Look Into My Thighs

Before

After

Check me out, man!  6 weeks post-op appointment with my surgeon today.  The cup has three screws total holding it into my pelvis.  Hadi was pleased with the even lengths of my legs and progress in walking/muscle strength.  I am ok-ed to return to work, with these restrictions:  No lifting over 20 lbs, no squatting, breaks every 2 hours (during an 8 hour shift).  I also have a cool new card that I can show airport security so that they don't think my new hip is a concealed weapon.  I can bathe and swim now, but when I asked about roller-blading, he said absolutely not for another two months.  Too much risk in falling.  Darn.

I feel amazing, I really do.  One of the things I was looking forward to most before surgery was just walking without pain.  I'm there already.  My "baby walk" is gone.  No limp, no fatigue.  I think my feet hurt just because I'm walking more than I'm used to.  Continual stretching and strengthening remain important with more activity.  Nevertheless, putting chronic pain behind me is as uplifting and energizing as I imagined it could be.

xoxo,
Rachel

Two Week Check Up

My surgeon is out of town, so today we met with a nurse.  She took off my nasty, scabby steri-strips and we got to see my incision for the first time.  I'm actually mad that I didn't take a picture - it is the neatest, slimmest little scar you ever saw!  I still can't believe all they did inside a 4 1/2" opening.  Nurse Michelle cleaned it up and put on new steri-strips that will come off on their own in about two weeks.  She was also able to tell me that the numbness in my foot will go away in up to 8 weeks, but icing my hip area to reduce swelling will help speed up the process.  I have had no discomfort from swelling, so we hadn't been icing it.  The tightness behind my knee has dramatically improved, but I still sleep with a pillow underneath it for support.  Yesterday I took the toilet seat riser off, and it feels great to pee with my feet on the floor again.    

I find my biggest challenges at this point are judging how much I can walk without feeling crippled up later, and the walking itself.  I know it's just going to take time for things to fall into place, but I feel like I don't  know how to walk without limping/overcompensating, simply because of habit.  I have think about walking like a "lady": swaying my hips, swinging my arms, long strides. If I slow down and think about it, it happens.  When I want to get somewhere quickly (ie: around the kitchen), it all goes out the window, and I do the ol' Bum Hip Shuffle, which looks a lot like a baby learning to walk:  wide spread feet, little steps, stiff, T-Rex arms that grab for walls and counters.  Yeah, my body thinks this is a great way to get around. 

Finding the balance between pushing myself to walk distances but still being able to perform my strengthening exercises is tough.  Stretching is equally important.  I guess I have some goals!  In four weeks I'll see the surgeon for a more in-depth checkup with x-rays. 

Since I am feeling quite well all in all, I will return to Olympia July 1st.  This will make it easier for me to get things set up in Washington and apply for jobs, although I still don't plan on working until late July - early August.  Also, I miss Scott and the kitties.  Scott has nearly completed his first week at Steamboat Animal Hospital! 

xoxo,
Rachel

PS:  Took my first shower since surgery today.  It was amazing.

One Week Later

Yesterday was one week post-surgery.  It is really hard to believe a week has gone by, because my recovery has been so smooth!  Let's take a look back.

The morning of surgery I was very calm.  Maybe it was because it was 5 am and I was still half asleep!  But thankfully the pre-op events moved along swiftly so I didn't have long spells of waiting to get too anxious.  Again, I just wanted a nap.  So I get my IV, take some pills for  pain, inflammation, and I think nausea.  The anesthesiologist is a handsome young gent, he assures me that I won't feel a thing, I'm getting a spinal and Propofal (yesssss, Michael Jackson's drug of choice), which doesn't put me under as deep, so waking up with be faster and less nauseous.

Next, another male nurse comes in to fit me with "boots" that look like rollerblades with no wheels.  These will be hooked into what we learned is called a Hana table.  This special table allows for easier access to the joint when using the anterior (front) approach for a hip replacement.  You can see the table here.

