See you in January!! (not you my faithful blog readers-read on to find out who)

So today was my last day at school for the rest of the semester. As my kiddos leave I usually tell them to have a great day and that I will see in them tomorrow. However today I had to say have a great day and I will see you in January. It was kind of hard. As much as I am looking forward to a little break from work I love my job and love seeing my kiddos everyday. I assured them that I wasn't going to be off partying while they were working hard and the thing that would make me feel the best would be for us to all score extremely well on our semester test and beat the other Algebra 2 teachers. We will see how that works.

I might possibly have the greatest co-workers on earth. Today they threw me a good luck party. I was slightly teary eyed but it worked out ok. They have officially made my mascot hippie the hippo. That's right they made my new mascot a hippo should I be offended. Just kidding it made me feel really really special that so many people were concerned and cared for me. It was fun times. At that party I heard about a million more hip, knee, shoulder, and other replacement stories. I found out things about people that I never knew. It was kind of crazy. It never ceases to amaze me how many people have a hip replacement story (you know my dad, my aunt, my sister, my brother had hip replacement and it was the best thing that ever happened to them).

Well we are on the two day countdown. I am off work to relax, get rest, and get ready for the big day. My mom and dad are moving in tomorrow. My dad is going to be here off and on for the 6 weeks and my mom is here to stay.

Keep praying for me and I will update as soon as I can after surgery. I am expected to be in the hospital until about Monday so it will probably be at least middle of the week before I can update. Thanks for reading, caring, and praying.

quick update

Ok so it is 10:30 and I am tired but here is a quick update before I forget. I got a phone call from Dr. Tkach's office today. I was worried that maybe something didn't look so great on those tests from last week but instead it was Dr. Tkach's scheduler. She wanted to let me know that Dr. Tkach had been deciding on what components to use in me and had come to the conclusion that ceramic was the only option for me because yes that's right I am so young. The only problem is apparently ceramic is an upgrade and your insurance won't pay for it. So we were going to owe the difference. Thanks to the best MOM and DAD in the world who are helping me with my medical expenses I am getting the upgraded ceramic hips which should last longer and be better for me overall. I believe I have a great Dr. who took the time to search out the best option for me and was willing to find the ceramic parts. Only about 10 days until this new ceramic is installed. Hey on the bright side maybe I have a chance of being a spokesperson like Coach K after all since they are using ceramic. Keep praying and I will update soon.

Time for the countdown to begin.

I went to my pre-op appointment yesterday and it kind of put in to perspective that this hip replacement thing is a lot closer than I ever imagined. That is right only 2 short weeks from tomorrow and I go under the knife. For a complete discription of the actual procedure please see one of my earlier blog posts. Yesterday I got to have a blood test, chest x-ray, ekg, and a physical exam to make sure I am healthy enough for surgery. Ok first of all I have a chronic illness known commonly as RA does that make me healthy. I think not. Second of all they perform this surgery on many people twice my age and beyond every day and they question whether I am healthy enough for surgery. Oh well. I guess I passed because I didn't have any phone calls today that they were cancelling surgery. Not only did I find out that I am healthy enough to have surgery but other fun things happened at my appointement yesterday. My favorite being meeting with the pre-admission nurse who started our conversation with this question. "What do you understand is going to happen to you?" To which I replied I am going to have total hip replacement on my right hip. Sorry Nita I didn't use the official medical term Total hip Arthoplasty. I didn't want to sound too smart and I was a little shocked at the question. I also did not respond with the technical discription which might have been fun you know to say I am going to have my hip bone sawed off and a new one put on. I also got the phone call about how much it was going to cost which wasn't as bad as we estimated. I also got this fun video which teaches me things like getting on and off the bed, getting out of a chair, and getting in an out of a car. (yes i have already watched it and have started praticing). I am actually going for the all star rehab award. Those little old men and women better watch out I am going to be racing them to see who can get up on a bed the fastest using our new hip precautions. I bet they haven't been practicing. Oh well. Keep me in your prayers. Thanks for reading and keep reading for updates.

Remember when.....(this is kind of long, I have a lot to say)

Do you guys remember how this journey all began? I am sure that my fan base does remember(but here is a recap just in case) that about 4 months ago I went to see my Rheumatologist Dr. James (who I love to death), and had a major emotional break down, risked my life taking x-rays, and came to the conclusion that I needed to have bilateral hip replacement, a surgery usually reserved for people over the age of 65. Since then I have heard a million ok maybe only 999,000 hip replacement stories, had several oh bless your heart and you are so young moments. This week has had no shortage of stories. I went back for my 4 month check up with Dr. James this week and got a few stories from her. I also had an oh bless your heart moment at school with my kiddos this week. Are you tired of reading yet? Well you may want to get comfortable and grab a cup of hot chocolate I have lots to say today.

Let's start with the oh bless you heart moment at school. I love my kiddos. I told my 4th hour class on Monday that I was leaving them for 4 weeks to have hip replacement surgery. They the next day I was letting them know that I had the afore mentioned DR. appointment on wednesday. One of the kids said is then when you are leaving us? I told them no it was only a one day vacation and a kiddo who was absent on monday wanted to be filled in on the situation. So I explained it to them again. The kids had an oh bless your heart moment which was touching immediately followed by a typical high school response to any situation. They asked are you going to have some good pain killers. Oh well I love them anyway. One of the kids said his aunt was having hip replacement and he came back after school and told me good luck with my surgery. Have I mentioned I love my kiddos. It touched my heart and almost brought me to tears to see that kind of compassion in a high schooler.

