I keep checking back here to see if Carolyn has posted what she hints to be bad news about the hip surgery she was hoping for, and the prognosis for being able to walk again in 2006. Carolyn, dear, I understand you not feeling like talking about it just yet, and I know you'll fill us in when you get ready. In the meantime, you are in my prayers, and you know the rest of the forum is pulling for you too.

Hugs,
Regina

Cynthia and Regina,

The Jan17th appt with my surgeon was an utter disaster, as far as I'm concerned, and I left feeling confused, upset and very depressed and have remained so but am slowly trying to crawl out of the pit.

Later today or tomorrow I'll try to cobble together what I wrote to my brother rather than retype everything, and perhaps you'll then see what is of major concern to me and my future.

I have a Mar 2 appt with a neurosurgon, that's for sure, weather permitting.

Carolyn

Carolyn, I certainly don't like what seems to be a rather dire, cryptic message here. Whatever is happening, I will continue to send my thoughts and prayers your way. So far, 2006 sucks. I was hoping it to be better than a really lousy '05, but not so far.

Duane

Duane,
Couldn't have said it better myself ~
Carolyn, do take care ~ Tom

Sending you prayers, Carolyn. Thanks to you, I have like 95% germination on my 2006 garden!

Please take care and know we're all sending great vibes your way! Keep us updated soon!

Janie

Carolyn,

The love of my life had multiple sclerosis when we met and we had 20 wonderful years together until she died in December 2004. She was quadriplegic the last 10 years of her life ... so I have some idea what your appointment with your surgeon was like, getting frightening and painful news. It takes awhile to adjust to a change, to grieve for what has been lost and to sort out what to do. My heart and prayers are with you.

Cynthia

Hey Carolyn,
I am thinking you were writing to the other Cynthia - but I popped in to say Hi and that I hope things are unfolding in a way that you can manage.

You remain in our prayers -
Cyn

Carolyn,

Just to let you know that I am thinking of you and waiting to hear whatever the news might be...so we can all offer up words of support.

Your friend,

Barbara

Sorry it took me so long to get back here but I was working on those seeds to send to Israel yesterday, last night and this AM so that when Angie brought the groceries today I could give the two packages to her to mail and get this stuff off my back. So I did and then spent the afternoon relaxing by watching tennis from the Australian Open.

I've decided not to cut and paste what I wrote to my brother b'c it's too detailed, so I'll try for a shorter version. Having just finished it isn't very short, so read at your own risk. LOL

Cast of Characters

Dr Saunders, aka Rich, my orthopedic surgeon
Dr Scialabba, aka Fred, the neurosurgeon I'm to see Mar 2
Greenwhich, one of the several Health Centers run by Glens Falls Hospiatal. Greenwich is just a 20 min drive for me but Glens Falls is an hour away. Rich comes to Greenwich every other Tuesday afternoon. Julie is a nurse from his main office in GF who also drives down. Sandy is the person who schedules surgery for Rich and two of the other four orthopeadic surgeons in the group. I've linked to the group below. North Country Sports has an excellent reputation in the area.

So, I went on Jan 17th. He always asks about pain I've experienced, weight loss, quad function, etc. For two weeks before Xmas I had bad pain, which I've had before where I can't stand up in the walker and am bent over at a 90 degree angle.

He said he wanted me to see a neurosurgeon and said he wanted Fred to tell him what percent of my pain was coming from the hips and what percent from the spinal stenosis b'c if most of it was coming from the stenosis, then why put in a new hip b/c I'd still be left in pain.

I was shocked. Why? Up until then the rationale had been that the left hip goes out on me and was the main reason I couldn't transition to a cane, so putting in a new left hip, if the quad was OK, might allow me to walk with a cane or two.

No connection had ever before been between the spinal stenosis and hip surgery. But perhaps he thought so just by having me have the MRI and EMG in late Sept.

He said I was being difficult and probably in denial. Difficult, yes, probably b/c I told him I didn't want back surgery. He said he was an orthopedic surgeon, and that neurosurgeons manage spiunal stenosis. Denial? I said maybe b'c I didn't know what he was referring to. That I'll never walk by myself again? I just don't know.

