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Hip Infection* Westy's Hip Recovery Thread

HI @Westy I am so sorry to get caught up on your thread, but also so glad thee surgeon is acting quickly and decisively.
Wishing the very best for you and praying, too.

I hope today is going as well as it can.
 
Thanks all, I'm back home after extensive surgery followed by 4 nights in the hospital. I'm also on heavy duty Norco for the pain, which BTW, is as bad as the first surgery back in June of 19. I'll update the thread when I'm not "under the influence" of these Norco's. I think that's the wisest decision at this time.

Westy
 
I am very glad to hear you had surgery and are back home. We had surgery on the same day, but your surgery was much more extensive.

I am glad to read how closely they monitored you, while you were at the hospital. I will keep you in my prayers. :prayer:
 
Good to hear you're home, Westy.
We'll be here when you feel like updating.
Wishing you comfort and perfect healing.
@Westy
 
We talk to people on pain meds @Westy All the time.
I know you aren't in the best place, but please know if you need us....We are here.
First days are rough.
Healing Mojo coming your way.
 
Just checking in to see how you were doing @Westy ?
I do so hope the pain is better managed now.
Healing vibes coming your way....:friends:
 
Hello to all my online friends in the world of HIPPIES and HIPSTERS,

Full Disclosure: I have cut my Norco intake by 50% over the last 2 days, so while I'm still a bit fuzzy, I'm in a much clearer frame of mind to share some of the details on surgery Number 3, and of course the recovery thus far.
Before i start with that, please allow me to once again thank all of you for your kind words and positive thoughts. They're a great help, as my state of mind is pretty darn low right now. I try very hard to stay positive, but it's not easy. 3 major surgeries in about 7 months, along with all the stuff that hasn't gone right is bit hard to overcome mentally, but I'm doing my best.

So here are the details, without getting too wordy. Surgery Number 3 took place on 1/30/20 and I recall looking at the clock in the OR at exactly 1:30PM cst, just prior to being knocked out. The OS, use the same incision, only he extended it by one inch in both directions in order to allow for the room needed to do his thing. They dislocated my hip again, in order to remove the ceramic ball and the polyethylene receiver cup which retains the ball. From there he spent a solid hour removing infected tissue and bone matter. The infection was deep and wide spread, and it came on like gangbusters, WHEW!!!! Next they spent about an hour heavily irrigating the entire region with a strong broad spectrum antibiotic solution, making sure to cover every square inch of the region that was infected and then some. Next he installed a new polyethylene receiver and a new ceramic ball. They got everything lined up and started working on the close this dude up procedure. They closed me up using standard sutures with NO staples this time, and installed a drain this time. Total on table time was just shy of 3 hours.

I woke up in the recovery room at roughly 4:50PM cst and was (as told to me later) not my charming self, in fact I was quite nasty and miserable to the nurse. I can't begin to tell you all how so far out of character that is for me. I got back to my regular room, and spent the next 4 night s and 5 days in the hospital. I saw the infectious disease team (two doctor's) a few times a day and was put on a total of 3 very strong broad spectrum antibiotics. One of them, Vancomycin <sp?> did not agree with me at all so they switched that one over to Daptomycin. They installed a PICC line in my right upper arm on Friday 1/31/20 and I get my DAILY DOSE of two antibiotics through the PICC line once a day for the next 6 weeks total. The drugs are Daptomycin and Ceftriaxone. I get one dose of each every 24 hours. The Dapto is injected or infused as they call it over a span of 8 minutes, and the other one is infused over a span of 10 minutes. This is all done via the PICC, and by hand from a premixed syringe (one weeks worth of drugs and supplies will be delivered to the house from the infusion service pharmacy until my protocol is finished) that hooks on to the PICC line extension.

