Weeks 5-6-7

I have put off the blog long enough! Not much has changed over the past 3 weeks. I'm completely crutch free and almost limp free too, but not ice pack free. I've had some up's and down's, which is to be expected, but I didn't think I would have this many. Here is my re-cap of the last 3 weeks...

week 5
Same as week 4 really, I went crutch free! I also went back to work full time and that went well. I was ready to go home each day and just lay on couch...funny how your body gets used to that! My INR numbers were steady and I finally got to schedule out finger pokes 1 week apart!!

Week 6
At week 6, my hip started getting pretty sore and more and more swollen by the day. By the time I went in to see the surgeon mid-week for my "6-week" check-up I was really swollen and tight. He wanted to do some tests, but couldn't do anything because I'm on the Coumadin, so he put me on anti-biotics to rule out an infection. After about 3 days on the anti-biotics, I started feeling better. This is the same week that my INR level dropped to 1.6, which was not theraputic anymore. Because of the way I was feeling, I requested an ultrasound of my legs to rule out any new or moved blood clots. The ultrasound showed no new blood clots and also showed that the ones I currently have are alomst dissolved (just a little residual left), and I have good blood flow! Hopefully this means that I can get off the Coumadin after 3 months rather than 6 months. The rest of my check up went well. He took x-rays and showed that my hips are looking good and both look anatomically the same. He is happy with my progress thus far, and told me that unfortunitally because I developed the blood clots, my progress will be slow and with more complications. I will go see him in the beginning of March again for my 3 month check-up on my left and 9 months on my right.

Week 7
I finished taking all my anti-biotics and started feeling a bit better. Now, 4 days later I'm pretty uncomfortable again. I wonder what is going on, but will just have to continue to wonder because they can't do anything with me. On Monday of last week my INR level was back up to 2.4. My sister, who is a nurse, got permission to check my INR level so that I don't have to pay a co-pay everytime I go in. So, she and I will meet up wherever and whenever is convienent for her 1x/week so that she can check my blood and then get my dosage for the next week! Nighttime continues to be the worst. Since surgery I think I have only had about 2 nights of good sleep, all other have been restless. I am often checking the clock in the middle of the night to see a) when Eric will be get up so that he can bring me an ice pack and b)how much more of this night time torture I have to endure before my alarm goes off. I really don't look forward to night time!!!

Week 8 is just around the corner and I remember last time around week 8 was my favorite because I was in sunny Cancun! I would love to be there now, that's for sure! Hopefully week 8 will again be my favorite, even if I am in cold-white-cloudy Minnesota!

I'll leave you with some pictures of Cancun-Hey, a girl can dream right!?!?!


"Miles away from ordinary"

Margarita and salt water-couldn't ask for a better combination

Fun in the sun

4 weeks

Today marks the 4 week mark, in fact I was on my way home 4 weeks ago now! Week 4 has been my first week of crutches and that is going alright. I'm actually still using the crutches for longer walks and to help with my limp. Yep, the limp is still there, but I am working really hard to get rid of it. I went to my PT on Wednesday and she did about 1 hour of deep tissue massage all around my hip socket. Her goal was to try and loosen up my hip socket so that my femur can sink into the socket-that will get rid of my limp. My back is pretty sore, as well as my glute and groin. Now, because I am the blood thinners I have a pretty big bruise on my glute from where she was "massaging". I just got a new ice/compression wrap from a friend of mine, so hopefully that will help with the swelling/discomfort and I can start feeling a bit better.

My blood is finally theraputic. Today I went in for my INR check and I was at 3.1 They want me between 2.0 and 3.0, so I'm there. They continue to adjust my daily dosage and hopefully my numbers stay stable so I can quit going to get my fingers poked. Besides the bruise on my glute, I have yet to get a bruise anywhere else. I also have managed to not cut myself either. As I type this, my finger poke from 9:30AM just started bleeding a bit-super!!!

So at the completion of week 4, I don't have much that has changed. Maybe it will be my week 5?!?!