He said Julie would make the Fred appt for me and he signed papers for Julie to take back for Sandy to scehdule a surgery date, saying that he was booked 3 months ahead, and that any surgery date could be cancelled, and he extended the PT at home.

On Friday Sandy called and I said I was expecting to hear from Julie and she said Julie was sitting next to her and Sandy gave me the Fred date and told me my MRI films had to be picked up and brought to the appt.. She asked if I wanted to wait until after that appt before scheduling surgery and I said yes.

I then told her that I though Rich and I had lost communication and told her my story. She said that her own mother had to have spinal surgery before she could have a new hip put in, She also said I was free to get a second opinion. But I told her that I respected Rich's surgical skills and that I liked him as a person, and I respected his opinion, so I'd see Fred and see what happens. Rich just finished a 3 year term as Head of the Dept of Surgery so he's also well respected by his own colleagues , since it's an elected position.

Rich had also said that he works closely with Fred b'c one often needs that type of input when doing his kind of surgery.

I may well be wrong but I know my pain and I think that Fred and Rich might decide that I need spine surgery first. This depresses me greatly. It's been a long haul here, as of yesterday I've lost 51#, I've read a lot about that surgery online and I don't want to go there.

Will I if they say yes? I suppose so, but no sense theorizing until I know what's happening.

And I want it made clear that Rich should call me with their decision b'c I need to know if I do have that surgery, what kind of functionality does he expect me to have if after that he goes ahead. Or even if no spine surgery, same question, He knows my right hip is bad and both knees are as well.

I forgot to say that on Jan17th I asked him about the one muscle in the quad complex that doesn't seem to be working for me and the PT person has IDed it as the one that allows the leg to be straight. He said that after a year he didn't think it would come back, but Kathy the PT person has me doing isometrics with it, along with other exercises, b'c I know that leg was stright last Spring, so perhaps the capability is still there.

So that's where I'm at and perhaps you can see why this reversal of intent re pain vs left hip instability has been of great concern to me.

And thanks so much for all your good wishes.

Carolyn

Carolyn, thank you for filling us in.

Would you mind saying what it is about the spine surgery that is so worrying to you? From the superficial Google search I just did, it seems that the surgery for spinal stenosis (lumbar laminectomy) has high rates of success and relatively low risk. Obviously it's not minor surgery. And there's a rehabilitation period that would seem long (6-9 mos) if not in comparison to what you've already been through for the quad tear (or hideously long in combination with what you've been through!). Is it that? Or are there other risk factors, maybe related to your diabetes, for example? From the little I've read -- OK, yeah, I wouldn't want to go through it! But I guess I was braced to find scarier things about it.

P.S., My sister once had brain surgery. A little piece of her left temporal lobe was cut out because there was a defect in some blood vessel that was causing epileptic seizures. Now that was SCARY!! She could have lost her short-term memory, or her ability to communicate normally in words (like, maybe she could write her thoughts but not speak them, or vice versa - that sort of thing). Thank God, she's as absent-minded and ineloquent as ever, no more, just like the rest of us.

Still praying for you,
Regina

Dear Carolyn,

You sure have a long row to hoe, as they used to say.

I'm glad you have an engaging project (Isreal seeds) to occupy some of your hours. And I'm delighted with your weight loss success. What an accomplishment! That shows real strength of character (of which I never had any doubt in your case and which I firmly believe will carry you through the next few difficult months).

I think what your doctor said about 'in denial' is off the mark. 'Difficult' of course, but not 'in denial'. LOL! The advice these days is to take charge of your own health, don't leave it totally to the professionals. Fortunately you are well equipped, both intellectually and tempramentally to do this. As they say these days, "You go girl!".

Jim - One more member of Carolyn's rooting section who is pulling for the day when things take an upturn for her and our friend Duane as well.