The next day I went to see Dr. James. I was determined not to cry but she told me she was so proud of me for making the decision to have hip replacement. I lost it. We discussed my medicine schedule for the surgery and she gave me a prescription for Celebrex to take while I am off my Naproxen so I won't be in pain. I was kind of worried about that so that made me feel better. She then told me that the first few days I may be mad at her for convincing me to do this but about day 7 I would be feeling pretty good. She continued on to tell me a story about an 86 year old patient who had hip replacement last year. She said he went in for hip replacement and made it through surgery and rehab (oops I forgot we call that Physical therapy so people don't think I am in drug rehab). He got an infection in the new hip joint and was in the hospital and had a month recovery from the infection. She saw him later and said please don't be mad at me. He said are you kidding that was the best month of my life even with an infection. So I guess it is all going to be ok.

Look you survived you made it through. I know it was a long but thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed your hot chocolate while reading. My surgery is 4 weeks from yesterday. It is getting really close. I am ready just to have it all over. Start those prayers for me and for my mom(who is doubling as my nurse) who is going to live with me for 6 weeks while I recover. Pray that I am a good patient so my nurse will come back in June when I have the other one replaced.

Fortune Cookie wisdom: Warning this is not a hip replacement story.

So if you are reading my blog just to hear hip replacement stories and random encouragement about the millions or what seems like millions of people who have a hip replacement story this blog story is not for you. So Thursday night Edie and I went to get chinese food at our favorite chinese buffet. Yes that is right they know our drink order and one of the waitress said "long time no see" to me when I went to the buffet. As you and any other person is who is a frequent partaker of chinese food knows the fortune cookie is the best part of the meal. At the Aloha Garden the back of the fortune cookie contains learn chinese as well as your lotto numbers for the week. So Edie and I have made it a tradition to not only read the fortune but also learn chinese along the way. (note we always make sure the chinese workers are no where near our table when we read the learn chinese part) Another side note I am always looking for my fortune to say "You will marry a rich man" It hasn't happened yet but I think sometimes I am getting closer to that fortune. So thursday I open my fortune cookie and turn over to the learn chinese side first. Guess what my learn chinese was? still single (not married) as if you wouldn't know what still single meant. How did the cookie know? You usually get things like "Where are you going?" , "how are you doing", "What's happening?" not still single. I was mad. I threw the fortune on the table and started laughing. Oh well. The actual fortune said "Don't miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" Edie said that was my hip replacement. I think it was marrying a rich man. You decide. Have a great day. Hip repacement stories to return soon.

Coming out of the woodworks or would that be the ceramic works.

Guess what faithful readers? The hip replacement stories are starting to come out of the woodworks again. Yes that is right. After a short dry spell and a few blonde moments and Coach K we are back with more local successes to hip replacement. On a side note before I forget I visited with my long term sub this week and everything is set up for her to take over. Ok so here we go with 3 that is right 3 stories in 1. My mom went to eat last saturday and saw a local guy who had hip replacement about a month or maybe a little longer ago out eating. This is the guy that when my mom told me he was having hip replacement I said "Mom you will have to let me know how that goes" Well a few days later my mom said bad bad news. The guy had heart trouble while in the hospital recovering from hip replacement. The good news is now a month or so later he is not only recovered from heart issues but out and about. My mom said he was getting around pretty well. Then my mom went to eat at Clantons in V-town and saw good ole Charkey. What kind of name is that? My question was did they misspell it on the birth certificate. But the story is not really about the guy's name anyway. He came in on crutches. My mom said someone asked what he had done and he told them he had hip replacement. Are you still with me? 2 out of 3. Then my aunt's mother in law called this week and said her niece was scheduled to have hip replacement in November but her doctor performed the surgery on his day off because she in so much pain. She went in at 7:00 and came out of surgery and was in a room by 10:00. Not bad turn around for having to saw off your bone. I don't really know many details about any of these three but I do know this, their stories all came in this week. And the good news is 2 out of 3 of them were out eating. I like to go out to eat so glad to know you get your appetite back after hip replacement. Have a great day and we are about 6 weeks away from my own success stories.

In Good Company

After the initial shock of having hip replacement and getting the word out to the whole world. Ok maybe just half the world but it felt like telling everyone, the stories have kind of slowed down. I guess I am in what is known in the flight world as a holding pattern. I am just waiting to have surgery. Anyway I found out this week thanks to the miracle of TV and the internet that I am in good company with this hip replacement thing. Coach K the coach of the mens olympic basketball game and a famous college basketball coach is now the paid endorser for Depuy orthopedics. You know why he is the paid endorser for the company. That's right (I am convinced I have the smartest readers in the world) he had hip replacement surgery. If you want to read his story it is on www.depuyusa.com. Here is the readers digest version for those of you who don't want to go to another site. He had arithritis and he had bad hips. He got to the point where he had to coach his team from a chair because his hips were so bad. He put off surgery for a year and then after surgery said it was the best thing that ever happened to him.
So maybe they will let me be the paid endorser for hip replacement surgery too. And by the way I drove past the sign mentioned in the last post and it really does have that big gap causing it to read "New Owners hip". Have a great day.