New Hip Era

 Hey Friends!

Last we spoke I was preparing to "Shake it off" with Tay Tay prior to receiving a new hip. It's been exactly 2 weeks since my total hip replacement, so the jury is still out; however, I'll share my experience thus far. 

Firstly, Taylor Swift was unbelievably awesome! Admittedly, I wouldn't classify myself as a "Swiftie." I'm a fan, think she's very talented, and favor her Reputation Era. However, once I was amongst 60,000 people, all singing EVERY SINGLE WORD to every single song, I gained a realization as what it actually means to be a "Swiftie." FYI: My sister, Kayla, meets the criteria. ;) 

Everyone at that concert was absolutely living his/her best life. The outfits on the fans were unreal. People went all out! Girls had replicated Taylor's concert looks (bodysuits in 8 degrees!), created interesting T-shirts, even wrapped faux snakes around the body. Everywhere you went, fans were complimenting each other's fits - it was definitely a no-judgement zone. I loved how everyone was trading friendship bracelets - even police officers and security guards. One super fan climbed the stairs to reach a little girl behind us, saying, "I saw you and thought this little bracelet would fit your wrist." The stadium was filled with joy, kindness, acceptance, and anticipation. It was inspiring to be a part of that. Isn't it incredible that one phenomenal performer can generate that much positivity? We need more of that in our world. 

As expected, Taylor put on an unbelievable show. It felt quite emotional, as it was the very last show of her 2-year Eras Tour. At one point in the show, Taylor paused for applause, 60,000 people sang Happy Birthday to her, and we all watched her soak it all in for about 5 minutes with tear-filled eyes amidst the roaring crowd. Her dancers held each other tight, and I couldn't help but be swept away with emotion, knowing that these people have worked so hard together for 2 years, and it was all coming to an end. 

I haven't been back to Vancouver in over 20 years! I really enjoyed reuniting with my aunt, uncle, and cousins who live in Vancouver, and don't get the opportunity to see regularly in the summer.  In addition, it was so great to catch up with bud from my Victoria Hospital days in PA. Colleen scored us the tickets over a year ago, and it was so nice of her to share those coveted tickets with me and my sister. Kayla and I had so much (we always do). We took some Santa pics for our dad, toured around Vancouver, and just enjoyed hanging out. I love being with my sister. 

I arrived back on island exhausted, but full of happiness, and ready to take on joint surgery #16 - the first time my hip got in the action.  

My mom arrived the day before my surgery. I am so thankful that she took time away from her winter vacay life in California to help out. Her week here was definitely NOT a vacation, as she spent most of it either freezing in the hospital chair, putting cold cloths on my head, or running around fetching me meds, pillows, clothes, food, etc. 

Overall, the surgery went well. It took place at a private hospital in Cayman called Health City. Health City is part of Narayana Health, an Indian private hospital network headquartered in Bangalore, India. The majority of the healthcare professionals are of Indian descent, which was different than my last experiences in public health in Cayman, where the staff varied from Caribbean to American to Filipino. My experience is that every culture has a unique way of providing care, including the Indian culture at Health City. 

My nurses were very gentle, soft-spoken, and kind. I heard, "It's ok It's ok" about 30 times during my 2-day stay. Most of the time it was ok, but a few times it was not, and hearing "it's Ok it's ok" was a bit frustrating. My impression was that everyone was very rule-based, which I appreciate. If a med needed to be delivered at 5pm, it was delivered at 5pm. I rarely waited for a nurse to attend to me when needed and felt very cared for during my stay. I also scored a very large private room, which was a nice surprise. 

Typically, I awaken from anesthetic on a total adrenaline high. My MO is to wake up in recovery, sit straight up, and start chatting manically with anyone who is willing to talk with me. I generally wake up feeling like I could conquer the world, then crash and burn 6-12 hours later. This experience was much different. I awoke very groggy and quite low in mood and energy. Interestingly, I've felt this way the entire 2-weeks post-surgery as well. Also, I woke up feeling very ill and spent the first 15-hours post-surgery retching into my kidney basin. I sniffed peppermint, swished the anesthesia flavor out of my mouth with toothpaste, and hung on tight to that basin for dear life...until, thankfully, the nausea slowly dissipated the next day. I also cried off-and-on for the first few days. I wasn't really sure why I was crying. This is new. Like did my hip come with feelings? The hip was still frozen from the nerve block, and to be honest, I felt very little pain, requiring no narcotics/opioids post-surgery, which was my goal, given my icky reactions to those drugs. 

