Girl & the City

More surgeries

2009-01-28T12:18:00.003-05:00

I went into my oral surgeon's office last afternoon to rid myself of one wisdom tooth and left two yours late missing three. I had my first one out back in college; it was growing in the wrong way and the other seemed to be OK. Well now another one is bothering me and seeing how this is not all that pleasant of an experience and my insurance covers general anesthesia for three and only local for one, it is not all that difficult to understand my decision. I was actually pretty shocked that my total bill was only $295 - but hey I am not one to complain.

Once they hooked in the IV I felt very relaxed, it was like having a nice glass of wine and chatting away with good friends. God only knows what kinds of TMI I divulged to my surgeon. Within 5 minutes it felt like I went from having one glass to chugging the entire bottle of Cabernet. I remember some poking around my mouth but that is about it. No recollection of any noises or drills or pressure. Before I knew it, I was in recovery feeling a bit hung over. The four block trip to CVS to pick up my antibiotics and vicodin was quite interesting. I don't understand why the surgeons don't keep all that stuff to give you at their office. I almost fell asleep in the waiting area but the pharmacist was very nice and got me all my drugs within 20 minutes.

The vicodin didn't do much in the first few hours so I immediately switched to the leftover oxycodone from the hip surgery. THAT definitely hit the spot. Combined with the Ambien, I slept like a baby.

No work today. I want someone to come take care of me but of course my banker boyfriend cannot leave his post at the fear of being the next one to get the pink slip. Sad. Speaking of banker boyfriends, I found a fantastic blog Dating A Banker Anonymous. They really do have a support group for just about anything out there.

I am feeling better today, still look like a chipmunk though.

A note on the hips - they are doing well though I have been feeling a weird pain almost inside of my groin over the past week. It especially feels odd when I cough. Hope nothing is wrong...

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T13:06:00.004-05:00

I am 11 weeks post-op. I have a new position at work with a new office to go along with my new hip in the new year. This is all about new beginnings and so far things are going great.

It has been so great to be back in New York, back in my own apartment. I do miss my family but it was definitely time for me to go back to my own life. The holidays were lovely and it was really nice to spend them with my boyfriend, even though he worked most of the time (but at least he still has a job which is more than I can say for some of my other investment banker friends). Next week is our two year anniversary and he is taking me to Stanton Social - YUM.

The hip has been giving me no troubles and has survived wandering around the mall as well as NYC several times for more than 3 hours at a time. I have been slacking on my exercises at home so it is nice to be back to work and to physical therapy. Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time since the surgery. I rode the bike for 20 minutes, spent 20 minutes working on my upper body (sadly I could only do 15 push ups), 20 more minutes on the StairMaster, another 10 minutes for upper body, and finished with 20 minutes on the elliptical. It felt amasing to break a sweat again and I am vowing to keep this up 5 times a week at least until I get back to my summer weight, which means dropping 8 lbs.

Week 9

2008-12-21T13:05:00.003-05:00

I had to get the calendar to figure out that this is week 9. Great sign of recovery. I've now gone to 6 physical therapy sessions and am feeling fantastic. I love using the pilates reformer machine and will miss it. My physical therapist printed out a pilates routine for me to do at home, it is nice to feel my leg getting stronger with each set I do. If anyone is interested, I can give you the exercises.

Overall the hip feels great. I feel completely normal and can do pretty much everything, except for running. I can walk up and down the stairs without any pain or discomfort and can put my pants on while standing up without holding on to anything.

Don't tell my surgeon, but I have started driving about 2 weeks ago. I have total control of my leg and foot and my doctor (my dad ^_^) told me it was OK to start. It feels amazing to get back the freedom of going where I please. I finally made it to the mall to get my boyfriend his Christmas present, which I cannot wait to give him. And of course I had to get myself a present from myself - those are the best ones! I also got some awesome wedge boots to wear for the winter since all my shoes have heels. I wonder how long until I can wear heels again? I should have asked my doctor... Now the challenge is to pack all this (and more) into my one suitcase since tomorrow morning I fly back to NYC. I am beyond excited, though kind of sad to be leaving my parents. I cannot remember the last time I lived at home for this long. I just hope JFK does not shut down due to all the snow storms!

Week 7

2008-12-07T22:51:00.004-05:00

Weekend was great! I spent the entire day on Saturday shopping and walking around the stores. It was great not having to get those motorized chairs, though I will admit those are pretty entertaining and one of these days I will post some pictures of me racing on of them in Target a few weeks back. I am also done with all my holiday cards ahead of schedule. Love having all this free time now that I can move around on my own.

The crutches and the shower chair have officially been packed away somewhere in the garage, following the fate of the walker. I can now walk up and down the stairs one leg on each stair, instead of moving one and bringing the other one to meet it on the same stair. There isn't really anything I cannot do anymore other than sit on the op side with my legs tucked under the side. I think my muscles are still too weak for that.

Just took a photo of my scar, it is actually looking kind of cute. It's completely flat and smooth except for the little irritation on the top which is going away. Here it is at 7 weeks:

For comparison, here is the 4 week shot:

Physical Therapy

2008-12-05T19:39:00.004-05:00

I have not touched my crutches in two whole days, literally since my last post, and it feels great! I never thought I could make the transition from no weight bearing to walking completely on my own in a matter of hours but it just makes me feel proud of all I have accomplished. Hard work and a good attitude really does pay off!

I think what has helped me the most throughout this whole process, besides my family and the workouts I did prior to the surgery, was having little goals I set for myself. I had a different one for almost every other day and that made recovery that much more exciting. And now I am walking on my own.

The moment I started walking my mom announced that she has loads of ironing she needs help with so I spent half the day today ironing sheets along with 19 of my dad's work shirts. I'll confess I am a bit sore from all that standing but it feels wonderful to be able to contribute something to the household.

Yesterday was my first PT session. They had me walk up and down the street and said I don't have a limp, which is weird because I feel like I do but maybe I am overcompensating for it. My legs measured at the same length, which was also good to know. The first thing they did was stretch out various leg muscles and assess my flexibility. My quads are pretty tight so that's what we focused on the most. Laying on my stomach, the PT brought my operated leg up to my butt to the point of tension in the muscle and I had to contract my butt muscle on that side and hold it for about 30 seconds. When I released the tension in the quad seemed to lessen and he would move my leg closer to my butt, increasing the tension again and repeating the exercise. Those took about half an hour and included a nice butt massage :)

I switched PTs and had about 30 minutes of pilates on the reformer machine to work on my range of motion. We also got in some ab work since mine are nonexistent. The session ended with 10 minutes on the bike, which seemed pretty easy.

