Becoming Bionic

So much has happened in the past couple weeks, there's no way I can fit this into a FB status update.  May 31st Scott and I, with help from my dad and Scott's bro, loaded up a Penske with our belongings and left Minnesota for Washington.  After four days on the road, we arrived in Olympia, signed the lease to a townhouse we had physically seen, and moved in with our two cats, Chandler and Murph.  My dad and uncle actually did I great job of picking the place for us, I love it!  We decided to move to Olympia after Scott received a job offer from a large clinic there.  The area is beautiful, surrounded by dense forests, water inlets, deer, and dread-locked hoodlums.

You may remember this and this.  We are coming up on a year and a half now since I decided to forgo resurfacing surgery on my hip in favor of waiting for a total hip replacement.  We came to the conclusion that this transition period between jobs would be a good time for me to receive my much needed hip replacement.  Therefore, I have forgone job hunting until I know when I can return to work.  The move has been physically challenging for me - thank God for Scott, my dad, Uncle Lon, and Brian for doing the grunt work.  The surgery will take place in Medford, OR, where my parents live, so they can care for me during recovery while Scott starts his new job.

Planning a move halfway across the country is a challenge in itself, add planning for surgery on top of it.  Originally scheduled for June 10th, in the past week, the surgeon's office has changed that date from the 10th to 20th, to the 13th.  Our meticulously laid plans go out the window!  Then, yesterday, Murph goes missing.  Nowhere to be found.  No idea if he is inside or out.  We passed out fliers and took some to nearby clinics and shelters.  He made it this far, we really hope he comes home. 

This morning is my pre-op with the surgeon, Dr. Hadi.  I'm going to try and answer some of the questions I've been getting here, in case you are curious.

My current condition:
Rapidly deteriorating. I have daily, radiating/burning pain from my hip, even if I "take it easy".  I no longer like to climb stairs with my left leg.  Standing up from a sitting position is a slow process, I feel stiff, as though my leg doesn't want to straighten up.  Bending to tie shoes, etc., is uncomfortable.  Anything more strenuous than walking is out of the question.  The pain disrupts my sleep, it can be hard to find a comfortable position.

The implant:
I decided a ceramic-on-ceramic implant is the best for my situation because they can last up to 30 years before needing adjustments.  My surgeon warned me there is a 5-10% chance of it squeaking.  Yes, squeaking, like if you rub the bottom of two coffee mugs together.  You can look it up on YouTube. 

Surgery: 
Like I said, June 13th (Thursday), with probably two nights in the hospital.  The surgery I'm oddly calm about this because I know what great improvement is going to come from it.  Remind me of that when they start poking me with needles...I've heard from several people that they noticed immediately after surgery decreased joint pain.

Post-op/Recovery:
Following surgery, I will have some physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the implant, regain range of motion, and track my progress.  I will have exercises to do at home as well.  I plan to stay with my parents until I feel strong enough to get around on my own safely.  I was told the average THR patient returns to work after 8 weeks.  Since I'm younger, I could bounce back faster, but we'll see.  I hope to be back up in Olympia in a month.  Portugal.The Man concert July 18th....maybe with my walker - yeah!

I welcome any questions!  I want my buddies in Minnesota to know I MISS YOU and your support is my strength, even from far away.

Love,
Rachel