Re: SAY NO TO TRUCK NIGHTMARES!

[Guest guest]

from Tahoe and ,

, I know your great part of the world well. I was on the US Ski

Team for several years and we had the olympic training center up at

Squaw Valley at the time. Our team doctor was over at Barton

Memorial at Tahoe. I visted the OR there on a few too many

occasions for knee recontructions...Great place under different

circumstances.

I was resurfaced this month. I am bilateral, however, we elected to

try to get some more mileage out of my left hip. In Steve's case,

as I understand it, both of his hips were equally bad. If both my

hips were as bad as my right hip I would have gone with both at the

same time. I don't want to speak for Steve, however, I took his

comment as more a matter of speech from someone fresh out of an

invasive procedure. He is doing great and happy to be well on his

way to a full recovery.

I ran 7.5 miles twelve hours before surgery. Post op recovery was a

walk in the park compared to trying to sleep after going running on

a degenerative bone-on-bone hip joint. I used a walker to get out

of ICU the day of surgery and never looked back. It was amazing to

feel no pain in my joint for the first time in years.

If you are in relatively good shape going in, you will recover

quickly. I am 3.5 weeks post op. No problems. I flew back to the

East Coast the day I was released and back at work one week after

surgery. I began taking long walks on the crutches days after

surgery and now in the gym riding the stationary bicycle for an hour

and working out with no problems, and most importantly no pain.

You are both in great hands and you will do very well with this

procedure. Everyone recovers at their own pace depending on many

factors. I would not worry for a moment about the procedure or fear

post op pain, particularly if you have lived with the unfortunate

pain and discomfort associated with OA.

Best to you both and look forward to hearing of your speedy

recoveries and return to normal, pain free quality of life.

C+ Dr. Amstutz 5/04/04

> > Thanks Steve,

> >

> > I just printed your shopping list and will use it as soon as I

get

> a date

> > with the doc. Unfortunately, my house has stairs everywhere (3

> stories). Were

> > you on crutches for long after the 'truck accident'? I've been

> having

> > nightmares about that phrase.

> >

> > at Tahoe

> >

> >

> >