I am supposed to do these 3 exercises daily:

1. Either holding my leg back towards my butt, or putting it up on a chair, I am supposed to tighten my quad muscle to about a 2 level of discomfort (on a 1-10 scale), contract butt muscles and hold 30-40 seconds. Relax and start over. Repeat for 2 minutes, trying to build up to 8 minutes over time.

2. Pilates Mat - Bent Knee Fallout - Lying flat on my back with bent knees, move the knees one at a time outward while keeping the hips firm on the ground. 20 reps on each side. This is supposed to increase range of motion.

3. Pilates Mat - Pelvic Clock - Kind of hard to explain - here is the detailed explanation http://www.emr.msu.edu/documents/rehab/pelvic_clock.pdf I am supposed to do 20 reps.

Seeing how recovery is coming along rather nicely, I have booked a flight back to NYC. I will be leaving December 22! Cannot wait to test out those airport metal detectors.

I am WALKING!

2008-12-03T22:16:00.002-05:00

Yeah, that is right! Since coming home from the doctor's office I have ditched the crutches 100%. I realize that I will probably be sore tomorrow but it feels so great!

6 Week Appointment

2008-12-03T19:09:00.002-05:00

I have been waiting for today since before the surgery. The day I will finally be allowed to start getting my life back on track. The day I will begin to walk on my own two feet, and hips of course.

I am happy to report that everything is not just on track, but ahead of schedule. The doctor was very impressed with my leg strength, which I attribute to the pre-surgery exercises with my PT. He said that while much of my quad is atrophied, there is a substantial amount of muscle left which will make an easier transition to walking. He re-measured my angle on the new X-ray and it is still at 35 degrees, up from 20 degrees pre-op. My scar is healing nicely and measures at 9cm, or 3.6 inches.

I was pretty surprised when he told me I don't really need physical therapy and should just hit the gym to do the bike, elliptical and stair master. I am going to go to PT anyways for the next two weeks, until I go back to New York, since I don't have a gym membership in San Francisco. Once I am back, I have a gym at the office along with free physical therapy on site. I cannot wait to get back in shape!

The moment the doctor left the room I decided to attempt a few steps sans crutches. Let me tell you, it was scary! It felt like I was going against my body. I guess I didn't realize just how much of a reflex it has become to put all my weight on my left leg. By the time we walked through the hospital to the x-ray library to get a copy of my film and back to the car, I was pretty comfortable with one crutch. This made the stairs at my house seem like a piece of cake. I can finally leave the house on my own! I have also gotten a bit braver and have wandered around the house crutch-free. The wobbling kind of makes me feel like a duck but it feels so great mentally to be able to carry things from one place to another. Practice makes perfect!

Tomorrow is my first physical therapy session.

One month down!

2008-11-17T15:54:00.005-05:00

Not much new progress to report on, except that I woke up on my op side this morning and was not in any discomfort or pain. I guess I rolled onto it at some point during the night and was comfortable enough not to wake up or move. I cannot remember the last time I woke up in the middle of the night or even took a Tylenol.

I can now get my leg in AND out of the car on my own, which feels like a huge triumph each time. When standing, I can lift my leg straight up about 10 inches off the floor and with a bent knee I can bring it up 90 degrees. I can also bring it to the side at about 45 degrees. When sitting down, I can lift my leg up to the middle of the left leg's calf. I cannot wait to start physical therapy!

The steri strips finally came off and the scar is looking great. It is a bit bumpy on the ends but I have been massaging it with Bio-Oil 2-3 times a day and can already see the difference. Here is a picture at 4 weeks - it is exactly 4" long. The weird stretch mark-looking lines are from the steri-strips and have been getting less visible. I am VERY happy with it.

Week 4

2008-11-14T13:54:00.005-05:00

Things I can do at this point:

- get up and down the 16 stairs at my parents' house with minimal help (I just need someone to carry one of my crutches down since I use one hand to hold on to the railing) as well as minimal fear

- sleep on my non op side and stomach without any pain or discomfort and turn over without waking up

- lay on my operated side for about 5 minutes before it gets uncomfortable

- lift my operated leg into the car on its own (I cannot get it out of the car on its own yet, but working on it)

- put both socks and shoes on and tie my own shoe laces

- cross my legs when sitting on both sides without using my hands to move the legs

- the numbness in my thigh has been slowly diminishing - thankfully!

- three of my steristrips have fallen off, leaving six still stuck on there. I'll take a picture once they are all off.

- I've been doing leg lifts straight up and to the side, to try and strengthen my thigh/hip muscles. They are definitely working but I am a bit concerned because Cassie's doctor specifically told her not to do them, while mine said nothing off limit except staying off the operated leg. I hope I have not done anything damaging but it doesn't hurt so I figured it was ok?

Yesterday I got a mani/pedi and it felt SO good to get my feet scrubbed. They were getting a bit gross, I will admit. I've discovered that walking is an amazing abs workout as well as arms. The 3 block walk to the nails salon and back felt great. I wish I could do it every day, but my parents are too freaked out to have me go down the stairs when I am alone in the middle of the day. Maybe I can convince my grandma to help...

In the last week I have gone to my dad's office twice to help with some projects and was pretty surprised that I can last 9 hours in a chair, in front of a computer. It is making me wonder if I should go back to work part time or see if I can work from home. Not that I am not enjoying all this time off, but I do feel a little guilty for not working...even though there is no way in hell that I would ever get on a bus or the NYC subway to get myself to the office. Now would I be in any shape to try and catch a cab while on crutches and hiring a car to take me to work and back could get very costly.

My boyfriend is flying in for the weekend. YAY! I have not seen him in 5 weeks and though he can only stay for two days (I hate his job), I have a fantastic weekend planned. For once, the San Francisco the weather is cooperating with me and we are going to have record breaking temperature all through Saturday and Sunday.

Prop 8 Commentary

2008-11-12T14:00:00.001-05:00

So simple and moving.

