For the past couple of years I have had cortizone shots (which didn't work) and they have given me steriods, which helped a little.
Since Adam is self employed we really struggle with health insurance. We decided this year we need to go to a hospital indemnity plan because we just cant keep paying the insurance rates as they go up each year.
My hip has been so bad but the doctor keeps telling me Im too young to have the surgery and he wants to wait longer. My parents also keep trying to pursude me to wait on the surgery also.
I can completely understand why I would want to wait for the surgery but between the insurance problems and the uncertainty on my hip I felt like I needed to move forward with the surgery.
The past few weeks I have been praying to know if the surgery was the right thing to do. I have had days when I can barely walk but most days, if Im careful, are manageable.
I figured Lake Powell would help me know which way to go with surgery. I decided I would be careful but I wanted to have a little fun also. Typically I just have to walk around like and 80 year old women.
It has been more than 8 years since I water skied last so I wanted to try it one time. It was very hard to do because I had so little strength in my hip but I successfully crossed the wake few times and I had fun.
My hip was sore after water skiing but nothing that solitified that surgery was unquestionably the right decision. When we went cliff jumping I decided I could jump one time. It was only about 20 feet and I wanted one jump. I climbed up the hill and without waisting much time jumped off the cliff. Pushing off from the cliff I used my hurt leg. As I pushed off I felt my leg colaspse and I knew I was blessed to have made it far enough off the cliff to not get hurt. When I climbed onto the boat I realized the push off from that jump was all I had left in that hip. I carefully slid into a seat of the boat because I didn't want anyone to know how hurt I was. We played around for another hour or two but I just stayed in my seat. When we returned to the house boat I told Nicholle, "I need you to go get Adam. I can't walk." I really couldn't walk. Adam got me to my bed and I spent the rest of the evening there. The last two days of the trip I figured out how to limp around just enough to not be a huge burden on everyone.
Tuesday morning Adam and I were up at 4:30 am to go to the hospital for my surgery. Just before getting taken back to the operating room the doctor came out, signed the correct leg and said, "Well do you want to go home later today after surgery?." I was happy to hear that things would go so smooth and said, "I would love to go home later today." The doctor then said, "We will get you up and walking shortly after surgery and then we can send you home tonight."
The doctor still wasn't too excited about operating on me because of my age but I was there.
Well surgery went great! The doctor was extremely happy with how the hip lined up and he thinks things are going to be great. BUT, the doctor was shocked after he opened me up. He couldn't believe how deterorated the hip was. He had to do a lot more work then he had planned. Because there was such extensive work done on the hip his orders for after surgery changed. There was no walking on the hip that day. In fact, the doctor has told me that I can not put more then 30 lbs of weight on that leg for the next three weeks. He said that the displesa was extremely severe and we needed to be very careful with the hip in order to allow the new metal to attach properly to the bones.
The PA that assists my doctor came in the morning after surgery to see how things were going. He said, "I don't know how you were able to even walk on your hip at all. The hip was so badly degraded." He went on to tell me, "You have well over 100 stitches under your skin because there was so much work to do. You need to be extremely careful with that hip until doctor Hickman sees you in three weeks."
Adam just rolls his eyes because for some reason my body doesn't like to take the simple route. Dr Hickman and his PA are amazed I was surviving under the circumstances and they don't think I was too young to get that replacement done.
My parents also realize that this was the right decision to have the surgery done.
I know this hip most likely will not last until the end of my life and I will have to do the surgery again but I am so excited to be able to walk again, not dread every stair I have to climb and to be able to be a mom.
Well the doctor didn't let me go home the same day as surgery. He kept me over night and I had to do some physical therapy and have extra antibiotics given to me. For some reason the 2nd day in the hospital I began to get light headed. I had to sit down and lay back during physical therapy. Everyone panicked a little but my blood pressure appeared to be stable and I told them I just need to lay down for a minute.
I seemed to be extremely tired and I didn't feel great but who really feels good after surgery, especially the 2nd day. I was discharged from the hospital and I came right home and climbed in bed to sleep. I slept for a couple of hours before my friend stopped by to see how everything was going. I was sitting in a chair in my front room with her, Adam and Ila. Suddenly I got light headed again. I put my head down and went unconsious. Adam jumped up and began trying to get me to breathe and wake up. I guess my friend called 911. I wasn't out for too long but long enough to scare everyone. When I woke up, of course I had to throw up. Sigh.
I was happy to climb back in bed and stay there the rest of the day. I seemed to get really really light headed every time I stood up that day and I slept most of the day and most of the night.
Today is definatly brighter. Im sure each day will get better from here on.
I can't wait to feel what it is like to stand on a stable hip again!