It sounds discouraging but not as discouraging as to be impossible. And yes, there does seem to be a lack of communication somewhere. My brother had spinal surgery - must be 40 some years ago now - back when they knew far less and hadn't had as much success with it. He lucked out and was pain free after that for the first time in 12 years and has been ever since. It's isn't a great deal of fun but...
I also remember when I was hospitalized after a bad auto accident - it's nearly 27 years now. In casts from both sets of toes up the thighs and immobile. I was pretty doped up but was wondering about getting through life with a walker, in a wheel chair?? There was a lot of discussion as to whether I'd ever walk again. When the surgeon finally got around to saying that I had a lot of walking left in my legs, I mentally threw away the wheel chair. Of course, he never said that I'd need a walker or cane for the rest of my life and he never mentioned how much it would hurt at the end of the day but.... And back then I didn't realize how long it was going to go on either.
Your surgeon may be good at his job (I think I'd prefer Albany myself, knowing what I know now) but he certainly doesn't sound very good at empathy. But then, he just fixes bones - he doesn't worry about the rest of you.
Good luck and I hope the neurosurgeon is a bit more forthcoming.

Carolyn -
You are in my thoughts. I can defenately sympathise - I recently discovered that I have 2 herniated discs in my back, and am going through pysical therapy and possibly looking at back surgury as well.

Reading about your struggle is almost like having a "buddy" going through this with me :)

*hugs*
Marie

Marie

For Regina, Jim, Oldroser and Marie and thanks to all of you.

Regina, there are many reasons why I don't want back surgery, and while the final decision is mine if that's the recommendation, I can only wait to see what the neurosurgeon says before sharing with you those reasons, which range from the trivial to the serious.

Your web search was I think rather superficial in that there are various degrees of seriousness of laminectomy, vertebral fusion is also a possibility and while serious complications are rare these days they also include permanent paralysis.

The specific type of spine surgery that might be suggested and the rehab period, is very much dependent on the actual pathology seen in the MRI, as correlated with ongoing symptoms, as well as the age of the patient and what physical condition the patient is in at the time of surgery.

Jim, thanks for your support. I do perhaps ask more questions that many patients, but that's me. Remember that I spent the major part of my career in the medical sphere teaching med students and I'm not one to sit back and ASAP accept all that is told to me.

As far as I'm concerned, most of Western Medicine is based on the two "i" words. One is idiopathic, which means "we" don't know the cause of this or that, and the second word is iatrogenic, which means physician induced. ( smile)

Oldroser, and thank you for your continuing support. As for any loss of communication, yes, I think that has happened, but the point is that I'm where I'm at in the now if you know what I mean. Since you have posted before about your past physical problems, a bit, I do know of them a bit. I think I remain wary, but since the Spinal stenosis part of my pain, which I can ID and separate from the hip pain and I think the neurosurgeon will as well, is not a 24/7 happening, I'm hoping he'll see it my way and let me put up with what I'm already putting up with and tell Saunders that as well. The problem is that the spine pathology is not good at all with several bulging discs and while bulging discs don't always equate to herniation, there's also foraminal narrowing and the possibility of a synovial cyst. And the fact also is that with time and continued aging, which is pretty certain as long as I don't pop off from this or that, LOL, pathology/symptoms only get worse.

Marie, off and on I've been doing PT for my spinal problems since about two years ago when it was first diagnosed, albeit symptomatically, by my local PT person. And my current in home PT person has also continued that. But there comes a point when one has to recognize that PT is not going to help that much.

About 50% of MRI films show spinal pathology and of those, about half have symtoms, so it's the symptoms and related pain that really dictate what the prognosis might be.

And thanks so much to all the others who weighed in here after I mentioned there were new problems, but before I got around to typing what was going on currently.

Carolyn

Your surgeon may be good at his job (I think I'd prefer Albany myself, knowing what I know now) but he certainly doesn't sound very good at empathy. But then, he just fixes bones - he doesn't worry about the rest of you.

Oldroser,

I forgot to speak to this comment of yours when answering you above.

Both Albany and Bennington certainly were options, but I weighed them carefully and perhaps you didn't realize it but Glens Falls Hospital is now the largest between Albany and Canada and has attracted many fine MD's who want to live and raise families in such a lovely setting.

Being familiar with Albany Med myself, I can see how many want to be more rural, if you will. Bennington is actually closer than Albany Med for me and there are some fine surgeons there as well, but I'm content with Glens Falls, using the ctiteria I used to make such a decision.