Things I can do by the end of week 3

2008-11-09T01:43:00.005-05:00

- Sleep through the night without any pills

- Lay and sleep on my non-operated side and stomach without any pain and without waking myself up to get into a comfortable position

- Use the restroom without the raised toilet commode

- Get dressed all by myself, including socks and shoes with laces

- Move operated leg side to side on its own while in bed and standing up; also move it up

- Go shopping for a few hours without any problems and attend a friend's play

Things are great. I've been keeping busy with Alan Greenspan's autobiography, Netflix cheesy romance movies and 30 Rock, and of course brickbreaker on my bb and Nintendo DS (I have already beat Mario Party and Zelda and am now waiting for a Sims game from Gamely.com). Not being able to drive is starting to really catch up with me - I have now missed a wedding reception and a birthday party. I am a total slave to my parents' house with their stupid stairs. Only 3 more weeks until I can hopefully get the go-ahead to ditch crutches, though I doubt I'll be able to drive so that will not solve all my problems.

My thighs are half the size they used to be, especially the right one. Kind of gross and I cannot wait to hit the gym to get back in shape, whenever that may be. I have been improvising with exercises, holding my leg to the side while I stand for 6 seconds and lowering it, repeating 10 times. Same thing to the front. I try to do these at least 3 times a day and I think the strength is coming back slowly. There is still numbness on the side of my right thigh - I hope it goes away with time, though I guess I could live with it as long as my hip didn't hurt anymore. Steri-strips are still on there and I have yet to see what the scar looks like.

I'll leave you with my favorite postsecret postcard of the week

Week 3

2008-11-06T01:43:00.002-05:00

3 day hospital stay - $62,561

5 hour surgery fee - $13,889

1 fixed hip - PRICELESS

I am yet to hear from my insurance, but it shouldn't be too bad since my annual out-of-pocket maximum is $2,000. To be continued...

Week 3 is good as far as healing but the boredom and cabin fever are starting to get really irritating. Touching the incision does not hurt at all and I have been massaging the scar through the steri strips that are yet to fall off. I can sleep without pillows under my legs and no longer need to wake up in order to move to my side. I think I can almost lay on the operated side without pain! I took my last Tylenol 4 days ago and am now only taking vitamins. It feels great not to be medicated.

I feel really restless. I need to find some exercises I can do. Any suggestions?

Day 14

2008-11-03T17:54:00.004-05:00

It has been over 24 hours since my last Tylenol intake and over 36 hours since Oxycodone (of which I still have 56 pills left. The pain team would be happy to learn that my pain level is a ZERO and all I have is some soreness, which comes in handy to remind me not to make familiar sudden movements.

Got my mom to take me to Ross yesterday to buy some boy cut undies. They are awesome for the purposes of not bothering the incision line and also super cute. Thanks Acy for the suggestion!

As was the case last time, I feel awesome the day after doing lots of walking around. I wish I could get out of the house for some walking every day. I have hardly any pain when I sleep on my non-operated side and can almost lay on the operated one as well. Cannot wait for that! Now that I am off the meds, I am definitely noticing the back cramps I get from sitting in the same position all day.

Two weeks down, four to go. Hopefully I am 1/3 of the way to ditching the crutches.

PAO Information

2008-11-01T13:08:00.003-04:00

I've finally gotten around to posting a few links to various Periacetabular Osteotomy information sources as well as links to all the PAO blogs I know of. If you have a blog and would like to be added to the list, please let me know.

Day 12

2008-11-01T12:37:00.003-04:00

First SHOWER! Wow - I have not felt this alive in two weeks. I also don't think I have ever gone this long without showering. I thought the 5 day Machu Pichu hike was bad enough! Granted I have had many sponge baths, but nothing compares to getting my hair washed. Over the past week I have contemplated going to a hair salon and just getting a wash but the weather has been crappy and I have 16 steep stairs to go up and down before getting out the door. Both of those reasons, combined with the fact that I had to bribe someone to help me down and drive me to the salon, contributed to me sitting at home with dirty dirty long hair for 12 long days. Needless to say, I feel amazing right now.

Recovery is coming along nicely. The steri-strips are still there but I have started to massage the scar through them to begin to break up the scar tissue. It almost doesn't hurt at all to touch the incision area and actually there is hardly any pain left in the hip itself. I've moved on to oneOxycodone and one Tylenol a day, still alternating, on a need basis. The swelling around the incision has also gone down considerably and the numbness has left most of my thigh, the only numb area is the side of my hip/thigh. The general soreness is still there.

It is weird not having much pain because every so often I forget that I still cannot do many things (like get up on my knees) and go to make a sharp movement, only to result in a sharp pinching pain. Ouch.

9 day Dr Appointment

2008-10-29T18:29:00.007-04:00

Progress! I have pretty much give up the walker and have taken on the crutches. That makes me feel a little cooler than my grandpa, though he still has a sweet looking cane. I was pretty impressed with myself this morning when I hopped about 3 blocks to the doctor's office from our parking space. The disability placard is apparently worthless near a hospital, where every other person has one.

The doctor took off my dressing and revealed my incision line (included for your viewing pleasures/disgust). I have no clue how they performed this surgery through such a tiny incision, but I am not complaining! From the looks of it, the scar is 4 inches long but it is hard to tell since the steri strips are still on there. The strips should fall off as the scar heals but meanwhile I can start massaging it, if it does not hurt (which it still does a bit). I got bio-oil today at the multiple recommendations for scar treatment. Hope it works - though a bikini is sure to hide 90% of the scar so I am not TOO worried about that.

The appointment was pretty short. After removing the dressing, the doctor showed my mom how to move my leg around in circles in the socket to break up any scar tissue that may form and help increase my flexibility. Then we looked at my X-Ray (also included here) and measured the femoral coverage angle. Since I was laying down for the X-Ray, the measuring is not 100% accurate but it looks to be 35 degrees (from the 20 degrees pre-op). YAY! Pretty crazy to look at that gap formed by moving the bone. If you look closely, you can actually see the piece that was detached, moved, and pinned in place.

5 weeks until my next visit, where hopefully I will get the go ahead to put weight on my right hip and walk without the use of devices. As far as drugs, I take Oxycodone every 10-12 hours with Tylenol in between, if needed.

Day 7

2008-10-27T23:39:00.003-04:00

Uneventful day.

