Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.
Click on the pictures to enlarge.
Even though I had the chance to get an extra Two Hours of sleep last night, it did nothing but to cause me more problems. I wore more casual clothes since I was going into a public setting, but I also had to pack my work clothes to bring along. The route to work is a straight line to the outer edges of the city, so the usual traffic flow is steady. Today I was headed to see the Surgeon whose Office is located in the middle of the downtown and with all the Construction happening, traffic was bumper-to-bumper and crawling. I normally arrive at work with more than Twenty Minutes to spare. Today I arrived just as they were calling my name.
Being
second on the call list the Doctor
had already been reviewing my chart so with a brief examination and
some
questions
he listed Three
Options
for
my problem.
One was to continue living with the Pain.
Another was a Total
Hip Replacement,
that will cause more PAIN
and take months of Therapy
to
get back to near normal. Lastly, there is an Injection
that has to be done in the Hospital,
but is not covered under our Medical
Plan
($$$)
and is only good for Nine
Months.
That last part sounded more like a Sales Pitch. With my head spinning, probably from the lack of breakfast, I said I needed to talk with Kathy. As I was walking out, I ran into other Retired Co-Workers from my Pre-Retirement Days, all with worn body parts that needed fixing.
I called Kathy from the Parking Lot to update her, then headed to the Union Hall. Unifor just bargained a new contract for the Ford Motor leg of the Union. Even though it passed by a low percentage, they achieved some gains for the Retirees. I spoke with Darcy the Benefits Representative but being that the agreement was just made this weekend, he had not had the chance to see all the changes. He will call me back.
Once at the Windsor Feedscrews I changed into my working clothes and Coveralls. I didn’t put on a show of my 10:45 arrival and simply started TIG Welding on a Rebuild /Repair Feedscrew. The next time I raised my Welding Shield, I could see Mile looking in the direction of the welding flash.
I spoke more to Kathy at lunch break.
In the afternoon, since I had not spoken to Mile yet, when I noticed him about to walk by, I waved him over. Even though I already knew what had to be done, I explained my concern and asked his opinion. With the answer I expected, I continued on that Unit for the remainder of the shift.
At the Apartment I presented Kathy with the printout from the Surgeon, then put my things away. Her next statement was “I was worth it”. By that time their Office was closed so I’ll schedule the procedure tomorrow.
Kathy noticed one of the Wiper Blades on the Car was falling apart and with Rain in the forecast for the remainder of the week, we headed off to Canadian Tire for replacements. Everyone is happy with the cooler temperatures from the Fall season, but it comes at a price, shorter days.
We purchased the exact same Wiper Blades before attempting to install then on the Car. I have installed Hundreds of Wipers (No exaggeration) in my years and they always just clicked in place. Now there is an assortment of Useless Adapters that come with each Blade and none will connect to the Wiper Arm or the Blade. When people see someone with a Cane struggling to fix things, they all try to be helpful. After slicing open my Thumb, I found out that their Service Department had closed at 6:00, so Kathy will wait until tomorrow afternoon to get the Wipers installed.
Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment, unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion, or is Spam.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It’s about time.
Krackers
You Might Be a Redneck If
There are more dishes in your sink than in your cabinets.
Hard decisions for sure. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a decision to be made. Having never gone through a hip replacement, we know several that have and it would be my choice to go through with it.
ReplyDeleteAll the best with your decision.
The choice is yours, and a difficult decision it is. The recovery form hip replacement is shorter and less painful than knee :) It was 10 wks into recovery before my post-surgery knee was better than the pre-surgery knee. And during those 10 weeks, Fran's Pickleball partner had her hip replaced and was back on the court!
ReplyDeleteOne of my best friends has had both her hips done and is really glad she did. But you must do all the physical therapy after the surgery. And I know you will. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteI have had a hip replacement. Pain was less than what I had been having. No physical therapy, just a lot of walking and soon better than new.
ReplyDeleteMy husband had both done in same year. Easy peasy, back to truck driving in 4 weeks.
ReplyDeleteNumerous folks find the cortisone shots work well and opt to go that route for a few years and when the shots aren’t working as well or for as long, they have surgery. It gives you more control over your life. You can check to see if a different brand of drug would be covered, which is often the case. Of course you could mention it to the pharmacy and they may also be able to offer some ideas since they deal with drug companies all the time. Whatever the cost to you, I’m certain it is only pennies a day for being pain free or at least able to function with little pain. Good luck with whatever decision you make.
