| Tom's
Left Hip The $42.559.94 Man |
| 1/6/2010 |
| 2010-01-06: A phone call from Melody, the surgical scheduler, sets the surgery for the right hip for February 15th. |
| 2010-01-04: An office visit with Dr. Petrera went well. X-rays were taken which showed the implants in the right place and working well. In response to my request, he turned the scheduling of the other hip over to Melody, his surgical scheduler. This is the end of the procedure for the left hip. |
| 2010-01-04: The bill from Home Health Care, for $650, was submitted to BCBS, raising the total charges to $42,559.94. |
| 2009-12-31: More blood work claims were filed with Blue Cross Blue Shield, raising the charges for the left hip to $41,909.94. My share still appears to be $1,948.01 |
| 2009-12-17: Jodi, my RN, made her last visit and discharged me from home health care. |
| 2009-12-15: Amy Jo, the PT, came and did her final visit for the left hip. We did our exercises and then took a walk outside. |
| 2009-12-14: Jodi, the RN, did blood work and checked my vitals. Her last visit will be Thursday, 12/17. |
| 2009-12-10: As we enter week 3, Jodi Murphy, RN, came, did blood work and checked my incision. We discussed the calendar of future visits. Amy Jo, PT, came shortly thereafter. She added some exercises and we began working with the cane to replace the walker. |
| 2009-12-08: Two weeks Post-Op We went to see Dr. Roe, as Dr. Petrera is still hunting deer. I can begin putting full weight on the left hip and can start using a cane after 3-4 weeks, post-op. I can begin driving now, but need to be careful to use a walking aide of some sort. The Coumadin will continue until 4 weeks post op. The Percocet 5-325 was refilled. I should seek post-op care at an outpatient clinic for a few weeks. My next appointment is with Dr. Petrera on January 4th. |
| 2009-12-07: Amy Jo came for PT. My BP was 118/56. She advanced my reps for each exercise to 20. Questions to be asked at tomorrow’s MD appointment include: when can I put full weight on the left leg; drive; use a cane? Amy estimates I’ll be on the cane for a month, or until I no longer have a limp. Gail, subbing for Jodi, took the staples out and took a blood sample to check the Coumadin levels. |
| 2009-12-03: Jodi, the RN from Peninsula Home Care, visited. She changed the dressing (no drainage) and took a blood sample. The Coumadin is scheduled to be completed 12/22. The staples are scheduled for removal 12/7. Amy, the PT, also visited. She modified some of my exercises and cautioned me to slow down. |
| 2009-12-02: Mary, from BCBS, called to discuss post-op care and to review benefits. |
| 2009-12-01: One week post-op The bandage discharge, while only the size of a quarter, is tinged in green. Dr. Greco looked at and said it looked fine. It was much easier negotiating the car than it had been when leaving the hospital Friday. |
| 2009-11-30: Jodie Murphy, RN and Amy Jo, PT, came today. Jodie took a blood sample and discontinued the elastic stockings. Amy gave me 4 exercises to do twice a day. Both will be back on Thursday. |
| 2009-11-29: Juanita Chatham from Peninsula Home Care came for an initial visit. She took down a lot of information and examined my meds and incision. Jodi Murphy, another RN from PHC will visit on Mondays and Thursdays. This will also entail a drawing of blood to check the Coumadin levels. |
| 2009-11-27: Morning Physical Therapy was finished around 0900 with the verbal OK to go home. Alas, there was only one orthopedic doctor on call on this day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday shopping injuries kept him in the ER most of the morning, so I didn't get clearance to go home until 1500. We picked up Coumadin and Percocet from the pharmacy and headed home. Buddy was glad to see me. |
| 2009-11-24: We left the house a little after 0700 and checked in at PRMC Day Surgery. Dr. Petrera, my surgeon, visited and told me I was 3rd in the morning queue. I was prepped and ready by 0800. Due to my scoliosis, it took the anesthesiologist 20 minutes to find the right place in my lower back for the spinal. First incision was at 1120, but I was already in LaLa land. At 1300, I awoke in the recovery room. Whereas there was some difficulty securing a room upstairs, the expected 1 hour in recovery extended to 2.5. At 1530, Lyd met me in room 5417, a private room. We unpacked the laptop and other stuff. Getting a password to PRMC’s network was a problem, but I finally got on-line about 1700. Dinner was honey ham, yams, peas, a roll, brownie and ice tea; surprisingly good for hospital food. OT/PT will begin tomorrow. At 1830, using a 10-point pain scale, it’s no higher than 1. 1845: Dr. P.J. Mehta, our primary care physician, stopped by for a visit. He asked if I needed a drink to alleviate alcohol withdrawal and I told him I haven’t had a drink since 11/14. He was pleasantly surprised. He’ll stop by again tomorrow. |
| 2009-11-20: A post-stress test appointment was scheduled with Dr. Mehta. It was cancelled as not necessary. |
2009-11-19: I had a persantine cardiolyte stress test at Eastern Shore Cardiovascular Associates at 0900.