I am now alternating between Tylenol and Oxycodone every 4.5 hours. Last night I slept till 9am, waking up only 3 times to turn and falling right back asleep. My palms don't hurt as much from using the walker so I did some "walking" around the house a few times. It also doesn't bother me to sit and lay in bed without a pillow under my knees and feet. I can have my legs straight out flat on the bad without discomfort.

I've also almost beat Mario Party and am all caught up on TV shows through last Tuesday. Gotta love Fancast. I'm itching to go outside but it is too damn cold.

Day 6

2008-10-26T13:39:00.003-04:00

Second night was way easier than the first. I stayed in bed (no more couch!) the entire night and only woke up 3 times, falling back to sleep pretty fast after taking pain pills. It almost doesn't hurt sleeping on my left side and I think in a few days I will be able to sleep on the right (operated) side as well. I have found that it is super comfortable to fall asleep with one pillow under my knees, one under my heels, and one under each arm.

I have almost ditched the Tylenol and have been taking Oxycodone every 4 hours or so, listening to when my body is telling me it wants some pain relief. Surprisingly the not showering in 5 days has not bothered me as much as I thought it would. My hair was almost in dreadlocks yesterday but once I brushed it out with my fingers, I felt much better.

Last night I had on and off hot flashes that Acy mentioned experiencing but they seem to be gone this morning. It is definitely a plus having someone to turn to that has experienced what you are going through just a few days before you.

Using the walker has also caught up with my palms and wrists. This morning I was definitely feeling the pain and soreness. I've also discovered that crutches and carpet are not a good combination so I probably won't be using them much while in the house.

Got some more flower/ balloon / chocolates deliveries yesterday afternoon. A lovely bouquet from work and another one from Dana and Josh. Also, a surprise amazon.com delivery from my boyfriend with a Nintendo DS! He's the best. Of course I immediately signed up for gamefly.com :)

Still have to get some oil for scar treatment. Any suggestions?

First night back home

2008-10-25T13:39:00.003-04:00

As previously mentioned, the hospital sent me home a day earlier than expected. My parents have walker-proofed their house by removing all rugs and throw carpets from rooms and hallways, installing a toilet commode (I am sure they love using it and I am annoyed that my insurance doesn't cover bathroom equipment) which also doubles as a shower chair, and putting a mattress on top of the fold-out couch in the living room to make it easier for me to get in and out of bed.

I've been loving all the nifty tools "given" (I am sure my insurance will have a ball with the charges) to me by the occupational therapist from the hospital. The Leg lifter (pictured to the left) is basically a dog leash made out of nylon webbing with an aluminum center rod. It is awesome for moving my operated leg off and onto the bed without having to call for help. Haven't used the Long-Handled Sponge yet, but I am sure it will come in handy when washing my feet and legs.

The Sock Aid is fab. The device itself looks totally random (see photo to the left). You scrunch it up, pull a sock over it, use the string to throw it on the ground in front of your feet, position your leg (maybe by using the Leg Lifter!) in front if it and pull it over your foot, pulling the sock on. Occupational Therapy is genius. You can than use the handy Grabber Reacher to pull up the remainder of the sock to make it comfy. I also got a long shoehorn to help me put on shoes, since it still hurts to bend over all the way.

I've also been taken off Percocet and am now on a Tylenol/Oxycodone schedule, alternating taking each of the two every two hours. I try to make the gaps in between a bit longer but definitely do not wait for the pain to kick in full force. Even though Percocet is a combination of Oxycodone and Tylenol, for some reason it feels that it worked better for me than the current combination - but it is also possible I am in more discomfort now due to more moving around and the lack of the comfy hospital bed with its ability to lift my legs and body to any degree.

The first night sleeping at home was pretty rough. I started out in bed (aka folded out couch with a mattress over it) and woke up every two hours or so because of discomfort. At some point during the night I hobbled over to the couch and found that it was much more comfortable to sleep on, probably because of the back support when I was on my side. The annoying part was that the leather made me super sweaty and sticky. I have also discovered that if I sleep on my stomach with a pillow under the operated leg (getting there via the non-operated side) I hardly have any pain but for some reason my leg muscles stay tight and my body gets tired of being in that position after 30 minutes or so. I am really glad I listened to the nurses and took all the hospital pillows home with me (there are probably six of them all around me) - they are great to have under my knees and under my elbows to re-create that hospital bed comfort.

It is hard to believe that exactly four days ago I was still in surgery. Every day really does get much easier! And if all else fails, there is always Life Alert :)

Day 4

2008-10-24T13:36:00.009-04:00

The remainder of day 3 flew by pretty fast. I had 5 friends visit me throughout the night, bringing more flowers and gifts (I am now a proud owner of an IV bluhuud bag shows to the right - Cass I know you will appreciate it) . I also have a very lovely dog chew toys to remind me that this dysplasia thing doesn't affect just adults but is also very serious for our canine friends. Thanks, Nicole! The nurses were very impressed with the continuous flow of people into my room from 7pm until midnight. I even talked them into taking the PCA away and ditching my last IV wrist hook-up! I was device free all night, strictly relying on the percocets to do the job. which they did flawlessly. I think I can now go for longer than 4 hours on two pills so trying to stretch those out.

The physical therapist came today and we used crutches to go up and down stairs. I think I should be able to manage fine. I am also now able to get in and out of bed completely on my own, which is a big confidence booster. The resident came and changed my bandage.

I didn't take a photo of the original one of of what the stitched looked like underneath but here is what it appears as right now. Not too bad - I cannot wait to see the scar itself.

On to the numerous gifts and flowers.

Here is me with b

ear from my roommate, Helen, w

ho also sent magazines, granola bars, and an awesome Get Well Soon mug which I have been using to consume all my liquids. Here are some more flowers from Kat, my boyfriend, Sasha, Felicia, and Maria. And just as I was writing this entry I got another delivery from the UPS guy. A box came with the cutest little monkey that even has my name on it - Thanks, Masha!!!

Just came back from X-rays.

Oh and I am going home tonight!

Days 1-3

2008-10-23T20:12:00.001-04:00

Well,

It's finally done! My pre-op was in pediatrics which was really neat with pictures of sea turtles and fishies all over the walls. I also had a real doctor put in my IV so there was absolutely no pain.

