I'm Baaaaack!

One month has lapsed since my last post. The last you had heard was I went for an MRI, which turned out to be a nightmare in itself, and well, let's just say that all hell broke loose after that.

I got a call the day following the MRI from my friendly Rheumatologist, Dr. Wu, informing me that I had a "non displaced femoral neck fracture" on my right hip. Yep...it was broken! According to the doctors after taking a thorough history, I had apparently been walking around on a broken hip for eight months to a year. Having Rheumatoid Arthritis I am in chronic daily pain, so I had no idea that this pain was anything to be alarmed about. I mean, come on, I am in pain all the time anyways, how was I supposed to know it was broken?

So she sent me to an Orthopedic surgeon the following day, which was a Friday and one day prior to my Happy Birthday party. My orthopedic surgeon is not the most desirable man and has a fairly odd bedside manner, however, seemed sufficiently qualified for the job. He immediately scheduled me for surgery the following Monday afternoon. They needed to put three large pins in my hip to secure the neck of my femur so that it didn't move and would have better time and support to heal. He said I would be in the hospital for a few days and by week two, I should be feeling almost no pain. I was jacked! No pain in my hip was something I have not experienced in a LONG time.



So that weekend, I had my BBQ, played with my friends and family and enjoyed my 33rd birthday overall. I was treated like a princess as everyone waited on my hand and foot. I kept telling them that I didn't need that, since I had been walking on it for the last year, what was one more day or two gonna do? They didn't seem to share my humor!

Monday came and I had the surgery...stayed in the hospital for three days...came home...and now we are three and a half weeks post op! It has been one hell of a three weeks. I have had some complications, I have visited the Emergency Room three times, been readmitted to the hospital for two days, and now have an infection in my incision. The pain has been pretty awful and I have still had to remain quite dependent upon my pain medication, but I am feeling like a ROCK STAR today, which is the reason of course that you are reading this. I have barely moved from bed for three weeks and between the haze of the drugs and the unbearable pain, I have not done much.

Having surgery is never a fun thing to do. I am not sure that I ever want to go through this again, but all I can say is that the only reason I have made it this far is because of my wonderful parents. They have been amazing through this whole thing. They are attentive and caring, and they truly care about how I am feeling and do their damnedest to make sure that I have everything I need. They cook for me, change my sheets, do my laundry, everything except wipe my ass! (Thank God, I can wipe my own behind and shower on my own) They are truly wonderful people and I cannot imagine having better parents or a support system in my life at a time like this. I will never be able to repay them for what they have done for me, but I will spend the rest of my life trying! I am blessed!

Well, I am off to go lay down for a spell...something I do quite often. I cannot wait for the days when I can :drive again, shop again, and cook and clean for myself again. I know it sounds ridiculous but it is something that an independent person such as myself has a problem letting go of. I look forward to the day I get my life back...and fortunately it is coming soon...very very soon!

Wishing you all good health and humor!