Momma's got a Brand New Hip

Well - how to document this, hmmm... just a quick update -

When I took Dowlin in to the Orthopedic Surgeon for his back last September, I mentioned to the nurse that my hip had been bothering me for years. We set an appointment for me with the "Hip Dr". After Xrays and visiting with Dr Thompson of the CORE Institute - It was determined that I would need a "Total Hip Replacement" - OK! I'm 38! Long story short, It is very common for the 1st born females to have Hip Displacia during birth. Taking into account that I weighed 10#13oz at birth, and that my Birth-Mother was about a size 4 before I was born - We figure I probably had Hip Displacia since birth.

By the look of my Xrays (I'll spare you - your welcome) the hip ball - was never in the hip socket. I lived 38 years in pain, thinking that was normal. Upon questioning my Dad and sister, they felt terrible! (not that they would have known) I did everything developmentally normal crawl, walk, run, etc... So no blame guys!

Anyway - Dean's parents came to help us with the kids, and lend me moral support! (Jan just had her knee replaced in October) Dean and I headed to Boswell Hospital in Sun City, AZ (LOL this is where the "old people" live year round) Surgery was a little longer than they were expecting, and Dean was getting nervous, but Dr Thompson finally came out and gave him the "all's well" and explained how bad things were and what they had to do. (again, I'm sparing you the details) I now have about a 5 inch stainless steel rod down my left femur, and porcelain ball joint, and steel and porcelain socket joint. (In my new Xrays - you can see 3 screws - cool huh) The incision is only about 5 inches long and healed quite nicely. They added 1/2 and inch to the left length too. So no more limp!

I was in the hospital for 4 days (I think) and Taleen came to help me and the kids on Saturday! They weren't going to let me out, because my blood counts were not right, but I begged and was doing everything pretty well even stairs - and got to come home on Sunday. The next few weeks I've got to admit were a blur. And very difficult to sleep, and the boys both got strep throat really bad - (add antibiotic to my daily medications) Physical Therapy 2-3 times a week for about 5 weeks, helped a lot - I will forever be grateful to my 3 cheerleaders at Physiotherapy, Mark, Mark & Jen. I was scared to leave!

I know that there is no way I would have survived this without the support of Dean and my kids, GG Taylor, Taleen, and Cheri! And my Visiting Teachers, and Home Teachers brought in meals! It's quite humbling to all of a sudden be the one everyone is doing everything for! I had to use a "granny walker" (It was Great Grandma Taylor's - what an honor, lol) that was - WOW, I felt really old! Then I finally graduated to a cane - still old, but at least not the walker :)

So much for my "short update" - In conclusion, it was about 4 months until I felt "normal" again - and felt good. I still do things like lurch into a quick jog or something, after Olivia, and I'll cringe remembering that it's going to hurt. Then when it doesn't it makes me smile.

UPDATE - At my 1 year check up, I told the Dr, "It doesn't hurt here (pointing to my hip) but here (pointing to my brain) still thinks it's going to". He was very pleased with my progress and released me totally! I told him that I wasn't going to do anything that "hurt". Anybody who knows me knows I'm not into pain!
But I wanted a few clarifications...light jogging? Nope - the replacement just wasn't made to take that kind of pressure. DANG! I was so into jogging before! LOL. DDR (Dance Dance Revolution - this is a PlayStation game) The kids, Dowlin mostly, were very concerned that this was a big NO NO - Dr said I can do all the walking, all the biking, all the DDR I want! HA!
Then as we were walking down the hall to check out, I told him the secret desire of my heart! "I really want to do a cartwheel again" So there we both were doing the cartwheel motions in slow motion in the hall way, 1st he said OK, then we decided maybe not, as we were laughing about how I was his ONLY patient to ever ask if I could do a cartwheel. Never once had his senior patients asked - go figure!