The surgery was a success, my femur coverage degree went from 20 to 38. I was in the OR for 5 hours, didn't need any blood or bone grafts. Recovery room for another four hours until they got the nausea and pain under control but it has been smooth sailing since. The first night was uncomfortable because the narcotics and numbing meds in the epidural made my feet totally numb so I had the nurse lower the setting from 8 (whatever the units were) to 6 and started taking Norco every 4 hours. In the morning the numbness was better but still not gone so I decreased again to 4 units ans swapped Narco with Percocet.

Day two was uneventful, I figured out how to turn on my side, walked twice with the walker with the PT guy and the cute residents. Also started doing my leg exercises. Had some visitors and LOTS of flowers! I started out in a double but got moved to my own room by dinner time. Before I went to bed, my epidural was lowered once again to a 2 unit setting and when I woke up this morning they turned it off and took it out. In exchange I got hooked to one of those PCA (Patient-Controlled Analgesia) pumps while still on percocet every four hours. I have probably pumped it a total of five times - the percocet is working fabulously. The catheter came out at 3 o'clock, followed by another PT session with crutches. It was much easier walking around w/o a bag of urine following me around. And I even used the real toilet!

I have to say that while there were times I was miserable, the experience all together was nowhere near as bad as I had assumed it would be. My biggest fear was nausea and I have not felt it since the recovery room. Day three has been great so far!

The doctor wants to let me go home tomorrow but I kind of want to stay here an extra day - there is something comforting about having a hospital bed and nurses at the call of the button.

That's my story so far - will update when more exciting things happen. Oh and I never got any TED stockings either.

Tomorrow's the big day

2008-10-20T13:05:00.002-04:00

The day before the surgery. I am feeling pretty calm, especially after visiting Acy at the hospital on Saturday afternoon. The nurses seemed super nice and hopefully I will also have my own private room.

I still have a few errands to run but the important things have been accomplished. I've signed up for Blockbuster Online and am now addicted to Dexter, almost through the first season. I have a stack of library books which I am excited about having the time to read and I've already made a dent in Alan Greenspan's autobiography, The Age of Turbulence, which I cleverly got in large print to facilitate the reading experience. I've got my facial cleansing cloths, lotion, chapstick, camera, and laptop all set aside for packing. Am I forgetting anything major? Good thing UCSF is only a 3 minute drive from my parents' house, in case I do forget things.

My mom will have my cell phone while I am in surgery and when I am sleeping afterwards so if you want updates, feel free to call. The only concern I have right now is wondering how I am going to tackle the flight of stairs to get into the house after the hospital, but no sense in worrying about it now - I am sure we'll figure something out.

See you on the other side!

Pre-Op Appointment

2008-10-15T21:00:00.000-04:00

I had the most amazing, quick, and super friendly experience this morning at UCSF. I think I am still in shock. When I showed up at my pre-op PREPARE appointment at 8:15am, fifteen minutes ahead of time to fill out paperwork, full expecting to leave that room no later then 11am.

After signing in and less than ten minutes of waiting I was called by a nice and friendly Registration lady, who had me read and sign the "Terms and Conditions of Service: Admission, Medical Services and Financial Agreement", which basically gives my consent for medical treatments and services to be performed, talks about UCSF being a teaching hospital explaining that students and residents will come by to ~~poke~~ ~~prod~~ learn, mentions that I have no rights to any commercial products that may come out of the hospital using my medical information or specimens, informs that UCSF is not liable for any personal property left with them over $500, and of course has me promise to pay anything I owe over what my insurance will pay out.

In another 5 minutes or so I was called by another nice lady who had me read and sign the "Authorization for Surgery or Special Diagnistic or Therapeutic Procedure" form, which mentioned that I am having Innom Osteotomy ilium chip open reduction as well as Innom osteotomy Ischium separate procedure. I also agreed to give any tissue left over from surgery to be used in medical research. The lady gave me a map that showed where to report the morning of my surgery, as well as some reading materials on post-anesthesia experience and pain management.

After another short waiting period I was called in to get my height, weight, temperature and blood pressure measured. All of them, I was told were fine.

Soon after a forth nice lady called me into her office, she turned out to be a nurse practitioner. She went over my health history and the medications I am currently taking, and gave me instructions not to eat or drink after midnight on the day of surgery. I am not even to brush my teeth (gross). She also gave me some HIBICLENS anti-bacterial body wash to use before the operation.

My last stop was blood work and urine collection. Amazingly, at 9:30am I was out of there!

I went across the street for my last pre-op appointment with Dr. D, thinking that I will surely have to wait until my 11 o'clock appointment time to see him. Thanks to the fabulous staff (namely my buddy Marcus) I was in a room with the doctor at 10am. He had me sign another consent form, performed a final exam, and I asked the last few lurking questions (pretty much everything I wanted to ask had been answered by Danielle yesterday). Dr. D. gave me a hug and told me that everything will be OK. Surprisingly that really did make me feel better. On my way out I got the DMV Disabled Parking Placard form from the nurse and was on my way one of my least favorite places on earth, which AGAIN was a huge surprise as far as wait time and I was out of the DMV office, red temporary placard in hand by noon. Will it be really wrong of me to use this thing in the next few days, prior to surgery? Such a moral dilemma.

5 days and counting down.

Meeting Fellow Hip Girl

2008-10-15T20:43:00.003-04:00

I am finally in San Francisco! The flight was uneventful and long, though I did bring Atonement with me and watched it on my laptop, such a sad story. I also got to play Brickbreaker and got SO close to beating my personal 26k point record.

My first day back I drove down to San Jose to meet Danielle, who had her PAO with the same surgeon 3 weeks ago. I was shocked to see how well she is doing in only three short weeks. I think I scared myself into thinking this was going to be way more miserable than it really is. I mean, I realize that the first 10 days are pure hell but I kind of assumed the whole six weeks were going to be borderline unbearable. As informative as the yahoo group has been, it has also made me way more anxious about the surgery. People have different health histories and the more research I do, the more I realize that if you are young and have not had the pain for too long you have a drastically different recovery experience as compared to someone in their mid/late thirties or older who has been battling with pain for years.

Needless to say, meeting Danielle has more than soothed my anxiety. Her scar looks fantastic! It is much shorter than I thought it would be and is already fading away. I would have never guessed she has just had the surgery three weeks ago.

I highly recommend to anyone that is considering a PAO to find someone in your area with a similar health history/situation to yours that recently had the procedure done by your surgeon and meet with them. Every doctor is different and this way you get all your questions answered by someone who just went through it all. All you have to do is ask your surgeon's office!

