Two years ago in early February, I finally had surgery to replace my right hip.
I had been limping at least slightly, for many, many years and it had gotten progressively worse. Pain came and went. I visited chiropractors and surgeons from time to time, making assessments, seeing if anyone was right. No one was. I wasn't ready. Then Karen told me about her wonderful, easy hip surgeries and successful, fast healing at the clinic in Los Angeles. Movie stars go to the same hospital for their 'procedures', and the care and food and view are fabulous! Medicare pays for it! Okay, that sounds like a plan! I could fly out there, she could pick me up at the airport, and then a week or two later I could fly back to Bardstown and have rehab at home.
I was starting to get used to the idea. Then, my ankles and knees and other joints began to hurt. I thought it was due to extra weight and pressure on them from my not being able to put weight on my right hip. I knew something needed to be done, and soon. As I gathered information, I realized I would not be able to fly cross country a few days after hip surgery, so LA was not a good idea, as much as I would have liked to have movie star level of care... I asked people for recommendations. Grandpa's hospice nurse had a surgeon who took care of her daughter with hip problems from a severe accident. He's excellent, she said, and very kind. He uses the anterior (Zimmer) method for replacement (same as Karen's dr.) So I made an appointment and went to see him at Baptist Health in Louisville, because one can get an appointment with him more quickly there than in Bardstown. He works in both places, she said.
Yes. It was a match. I knew it the moment he walked in and confidently said in his slight Indian accent, "Ma'am, you need a new hip." I said, "How do you know? You haven't even seen me yet." He said it's his job. He and I decided to wait till after my planned trip to Austria (citizenship papers) and Christmas, and do it in January, which I changed to February. Everything fell into place, and I felt good about it. He said he does surgery at our little hospital in Bardstown, he said it's a good hospital, so I said okay. That would make it easier for John to visit me and be there with me.
My two weeks at the hospital were both easy and hard. The first night was terrible. The pain was severe at times, and there was a brief moment in the night when I woke up and didn't know who I was or where I was. That was terrifying. The care was excellent. After a day or two, it was so nice to be on heavy drugs and to be able to sleep every time I closed my eyes. I scared Celina, she later said, because I talked really fast and crazy on the phone. Haha. I hurt John's feelings because I called for the nurse right in the middle of him reading me something and interrupted him and got up to go the bathroom. We didn't know that drugs make a person act differently. Haha. Now we know.
The second week, I was moved upstairs to rehab. They did a great job helping me learn to walk and move etc. I felt great there. Drugs! The nurses and rehab staff were proud of my rapid progress. I was their star student, they said... A+... Smile again.
PICTURES
Then at home I used the walker. Every day brought a bit of slight improvement. Did not need to fill the pain prescription the dr. sent home with me. My two assistants, John and Celina, waited on me hand and foot and cared for every need. After outpatient rehab, I was cleared to go back to the gym and told to 'not overdo it'. I didn't think I did, but I think there was one machine I should not have used. At any rate, I got Terrible Pain in my right leg. Had to crawl to the bathroom for a day or two. Nothing was permanently damaged, but those large muscles took two months to heal.
The full anesthesia affected my memory and thinking for many weeks. All in all, it took six months to get back to being myself. Now it is absolutely great. I can't believe it. Just wonderful. My other joints don't hurt anymore either. I am so thankful I had the hip replacement.
