Have you ever been rolling merrily along without a care in the world, only to receive an unexpected and unwelcome bit of news that sidelines you for a while?
That's what happened to me one month ago after visiting my orthopedist who originally replaced one of my two artificial hips. He informed me I needed another new hip.
I was on a short vacation with the spousal unit. I heard squeaking. It wasn't the bed. It was me!! (Yes, I know what you're all thinking but it wasn't even during THAT).
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| Yeah. It's like this. |
WTF!? My right hip produced a faint squeak if I moved a particular way. I could feel it too; the way one feels a cell phone on low vibrate.
I telephoned the doctor's office who had me scheduled the following week for X rays and a meeting with the doc. I was hoping I had something that was nothing. I knew better. Squeaky parts are not consistent with functioning replacement prosthetics.
Three weeks later, I'm on the operating table, about to have the original prothesis removed and replaced in what is known as "revision" surgery. I hadn't had time to process any of this. I just accepted the urgent nature of the problem, a loosening prosthesis wearing unevenly on a polymer shielded hip joint with potential for fracture of the ceramic ball atop the femur.
I have been off the grid since early May when this began. I wanted to write but heavy drugs don't stimulate creativity regardless of what some folks say. As of last Wednesday, I weaned off the opiates and am hoping Tylenol will hold me til I see the doc this week on my 4 week post-op follow up.
All I can say is, at the tender age of 61, three hip replacements and a knee replacement are not what I foresaw when I imagined growing old gracefully.
I telephoned the doctor's office who had me scheduled the following week for X rays and a meeting with the doc. I was hoping I had something that was nothing. I knew better. Squeaky parts are not consistent with functioning replacement prosthetics.
Three weeks later, I'm on the operating table, about to have the original prothesis removed and replaced in what is known as "revision" surgery. I hadn't had time to process any of this. I just accepted the urgent nature of the problem, a loosening prosthesis wearing unevenly on a polymer shielded hip joint with potential for fracture of the ceramic ball atop the femur.
I have been off the grid since early May when this began. I wanted to write but heavy drugs don't stimulate creativity regardless of what some folks say. As of last Wednesday, I weaned off the opiates and am hoping Tylenol will hold me til I see the doc this week on my 4 week post-op follow up.
All I can say is, at the tender age of 61, three hip replacements and a knee replacement are not what I foresaw when I imagined growing old gracefully.
