Yesterday was The Beginning. My husband and I have been mulling over possibilities, and decided that waiting until I'm eligible for Medicare – May, 2016 – was too far out. My mobility is sooooo limited and the pain is sooooo ever-present, that we really do need to take care of this sooner rather than later.
We've talked with several friends who've gone through joint replacements – one benefit of getting old is that at least some in your circle of acquaintances will have first-hand experience – and one doctor's name came up repeatedly as The One.
I first called my insurance company to make sure he was in network. And then I called the surgeon's office and made an appointment. He's booked until December.
So he must be good, amirite?
My initial consultation will be December 8. I explained to the staff person I didn't want the surgery until early next year, and she seemed to think I wouldn't be able to schedule anything sooner anyway.
So I'm officially in the hip-replacement surgical pipeline. The saga begins.
1 comment:
Sounds like fun…NOT! I haven't had hip replacement, but did go through knee replacement a couple of years ago. Part of my pre-surgery requirements was to attend a "joint replacement" class at the hospital. It was a combination and knee and hip replacement folks, so I learned a little about hip replacement then.
It seemed to me that hip replacement sounded like a more difficult recovery, as there was a lot of talk about how easy it is to pop the joint out of place if you don't follow the instructions. Can't do a lot of twisting etc. They didn't talk about anything like that with the knee joint.
It also seemed even more important for the hip replacement people to have some of the "tools" after surgery - things like extra long shoe horns, a "grab-it" stick to pick things up off the ground, etc. I never did buy any of that and never did need it. And you'll have your hubby to help out if you drop something etc., so may not be necessary for you either.
On the other hand, everyone I've ever talked to about it has completely disagreed with the feeling I had when I left that class - that hip replacement is harder. They have consistently said the actual recovery process in terms of healing etc. is much easier with hip replacement than knee replacement, so I guess my impression from the class is more than likely unreliable!
In any case, the best advice I can give you is to listen to what they say and follow instructions. All will be well!
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