Ramblings

2008-10-08T09:14:00.004-04:00

/Begin Ramblings/

This week is crap.

The weather sucks. My hip has started hurting again (possibly due to the weather?) after a solid one month run of hardly any pain. I guess I will take it as a sign that I am doing the right thing, though at this point I no longer wonder.

My roommate is away in Boston on a business trip and I was so excited to have my boyfriend come live with me for a week, except that he got called away on business to Mexico (which would have been awesome any other week) at the last minute and now I am all alone during my last week in NYC. SAD.

Gossip Girl was off this week, as was Fringe, as was House. This doesn't mean my DVR is still not exploding with all the other crap I watch , but those are favorites!

I have to start packing, but how do you pack for two months, one of which you will be lounging around in pajamas? They have stores in San Francisco, I guess if I forget to pack it I can always send a family member to get it.

Last week of work is pretty anticlimactic. Three days left. When I come back, it will be to a new rotation, new office, new boss, new job. Kind of exciting, considering this rotation has not really been a favorite. Lots of loose ends to tie up before I go, so looks like late nights at the office. I miss business school.

Found out that my blood type is A positive, as is my mom and dad's. Pretty convenient. Now I have to make sure they make it to UCSF's blood bank and make a deposit for me.

/End Ramblings/

13 days to go.

Pre-Operative Blood Donation

2008-10-06T11:03:00.003-04:00

Because a PAO entails cutting the bone tissue, which has many small blood vessels with thin walls, the amount of blood lost during the operation can be considerable. It is recommended by most surgeons that the patient donate one to two units of blood for a potential transfusion post-surgery. An autologous (my own) donation is preferable, but it has to be done a month or more in advance in order for the body to replenish itself and be totally ready for the surgery itself. Since I am on the other side of the country, one of my parental units will have to donate for me.

Is it weird that I have no idea what my blood type is? Neither do my parents. I would think that kind of information would be on a drivers license or in a passport, but I guess if you need a transfusion ASAP they just give you the universal donor blood? Is that how it works? Anyways, I just went to the health clinic at work and they drew some blood for a test. Will find out tomorrow.

14 days 19 hrs to go.

Re-Scheduling

2008-10-02T12:34:00.002-04:00

My surgery date just got moved back to October 21st. That means only 18 days to go!

Getting Buff

2008-10-02T10:08:00.002-04:00

I have now been a workout-a-holic for two months. I have always been a gym person as far as going in and getting on the elliptical for 45 minutes to sweat off the stress and the occasional pack of M&Ms, but never really did any weights. Now that I get a personal trainer every other week, courtesy of the gym at work, I am totally all about strength building. I do arms three times a week and cardio plus legs twice a week. On the weekends I relax.

Yesterday I went to put on my favorite top and my arms barely fit into the sleeves. I looked at my arms in the mirror and got a little grossed out - I think they are getting too big. How do I get them toned without looking like a man?

I've been meeting my physical therapist once a week as well, also courtesy of my job. Its awesomely convenient to slip away from my desk in the middle of the day for a quick workout, shorts, sports bra, shirt, and socks provided. My hip is barely hurting these days, definitely due to all the muscle strengthening I have done. I wonder how long it will take me to get to this very place post surgery.

I have also gained 8lbs since I started this whole routine. I know muscle weighs more than fat but 8lbs??? That also got me thinking - how much do the screws from the surgery weigh?

20 days to go.

22 days to go

2008-09-30T10:36:00.000-04:00

WOW.

Hip Hop Hip Replacement Party

2008-09-25T10:52:00.003-04:00

My best friend is organizing a "Hip Hop Hip Replacement" party for me, complete with an evite and all. I keep on telling her that I am not getting a replacement but she thinks its funnier this way. I must admit that Hip Hop Hip Replacement does have a better ring to it then Hip Hop Periacetabular Osteotomy. This is going to take place in SF but I am also having a going away party in NYC, since I will not be coming back for 10-12 weeks. I love my friends.

In other news, I cannot wait until next week, when the United Nations General Assembly will be all done with. There are cops everywhere, even at the office (I work a block away) and creepy protesters dressed in all black camping outside with weird white masks and "Arrest Bush" signs. Traffic has been horrendous and it took me 45 minutes to get to work on the bus instead of the usual 7minutes (I live 15 blocks away). This really made me conscious of my hip issues. I was sad that I could not get off the bus and walk the freaking 10 blocks, like a normal 28 year old without possibly limping the last 3 of them in pain.

My surgery got pushed 2 days due to OR scheduling issues. I don't mind the extra time at home with friends. Only two more weeks left of work after tomorrow!

PAO Bunny

2008-09-24T11:28:00.003-04:00

I have been bored at work all morning while running the Operating Plan reports. I have two laptops and still manage to crash Excel at least 5 times a day. Anyhow, in my googling efforts in between running reports I came across this image at this blog (http://jenxer.com/category/blog/pao/).

SO cute! It made me smile.

Why am I doing this again?

2008-09-22T10:54:00.003-04:00

Every now and then I wake up with absolutely no pain in my hip. I get out of bed, walk to the bathroom, still no pain. I think about my hip as I get dressed, still feeling totally normal. I analyze every sensation in my leg as I walk to the bus stop on my way to work and as I sit on the bus start to get anxious and wonder if this surgery is really the right thing. Maybe it will get better on its own? Maybe I just need to rest it some more? Do some more muscle strengthening exercises? I imagine calling the surgeon and canceling my operation, calling the HR people at work and canceling my short term disability request, telling my parents and friends that I am cured....only to step off the bus ten minutes later and feel that dreaded stinging pain in my knee. The best way to describe it is fireworks in my kneecap.

Darn. I guess there is a reason for all this madness.

Some more pre-op Physical Therapy

2008-09-19T08:35:00.003-04:00

Saw my PT yesterday and she gave me a few more exercises to strengthen my hip muscles before the surgery. The ones I posted last week should be done daily and these ones I do every other day since the weights are higher.

