Jennifer's Hip Replacement Surgery

NSMC Union Hospital, Lynn, MA

Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

Wednesday morning we arrived at the hospital at approx. 6:15am, and by 6:30am she was on her way.  Dr. Wood performed the surgery and as soon as he finished he came out to speak with me and to let me know that everything went perfectly according to plan.  But I still had to wait more than an hour for her to come out of Recovery before I could actually see her.

Needless to say, she was pretty groggy from the anesthetic.  Even though she had a spinal block and was awake throughout the entire operation, her Doctors say she tends to talk too much during procedures (LOL) and therefore would be a distraction, and they needed to keep her quiet so they could concentrate.  At least, that's the excuse they gave her.

Later on when she got to her room and as the block wore off, the inevitable began to kick in, and she was on "the button".  She spent the remainder of the day resting.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Thursday was another R & R day and as her pain became more manageable, she was able to eat small meals, sit up in a chair and (with assistance), make her way to the bathroom using a walker.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Friday was when the bad news arrived.  The hospital staff told Jen that on Saturday she would be sent to a rehab facility.  This was a Big Surprise to us because previously we had been told that by Saturday or Sunday, as long as she was able to use a walker to get to the bathroom and back to bed, she would be released to do her physical and occupational therapy at home.  This news was totally unexpected, and most unwelcome.  We had already arranged for 24hr. live-in care, we had a "hospital bed" in place for her, and fully expected her to be home by Sunday.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

So, late Saturday morning she was transported to the Den-Mar Nursing Home in Rockport.  Well, this turned out to be the worst possible experience.  The facility she went to is primarily a nursing home that seems to do rehab as an afterthought.  And rather than separating their rehab patients from the ones needing more serious health care, they placed her in a room with a dying patient who required attention every 2hrs. throughout the night.  Hardly an environment conducive to rehabilitation.  And because it was the weekend, she wasn't likely to get any real rehab until Monday!  Meanwhile, she was totally able to get herself to and from the bathroom without assistance other than using a walker, which we were told was the requirement for her to be able to go home.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

After one night of this torture, on Sunday my sister and I announced to the Den-Mar staff that we were leaving and taking Jennifer with us.  They were not very happy about that, but they knew they couldn't stop us either.  They said they had to call her doctor to see what he had to say about it, and we said, "Fine.  But it's Sunday - she'll be home long before he ever calls you back!"  And with that, we left!

The fact that Jennifer could get to and from the bathroom un-assisted was all we needed to convince us that she was ready to go home!  We didn't even waste time getting the "big car" - she went home in Sylvia's PRIUS!  It was actually a pretty short ride (about .7mi).

By Sunday evening Jennifer's spirits had lifted tremendously.  She was at home surrounded by family and friends (and puppies!).  And there's no better environment than that to help your rehab along!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

After a few days of well-deserved R & R, Jennifer had her first physical therapy session today.  She is way beyond expectations for so soon after her operation and we expect her to make a full and speedy recovery.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Another physical therapy session, and more kudos for being ahead of the recuperation curve.  Jen continues to improve.  We had Jack raise the height of the sofa by a little more than 3" (at the suggestion of the physical therapist), and that has made it much easier for Jen to get on and off it.  Truth be told, I like it too.  It always was too close to the floor - even I had to struggle to get off it!

She'll be taking the weekend off (from therapy), but will be working at home (Telecommuting?).

Stay tuned for updates.

Dick