Woohoo… the checkup went well! They took some X-rays which showed that the surface of my left hip joint is still good! So, although I sometimes have pain in my left hip or knee, it’s definitely not time yet for another operation. Phew…!
Happy Birthday, Hip!
Exactly a year ago, I got a new hip in Belgium, or actually parts of it, called a resurfacing. It has given me my mobility and my life back! So thank you, Dr. DeSmet, and happy birthday, Hip! 
Hip Checkup
Phew… the checkup around 6 weeks after my operation (actually 7.5) went well. The doctor was optimistic, even though I still need one crutch to walk outside (inside, I often walk without), I sometimes still feel a slight pain in my knee, and I sometimes feel some ‘movement’ in the joint, usually when the muscles are supple. All these things will disappear in due course, he said.
The important thing was, the new X-ray of the hip looked fine (yes, this time, the picture really is MINE). And at least I can walk hundreds of meters again, without pain.
Four weeks
It’s now been exactly four weeks since I’ve had my operation.
I now walk quite well on 1 crutch most of the time, although indoors I can do a few steps (< 10) without crutches.
Since my entry last week, I did the following things:
50% crutch-free
Another small milestone: I’m now officially allowed to walk with just one crutch, as the physiotherapist thought I was stable enough to do so. So in addition to “100% stitch-free” since last Tuesday, I’m now “50% crutch-free”!
As for medication: since I quit taking any painkillers last Tuesday, I’ve felt *much* better: no more nap-attacks. They were probably caused by the codeine, which although effective in killing pain, also caused disastrous drowsiness. Today, I also administered to myself my last Heparin injection. This is a drug to prevent unwanted bloodclots which are disastrous when they get to your heart, lung, or brain. Although we learned in hospital how to do this, and I’ve done it twenty times now, I never really got comfortable stinging myself with a 3 cm needle.
Unfortunately, I’m not 100% medication-free yet, because I still need to take those iron pills. The blood test last Tuesday revealed that my [Hb] was 7.7 (mmol/ml), which should be at least 8.5, or measured another way: the Hematocrit value was 37 percent, and should be more than 40. So, for the next few weeks, I’ll be on those ravishing red iron pills…
50% staple-free
Today, the first half of my surgical staples were removed. Since the nurses in Belgium was convinced that “those things don’t exist in Holland”, I was given a special pair of scissors for removing the staples.
When the doctor’s assistant saw the thing, she exclaimed: “Oh, but these things aren’t practical. I’m more likely to hurt you than help you.” Fortunately, the doctor had a better pair of scissors, with which she removed 14 out of the 27 staples, virtually painlessly.
The other staples will be removed after Easter.
Deaf for a Day
Yesterday, I was almost completely deaf. When I woke up, it sounded like I was standing in a storm, or maybe in the E.A.C. (if you’ve watched Finding Nemo). It’s a really weird way to experience the world. Hardly any sounds got through. So this is what deaf people must feel like. In medical terms, I was suffering from tinnitus
A visit to the weekend doctor (who will probably charge me a fortune for it) didn’t reveal the main causes, although she was very nice indeed. She observed that my eardrums were turned inside out, said that it could be because of a cold, and suggested I take nose drops to clear my nose.
An e-mail to my surgeon did reveal the causes. Yes, that’s right: Belgian surgeons can be contacted directly, through e-mail! In Holland (or Britain, for that matter), you usually have to get past their “Kerberos” secretaries first, and beg for an appointment in 10 days, if you’re lucky.
Anyway, the surgeon suggested that it might be because of
1) A low bload count (Hematocrit value). In Dutch that’s called: bloedarmoede. Caused by loss of blood during the operation.
2) Side-effects of one of the medications I was taking (Indomethacin)
So, last night I quit the Indomethacin, and started taking iron pills.
Today, the tinnitus was over.
Hospital Stay
Today, just 4 days after the operation, I was discharged from the hospital.
Below is a brief roundup of what happened each day:
BHR
About the title: BHR stands for Birmingham Hip Resurfacing, which is the ideal method for treating hip problems in young patients. Unfortunately they don’t do this type of operations in Holland.
So, yesterday I was admitted to the Jan Palfijn hospital in Gent (Belgium) to have a BHR operation. This should hopefully solve the problems I’ve been having with my right hip for almost two years. The regular pre-op examinations were done: blood samples, ECG, X-rays, talk to a cardiologist.
