I believe that people as a rule want to help each other to live as well
as they can and a little conversation about what life has taught a person is
a good thing but everynow and then something will slap a person up side the
head and make a person rethink things.
   A little truth that you will not read in the papers or hear on the news,
Houston is really paying for opening our arms,,, opening our pocketbooks,,,,
opening our hearts is really turning around to bite us.
With our towns murder rate going down each year for several years,,,,, this
year it is up by somewhere between a 100 to 150.   Every other day or so the
local news will have a spot about a gang war a one of the schools and the
children involved are much younger than a person would think.   The older
kids the fighting is much more serious with people really getting hurt.
   We still have a couple hundred thousand people from the Louisiana coast
in our area that are filling our hotels and apartment houses that have not
found work.
  If a person has to go the emergency ward,,,, lots of luck and it does not
matter what day its on.....   I don't know,,,, I don't know.   A person has
to do what they think is right at the time things happen and live with the
changes that come about.  In a way,,,, its like the old saying,,,, watch
what you pray for,,,, you might get your way....   I really want things to
be Gods way but I am going through a period of time in my life where I am
not sure anymore of the which way that is.   So it goes.  Just some thoughts
and its late.
Harv

Day of Surgery:
Everything went smoothly.  I was given an epidural and wheeled into the
operating room.  I remember looking around and finally staring at the
ceiling. The Anesthesiologist said I was going to get a shot of pain killer
in the epidural after the operation and then said I was going to sleep.  I
remember looking at the ceiling and thinking "this is taking longer than I
thought it would."  Next thing I remember is being told the operation was
over.  I found myself in a large recovery room still in a daze.  I was
wheeled into my room and promptly threw up.  Someone said it was probably
from the motion of the bed.  Not so.  I threw up about every 1-1/2 hours
from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.  I was also itching.  That was the worst.  Both
the throwing up and the itching were do to the anesthesia or pain killer.
In any case I did not want another shot and didn't receive any.

Day 2:
Started on the walker.  No big deal.  The biggest problem was getting out of
bed but after I mastered that I began walking around the floor using the
walker.  No or very little pain.  Had the drain removed from the hip and the
epidural removed from my back.  Only one needle still inserted (hand).
I spent 10% of time doing exercises, 10% of time walking and 80% of time
lying
in bed.

Day 3:
Started using the crutches.  I walked around the floor out of boredom.  No
or
very little pain.  Doctor visited and liked what he saw in terms of
progress.  Had the last needle (in my hand) removed.  Doctor said I could
return to the gym the following week and ride a stationary bike with the
non-operated leg going along for the ride.  I spent 10% of time doing
exercises, 10% of time walking, and 80% of time lying in bed.

Day 4:
Discharged from Hospital.  I took a Tylenol before trip because I was
expecting some pain after relative inactivity over last 3 days.  Took cab to
airport.  I entered back seat through driver's side.  Slid along seat and
kept
operated leg in well.  I was met at airport with wheelchair.  I sat down
roughly
since I had not gauged the level of the seat.  The angle between thigh and
torso was close to 90 but improved when the 4" seat cushion was placed on
the seat.   Wheeled to gate and sat for 2 hours with a short walk to
bathroom.  Pre-boarded and sat in bulkhead seat on the 4" seat cushion.  No
problem with angle.  Flight was about an hour.  Met at gate with wheelchair
and was wheeled to the car in the ramp.  No problem getting into car.
Thigh - torso angle was good.  To this point had been sitting down for
about 5 hours.  Thigh of operated leg had swelled and the swelling was very
cool to the touch.  I elevated the leg for next 3 hours.  I slept in supine
position with pillow between my legs.
I spent 5% of time doing exercises, 90%
of time sitting and 5% of time walking.

Day 5:
Started taking Indocine, Prevacid and Coumadin.  I experienced some swelling
principally in thigh, but slightly in calf of operated leg.  Rested it.
Swelling went down but not completely.  Other leg normal.  I am still not
taking
any pain meds.  I received prescription - over 24 hours since last dose of
Indocine and Prevacid.  Pain level 1.5 of range 0-10.  Start taking
Coumadin.
I had some pain in specifically in the hip when I went to bed but did not
take anything for it.  It was at a level of 3-3.5 from 1-10.  Pain level is
about what I had expected from the operation.    I found I can alleviate the
pain in the lower back at night by placing the pillow under the knee rather
than between the legs.  It seems my back hurts when the pillow is between
the legs and my leg hurts when the pillow is under the knee.  I alternate.
I am eating well during the day.  Unbelievable that eating as little as
possible of the hospital foods for 4 days with very little exercise and I
gained 4 pounds.  I slept more soundly than any night since operation.
I spent 5% of time doing exercises, 90% of time sitting and 5% of time
walking.

Day 6:

Operated leg is still swollen slightly but no pain.

I can use the stairs easily.  Sleeping at night getting easier but find I
need to take a nap in the afternoon.

I had a photo taken of the incision.

I spent 10% of time doing exercises or lying down, 85% of time sitting and
5% of time walking.