Soon after, I'm being wheeled down the hall to my surgery suite.  I kiss Mr. Scott, Mom, and Dad goodbye.  Again, everyone is calm, no tears, I'm ready to get this over with.  The handsome anesthesiologist places a poufy cap over my hair, introduces me to the rest of the team (all dudes), tells me I'm going to get some relaxing drugs in my IV, and the lights go out.

I woke up eating ice chips what feels like 5 minutes later.  I'm ready to see my parents and Scott.  No pain yet, but I'm drowsy and this first day is shrouded in haze.

Walking with my physical therapist day two in my Bionic Woman Hello Kitty cape!  Made by Emily!

Over the next two days I am visited by the physical therapist, who helps me get up and walking with the walker.  I had sharp muscle pain from my knee down to my ankle, but still nothing in the hip.  By day two, with lighter pain killers, I'm able to order my own meals from room service, chat coherently with visitors, catch up on Bravo, and shuffle to the bathroom rather than use the bedside commode.  My vitals were constantly monitored and my hemoglobin was low and dropping, which makes me pale, tired, and easily light headed.  When it doesn't come back up by my third and projected last day in the hospital, the surgeon is notified and orders two units of blood for a transfusion.  6 hours later, about 7 pm, with more energy and pink in my cheeks, we are discharged!

Over the week I have pushed my self to walk with the walker as much as possible, until it gets uncomfortable, which isn't really more than 20 minutes at a time.  I do some light strengthening and stretching exercises every day, which I do standing up rather than the usual laying flat because my muscles are young and healthy.  Now, I can walk short distances without assistance, which is super handy, because you can't carry anything while using a walker.  I was giving no restrictions from the PT, so I can bend, cross legs, and squat all I want within my own comfort.  Dressing and using the restroom can be done on my own.  All along I have had no issues with sleeping.  I can sleep on my back with a pillow under my knee, or on the non-surgical side with a pillow between my legs.  Honestly, I was not expecting to be this capable and independent by this time.  It feels pretty good to be independent, and I may be able to return to work sooner than expected. 

Today my mom and I are planning on running some errands.  It will be my first time out off the property since leaving the hospital.  I will take my walker for stability.  I worry about getting tired and needing a place to sit down, but there is always the car.

At my two week post-op appointment next week, they will remove the steri-strips from my incision, which did not require staples or stitches.  I'm excited to see how it looks.  It's only about 4" long, centered at the top of the thigh.  I keep a thin bandage over it during the day and let it air at night, but the draining stopped a few days ago.  Besides some tenderness to the touch, my incision site and hip are pain free.

Thank you for the well wishes, cards and flowers I have received this week!  In my spare time I have been doing crossword puzzles, coloring with Hello Kitty, writing letters, and eating gummy bears.  My goal is to lose the walker by this time next week!

xoxo,
Rachel

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

Hip Update

Thank you Mr. Scott, you know me far too well.

Hi all,
I have a status update on my hip condition (out of the loop?  Read this).  After reviewing the MRI, Dr. Li is advising me to NOT go through with reconstructive surgery.  In his expert opinion, the bone would require extensive work, not only shaving but also grafting of bone harvested from a cadaver.  Even with the procedure, a total hip replacement would be imminent.  For this reason, he is suggesting I wait a few more years until I'm wearing bone-on-bone in the socket and my work is inhibited, and then getting the replacement.  It makes sense to me, because I think metaphorically:  You can put thousands of dollars into fixing up your old car, which will have to be replaced in the end, or you can wait until it dies to get a brand spanking new one.  Sooooo...somewhat back to Square One.  It's a pain {literally} that I have to wait for things to get worse, but I will tough it out.  For now, no heavy lifting, no marathons, no weight gain, moderate exercise, sitting when possible, and ibuprofen for pain. 

Thank you again for your support.  Now that my January schedule is open, I'm looking at some new possibilities...:)

Love,
Rachel

My Hips Don't Lie

I'm feeling compelled to write today, as I have just returned from a visit to the orthopedic specialist.  "My Life as a Pastry Chef" is not just about sweets.  I hope that by sharing my personal stories of life's trials and tribulations we can  learn from one another about finding our unique path, reaching goals and dealing with setbacks.