Rich is empathetic, and perhaps that hasn't come through in what I've posted. He does care about me as a person aside from my bones and muscles and tendons.

I really do think what happened as that while he thought back in November that he had indicated to me his concerns and recommendation to see a neurosurgeon then about the hips, he did not, from my perspective indicate that as being that important and I thought it was for the spinal stenosis alone. And since I was the one living with what symtoms the spinal stenosis was causing and didn't realize that he had possibly indicated it could be tied up in his mind with new hips, etc., I opted to deal with the pain myself.

Yes, he does see me as being difficult at times, and well I remember his mini-tirade in September when he once again told me that I HAD to lose weight and that he first told me that in May of 2004 when I first saw him for a second opinion about hip surgery. And it was his mini-tirade in September that finally convinced me to go on this diet Oct. 9th. And on Jan 17th I thanked him for that as well as suggesting he could buy me a new wardrobe and split the cost of cosmetic surgery with me, says Carolyn who abandoned outer beauty considerations decades ago. LOL

As I've said before, he can be very humorous and is a master of repartee and we do get along quite well most of the time. But he's strong willed and so am I and I suppose he's more accustomed to totally compliant patients.

Carolyn

"I do perhaps ask more questions that many patients, but that's me. Remember that I spent the major part of my career in the medical sphere teaching med students and I'm not one to sit back and ASAP accept all that is told to me."

Exactly. That's what I had in mind when I said you are well equipped, both intellectually and tempramentally to take charge of your health matters. And that's a very good thing to do.

Jim

Carolyn,

I laughed out loud when I read the following in your post above:

"As far as I'm concerned, most of Western Medicine is based on the two 'i' words. One is idiopathic, which means 'we' don't know the cause of this or that, and the second word is iatrogenic, which means physician induced. ( smile)"

You are fortunate to have scientific training--so you have no trouble understanding the information you need to know about your health. And you are fortunate to have long experience in teaching medical students--so you are accustomed to getting doctors (well, proto-doctors) to shape up rather than the other way around. It does rather boggle their minds when they come across patients who know they are fallible medical doctors, not infallible medical deities. ;-) Still, it sounds like you have good working relationships with your doctors, which is a great blessing.

Also, you deserve heaps of praise for your progress on your weight loss. I am impressed and inspired.

Good luck with everything!

Cynthia

Being a compliant patient doesn't win you any gold stars. When my sister had her first cancer surgery (she's had three rounds of it), her surgeon said he was putting her on what they call a chemotherapy protocol. When she asked for detailed info, he got very huffy and wanted to know why she was questioning his prescription. She replied it was her body and she intended to find out exactly what the therapy consisted of. What she found, when he finally gave her the info, was that it was extremely experimental and not extensively tested. At which point she told him no thanks, experiment on somebody else and find me a well-tested approach. He was unhappy about it but ended up changing the prescription. To something that was no fun but worked very well.
Anyway, hang in there - you've got everyone rooting for you and I think that your weight loss is astonishing! Give yourself several pats on the back, if it isn't too hard to do.

oldroser,

Amen to that! I could add several anecdotes to yours about patients who got beneficial treatment only after assertive prodding of their physicians by themselves or by someone who was advocating for them. A couple of these were life or death situations.

I will not stay long with a doctor who is not a good communicator. And I will continue to ask questions until I am satisfied with the answers. That doesn't mean to make a nuisance of yourself for no good reason. Only on occasion it's necessary. Fortunately, I found a doctor years ago who takes a genuine interest in explaining things to me.

It has been widely advised for patients to take charge of their own health and that can't be done without good communication.

I don't mean this as a blanket condemnation of the medical profession. Doctors have a tough job and they deserve to have a life too. It's understandable that, working under time pressure as they do, they will be tempted to take the easier rather than the harder path at times.

Jim

Q...What do you call someone who graduates at the bottom of his medical class...
A...Doctor.

Sometimes (rarely) I think my doctor has the IQ of a hamster. But then I realise that if he's a hamster the others in town are termites.

Sorry that you are still in the wars with your health.
Glenn

Carolyn,

I smiled at your comments about Western Medicine, and agree with oldroser and others who have commented on taking charge of your own course of treatment and staying informed. FYI, I'm a medical anthropologist, and have had plenty clashes with medical students and Med school grads.

