My modern miracle

[darkemeralds]

During my long absence from this platform, I noticed, then was a bit bothered by, then was slowed down by, and finally (and rather suddenly) completely incapacitated by arthritis of the hip joints. I began managing symptoms with ibuprofen, then cannabis (yay cannabis), and gradually forgot what it was like to go to sleep at night without drugs.

Last year around this time I committed to an August writing retreat in France. I knew my travel activities would be limited, but what I didn't anticipate was the degree of pain I would suffer getting from an airport to a train to an underground. I could not have imagined needing an entire day and night immobile in a hotel room (in the heart of London! What a waste!) just to recover enough to walk even a few steps. I never envisioned myself needing wheelchair assistance in airports.

But I did.

And that's what it took to get me out of fantasy land. As soon as I got home, I interviewed a couple of orthopedic surgeons, magically chose the one who, it turns out, practices the advanced method of hip replacement that Misha Collins benefited from, and booked myself in.

The left hip was replaced on November 1. In to the surgery center at 6:30 a.m., home in my own bed by 2:30 that afternoon, back on my bike three weeks later. The surgeon came in as I was waking up from anesthesia and with the most pitying look on his face said, "I don't know how you stood it. Your bone spurs had bone spurs."

I have named that new joint Titania.

The right hip was my Christmas present, December 20. Same incredible method, same miraculous recovery.

I call that one T2.

Three weeks later I rode my bike to the clinic to turn in my excess opioids (and boy do they prescribe those things in abundance!), and I've been sleeping every night since without any chemical assistance.

The COBRA health insurance I've been lucky enough to carry since retirement six years ago though-I-had-to-refinance-my-mortgage-to-pay-the-premiums has paid off.

My time of significant disability was humbling and eye-opening. This second chance is so wonderful that even in the midst of pandemic, I'm taking joy in my ability to stand in the kitchen long enough to cook real food. Go down my front steps. Walk to the store. Get on and off my bike. Get in and out of my bathtub.

If we ever fly in airplanes again, I'm kind of looking forward to having Titania and T2 show up on the scanner.

Oh, and despite everything, the writing retreat in France was wonderful. And I got to see ravurian in London.

Comments

[rainkatt]

Ack! I’m glad that turned out so well!

[cathexys]

Wow! It's great to hear from you and your double hip replacement sounds like it was a best case scenario. Awesome!!!

[ravurian]

Hip hip! Replacement! (x2)

I still say you should have asked to retain your actual hip joints and made them into cane-handles or ornaments...

[tabaqui]

WOW. Just...wow.
That is *amazing*. What an incredible technique. I'm so very, very glad that you were able to do that!

:D

[executrix]

I am so glad to hear it. At its best, medicine does amazing things, and I'm so glad you could benefit.

[sasha_feather]

That's wonderful. I'm so happy you had success with your surgeries.

[sffan]

Woo!!! I'm so glad your recovery was speedy and you are able to do the things you love again without pain.

[ranunculus]

I for one am very glad to hear from you. Extra glad that your hips are now functional again. I know my mother's knee and hip replacements were pretty miraculous and that was more than 20 years ago. Like you she didn't do anything till she was reduced to using the mattock instead of the shovel because it hurt too much to use the shovel...

[lyr]

I am so glad to hear that the replacements went well and have helped so much! That's excellent.

[nanila]

Hello again! Nice to see you here. I'm glad the surgeries turned out so well for you, and I'm sorry you had to miss out on using some of your time this side of the pond in the optimal manner.

[azurelunatic]

Congratulations on the fantastic cure! Hooray for advances in medicine.

[lamentables]

Goodness, I'm glad to hear that your fix was so complete and effective. It's weird how we can slip into such a parlous state without recognising what's happening, isn't it.

[toft]

I'm so glad to hear that you were able to get that done and are doing so well.

[tehomet]

OMG I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that... but genuinely that treatment is a serious improvement on the 'old' way, and I'm very happy you had such good results. May Titania and T2 (awesome names) take you far ♥