Marvelous Friends,
First let me say "Thank you for all the email support."  It meant so much to
me and my family.  My littlest one was very distraught until she and the other
children were able to see me the night of the surgery.

I was told my 33rd hip operation would take about 90 minutes.  When they
wheeled me into recovery it was 5 hrs. from the start time.  When they opened
me up -- the acetabular component fell out into the surgeon's hand along with:
the plastic liner which was in several pieces, and pieces of the retaining
clip.  There was NO evidence of bone growth into the prosthesis.  For the past
18 months, all that was holding it in was three bone screws.   I was working
in all that pain right up to last Wednesday, I saw 38 patients that morning!
Another doctor told me in early October 1998 that it was out.  My doctor
didn't agree, so I kept working.   The last screw apparently pulled through
that  afternoon when I suddenly couldn't walk anymore.  Blood loss was minimal
(for me anyway).  My blood count only dropped to 9.3 so I didn't NEED a
transfusion.  I did end up with a new total hip except for the femoral
components.  There was very little bone to ream to ensure healing, so  there
is great doubt that this will even heal.  If it doesn't heal he talked to me
about a  bone transplant (from a cadaver pelvis).  I'll have to think long and
hard about that one.
I also  have incidental damage from the surgery.  There is a deep bone bruise
on the left side of the symphisis pubis.  Apparently caused because the body
prop they used wasn't padded enough.  My lower left leg is numb and
nonfunctional.  I am wearing a very uncomfortable brace to prevent a foot drop
deformity while it's healing.  They are unsure if the siatic or perineal nerve
was injured.  [It is a weird sensation: hurty-numb.  Kinda like the way your
legs feel just as they are starting to wake up if they've been crossed for too
long.] My hands and arms are covered in bruises from half a dozen broken veins
from IV's that went bad.  Anyway the pain in the hip itself is much better
than the day I went into the hospital   I am on bed rest for the next 6 weeks
with a bedside commode.  My leg is to be non-weight bearing -- so they gave me
a walker just in case.  Now I do look like an old lady in a rest home <grin>
At least Rachel and AJ got the computer down here for me so I'm not totally
cut off while I try to recuperate from all this.

What happened?  He doesn't really know but my theory is that the lack of bone
growth had to do with the two cases of sepsis I had following hip surgery in
1997.  [That surgery was brought about by a jealous toddler attacking me while
I tried to help his mom breastfeed his new baby sister] I think that the body
reacts to infection like the breast does.  Infection is a threat so the body
walls it off.  Although my doctor said he couldn't tell if the pieces were
encapsulated.  My guess is that some sort of membrane--no matter how thin--
kept the bone from seating into the prosthesis.
BTW all the parts and fluids were sent for culture and so far are clear.
What have I learned from all this?  1.  Never trust an x-ray just because the
doctor does; 2.  My pain is "my pain" no one can tell how much there is unless
they are hooked up to your nervous system.  3.  Trust my gut  because it has a
proven track record.  Whenever I thought something was wrong, there has been a
serious problem found only with surgery; 4.  Keep going back until they find
it; 5.  I have one heck of a high pain threshold; 6.  Don't ever listen or
doubt yourself because they say it's all in your head or you are going to have
to live with it (His next course of action was pain management by <gag>
epidural.  He told me that if my leg hadn't been 2 inches shorter than the
other one he would not have kept looking that day)
I'm here resting most of the day, catching up on my email while in the
hospital bed in my den.  I am awake most of the night but that will get
better.  My only real worry is money.  Worker's Compensation should pick this
up but there is a chance that they might treat this as something new.  The
lawyer told me to expect a fight.  I hope he's wrong.
Thanks for letting me take up bandwidth here.  I could never answer all of you
who  wrote to me individually.  Nor could I thank you enough.
Thank you so much,
Marie Davis, RN, IBCLC