3-weeks

3 weeks already, yet it's been a long 3 weeks!!! I have been weening from the crutches since Wednesday (Don't tell the surgeon, he wanted me on them until today), but I wanted to do it with the PT in tow. She had me do some weight shifting first and then had me walk with 1 crutch. It's so wierd to walk again, but it feels good. I have a very significant limp going on and I'm sure my 86-year old grandma with a fractured pelvis can beat me in a race, but I'll take it! I have a lot of work to do to get rid of the limp, but I'll get it!!

I had yet another INR check today (my 3rd of the week) and I was at 2.5!!!! YEAH!!!!!! They want me between 2.0 and 3.0, so I'm perfect. They will try to regulate my levels with just the Coumidan now. I'm thinking drinking last night might have made my number go up just a tich, but who's talking??!?!?! I'll go in on Monday to get another poke and see what my number did over the weekend. Hopefully all stays "regular" and I can stop going to hang out with the elderly at the lab! Their ultimate goal is to get me to come in once very 6-weeks with steady levels...only time will tell.

I got into work today to meet some of the new students and staff that we have. Everyone seem so nice, it will be great to get back to doing something intelligent. Seriously, sitting on the couch for 3 weeks make a person stupid. Case in point...I went to my sister's Wednesday and took my dog with me too. When I left, I got a phone call from my sister saying that I forgot my dog there...woops! I love my Decoy to death, but I did forget her. April thinks I will make a good mother some day!

Anyways, things are looking up for me!!!!!!!!!! I wonder what week 4 will bring???

2-weeks+

Celebrating 2011 with a little bubbly

Owies...Nothing that can't be fixed with a "me-me" and an ice pack

Josie hanging with her Aunt TT


This was no black tie event...New Year's eve in sweat pants!!!

2010 went out with a bang this year, and all I can hope for is that 2011 is so much better!!

I'm about 2-weeks 3 days post-surgery now. I had my 2-week post-op doctor visit last week, and everything went downhill from there. My surgeon was unable to be there because he was stuck with the Vikings (he is the team Dr.) down in PA because of the snow storm they got. So, my surgeon's Physicians Assistant saw me and took out my stitches, and then my incisions opened up. I told him that my left calf was sore and he wanted to rule out a blood clot, so he sent me over to imaging for an ultra sound of my whole left leg. He told me it was probably nothing, because my surgeon has only had 1 other patient develop a blood clot after this type of surgery. Well, once the ultra sound tech. asked me 2 times if I came by myself, I knew something was wrong...sure enough there was. At this time I was told there was 1 large blood clot behind my knee and I needed to go to the ER.

After being in the ER for 7 hours, I was sent home on Lovenox (5-self injections) and Coumidan and told I would be fine. I then went to my PT two days later and she told me that I actually have 3 blood clots in my leg-GREAT, no wonder why my calf hurt. After PT I headed over to my regular doctor to get all checked out. The doctor told me that I probably have a blood clot in my lungs as well, but the treatment is the same and she doesn't feel it is necessary to put me through the radiation of a CT to determine if there actually is a clot. I then went over to the INR clinic to start my bi-weekly blood checks to determine my INR level (basically how long it takes my blood to clot). My INR level was 1.2 and they want it up around 2.0-3.0. I guess normal people are at 1.0, so my level is starting to move, but has a way to go. I will be on the coumidan for 6 months if all goes how they want. Honestly, everytime I see a new medical professional, I get a new story..."You're going to be fine do what you want", "Don't do too much, because you don't want the clots to move," "don't keep taking the pill", "do keep taking the pill," "don't exercise," "do exercise," "blood clots are a big deal," "everyone gets blood clots"...and it goes on and on!!! I don't know who to believe anymore, but I do know my leg is starting to feel better! I still get pretty winded after walking or talking, so hopefully that goes away soon.

On a happier note, my hip is moving around better and I only have 5 days left on crutches. I've gotten 3 new exercises to do and those are going well. I go to the INR clinic again this after noon and then to PT on Wednesday. I'm off this week of work and possibly next week too. The doctors all want me to get back to a "theraputic level" before going back to work. They did say that I could possibly go back 1/2 time, but then told me that if I am able to take one more week, that would be the best option for me. We will see!

Here is to a better 2011!!

1-week

*Pictures above...Decoy enjoying her time out of the kennel and stretching out on the couch, Eric making my leg lifting device, Decoy and I on our Princess Throns relaxing, and me on the bike 1-day after surgery.

