gkbutler
08-28-2007, 04:28 AM
It's amazing how quickly the human body wears out anymore. After only 53 years of use and abuse, my left hip has decided that it will fall prey to degenerative arthritis.
The pain started about a year ago, but I didn't think anything about it. After all, I am a man, and men ignore health problems and pain in general. Pain continues to get progressively worse over the days and months. I grin and bear it and continue to try to maintain a normal way of life.
Fast forward to July 6, 2007. I go to work and within 30 minutes of walking on the old concrete floor, I am in so much pain in the left hip I can't stand up. I am sent home and end up in the emergency room.
After numerous x-rays and an MRI and two different diagnosis; I get referred to an orthopedic surgeon. After a long discussion of the different treatments available, Karen and I decide that I should have the hip replaced.
Schedules are checked and tests are done. The days and weeks fly by. Tomorrow morning I check in to St. Margaret's Hospital in Spring Valley, Illinois to have my hip replaced.
What I find amazing is that we told the surgeon that we leave for Florida the middle of October and if I wouldn't be released by then, we would put off the surgery until next spring. He said that we should be able to leave for Florida on time with no major issues. I will be using a walker for about a week, then move to a cane, and depending on how fast I can recover no further assistance would be needed.
He said that I would be weight bearing as tolerated as early as the day of surgery, and could be released to work with in 4-5 weeks. He knows that I am on my feet all day and says I should not have any problem other than I shouldn't climb ladders for a couple of months.
It is amazing how much medical science has changed over the years. Not that long ago, recovery from hip replacement took six months to a year. The patient was kept in the hospital from one to three weeks. Now I will be discharged on Saturday morning.
We are looking at the biggest challenge to my recovery is to being able to maneuver the walker in our Monty. She just isn't made to accomodate someone with a walker.
The pain started about a year ago, but I didn't think anything about it. After all, I am a man, and men ignore health problems and pain in general. Pain continues to get progressively worse over the days and months. I grin and bear it and continue to try to maintain a normal way of life.
Fast forward to July 6, 2007. I go to work and within 30 minutes of walking on the old concrete floor, I am in so much pain in the left hip I can't stand up. I am sent home and end up in the emergency room.
After numerous x-rays and an MRI and two different diagnosis; I get referred to an orthopedic surgeon. After a long discussion of the different treatments available, Karen and I decide that I should have the hip replaced.
Schedules are checked and tests are done. The days and weeks fly by. Tomorrow morning I check in to St. Margaret's Hospital in Spring Valley, Illinois to have my hip replaced.
What I find amazing is that we told the surgeon that we leave for Florida the middle of October and if I wouldn't be released by then, we would put off the surgery until next spring. He said that we should be able to leave for Florida on time with no major issues. I will be using a walker for about a week, then move to a cane, and depending on how fast I can recover no further assistance would be needed.
He said that I would be weight bearing as tolerated as early as the day of surgery, and could be released to work with in 4-5 weeks. He knows that I am on my feet all day and says I should not have any problem other than I shouldn't climb ladders for a couple of months.
It is amazing how much medical science has changed over the years. Not that long ago, recovery from hip replacement took six months to a year. The patient was kept in the hospital from one to three weeks. Now I will be discharged on Saturday morning.
We are looking at the biggest challenge to my recovery is to being able to maneuver the walker in our Monty. She just isn't made to accomodate someone with a walker.