The OS says they'll be able to tell if the IV drugs are working properly withing 3 to 4 weeks. If they're not, the pros·the·sis will start to work their way way loose from the boney material and i will know if they do this because it causes a HUGE level of pain in 90% of the cases. If that's the case, I go back for surgery #4 to remove the original implants completely and have the famous concrete cement post which is loaded up with time released antibiotic installed for 8 to 10 weeks. At the same time I'll be on the PICC administered antibiotics for another fresh 6 weeks. Once they determine, the infection is totally cleared out, surgery #5 takes place. In this procedure they open me up, remove the post, clean out the region, remove any dead bone material and install a completely new set of implants, known as a total hip revision surgery. The scary part, absolutely zero guarantees that the revision is without the same exact issues as the initial TLHR.

Now if by some miracle, this course I'm on now does work, once the 6 weeks is up, they remove the PICC and I'll be on oral antibiotics for a minimum of 6 months. While I'm trying to remain positive, reality is this, every single thing that could go wrong, has indeed done just that. So, it's hard to think this method is actually going to work.

And now for the TMI portion of the post. For the first time ever, this third surgery has left me with a terrible case of constipation. I'm doing Senna-S, Miralax, and some other Rx drug the OS gave me. What a complete bummer this is. I'll just leave that portion right there, :)

Sorry for the extra long post, but that's the up to the minute post surgery #3 report. I see my OS this week and the Infectious Disease doc early next week.

One side note that is of some interest. I am being treated for every possible bacterial infection known to exist in this region, post surgery, All my blood tests came back 100% negative, but they attribute that to the fact that I was on Bactrim oral for several weeks prior to surgery, and Keflex prior to the bactrim.

Again thanks for all the kind words and positive vibes and prayers. They help more than you know.

Westy
 
Wow, what an ordeal! :yikes: The mental strain is every bit as challenging as the physical. But you got it attended to quickly and now you're in the road to recovery. Try to stay strong, westy, all us bonesmarties are behind you!!:console2:
 
@Westy you might want the staff here to change your 'label' to hip infection (from THR) so others can find your story in the filters. @Izabel has been on a long road too and she is such a great example of positive mental outlook getting her through. Just a thought.
 
Thank you for sharing your story with us. It can’t be easy to repeat that history, to share. I do hope and pray this time you will have success. :prayer: :fingersx:

My Miralax dose was 17 grams, which fills up to the enclosed white marker and I thought that worked too well for me and cut back. I have a food scale and made sure it was accurate. You may wish to ask your OS office about your Miralax dose, if it is not working.

Sounds like your doctors have been very thorough. Good luck seeing your OS this week.

We will support you through this the best we can.
 
Every day, every procedure, every doctors visit is one step closer to having this done with.

Have you tried prune juice? The natural sorbitol in prune juice is supposed to be what makes it work so well for constipation.
 
I can only imagine how discouraged you feel. But stick with us and hopefully we can help you stay positive and engaged.. that is part of the battle, don't you agree?

I second the vote for prune juice and prunes. It worked magic for me every time. I drank a small can of it each morning and then ate around 4 -6 of them each evening. Magic!
I am sending you copious amounts of healing vibes and keeping you on my prayer list that this last procedure does the trick. :praying:

I've asked the moderators to add the pre fix of infection to your thread title. I hope you have a good night.
 
Thanks for all the positive vibes, mojo, and prayers. I surely do appreciate them and can use all the help I can get. Now tomorrow, it's on with the prune juice and some prunes too, for good measure. :) Hope everyone has a great week.

Westy

PS, thanks to the Mods for changing me to Hip Infection, it's the proper designation. :(

Just for the record:
Original TLHR 6/27/19
Surgery #2 12/19/19 to repair detached Gluteus Medius Tendon
Surgery #3 1/30/20 to clean up deep infection that came to life some time after surgery #2
 
I hate that you are having to go through this.:sad:
Hope the constipation issue resolves as I do know how miserable that is and I remember my mother suggesting "to relax and read a magazine":doh:Yeah, right!
Continued healing vibes and prayers coming your way..:praying:
 
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