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| 2009-11-17: We picked up pre-op and post-op supplies from Apple Drugs. |
| 2009-11-16: Lyd and I attended a two-hour pre-op class with Debbie Adkins at PRMC. We learned a lot about what is going to happen during the 3.5 days I'll be in the hospital. |
| 2009-11-13: Dr. Mehta completed an EKG. Though he didn't find anything suspicious, in the interest of caution he has ordered a cardiac stress test on the 19th. |
| 2009-11-09: I arrived at the Milford St. Lab at about 0710; fourth in line. By 0830, Angie had taken blood and I'd "filled the cup." Angie and her trainee, Jennie, took chest x-rays. |
| 2009-10-31: The pre-op package arrived in the mail, containing appointment times and orders for classes, tests and consultations. |
| 2009-10-29: A phone call from Melody changes the procedure to November 24th. She's going to enroll us in the hip class at PRMC, 11/9 at 1300. I'll be in PRMC over Thanksgiving. |
| 2009-10-28: We saw Dr. Petrera this morning at Peninsula Orthopedic Associates. He plans to do a total hip replacement (THR) and will do the left leg first. The date for that procedure is, tentatively, November 20. There is a two-hour class at the hospital that we will both attend and we received a comprehensive notebook which answers a lot of questions. Melody, the surgical coordinator, will call to schedule the myriad of activities needed prior to the procedure. Jessica Dunn, the Physician Assistant, will tend to my medical treatment while in PRMC. Lyd will be my coach! |
| 2009-10-15: Dr. Mehta's diagnosis is advanced avascular necrosis of both hips with a referral to Dr. Pasquale Petrera, an orthopedic surgeon here, in Salisbury. |
| 2009-10-01: Whereas this MRI is an "open MRI" it bore little resemblance to the 1st one. This one was more like a hamburger; I was inserted between two "hamburger bun halves" with my head protruding to one side. The noise level was mild. The 1st MRI was like a sausage dog; very tight and very loud and the only thing protruding from the "bun" was my hair. Kate was still in high school for that 1st one and watched from the control room. |
| From 2006 to the present, walking has been difficult, at times, and quite painful, at other times. I'm still climbing the stairs, nightly, to go to bed, but without real freedom of mobility. I brought this up to Dr. Mehta, our PCP and he ordered another MRI. |
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In April of 1996, I accompanied Kate and her best friend Lindsey to New England to look at colleges.
During the course of this extended weekend, walking became very painful. In August, an MRI was completed (a terrifying experience) and it was determined that the right hip suffered from avascular necrosis, a condition that indicates there is no blood flow to the hip area and the hip is dead. I saw Dr. Hugh Switzer, an orthopedic surgeon in Jacksonville, and he told me that there was little I could do to make it better or worse. When I felt my discomfort sufficiently impacted my lifestyle, he would replace the hip. Well, by this time, the pain was, essentially, gone and did not re-appear until around 2006. |
| In the Fall of 1967, while teaching at Nova High School, in Ft. Lauderdale, the Selective Service system ordered me for a draft physical. With several dozen other potential draftees, we took a bus from Ft. Lauderdale to the Induction Center in Coral Gables. In the course of the physical, I handed over a half sheet of paper from Leroy stating he had treated me for a double scoliosis tension curve of the spine. The two air force doctors consulted, and I failed the draft physical. |
| In the late 50's, when I was an early teen, we were visiting a family friend of my parents. Leroy Spilatore, DO, lived in Mt. Dora, Florida and had his office in his home. He notice my hip line and put me on his X-Ray table. The pictures showed a left femur shorter than the right, and a left hip lower than the right. Leroy thought I may have had a mild and undiagnosed case of polio. He predicted severe back pain before age 18 if I didn't have surgery. |
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Notes: SOMA: Sitting on my Ass! |