I live by the motto of "Everything happens for a reason."  Some call it coincidence, I call it a learning experience.  When I was 9 years old, I began having hip pain, and was diagnosed with a rare bone disease called Legg Calve Perthese.  I spent two years on crutches before my parents located a specialist who could perform surgery to realign my hip with hardware.  At age 11, I underwent the surgery, followed by six weeks in a cast from the waist down.  With physically therapy, we strengthened the leg and I essentially learned how to walk again and bear weight on it without overcompensating.  I had a second surgery a year later to remove the hardware (no cast this time).

Other than range of motion loss and some fatigue, I was able to have a pretty normal childhood from that point on through college.  My family moved to the country when I started 7th grade, so no one knew I had been crippled.  I took classes in tap, jazz, and ballet, and swam distance on my high school swim team.  I danced with my boyfriend at prom.  I've been on amazing trips to destinations in and out of the country.  I eventually got over the fact that there is an ugly, 7" long scar on my left thigh and stopped trying to hide it.  It tells a story - my story.  I was and still am very grateful that I could participate in normal activities, even just walking on my own.  Someone always has it worse than you.

Over the past year, the days where I experience stiffness and pain have increased.  People have noticed me limping, and often it is hard to find a comfortable position to sit and sleep.  Heavy exercise is asking for a night of sharp pain only to be slightly alleviated by a hot bath.  Inactivity, sitting for long periods of time, can be just as bothersome, leading to a whole day of discomfort.

After Mr. Scott raged at me to stop whining and DO SOMETHING, I made an appointment here in Saint Paul with an orthopedic specialist.  X-rays of my hip had not been taken since I was maybe 14.  It's pretty clear which hip is the healthy one:

<---This hip good.  This hip bad--->

We've known all along that there is a hip replacement (or two, or three) in my future.  They like to put this off as long as possible since it can wear out quickly with the activity a younger person experiences compared to someone later in life.  What the doctor recommended today is surgery to shave and reshape the deformed ball of the femur.  He described it as "ice cream falling off the cone," which really made me want some Mint Chip.  In truth, I wasn't prepared to hear surgery was in my near future.  A million conflicting issues when through my head:

I shouldn't have to deal with this right now.
How will I pay for it?
I'll have to take time off work.
What will recovery be like?
Someone will have to care for me.
What if it doesn't help?
What if it does?
I hate needles!

I'm scheduled for an MRI in a week to get a better look at the bone from all sides and to see if there is extensive cartilage and tissue damage.  It will also help in deciding if and when I should have surgery, though the doctor was pretty matter-of-fact about things only getting worse from here without it.

I was feeling pretty down about this, when I remembered a story I read about a cake artist from New Mexico.  Extremely talented, she had won many contests with her cakes and even created new techniques in decorating.  Her dream was to compete in one of the Food Network Challenges.

I'm having a hard time recalling her exact medical conditions, but this woman ended up having to be confined to a wheelchair.  I believe they wanted to amputate her hands as well, but her family refused.  Miraculously, she was able to recover and continued producing beautiful cakes while in a wheelchair with great success.  The woman was thrilled to be accepted as a participant in a Food Network Challenge!  But this privilege was taken away when producers discovered her handicap, which was considered a liability.

My heart broke for her.  To be denied your dream because of circumstances you have no control over had to be devastating.  But we pick ourselves up and look to the positive:  She has hands that still work to express her art.  She has her heart and mind to share with family and friends.  She inspired me to be grateful for the opportunities life presents and not take any of them for granted.

I'll get through this.  You'll get through your "this" too.  And right now, all I can think about is how badly I want to someday own a bakery that is successful enough to donate funding to research the causes and treatment of Legg Calve Perthese and other orthopedic syndromes.  That Wikipedia article says 1 in every 1,000 children are diagnosed with Perthese {lucky me}.  Yes, it isn't cancer, it isn't life threatening, but no child nor parent should have to experience the risks or financial burden surgery brings.  And if I can provide any sort of relief to families out there going through this with their child, that there is hope, that is what I must do.

All my love,
Rachel

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