A Hipnoxious Day

So tomorrow is the big day. Today was my pre-op appointment, which was scheduled at 1:30pm. I finally saw the PA-C around 2:30 and then the surgeon for about 5 minutes after that.

Anyway, enough about my frustrations with scheduling. Pre-op was pretty standard. I asked a few questions, they asked a few questions, I got my crutches and met with physical therapy.

Cidastat Soap. 
FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY

They gave me a special soap that I am to wash with from the neck down tonight and tomorrow. It's a special anti-bacterial hospital grade soap. One chemical compound away from being bleach, apparently. It smells horrible and they gave it to me in a cup they use for urine samples. Thanks guys.

I picked up 3 prescriptions from the pharmacy that I'll start taking after surgery. For pain they prescribed Vicodin (everyone knows what that is) and Naprosyn (anti-inflammatory, similar to Aleve). I also got Phenergan for nausea. The only antibiotics I'll be getting will be in my I.V. during surgery. Penicillin is usually what they use, but I'm allergic to that so I'm getting Clindamycin. 

I cannot eat or drink anything after midnight tonight. This is because of anesthesia, not anything to do with going to the bathroom during surgery. Although, hopefully I don't lose control of my sphincters during surgery... I'll tell them if I do, just don't bother waking me up...

Here's what tomorrow looks like...

I'll be spread-eagle in this bad-boy for the duration
of the surgery. (source: www.conquestchronicles.com)

I have to be at the surgical center at 6:30 am... Naturally, I would be scheduled first only because tonight we are having record low temperatures around 20 F (-7 C). So that should be fun. (Luckily my parents live nearby so my mom will be driving me to and from the surgery and taking me to my follow-up the next day.) So, I'll get up around 5am, shower with that special soap again I'll check in with my ID and insurance card and wait. And wait some more. At some point they'll bring me back and prep me for surgery, whatever that entails. I assume at this same time they'll be prepping my OR. Then when the room and I are both ready they'll bring me in and put me under. Once I'm out they'll position me in some kind of contraption that looks like a torture device that they'll use to pull on my leg attempting to dislocate my hip. The hip joint is also held together by suction, so they'll have to alleviate that in order to fully dislocate the hip. (I can hear the popping the sound in my head as I think about it... *SHUDDER*)  Once they get the room in my joint they need, they'll insert the camera and scoping tools to repair/remove any damaged tissue. Also, if there are any bone spurs they'll take care of those, probably by filing down my bone. Once they're done, my hip will be reset and I'll get a couple stitches to close up the 2-3 pen-sized holes in my hip from the scoping tools.  They'll wake me up, take me to recovery, and eventually I'll get to go home once I'm recovered from anesthesia. The whole process from the time I walk in the door at 6:30 to the time I'm wheeled out the door should take about 5 hours or so. The surgery itself should only last about an hour.

Post-Hipocalypse incisions.
(source: www.jessmcb.com)

Once I get home, I'll probably sleep for the rest of the day, which will be good. I don't get enough of that any other time. Luckily there's no wound care for my incisions. Whenever I shower, I just have to put a Band-Aid over it and then take it off once I'm done. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to shower until Saturday. Fortunately, I won't have to see anyone before then, except my surgical team for a follow-up and the PT group.

I have a follow-up the day after surgery and start Physical Therapy right after. I was surprised to be starting that soon after surgery. I'm sure it will be minimal stuff. Mostly range-of-motion exercises and stretching, I imagine.

So that's my life for the next 24-48 hours. Hopefully I'm up to posting something tomorrow afternoon/evening.