1. Wall Slide with stability ball

Back to the wall, with the ball between your lower back and the wall, pressed firmly

Put another small ball between knees and hold it tight

Slowly slide down the wall until your knees are just above a 45 degree angle

Hold for 6 seconds and slowly rise up; repeat 15 times

2. Stability Squats

Standing on a BOSU or one of those uneven balance things

Squat down, trying to keep the BOSU even and not fall over to one side

Go up slow, repeat 15 times

3. Rotary Hip Machine

http://www.muellercenter.rpi.edu/Equipment/Cybex/Cybex-rotary-hip.jpg

50lbs plus the free weight

move the leg to each of the sides and back; repeat 10 times on each leg * 2 sets

4. Leg Curl machine

http://www.muellercenter.rpi.edu/Equipment/Paramount/Paramount-leg-curl.jpg

50lb; repeat 10 times * 2 sets

5. Leg Extension

http://www.muellercenter.rpi.edu/Equipment/Cybex/Cybex-leg-extension.jpg

55lbs; repeat 10 times * 2 sets

I went through all these exercises yesterday and my hip feels great today! I can totally tell that now there are new muscles supporting it. The shooting pain in my knee is all gone...at least this morning :)

Sad

2008-09-18T11:53:00.000-04:00

I really should not have looked at my 401K and IRA accounts today. DEPRESSING.

The countdown begins

2008-09-17T10:06:00.003-04:00

My flight has been booked. My pre-op apointment has been confirmed. My short term disability papers have been filed. I spoke with the doctor a few days ago about my latest X-rays. He says I need to start thinking about operating on my other hip a year or so after this surgery. I really thought it wouldn't come to that. One operation is hard enough to think about. I am going to focus on this hip and the recovery and decide about the other one when I am healed, though the news definitely hurt.

On the bright side, I only have three and a half weeks of work left before I go on disability. So many things to do during that week before surgery. Important things like getting a dvr (my parents do not have one - they are crazy), maybe signing up for Netflicks, getting library books, buying comfy clothes to lounge in for two months.
I've read in many people's blogs that they suggest shaving down there before surgery to avoid having the nurse do it for you, but my doctor actually told me not to do so for the entire week prior to the operation date in order to avoid having any kind of irritation or cuts to the area. Good to know.

Pre-Surgery Physical Therapy

2008-09-15T10:11:00.004-04:00

Had my first physical therapy session last week. The goal is to strengthen my hip muscles for faster recovery. Here is what she has me doing daily on each leg:

1. Leg Lifts with 2 lb ankle weights

Lying on the back, slowly lift leg off the ground, hold for 6 seconds, repeat 15 times

Repeat the exercise on each side and while lying on the back

2. Clam Shell with 2 lb weight on thigh

Lying on the side with hips at 45 degrees and knees at 90 degrees

2lb weight on the top thigh

Keep heels together and lift upper knee by turning out at the hip while keeping hips perpendicular to the ground, repeat 15 times

3. Quad Stretch

Lying on the stomach, with a towel under the thigh being stretched to elevate it

Attach a stretch band to the foot of the leg being worked on

Bend knee and pull on the band with hands until you feel a nice and deep stretch in the quad

I am going to start today along with my regular upper body weights routine and elliptical. Five weeks left till surgery, hopefully I can get into decent shape by then.

Move over, J-Lo

2008-09-11T10:23:00.003-04:00

I started having hip pain around March. Back then my leg would start feeling uncomfortable when I would stand up for long periods of time but I didn't think much of it. I was also working out like a maniac to get back in shape after two years of business school happy hours and pizza lunches and figured the pain was just the soreness resulting from my exercise efforts. In May I randomly woke up with a lot of pain in my right hip. I knew I had dysplasia in that hip and didn't think much of it. I stayed away from the gym for a few days and cut down on my walking around as much as I could. The pain went away in about two weeks and for the next few months my hip felt sore with a sharp pain if I did too much walking, though by too much I mean over a few hours which I didn't think was unusual (though I had absolutely no pain when I hiked Machu Picchu two years ago for 5 days straight).

Fast forward to end of July. My best friend was in town and I was showing her around NYC. We spent the first day walking around. My leg felt tired but not horrible. That night we went out and I was in crazy pain within an hour. I couldn't stand straight, the pain was sharp and shooting from my hip to my knee down the front and the side of my right leg. The next day we went to the MET and within an hour my leg started aching once again. The sharp shooting pain sensation was similar to the prior night but this time it was all in my knee. It felt like fireworks were happening in my very own kneecap. The next day I made an appointment to see an orthopaedic surgeon.

The morning of my doctor appointment with Dr. Lamont I showed up at NYU Radiology for my X-Rays. The place is SUPER nice, by the way. Very clean and the people were surprisingly friendly. I was told to undress and change into a pretty purple gown, then to lay down on the X-Ray table on my right side with my left leg lifted on top of a box next to me in order for them to get a good picture of my right hip. The technician fumbled around for five minutes, asked me if I was wearing any underwear, I said no. Asked me if I had any surgery on that area, I said no. He explained that there was something wrong with the machine - my picture was coming out blurry. He asked me to leave the room while he looked into it. Another 5 minutes had passed and I was back on the table in the same position as before. He tried again and the same thing happened. The poor guy was truly perplexed. He called in another technician and together they pondered the issue.

I was starting to get a bit anxious and uncomfortable. I was, after all, lying on a table with no panties and my leg propped up on a box. Another guy came in and suggested that I try to hold my left butt cheek out of the way. Awkward! I obliged and surprise! the x-ray came back crystal clear. "Do you work out?" one of the guys asked me, I said yes. "Your butt tissue is very dense, that is why we could not get a good x-ray"

There you have it. My butt is impenetrable by an x-ray so don't you try and waste your x-ray vision on me.

These words have been brought to you by my surgeon

2008-09-07T20:40:00.004-04:00

"It will feel like something blew up in there and you will really really dislike me for doing it to you"

"No sex for three months - the thrusting can dislodge the pins"

Periacetabular Osteotomy

2008-09-06T16:44:00.005-04:00

Periacetabular Osteotomy. That is the hip surgery I will be having in six weeks. Scary sounding, huh? I guess that is why they call it PAO for short, to sound less intimidating.

I had congenital hip dysplasia when I was born and spent a decent amount of my baby life in a Pavlik harness (pictured below) as well as a funky looking spica cast complete with a bar between my knees, googled photos of which are too disturbing to post. All these baby torture devices did little to correct the problem and I ended up with a right hip socket that is shallow, much like a dish, as opposed to being deep, like a cup.

