New Hippity!!

Oh hey. It's been a week and a day since my new hip (The Starhip Enterprise) was put into my body. Today is the one week mark since I was discharged from the hospital. I'm finally awake enough and coherent enough to do a recap of the past week of my life. So, sit back, relax, and hopefully this post will be 1. entertaining 2. informational and 3....awesome? (I ran out of things).

This photo is me at 8:00 am at St. Joseph's. I'm not a fan of early morning things.
When I went to my pre-op appointment my parents and I were instructed that we needed to be at the admissions area of St. Joseph's at 8:00am. Ok, 8 am - no big, but then we were told that my operation would be at 1:30pm. We were less than thrilled with 5.5 hours of downtime.

After I first got there, we were all together for about 20-30 minutes in the admissions waiting area. I was then taken back into the first pre-op areas. I was only allowed to have one of my parents back with me at a time, so my mom and dad switched off every so often.

In this first area I was given a gown, a surgery hair cap, TED stalkings, and grippy socks. The TED stalkings are thigh high compression stalkings that help prevent lower limb swelling and blood clots. Everything I was given (minus the TEDS) were purple and I loved it so much! Purple is my favorite color just FYI. The last thing that happened in this first area was I was given some pain pills and one other pill to start to help me relax.

After I left the first pre-op staging area my parents were no longer allowed to be with me. They took my glasses and cell phone so there are no more photos until later on (I think after the first day ended). In the second pre-op area I spoke with the anesthesiologist and my surgeon Dr. Kress. When Dr. Kress came in, he walked over and squeezed my toes and said hi - not having my glasses and since he was wearing a scrub cap I had no idea who he was at first, then he took off the cap and I saw his bald head and it clicked.

One of the more difficult things to do with me is to get an IV in. One lovely nurse tried twice before an anesthesiologist came over and got it in. I met two of the residents who would also be in during my procedure. I was given a few more sedatives via IV.

I was told by my parents that I was taken into the operating room (which was St. Joe's main operating room) at 1:10 pm. The only thing I remember of the operating room was moving to the operating table, leaning over, a resident helping my crouch in the right position for the spinal, and then nothing.

My parents told me that my surgery took 90 minutes. That's pretty impressive I think. What happened during the surgery is my surgeon opened me up and inspected the surrounding muscles and connective tissues. He said that they were pretty beat up from my MRSA 9 years ago. Eventually he removed the ball of my hip joint off of my femur. My socket needed to be carved out a little due to improper wear and tear. Finally Dr. Kress put in a metal ball and a ceramic socket.

I don't remember much of the first day due to all the sedative medications and other medicines. I do remember that I had two drains and 23 staples.

By the next day I had already made it to the bathroom and walked around the nurses station. My nurse from 7pm-7am, Alecia, was very impressed with how well I was walking only hours out of surgery. Later in the morning I also had both my drains removed.

My nurses changed from Alecia to Tsion and with Tsion came breakfast. I don't understand why people think hospital food is gross. It was lovely. I had 2 waffles, eggs, bacon, strawberries, and coffee (I didn't drink the coffee). Unfortunately while I was sitting up eating breakfast I started to get the symptoms of a spinal headache.

The rest of the day was a bit of physical therapy and getting ready to be discharged.

I got home around 5:30 pm on Saturday, October 16th. I can't remember what I spent the rest of the day doing - I'm going to say I was most likely asleep.

Kelly's Gifts

Sunday was the start of hell in a headache for me. From Sunday until Tuesday I suffered with a spinal headache. Every time I sat/stood I became nauseous, dizzy, light headed, had cold sweats, and started dry heaving - that was on top of the head splitting pain. When you aren't lying flat the leak of spinal fluid that causes the spinal headache increases meaning that the brain isn't surrounded by enough spinal fluid. On Tuesday I finally went in to get a blood patch. Oh man was that the best thing ever. The only remnant of the headache is now a bit of lower back pain due to my spine being accessed twice.

Parents' Gifts

I've started physical therapy and I get my staples removed on Monday. I got a few gifts from Kelly and my parents. I guess that puts you up to date!

The only weird thing is that where normally I would've started counting down to my birthday at the beginning of October, I only realized yesterday that my 22nd birthday is this coming Wednesday. I'll be sure to let you all know what I plan on doing!

Thanks for all your support and kind words. I can't wait to share my recovery with you all!

Jessica