My surgeon came to see me the day after my surgery. I like him. He's calm, quiet and very thorough. He shared pictures of my shitty hip and stated that the damage to my hip and cartilage was not "typical." He explained that the hip they were planning to install, the dual-mobility hip, was too large for my not-so-child-bearing hips; however, the prosthesis placement was "textbook" (He used that word about 4 times, so I'm inclined to believe this is great news). 

Although I felt quite awful from the nausea, I quickly jumped into the role of awesome patient in the hope of being discharged earlier than planned. I sat up straight in bed, wiped the vomit off my chin, performed my bed exercises for him, and assured Dr. Alwin that I was worthy of an early discharge. He agreed and I was able to tolerate the long drive home from Health City in East End (about an hour from my house). 

The first 3 days were hard. Although the pain was manageable with paracetamol (Tylenol), I found it difficult to get comfortable. Laying, sitting, and sleeping were challenging. I caught a cold, which felt like a big kick in the ass. Coughing all night just added to my inability to sleep. 

My hemoglobin dropped from the blood loss, and although it didn't decrease to the level that warrants a blood transfusion like it did with my knee replacement, the level continues to make me feel weak and low in energy and mood. Iron supplements do not agree with my digestive system, so I'm still trying to increase my hemoglobin by ingesting iron-rich foods.

Funny enough, the worst pain has come from my attention-craving knee. You'd think the titanium knee would offer to take some of the weight off the hip, but it's been crying out for attention in the form of nerve pain. Nerve pain is the worst. It feels like a sniper suddenly targets you with an electric shock to the joint. My poor ankle (the only OG joint remaining on that side of my lower body) is currently sore and carrying the team as well. Thoughts and prayers to my ankle. 

So far, the rehab has been much easier than the knees. There are no specific milestones, like extension and flexion, that need to be hit right away. I've been told just standing and walking is what the hip really wants right now. I'm also able to do abduction exercises, bridge, get up off the floor, and have been doing abs and push-ups (from my knees) a few times a day. 

My biggest issue is currently my inability to bathe. It's now been 14 days without a proper shower/bath, and although I'm washing my hair in the sink and sponge-bathing daily, I just really really want a shower. My staples come out today and as long as everything looks good, I should be allowed to bathe on January 3. Never ever underestimate the ability to bathe, my friends! Speaking of the staples, I was quite surprised by the size of my incision. It's pretty gnarly! I was told that with this new anterior approach my bikini would cover the scar, but I don't currently own a bikini, or know of a bikini, that will cover that sucker. In fact, my hip scar is one footlong sub away from colliding with my knee scar! I might require long tassels on that bikini. (No worries, I will not post my incision pic here. DM me for a "hip pic" ;) 

We had a quiet Christmas. Stacey and Charlene came over on Christmas eve and we cooked a turkey together and watched Christmas movies (yes, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie). It was exactly what I needed that day. Dilbert has morphed into Kevin Costner a la Bodyguard era.  It's quite comical how he will not leave my side, escorts me to and from the bathroom, and checks all preparation in the kitchen to ensure that no one is poisoning me. What a good friend...or psycho-stalker Single White Female-ish? 

So that's the update. Everything is fine. I'm just kinda floating through the days right now in a daze, hoping that my mood and energy increase soon. I've definitely had worse surgery experiences; however, each surgery is increasingly harder on my body, I know that I need to begin pursuing a referral to a Geneticist and I know that there will be more surgeries in my future. I'm trying to practice gratitude, and I am thankful that everything has been "textbook," but I am just so tired and frankly, over it. 

Cheers to a healthy and safe 2025.