Because my socket is shallow, it does not completely cover my hip bone, leaving it to absorb all the shocks from my daily activities. In the last 6 months or so I have started feeling a lot of main in my hip as well as in my knee and decided to pay a visit to an orthopaedic surgeon. He informed that if I take no action, the cartilage between my socket and hip bone will wear off due to the increased stress on the bone and I will end up with arthritis - probably in 5-7years - at which point I will need a hip replacement. Never thought I would hear those words at 28. The problem with hip replacements is that they usually last for about 15 years, obviously depending on the person's activity level, so I would definitely need at least one and maybe even two upgrades.

The PAO surgery is the alternative. The surgeon basically cuts out my socket and rotates it to better fit the bone, securing it in place with three pins (airport security is going to be a blast!) Yesterday I met with the surgeon that will be operating on me for the first time to go over the details and confirm that I am a good candidate for the procedure. I had his assistant pencil me in for October 21st so looks like this is really happening. This helps visualize how it all works

European Sunbathing

2008-07-05T22:18:00.002-04:00

There is definitely something liberating about walking around the beach and getting into the ocean without a top, not to mention the lack of tan lines and that annoying pulling on your neck by the halter top straps. I am a big fan of topless beaches but I do think people should put some clothes on when they take a break from sunbathing to get some lunch.

Did I mention the topless beach was right next to the nude beach? I guess not yet. As I sat in the BayWatch diner, surrounded by all things New Jersey, at Orient Beach in St.Martin, trying to enjoy my shrimp caesar, a truly traumatizing situation was about to unfold. I should note that at this point I have already grown immune to the numerous pairs of droopy breasts belonging to women over 50 all around me (I was really intrigued how these women kept their floppy boobs out of their lunch plates). At some point during my mean in walked a man of about 60 years of age with a few friends, wearing a long wife-beater type tank top and carrying a pair of shorts in his hands. It seemed a bit odd but I figured he was maybe wearing a speedo that was concealed by his attire. No such luck! As he sat down facing me at a table across, I saw old man cock and balls in all their glory. The shrimp caesar almost came right back up to the plate from my stomach. I will save you all the gory details but it was like a car wreck, I could not stop glancing over and was getting more and more grossed out. Why is it that only unattractive old people walk around naked at these places?

3:50am

2008-06-22T22:03:00.002-04:00

That was the time flashing on the DVR when I woke up in a twin bed in my boyfriend's sister's room at his parents' house, feeling rather parched and decided to venture downstairs for a glass of water. As I descended down the stairs I heard a series of soft beeps that kept on getting louder and within minutes turned into an excruciatingly loud alarm. Needless to say I was mortified to have woken up the entire household but how was I to know there is no going in the kitchen once the alarm has been activated???

Feeling Old

2008-06-20T13:53:00.003-04:00

cute 5 year old girl: Are you a mommy?
me: Awww...Do I look like a mommy?
5 year old not looking so cute anymore: You look old.

At least she didn't ask if I was a granny, right?

Pre-employment Screenings

2008-06-10T16:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I drove up to a local medical center to complete the medical screening requirement for my job. Now I have gone through many background checks and drug tests, but I was not prepared for what was in store for me this time.

After filling out and signing an unnecessary number of forms I was escorted into a tiny room containing a white box with a glass screen and a bench inside of it. The nurse man told me to get inside, put on the headphones, and hold a little clicker in my right hand. I looked at him as if he was crazy and inquired why in the world would he need me to do such a thing. Apparently this was the hearing test portion of my visit to the medical center. Still unsure of why my employer needs to perform a hearing test, I climbed into the box, put on the headphones, and was told to click the button each time I heard three beeps. Then the door to the box was closed. I am not really claustrophobic, but he kept me in there way longer then necessary. I was straining my ears and trying not to breathe to hear the damn clicks and towards the end of what seemed to last 10 minutes, I am pretty sure I was pressing the button when there was no sound.

The urine collection, the only thing I thought I was there for, was next. I'll spare the details of the flush-less toilet and the search of my pockets, just in case I was trying to smuggle in another person's pee.

The vision test was pretty painless, though it made me sad to realize just how blind I really am. Thank god for contacts. The standard height and weight measurements followed, though I was appalled when the nurse man suggested I get on the scale in my shoes. The audacity!

After drawing two full vials of my blood and telling me that the cholesterol test is part of the deal (seriously?!) along with a laundry list of tests, he led me into yet another room and asked if i will be operating heavy machinery at this job. Umm...can you guess by the fact that I have long pretty nails and am wearing a dress and heels? Apparently the next portion of my experience was an EKG. Frowning, I put on a gown and let the nurse man put the sticky things and hook up the octopus-looking tentacles around my left breast. Had no idea I was going to get felt up when I woke up that morning. My heart was fine as expected so I guess if I ever do decide to operate heavy machinery I should be in good shape - except for that whole eye sight thing.

My visit concluded with a physician completing a standard physical, listening to my lungs, my heart, and other such things. He also had me do all sorts of equilibrium testing stances which were plain silly.

An hour later I was finally out of there, happy to be out in the sun and confused about the point for all these tests. Maybe this job is a cover for a CIA agent position? I hope I passed!

Workout Etiquette

2008-06-02T18:03:00.002-04:00

Since I have been going to yoga for the past two weeks, I have been noticing people do some really annoying things in the studio. To begin with, how irritating is it when you are trying to relax and meditate before class and you hear girlfriends catching up on gossip next to you. I don't care that he never called you after that wonderful sex filled weekend in Napa, I just want to close my eyes and zone out!

I mean, it is normal that you would not spray yourself with flowery perfume before entering a 110 degree room where you are going to sweat? Sweat + flowery scent + 110 degrees + breathing in through my nose + yoga stretches = makes me want to vomit

Don't these people have common sense? A guy came in right before the class started today and proceeded to squeeze himself between myself and my neighbor. He was WAY too close for comfort and a few times when he moved I felt his sweat drops land on me. Ew?! How about getting in earlier and not ruining other people's workouts, buddy?

Of course on the other side of me things were not any better. The woman to my right was a moaner. Every time we had to breathe out and relax she emitted sounds that only her husband/boyfriend/vibrator should be privy to. Total distraction.

Don't even get me started on those people that leave in the middle of class.

Gloria Estefan? Really?

2008-05-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

Konichiwa

2008-05-28T22:42:00.002-04:00

This first post is a dedication to my favorite rock band, Green Destruction, and their amazing sounds with a special shout out to Maxi Pad.