ReplyDeleteDeb
I am confused.!! Are you deciding to have the hip replacement.? Or the cortizone shot.? When you wrote "Kathy said I was worth it". I assumed you chose the shot & you would have to pay for it.?? Personally, I have had the cortizone shot twice. It is covered by Medicare in the US. It is done in the doctors office by 2 people. One is running the ultra-sound machine while the other is guiding the needle into place. They numb the area, quick & painless procedure. It does last about 9 months & buys you some time - but someday I will need a hip replacement (if I live that long). Be aware - there is no guarantee the cortisone shot will work for YOU. And, if you continue to abuse your body it will not last 9 months either. I also have to take Meloxicam anti-inflamatory. Plus, I try to eat low inflammatory diet. I have a bad feeling you are choosing to get the shot of cortisone & then continue working for Mile to pay for it. Yikes! It's your business - but, that would be a huge mistake. Sorry, I have allowed myself to worry & get so involved in your blog - but, I've been reading for so long. Just like I say prayers for Kelly and her liver situation up in Bayfield. I do wish You & Kathy well - and freedom from pain. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteP S. - if you get the cortisone shot - you can not have Any surgery for at least 3 to 6 months afterwards (something about a high risk of infection) . I'm sure they will tell you about this. Plus, you have to take special care of yourself for up to 72 hours. It takes a long time to "kick in". Please give it every opportunity to work for you. The cold of winter is what I am dreading here in Ohio as it makes it so much worse (even with the shot). Wish I could get to the warm desert like You & Kathy. Best Wishes to you both.
ReplyDeleteAs you know I have been following you for many years. Also remember that I am an RN and that I have had both hips replaced.
ReplyDeleteIn my humble opinion the cortisone shot likely will not work. I have yet to meet anyone that cortisone has helped for more than a few weeks. I had a cortisone shot ( my first ever ) last November. It did not work. In fact despite being numbed the shot was so painful that I almost passed out.
I would rather have hip surgery!! Seriously. Don't waste a year of your life only to be in pain.
I am beyond shocked that the surgeon would tell you that the surgery in painful. The actual surgery is painless. Yes there is some pain as you heal the first few weeks BUT it is NOT as SEVERE as what you are enduring right now. You will get pain meds to help with that, that you can easily taper off of. I was off my meds in two weeks and used a few glasses of wine to take the edge off every now and then.
The key is to be prepared by doing physio exercises BEFORE surgery so you have certain muscles built up which will help you get in and out of bed. You MUST do all the exercises before and after. Be prepared with a bed railing, a commode, the proper chair to sit in with the correct cushion, a walker, etc. These are things that can be borrowed from the Red Cross and returned with a donation afterwards.
Next question is, how long do you have to wait for surgery to get the hip replaced? Here in BC it is from 12 - 36 months. Put yourself on that list tomorrow. You can always cancel but getting on that list is key.
Rick, if I were making the decision for myself, the hip replacement would be a no brainer...it almost is a quick recovery and will last the rest of your life. As stated above, get on the list and proceed to follow your RV dreams!!!!
DeleteJust my two cents...i had the cortisone shot in my hip. I had relief immediately and it lasted about a year. I still have pain but not as severe. If you left your current job, what would you do? Not sit around, I'm sure. You would be a great teacher at a trade school😊
ReplyDeleteRick, please take Contessa's advice and get the hip replacement, don't bother with the cortisone injection. As I have mentioned before, I have had two back surgeries, both preceded by a cortisone injection which did not work. Get on the surgery schedule ASAP! Her advice about physio before and after the surgery is also spot on, you must do both if you want a successful outcome. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't sound like this surgeon is confident in his abilities if he's telling you that surgery is MORE pain. Good grief! Do you not have the ability to choose your dr in Ontario? I had to have both knees replaced. Cortisone shots didn't last more than a week. I spent a lot of time researching ortho surgeons to find the right one. Mine said I wouldn't feel any pain after the surgery, but the first few weeks of therapy would be tough. He was right. But geez, I got my life back! I had the knees done within 3 months of each other, and 3 months later I was walking miles around Rome and Florence on a Med cruise. Find a competent surgeon. Get your life back!
ReplyDelete