So This is How It Goes

I can hardly believe that it is only four full days until my third hip arthroscopy. On Thursday of this upcoming week, I will be able to have my hip fixed (hopefully forever!). Last week I wrote the first step of my medical board examinations which was a horrible beast and I am happy to get that out of my life. Whilst studying for this exam I had to sit for so long, that my hip detested it every single waking moment. To say the least, this extended sitting, made my hip life miserable.

Since the day-long study sessions are over, I get to move around more and, ha, go figure, my hip feels better. This always happens before surgery. It makes me doubt that I really need it. I know that I can't live and the pain from all this last semester is still vivid in my mind, but the brain has a fascinating way of playing games with the body and pain levels. This (feeling better right before the surgery) happened both previous surgeries, so I am not too alarmed, but gosh, it is annoying. Perhaps it is simply a manifestation of the normal human nature to not want surgery and to not want the pain that goes with it.

On another note, I woke up this morning with a terribly painful piriformis muscles as well as my SI joint hurts when I extend my lumbar region. I barely did anything yesterday except for read.....oh.....that might be it....I sat in one of those lawn chairs that fold up into a bag. They are pretty low and I am not used to sitting in one. Man, if that made me sore, I am seriously 26 going on 90 years of age!!

Less than a week

Well, we have less than a week before the big day. I have been awaiting my hip surgery for a couple of months now and, although I am super nervous, I am so relieved that it is almost here and I can get it done and out of my life. Hopefully this will be the last hip surgery for me in a real long time; if not forever. (Mind you, I can't see never having problems again when I am older since I've had so much to do on both sides) but hey, if I can get several years/decades with functioning hips; I am all up for it.

I am off all NSAIDs now (which sucks) but I am coping alright. Also, I have had my pre-op physical and a finger prick to check my hemoglobin. The pre-op blood work is a far cry from last year. The surgeon ordered a PT, PTT, INR, chem profile, hemoglobin, hct, chest xray, EKG, etc. Phew! This time around - finger prick for hemoglobin. I think that is more suitable since I am otherwise healthy and not on any medications.

So, I am just waiting around, doing things with friends, etc., etc. until next week. My parents come down on Tuesday and then we are going to stay in a hotel until my surgery. My parents are going to be such a help. They are traveling across the country for my surgery and then are going to help bring me back home to their place where I can convalesce. It will be nice to have so much help post-op. Lord knows it is not fun!

No Title....

I couldn't really think of a title since I didn't really know what I was going to write about. So, I basically need to vent a bit. I really am excited to get this surgery on and over with. Really, my hips have been impacting my life for way too long and I am sick of it being an ever consuming thought. Being in pain all of the time is physically and emotionally draining as well. I am tired all of the time. Which is a combination of studying, stress, and pain. It will be great to get these next couple of weeks over with so that I can attack my hip recovery head on! I am super pumped at the chance to get my hip fixed.

I am starting to think of my surgery more. I wonder how it will differ compared to the previous ones I have had. I will be in a brace for six weeks with two to three weeks non-weight-bearing. All of which are different than my previous two scopes. I wonder if I will be in TED hose. I assume that I will be since they are very precautious here in the States compared to back home. Last two surgeries I was never in any sort of hose, no brace, no period of weight bearing, not even any physiotherapy protocol! I hope that there is more structure to this surgery and its recovery! I think that taking things very, VERY easy is the key. I will do my best to let the recovery take its course and not rush into things (ie trying to walk fully weight bearing after 5 days like the last two times!).

2 weeks!!!

This means that I only have fourteen days until I get my hip fixed. I cannot wait. Last night I was in so much pain from sitting all day that I could barely cope sitting down to study that I had to stop and go to bed. Grrr. This is not good. I only have to study for four more days, then write my 8 hour exam (which will really help the hip; not!) And then I have so much to do that hopefully I won't have time to think about my hip.

I just booked the hotel for my parents and I for July 5th, 6th, and 7th. We got a deal through the hospital that takes off $50 each night, which is much appreciated. I requested a room that is closest to the lobby as possible. They have wheelchairs too, so getting me to the room shouldn't be a problem.

Looking at the time, I will almost exactly be in surgery in two weeks. My surgery is scheduled from 10:00am until noon. Eek!

Hooooooolding On

Oh man, with the stress of my board exam coming up, I literally sit on my butt all day studying. Like from 9:00 in the morning until 12:00 midnight. I really can't afford to do any less sitting but oh my goodness does my hip detest this amount of time being flexed at, around 90 degrees!

Today I canceled my follow-up with my previous surgeon. I had another appointment with him scheduled for July 11th, but since I am having surgery with another surgeon on July 7th, I am pretty sure that I 'can't make' my originally scheduled appointment with my surgeon back home. The secretary was going to reschedule me, but I said that I'd get back to her if I needed another appointment in the future. She was fine with this and, that was that. I probably won't go back to my initial surgeon again since I am having this hip fixed up for good (hopefully).

I can't believe how fast my hip has deteriorated. It has gone from a bit of an annoyance to full blown throbbing all of the time, inability to sit still, and even has started to cause me to limp more than I am able to consciously hide all within a couple of months. I certainly hope that all there is in there is a tear and they can fix it because this is so drastically different than my previous two labral tears.

I was thinking about this today, both my previous two surgeries were done so that I could go back to living an active lifestyle. Yes, my hips hurt, and it needed to be done, but it was more for a physical activity level reason than for a desperate attempt to store pain-free functioning in the activities of daily living. This surgery is for the latter, to restore my ability to just function. At this point I could care less if I ever ran again, I just want to be able to sit, walk, and stand without pain! Anything else is a cherry on the top! For goodness sakes, I think I'll run into surgery with a fat smile on my face excited to start off the new adventure of getting better and back to being able to live without pain.

Bad Move :)

I decided a couple of weeks ago that it would be a good idea to paint my toe nails in gold sparkles. Now, for anybody who doesn't know, having a sore hip and trying to paint and remove nail polish from toe nails is a feat in and of itself. I hate doing it because the pain hurts so much I have to hold my breath. But, beauty still wins and I always have my nails painted; especially my toe nails. I digress, I painted them with sparkles: cute, fun, summer-like:

It is kinda blurry since I took the picture with my iPod, but, they do shine a bit.

Well, it is all chipping off now and I can't get the sparkles off because you really gotta scrub it off and I simply can't do it :( So I am stuck with half-on sparkles until my Mum comes down to where I am going to school to take it off. But then, she is coming just for my surgery, so I'll have to have it off anyway. I should have thought about my inability to flex my hip past 90* before I smothered my toe nails with sparkles.

Getting a Bit Nervous

I know that I am only going to be having a hip scope done, but it has just started to hit me that I will be having to have surgery yet again, and I am getting pretty nervous. I have already done this twice and feel like I should be a pro at this, yet, I am still nervous.

I know that others are having more major surgeries (like PAO) and I am thankful that I am not having to have that done, but I am still apprehensive about having surgery. I think that it is more of the post-op pain and rehab that I am dreading. I am dreading having to be on crutches for 6 weeks, I am dreading being in a brace for 6 weeks. Basically I am dredding the entire process. I realize that I can't keep living like this, but I really don't want surgery again. blaaah.