Over 20 years ago an MD gave me 6 months to live. He was wrong - and I went back to school to learn why, and to get a better understanding of the system.

Thank you for directing me to this thread.
It's a pleasure to meet you, and those who have rallied to your support.

Dee

I echo Dee's thoughts. I've been seeing wisps of your health situation on the regular web pages, but was redirected to Conversations from a tomato thread.

What a road you are on! When I read about the challenges you face, even getting to the garage, it makes my own "problems" seem so trivial. I wish I lived nearby, just to come over and play a card game with you and keep you company. I'm hoping you have enough people contact, the cats do have a bit of a communication challenge :)

It took me a few days to make the connection between the great book I bought last month, and the charming strong woman I've been meeting on the website. It's an absolute pleasure to read your posts.

Although I may not post too often (would rather learn from others unless I just have to ask), know that I'll be thinking of you and sending good thoughts and prayers daily.

Back on Jan 23rd I posted:

(I have a Mar 2 appt with a neurosurgon, that's for sure, weather permitting.)

And luckily the weather permitted, although it was touch and go until yesterday AM when a final decision had to be made as to whether or not Margery would come get my car out of the garage and drive for me.

Just a quick response, for I was so exhausted when Margery got me back home from the neurosurgeon appt yesterday that I went to bed very early last night.

This will be a Summer of Surgery for me.

He's recommending to my orthopedic surgeon that the left hip be done first, followed by spinal fusion for my severe spinal stenosis a few months later.

And since my ortho surgeon is booked about three months in advance it looks like a June date, which I'll have to schedule soon, for that followed later by the spinal fusion and removal of a spinal synovial cyst. Only one vertebra of the several vertebrae with pathological changes is seriously in trouble, but one is enough to warrant surgery.

The point he made is that being able to walk as best one can is mandatory following spinal fusion, thus the recommend to do the new left hip first.

The hope is that eventually I might be able to walk with one cane and of course this means that my future tomato growing of hundreds of plants and varieties each summer is truly at an end.

So I'll have to live my tomato life vicariously thru the rest of you.

And there's still the right hip and two knees that need attention as well. ( smile)

I'm trying to square myself with all of this since it means continued reliance on others for getting groceries, running errands for me to places that I can't get into, and more. Right now, for instance, both of my cat kids need rabies update shots and more just in terms of general checkups, and even if my vet offers to come to the house, which she has, there is absolutely no way she or I can catch them to give them their shots. Trust me on that. LOL

On the upside my brain, mouth and fingers all appear to be in fine shape, and that's a self assessment. LOL

Martha, who posts here has made an offer of raising a few plants for me of varieties that I want to grow, for a few can be put in the raised bed out back and about 10 in pots here and there, and I simply will NOT go thru a summer without fresh tomatoes. Of course I'll have to hire someone to plant them and care for them and harvest fruits but I think I can do that.

There are a few other folks who had offered, even prior to my appt yesterday, to grow some specific varieties for seeds so I can at least continue some of my SSE listings. And knowing what I know now, I just may take them up on their very generous offers. I want to at least try to maintain some of the things I've been doing, and listing new varieties at SSE is one of them.

And so it goes, the good news being that I have hundreds of not yet read books around the house.

Carolyn

As I've stated in many other places Carolyn, anything I could do to help, just ask. Even if its just growing one plant for some extra seed.

John

Carolyn:

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle caught my attention last week. It is a new surgical procedure, just approved by the FDA, for treatment of spinal stenosis. The procedure takes 1/2 hour and is performed under a local sedative. It might not be appropriate for your case, but then you never know, and you like to read about these things.

