Thursday Oct. 29, 2009: The appointment

I'm home. The answer is he doesn't think I'm ready for the surgery, which he thought was funny since it's his job to operate on people. He said in the stages of arthritis, between 0-10, at this point, I am only at a 1, despite pain. He said to keep moving, walking, gentle exercises. He also is worried that given my relatively young age for such a procedure, the odds are it will wear out sooner rather than later. BUt he also said I don't want to be too old either because you will often end up with other medical problems (which is what happened with my mother). He also is not completely sold on the hip resurfacing process itself---he compared it (or after what he said, I compared it to) not buying a new model car in the first year it is out. So for now, I will do what he says.
Oh--more cool thing. We were talking about the rheumatology office and he wanted me to take with me a couple of xrays of my new knee to show the rheumatologist. So I will next week. Meanwhile, I'm going to see if I can scan the xrays because they're really cool to look at!
Edited to say I got the xray scanned. Not perfect but you can see the implant!

Wednesday Oct. 28, 2009: First Supartz shot

Back from my knee shot that really wasn't too bad except for the first seconds of it. I think it wasn't so bad because the knee isn't quite in as bad condition as the other knee was when I last had them. I did discuss with her about the hip and she said that although the cartilage is half gone, it could be gone in the area which gets affected by doing things, and she thought it was a good idea to be seeing someone about it. And she said that the ortho I'm seeing (my knee replacement one) tomorrow morning is the hip guy (although she said the other doctor is good too, lol, covering herself) and this would be for hip resurfacing. I told her I'd tell her next week what was discussed. So now I'm on my bed with a bag of peas on my knee, but it really doesn't feel too bad. But I am supposed to take it easy so I will.

Monday Oct. 26, 2009: Made the appointment

Hmm, the font seems to have changed! Oh well. Anyway, early this afternoon, I called the ortho office and made an appointment to see Dr. S, my knee replacement ortho., for what is being called a "surgical consultation" for my left hip. I'm hoping he will agree that I am a candidate for hip resurfacing as the ortho I saw in the summer thought I was. I am supposed to bring the disk with my MRI scan pictures as apparently those don't get kept in my record, only the report does. So that does it!

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009: Supartz

Three more days until my Supartz shots. I've been having more thoughts that they probably won't help but I might as well as try. With a bad rain storm yesterday (and working all day, 4 hours the day before, and 4 hours the day before that), my joints weren't happy, especially my hips. Not sleeping particulatly well.
In the meantime, I am planning a Pampered Chef party at my house (and online). Hoping to get some orders!
And I worked all day yesterday and wasn't scheduled to work again until Thursday (after reminding HR I wasn't available Wednesday). However, yesterday, while I was working, the manager of a department called to asked if I could work on Monday or Tuesday after I said I couldn't come in on Wednesday. So I agreed to 5 hours Tuesday.
Jack the cat is still surviving. The prednisone ordered by the vet almost 2 weeks ago after he wasn't eating and seemed lethargic has seemed to up his appetite. But he is still obviously not well and we're really not sure how long he will last. We're keeping up his quality of life and if that goes south, we'll take him to the vet:(

Tuesday Oct. 13, 2009: Supartz shots scheduled

I now have all my Supartz shots scheduled.

#1: Oct. 28 (two weeks from tomorrow)

#2: Nov. 04

#3: Nov. 10

#4: Nov. 17

#5: Nov. 24

Meanwhile my hip is aching. Lovely.

And our poor cat Jack (who is pictured to the side, 10 years ago, about twice the weight he is now) is doing poorly. I had to take him to the vet today. The last week, his appetite, which has always been big, dwindled to practically nothing. So he's now, temporarily, on prednisone to increase his appetite, in addition to his thyroid medication (which I know now to get at the Costco pharmacy) The vet thought she felt some irregularity along his abdominal wall and thought his kidneys felt smaller than they should be. Since, even if it is some kind of cancer, we are not treating him and are instead concentrating on his quality of life. So we shall see how it goes...

Monday October 5, 2009: Supartz shots okayed!

Technically insurance wasn't required but the company did tell the nurse from the rheumy office that it would be covered 80% until I get to my out of pocket max (I am about $135 from there) and then they'll be covered 100%. So for now, I am set. I have appointments made already for the 1st, 2nd and 4th shots (the 4th one was an appointment I had made in August for a check in there) and will make the other appointments the next time I'm there, which will be on Oct. 28 for the first shot.
I also saw my primary care doctor today, having a BP recheck again to see if the new pills were working okay. I told her about the hip MRI results and she wanted to know if I was going to do anything about the problem yet (other than the hip cortisone shot I already had) and I told her at this point, I wasn't, but I was pretty sure something will be done in the future, mentioning the hip resurfacing possibility.

Thursday Oct. 1, 2009: Rheumy appointment

Rheumy appointment today. I got a cortisone shot in my left knee and made plans to get Supartz shots in it as well, to be started in a month. I also found out the results of my hip MRI (never got the details from the ortho). I have mild arthritis in my right hip and mild to moderate (probably closer to moderate) in the left one (the one that was bothering me) has 50% of the cartilage gone, with a defect in the cartilage. Not so great news but manageable at this point still.