Day 7:
Returned to work (administration and work at home) which is good since it
kept my mind off of condition.  Leg still slightly swollen (mostly in thigh
but some in calf).  Pain level during the day was 0-.5 from 1-10.  Leg feels
good.  Instead of sitting in dining room chair I put two sofa cushions on
top of each other.  It provides enough support while raising the sitting
surface.  It also allows me to elevate the leg on the table in front of the
sofa.  After about an hour in this position the leg gets a little tight.
Walking with crutches seems to loosen it up.  Tweaked the leg a little when
I
forgot to take my crutches once when walking.  Leg gave out but I caught
myself before fall.  I was driven to the lab to give first blood sample.  No
problem getting in and out of car.  No problems using stairs.  I slept well
at
night.  A little pain was experienced when raising operated leg into bed but
it went away.  No pain in the lower back or otherwise experienced during the
night.

Day 8:

I continue to have no pain and I am not taking any pain medication.   Got
blood results and found out the current dosage of Coumadin is resulting in
the blood being too thin. Because my blood was too thin they want me to skip
the next dose and then alternate between 1 mg /day and 2 mg / day until
further notice.  I asked about taking Tylenol with the Coumadin since it
says in the pamphlet not to do so (I only took the one tablet on the way
home from the hospital but wanted the base covered).  After checking with
Doctor I was told it was  o.k. to do so and it was accepted protocol.  No
pain but ankle of operated leg swollen significantly at the end of the day
which is probably due to me sitting most of the day at work.  Raised leg in
the evening and swelling decreased.  Blood discoloration is migrating down
the leg and discoloration around incision beginning to fade.  There is
slight pain and swelling in upper butt just north of the end of the
incision.  Slept well.  I spent 5% of time doing exercises, 90% of time
sitting and 5% of time walking.

Day 9:

There is some cramping in the thigh which can be eliminated with exercise
but the main pain is in butt around the end of the incision - not taking any
pain meds.  Discoloration around incision has continued to migrate down the
leg to the ankle.  The swelling around the thigh and calf has decreased but
the swelling has increased significantly at the ankle.  This appears at the
end of the day.  No pain in the ankle. Raising the leg overnight eliminates
the swelling.  Increased time spent exercising and walking.  I spent 5% of
time doing exercises, 5% of time laying down, 80% of the time sitting and
10% of time walking.

Day 10:

I increased time walking and concentrated on exercises.   To date I would
walk for 5-10 minutes at a time.  Today I walked from 20 minutes without a
break with half of that being on a slight grade.   Pain (1 on scale from
0-10) is located at the north end of incision and very slightly in upper
quad.  Tape sutures are beginning to fall off.  The Coumadin dosage has been
cut from 2 mg / day to 1 mg / day.  No problem getting into or out of car
(riding only).  Swelling is still present around ankle and slightly at calf
which decreases when foot is elevated.   No swelling at quad.  Discoloration
around incision continues to fade. I spent 5% of time doing exercises, 5% of
time lying down, 80% of the time sitting and 10% of time walking.

Day 11:

Increased time walking (nearly double) over previous walks.  Only pain is at
the north end of the incision where there appears to be slight swelling the
size of a golf ball (although the swelling has been going down).  I continue
to do my exercises.  The level of pain increased slightly in the evening
which is probably due to the increased walking.  I spent 5% of time doing
exercises, 75% of the time sitting and 20% of time walking.

Day 12:

Rode in car and went on errands.  No problem getting into or out of car.  I
went on a medium length  (3/4 mile) walk through the woods.  Again the only
pain seems to be at the north end of the incision and that is tolerable.  No
pain meds needed.  Have some periodic numbness on the inside of the forearms
probably due to using crutches.  I spent 5% of time doing exercises, 80% of
the time sitting and 15% of time walking.

Day 13:

Walked less but exercised a little more.  I noticed numbness and pain in
forearms so I adjusted the crutches so the pad under the arm was lower.
Had a photo taken of the incision.  Discoloration is almost completely gone
from the area.  Slight discoloration of toes and ankle of operated leg
probably due to migration of the blood.  Swelling in ankles is much less
with no observable swelling in thigh or calf.  I spent 7% of time doing
exercises, 80% of the time sitting and 13% of time walking.

Day 14:

The swelling in the operated leg/ankle has been reduced significantly.
There is some discomfort once in a while in the hip but it leaves once I
start exercising or walking.  Maintaining Coudamin dose at 1 mg / day per
instructions for C.L.A.  I spent 5% of time doing exercises, 80% of the time
sitting and 15% of time walking.

http://www.jri-oh.com/

There is a step by step video of the process.  There is also a detailed
video showing the process designed for Doctors that I found difficult to
watch.  But then my primary care physician told me not to watch the process.

Unbelieveable this operation has been done in Europe and Asia for 2 decades
but the FDA can't get it's act together to approve it here in the U.S.

Resurfacing is designed for younger patients and more active people.  I
picked resurfacing because:
1. Recuperation time is half that of a THP.
2. Bigger ball and socket means less chance of dislocation and wider range
of motion than THP.
3. Metal on Metal components should have longer life than Metal on
cross-hatched polyethylene.  It's estimated the life of the devices can be
anywhere between 25 and 40 years depending on use.
4. But the biggest reason is I can always have a THP in the future if I
chose to since there is no amputation of the femur.  On the other hand, when
you have a THP you are committed.