I am hopeful that my summer long saga of pain and futility are drawing to a close. My surgery is two weeks away. I am grateful to Ruth and her practical approach to problems. It is reassuring to me. After all my worry and anxiety,  I know I will be fine.

I have only one more item to check off my list. It is an appointment to see my surgeon’s PA. My dentist gave me a pass. I had no oral infection. My primary met with me and did his part. I participated in a two-hour hip class which was informative but also made me anxious. I met with the anesthesiology nurse. I passed all my labs.

My worries

My RA will become a worsening problem as I will be off Medrol and meloxicam starting Sunday. My RA feet are badly affected as are my ankles. My tendons in my legs are also a problem when I walk. My hands, wrists and shoulders are also problematic. After taking the hip class, I became concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do such things as get up on my elbows to do the maneuvering to get up out of bed. I was reassured by the class nurse in a follow-up call that my recovery period would be tailored to meet my needs and all would be well. I am okay with it as much as I can be.

I am a planner. It isn’t always a good thing. I realized that although sleeping on the affected hip worked for me, after surgery I would not be sleeping on my incision. So, I decided to practice sleeping on the opposite side, the unaffected side. It was a bad decision. My pain quadrupled. It was unbearable. It was so bad that when I laid down I couldn’t get up to brush my teeth and put my nightgown on. I slept in my clothes with my socks on. So, after spending two days in pain beyond belief, I went back to sleeping on my bad hip. My pain level is much better.

The walker is another issue. My RA Doc ordered a walker when she saw me limping down the hall. It is a great walker. It has helped me stay mobile.  It has a bench that is handy for carrying things like coffee or laundry. I enjoy my walker for the freedom it has given me. After the Hip class, I realized that I would need a different walker. Oh no, I thought, one more learning experience. So, I bought the correct walker and I practiced with it. There was no place on it to carry my laundry or to carry my coffee. So, I decided to do what I had been told by many health care professionals and Ruth to do. And that is to work with today only. The rest will take care of itself. I am using my favorite walker and am sleeping peacefully on my bad hip. I am good with that. My exercise into preparedness was futile.

My last worry is about going home. I am expecting that I will be discharged from the hospital three days after my total hip replacement surgery. I have prepared the home front as best I can. My son, who is also handicapped, will help me the best he can. It may be possible to have home healthcare or it may be possible to extend rehab for a few days. But it is all maybe.  Not for someone who is a planner. I am into month five with this problem. I’ll be glad when it’s all over. So will Ruth.