There's supposed to be an ABS TV special on that operation - don't know if it's on tonight or tomorrow night but it was mentioned in the Times today.
You may not be able to raise 100's of tomatoes any more but there's no reason you can't garden even with a cane. I managed to get two dozen tomatoes planted and cared for last year while leaning on mine - and that was in addition to roses and other things.
Currier McEwen was doing iris crosses as he neared 100, using a walker to get around his garden. He did get someone else to do the digging and weeding but he did his own planting.
I'll pass on to you a tip I got many years ago - the whole trick to being handicapped is not being any more handicapped than you have to be.
I was thinking of that when I was out tapping maples this afternoon. It's a slow process doing it while leaning on a cane but I got five trees tapped and will do more tomorrow. Generally manage to tap 16-18 trees though I have to admit that my nephew now does the boiling down. i still do the collecting but can only handle one pail at a time so it takes twice as long as it used to. But it gets done.

Glad to know how the appointment went - the sequencing of surgeries makes sense, in a painful sort of way.

My vet comes to the house, and the cats know she is coming about an hour beforehand, because they disappear. One trick I have tried is NOT thinking that the vet is coming and that seems to help - don't know fi they really read my mind or not, but it is a weird coincidence.

Take good care,
Cyn

JOhn, thanks so much for the offer but right now I've got several folks who spoke up even before you did, but it's good to know that you're ready and willing.

Elise, I don't know enough about spinal stenosis surgery to know if in my specific case if that new surgery is possible, but I certainly can bring it up with the neurosurgeon.

Yesterday the surgery date for the left hip was confirmed for May 31 and today I got a copy of the report sent by the neurosurgeon to my ortho surgeon. He wants me to contact his office when the surgery date is known, as it now is, and make an appt for about 6 weeks after that. He says if the recuperation is going well he'll consider going ahead with the spinal surgery. And he described what it was, decompression and form__________ something, but I don't have a clue. I do know the synovial cyst and the area that is most serious is the L4/L5 vertebra, and altho there is "widespread" degenerative changes in the lumbar region, as he put it, he intends to do only that one region.

Oldroser, my PT person is still saying that she hopes for me with two canes and is still saying stay off the lawn and the garden area, and same with the walker. All I can say is that I'll just have to see what happens here with time. It's also possible I could have new very tall raised beds put in with firm walkways, but that's also in the future to be considered.

I've been practicing walking with two canes in the house when she is here and she says do not do it when she isn't here. Same with the step ups and downs to increase strength of the quad of the right leg.

So we'll just have to see how this summer goes, b'c quite frankly, the neursurgeon is concerned, and in the letter said that if I couldn't walk better with the new hip then I could be bed ridden after the spinal surgery b'c to be up and walking a lot is critical to recovery.

And he emphasized to my ortho surgeon, whom he knows well, that I'm a complicated" case with several serious problems re the hips and the spine coexisting at the same time.

Carolyn

Certainly good to get all these updates. How many responses are we allowed anyway. Total count 112 so far.
That's a lot of surgery, I'm sure you will get lots of prayer support ;-)

"So I'll have to live my tomato life vicariously thru the rest of you."

In that case I will try not to kill my tomatoes this year. I have high hopes for my choices this year.

CECIL

My nephew Garrett has agreed to post updates re my upcoming surgery next Wednesday so I'm bringing this back to the first page so he can find it easily and then post to let me know he found it.

Lots has been happening, but I have no time right now to share with all since a day guest from MA is expected at any moment; he's bringing some tomato plants for me and the ones Martha ( gardenmama) grew for me should arrive today as well.

I'm bringing this to the first page b'c in some threads in the main Forum some folks have been asking if Garrett was going to be able to update folks here as to what's happening with me.

Carolyn, off to complete the application for the rehab place I want to go to so I can get it in the mail today.

As always, our thoughts and prayers are with you!!

Looking forward to Garrett's updates.

Gary

Thanks ! We'll check often. Best of luck!

Carolyn, be assured of prayers and good wishes every day for you and your doctors and therapists. God bless you with better health, patience and peace of mind and heart. Thank you for your presence here and for all your good advice. You are a wonderful and generous teacher!

Sara Jane

Carolyn - Best wishes for a quick recovery and as pleasant a summer as possible considering your upcoming surgeries.

If my tomatoes were further along I'd send you an enormous bouquet of tomato flowers to decorate your recovery room! (That tomato "aroma therapy" sure does put me in a good mood!)

Hi Carolyn,

Best wishes to you today, I hope all goes well...you are in my thoughts.

