Getting Ready for No.2

It's been awhile since I posted here.  Been busy enjoying my summer.  However, I'm on the brink of heading in for the right hip.  We're leaving tomorrow morning to go back to Seattle to see Dr. Pritchett, bright and early at 0540 on Tuesday morn.  We'll spend 2 nights in Seattle on the front end having fun, celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary (bronze).  Fitting since we'll be putting some bronze to work on the oarlocks of a livery boat at the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union.  Bronze makes a good bearing, wonder if anyone has ever made a hip prosthesis out of bronze.  I'm hoping to get out of the hospital in 32 hours or less.  A hip buddy of mine just got out of Swedish in 32 hours.  A little competition is good for the soul, but might not be so good for a brand new hip. 

I finished up a new cane for lighter travel. It's totally pimped out.  I found a cool pool cue from Goodwill and thought it would make a good cane.  A few years ago, a friend gave me an LED flashy gearshift knob so that I could "pimp out" my truck, like he planned to do.  I don't usually go for the bling bling, especially on my vehicles.  So the knob sat in the closet for a few years waiting to be used for something cool.  Surprisingly the knob fit nicely on the top of the cue, just had to lightly screw it on.  It threaded on to the nylon end and made a really solid connection. I then measured and cut off the bottom.  The diameter at the bottom was a hair under 7/8".  A couple wraps of electrician's tape and the pharmacy cane tip fit perfectly.  Here's a couple photos.  

Who knew Hip Resurfacing could be so fun!  Bling Bling, BTW - I'm not a Coors fan, I prefer Pacifc NW ale.

I'm no where near as anxious about this surgery.  Although I'm not looking forward to the several weeks of being gimpy, or not being able to roll over in bed for a week or so.  I am looking forward to being able to ride a bike in a month or so, that's going to be pretty awesome. My right leg has been pretty uncomfortable lately, not as bad as the left was, but its obvisou the hip needs to get fixed.  The range of motion is bad and if I overdo it, like step too high, I'll have a painful limp for a day or so.  Today I was happy that my leg hurt, reinforcing why I'm doing this.

Well I've got my medical stuff packed, except for the urinal.  I'll get a freshy at the hospital.  I've got my tunes (Dropkick Murphies, Flogging Molly, Pogues, and Tesla).  Everyone needs a little 80's hair band rock once in awhile, sweet.  Got a full bottle of oxycodone which I'm hoping I won't need.  Maybe I can sell it down in Whiteaker to help pay off the new $500 copay my insurance provider initiated mid plan year because hip resurfacing (HR) is "of questionable medical value".  huh? 

The insurance co-pay increase happened right after the FDA requested more data on HR.  The FDA requested more data on HR because HR, at least metal on metal, has been around since the '70s  before there were rigorous testing protocols, in the US.  Somehow insurance heard that as "questionable medical value" yet data from various national orthopedic registries suggests that hip resurfacing is as successful as total hip replacement.  Oh well, I guess you can't blame insurance for trying to save a little money.  I feel sorry for the poor sap that lives his life not able or willing to pay that extra $500 to get his hip fixed.  What's $500 going to do for a $50,000 procedure, anyway?  It's just a deterrent.

Enough about that.  I'll post after I get back from Seattle.