It's been on week since my surgery and things are going good. Like April said in her post last week, surgery went well and the surgeon was able to fix what needed fixing. He sewed up my torn labrum and shaved down my hip socket, femur head and femur neck. I guess he did quite a bit if shaving on the neck this time around. He has me on crutches for 3 weeks versus 2 the last time around. I have only two incisions again and they are almost a mirror image of the ones on the right side. I have quite a bit more bruising this time, I guess it's because of how much bone he shaved off and the blood needing to go somewhere. Recovery for the first 4 days was rough. The pain was more intense as well as the swelling and brusing. I don't remember the first time around being this painful, maybe it's like chidbirth...if we remembered how it was the first time we probably wouldn't have done it again, right?

Being 1 week post surgery, I've been to 1 physical therapy session and have been able to keep up with my exercises. I've been able to ride the exercise bike for 15 minutes a times (sometimes 2x/day), do my tummy time/back time to stretch out my hip flexors, get on all 4's and do some rocking back and forth, flex my quads and have gotten my glute to fire every day! I'm scheduled for another physical therapy sesson on Wednesday as well as my 2-week check-up with the surgeon.

Eric continues to be very supportive as well as my family, his family and my co-workers. Thank you all for the flowers, meals, cleaning and outtings! Everything that has been done has been very much appreciated! I know Eric (and I) are enjoying the meals. Eric enjoys eating them and not having to think of something to feed me!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope you are able to spend it with your friends and family!

I'm ALIVE!

We'll at least I think she is...this is April, her twin sister posting for her. But if I remember correctly she only had to update my blog for one surgery, now here I am updating her's for surgery #2...looks like she finally owes ME one! Yes...
Well, sounds like everything went according to plan. I had to call my Mom this morning to first of all, remind her to go to the right hospital this time, (last surgery she showed up at the wrong one) and second of all to specifically request a phone all once Tiffany was out of surgery because last time I think it was around 9:00pm that I finally got a call saying everything was a-ok. Anyways, my mom called around noon saying the surgeon just came to talk with them. Sounds like everything went well, the doc had to shave off more cartilage that he thought and scrape some more lining off her hip socket but other than that things should be back to "normal". He apparently commented that there was no arthritis in the hip joint (which we had never heard there was) so that was strange...he'll have to explain that to tiff when she's a little more with it at her post op apt in a few weeks.
Well...here's to a few long days of recovery for Tiffany, she will do fine; after all, she does have a nurse at her fingertips! Oh...and a lot of good drugs too!

Stuff

I thought I would type one more time before surgery tomorrow. Yesterday marked my 6 month point on my right hip. I'm noticing changes and am looking forward to more! This has nothing to do with my hip, but Eric and I celebrated our 4-year anniversary together yesterday. I told him that I hope the next 4-years go even better!

My surgery is tomorrow already! I've gotten the phone call from the nurse confirming everything, so I guess it is really going to happen. I've even asked about the whole pregnancy test thing since last time they didn't tell me about it, and it caused some major last minute stress!

Surgery is scheduled for 9:50AM now and I have to be there at 8:00AM. She said that my surgeon is very efficient and moves through his surgeries very quickly. Interesting how he can move through his surgeries quickly, but his doctor office visits are always 1.5 hours behind.

A funny side story:'My grandma fell the day after Thanksgiving and broke her pelvis in two places (that's not the funny part) so she has been in care facility receiving physical therapy and occupational therapy while there. Yesterday when I went to visit her, she provided me with some practical strategies to use following my surgery! She told me about ice packs, how to put on my shoes using my grabber, how to move my leg with a rope and even how to get into my car using some slippery fabric. She is surprised that my therapist doesn't provide me with strategies. We are even going to swap walkers because mine has breaks and hers doesn't. I don't use mine as a real walker (just to slide it around the house with my things on it), so I think my grandma would benefit from the breaks more than me. I was sorry to tell her that I couldn't share my raised toilet seat with her just yet. She and I will be in the same boat recovering at home come Saturday.

I will have my sister post an update on how my surgery went and I'll update when I'm able. I'll try to take some pictures this time around.

Till then!