I find myself moving around very quickly now, hardly remembering that I've just had THR surgery. I think I can officially agree with what many people had told me--this surgery is something like a miracle. I'm still on crutches, of course, still can't drive, still can't even ride in a car, still can't sit in a soft or low chair, and still can't let the operative leg cross the center line of my body. Those are but some of my restrictions. But before the surgery I could barely do any of those things anyway. I couldn't alternate feet when climbing stairs, but always led with my good leg and brought the bad one up to meet it, all the while pulling myself up with the banister. Getting up out of a chair, I would have to pause and stand still for probably fifteen seconds, waiting for my bones to line themselves up before I could take a step. When I would get into my car, I'd have to first sit down behind the wheel with both my feet on the ground outside the car, then use my hands to lift my bad right leg up into the vehicle. You get used to living that way, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant. Eventually the pain gets to be too much. Walking had been causing me pain for a long time, but when even sitting and lying in bed became excruciating, I knew I had to do something.
THR at a young age is scary because artificial joints don't last forever. If you're 75 when you have the surgery, you can probably bet the prosthesis will last for the rest of your life. Some THR patients need a "revision"--my new favorite euphemism--within ten or fifteen years. So if you have the surgery in your 30s or 40s, you could be looking at hip surgery after hip surgery after hip surgery until the day you die. My doctor said, "After the surgery, you'll never be able to run or jump again." Pretty grim. I believe he meant that these are the types of activities that, while physically possible, will wear the prosthesis out faster. I haven't been able to run or jump for a very long time anyway, so I won't be missing much there. I'm just looking forward to walking without pain, and being able to shop at a mall, or take my kids to Disneyworld.
The home health nurse took out my staples today, and the incision apparently still looks "good." The doctor changed my Coumadin dosage yet again, because the last increase had no effect. I'm now taking five milligrams one day, ten the next, then five again, then ten. My blood will be checked again on Thursday to see if this has made any difference. I really get nervous when I hear that my blood is still too thick. The blood needs to be thin to help reduce the risk of a clot.
The kids did OK today on the first day with the nanny and her two children. Thing Two was his usual jovial self. He seems thrilled to have two other kids in the house, because that's two more people to make funny faces and funny noises for him. Thing One is a little bit trickier. He's aloof. He likes to do his own thing. I'm looking forward to seeing him interact with other kids every day. It's going to be an interesting summer.
