in half -- from two oxycontins to one oxycontin every four hours -- to see if it continues to prevent all the pain. If it is totally effective, I don't want to take more than I need. It is so nice that my doctor left orders that allow me to experiment and self-manage in this way. I'm taking all meds orally at this point, because I had problems with my veins. I need my hands and arms to lift myself out my my bed and chair, and to use the walker properly, and the needle/plastic assemblage was interfering. That was really the only pain I had -- from that thing in my vein! Last night, during a discussion with the nurse, we agreed that since I'm not on any IVs, there was no reason I needed to get my pain meds intravenously. This is so totally under control that they were willing to let me go without an access point, which they usually want for emergencies.
I am so much more flexible and mobile than I was even yesterday. In bed this morning, my right leg (operated side) was stiff and unwieldy, and since I don't have any hip restrictions, I did that leg roll where you bend your knees, keep your back as flat as possible, and roll your legs (and hip) to each side. Voila! A total release from the stiffness and discomfort. All of a sudden I could actually move that leg again -- swing it out of bed without "helping" it along, etc. I feel closer and closer to normal (real normal) with each passing hour. Easier getting up from the chair, going to the bathroom, etc. I feel very stable when standing on my legs with full weight on both legs. There is absolutely no leg-length difference, and no sense that I have a foreign object in my body.
I was able to sleep on my left side for part of the night. Good not to have to stay on my back the whole time. The adjustable hospital bed makes it pretty easy to get and stay comfortable at night, but it was still nice to be able to lie on my side again.
I feel full of calm energy, happy and free. Waves of relief keep washing over me, wellsprings of joy and gratitude. So glad that you are able to relate to the transcendent experience. I doubt that many others can, especially when you are talking about a major surgery that just took place. I don't feel as though I've had major surgery -- isn't that strange? I'm sure it will sink in when I leave the bubble-like cocoon of care and protection that exists here at the hospital. The nurses and attendants are like a band of angels. POWERFUL angels, too. My nurse's assistant yesterday, a beautiful young woman who is in nursing school and wants to be a nurse-midwife, spent four years in the Marines! I couldn't believe it. I call her "My Marine." She is so patient, and gentle, and intuitive. The thought of her having gone through boot camp on Parris Island is a total disconnect. But I am so proud of her.
Orthopedics -- like oncology -- and more (I think) than many other areas -- is such a hands-on field for nursing. Totally intense and operating on a high wire all the time, for 12 hour shifts. I am in awe of the nurses and attendants. They are incredible role models for professionalism and dedication. I'm sure that other nursing specialties call for these qualities, too, but I think that oncology and orthopedics are on a somewhat different level. But then I think of burn units, etc., and realize it is the whole field.
Thank you, all you nurse BoneSmarties out there...my heroes.
Mike, I've missed hearing from you recently. Glad you are still with us on BoneSmart. Your wife will go through many of the same emotions I've been experiencing.
nmay, the tiny scar is wasted on me, because I wear one-piece suits for swimming, but it's still nice to have what amounts to BandAid surgery for a hip replacement. Someone asked me what they do, and I said, "Well, they just put in a straw, and suck it out!" I really still don't understand how they do so much through such a tiny incision.
More later...
I am so much more flexible and mobile than I was even yesterday. In bed this morning, my right leg (operated side) was stiff and unwieldy, and since I don't have any hip restrictions, I did that leg roll where you bend your knees, keep your back as flat as possible, and roll your legs (and hip) to each side. Voila! A total release from the stiffness and discomfort. All of a sudden I could actually move that leg again -- swing it out of bed without "helping" it along, etc. I feel closer and closer to normal (real normal) with each passing hour. Easier getting up from the chair, going to the bathroom, etc. I feel very stable when standing on my legs with full weight on both legs. There is absolutely no leg-length difference, and no sense that I have a foreign object in my body.
I was able to sleep on my left side for part of the night. Good not to have to stay on my back the whole time. The adjustable hospital bed makes it pretty easy to get and stay comfortable at night, but it was still nice to be able to lie on my side again.
I feel full of calm energy, happy and free. Waves of relief keep washing over me, wellsprings of joy and gratitude. So glad that you are able to relate to the transcendent experience. I doubt that many others can, especially when you are talking about a major surgery that just took place. I don't feel as though I've had major surgery -- isn't that strange? I'm sure it will sink in when I leave the bubble-like cocoon of care and protection that exists here at the hospital. The nurses and attendants are like a band of angels. POWERFUL angels, too. My nurse's assistant yesterday, a beautiful young woman who is in nursing school and wants to be a nurse-midwife, spent four years in the Marines! I couldn't believe it. I call her "My Marine." She is so patient, and gentle, and intuitive. The thought of her having gone through boot camp on Parris Island is a total disconnect. But I am so proud of her.
Orthopedics -- like oncology -- and more (I think) than many other areas -- is such a hands-on field for nursing. Totally intense and operating on a high wire all the time, for 12 hour shifts. I am in awe of the nurses and attendants. They are incredible role models for professionalism and dedication. I'm sure that other nursing specialties call for these qualities, too, but I think that oncology and orthopedics are on a somewhat different level. But then I think of burn units, etc., and realize it is the whole field.
Thank you, all you nurse BoneSmarties out there...my heroes.
Mike, I've missed hearing from you recently. Glad you are still with us on BoneSmart. Your wife will go through many of the same emotions I've been experiencing.
nmay, the tiny scar is wasted on me, because I wear one-piece suits for swimming, but it's still nice to have what amounts to BandAid surgery for a hip replacement. Someone asked me what they do, and I said, "Well, they just put in a straw, and suck it out!" I really still don't understand how they do so much through such a tiny incision.
More later...
Elosarabrab
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So funny.I am so pleased for you that surgery went well and you have had such a good start to recovery.
LeeApril26
post-grad
BeckyR So happy for you. I totally relate to your joy. I get little hits of it all the time, like when I realize I don't have to carry every single thing up or down the stairs, because it doesn't hurt to go up and down, and I can make as many trips as I want. Even carrying plates to and from the table. I used to spare myself having to walk cause it hurt, so I would carry stacks of stuff instead. No wonder my back was always hurting.
Your Super Path procedure sounds great, as does having no restrictions/precautions. Nice that you could sleep on your side without two big pillows between your knees.
And you're right about the nurses and hospital staff-impressive and so helpful and reassuring.
Take care and don't overdo. I don't know if it is the same with SuperPath, but the trip home and the readjustment was tiring for me.
Your Super Path procedure sounds great, as does having no restrictions/precautions. Nice that you could sleep on your side without two big pillows between your knees.
And you're right about the nurses and hospital staff-impressive and so helpful and reassuring.
Take care and don't overdo. I don't know if it is the same with SuperPath, but the trip home and the readjustment was tiring for me.
nmay51
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BeckyR I too relate with the JOY of my new life. There are new things every day that I do and then stop and smile because pre op, it was a whole lot more work to accomplish it. Yesterday, when I bent over to wrap a towel around my wet hair, I came up smiling because pre op, that was always done with a moan and some pain. Another moment of pure JOY. I don't feel crippled anymore, I feel like I'm recovering, and that in a nut shell is my reason for pure JOY.
Nancy
Nancy
bottomshollow
Former BoneSmart staff member
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