I guess today is the day.. GOOD LUCK, we are all with you in our thoughts. Hello Garrett...I remember you from a few years ago,good work..Matha/zucchini

Hello all, this is Carolyn's nephew.

My dad (Carolyn's brother) and I drove her over to the hospital mid-morning today. Aside from the expected butterflies, she was really upbeat, optimistic, and in very good spirits (joking with the nurses, surgery escorts, etc.).

We left the hospital at about 11:30 this morning just as she was wheeled into the pre-op waiting room. Surgery was scheduled for (I believe) 12:15.

Just got a call about 5 minutes ago from her surgeon: she is awake and resting comfortably, the surgery went very well.

(He is very succint in his phonecalls, even after major surgery, LOL). Oh well. So, it looks as if everything went as expected, if not better than expected. I will probably go back over to the hospital tomorrow morning and should be able to give you some more details/info once I see her in the flesh.

Thanks!

Glad to hear Carolyn's doing well. Give her my best wishes and tell her I'm saying a prayer for her.

Mike

That's great news, garrett_The_nephew! Please tell Carolyn that we love her and are thinking of her and are pleased that she is doing well. Pass on a hug, please!

Bitterwort

glad it is over..now the work begins for her..I am sure she will do well..she is a strong woman! In mind and now her body will get stronger too...martha/zucchini

Hello to all once again.

Just wanted to give an update on how Carolyn was feeling when I visited her Thursday afternoon. While she still was *mostly* herself (smiling, laughing), the post-op pain had begun to set in. It didn't seem terrible, but it was quite noticeable whenever she tried to push herself into a more comfortable position.

Unfortunately, I think that kind of pain, as well as some annoyances (having a cath, having one's legs separated by a giant foam wedge, eating hospital food for days) are all part of the experience which is major surgery.

However, while I was there, she did enjoy a hospital-prepared egg salad sandwich and chicken noodle soup (LOL), so I guess there are some happier moments to take some of the edge off the pain, that and the morphine drip...

I should be heading back to the hospital later today, and hopefully, the pain level will be less.

She does say HELLO! to everyone :)

garrett,

Any chance of sneaking her in a frid breakfast? How's a body supposed to get better on egg salad sandwiches? ;-)

Thanks for keeping us posted.

Zabby17

or at least a big fat tomato !!!!
WE MISS HER AND WISH HER A SPEEDY RECOVERY
Richard

A bit more of an update...

Carolyn has now successfully moved into the rehab center she wanted to stay at (although she had to get there in an ambulance - hospital policy- and sort of depressing. Oh well).

I am back in NC but spoke with her on the phone and she seemed well. One interesting and unforeseen result of the surgery... the leg with the new hip is now about 1 inch longer than the other!

This pretty much is a result of the size replacement the doctors had to use. As Carolyn put it, the replacement hips come in small, medium, and large sizes. I believe she has the largest size, yet it is not a perfect match to her natural right hip, thus resulting in the length difference.

While it does sound odd, it is manageable. I personally have lived successfully for 19 years with two different-length legs.

Her options are to:
1) Live with it
2) Wear a shoe with a slight lift on the bottom
3) Equal it out with a hip replacement for the right leg. (I guess her doctors say this will need to be done in the future).

So now she will stay in rehab for a few weeks practicing walking, having physical therapy, and adjusting life to living with a new hip.

Garrett - thanks for the info.
Many good wishes to Carolyn as she navigates through rehab.

Cyn

Carolyn,

Hurry back, I have lots of questions for you!

Sincerely, I hope you're doing as well as can be expected, and that your recovery is speedy! It's just not the same around here without you...........

Janie/Materlvr

I wish we had an update.

Jim

Ah. I just noticed a "welcome back" post above. Excellent!

Jim

Dr. Carolyn, You've been home now long enough to show some progress and we'd all like an update. How well can you perambulate with the new hip and is the pain getting less?
Are you able to grow any tomatose at all?
Can you drive?
Are you still keeping the weight off? Still losing more?
Still cheating a little on the smoking?
Give us the full rundown.

Thanks for the update, Boston. I've been thinking about her for the last few days, as I'm sure everyone else has.
h.