3 weeks & counting...mmmmm

[Guest guest]

Hi Ladies 'n Gentlemen, boys 'n gals,

Well as the subject title suggests.... just 3 weeks to go until i am under

the Belgian Machette...I am very excited, and have got very comfortable with

the thought that THR may be the result. I have resigned myself to accepting

a THR. If i get a resurf... great, even better.

I guess i am going to give a quick update as to whats happening. To be

honest i can't fully remember when i last posted an update, and exactly what

i told everyone.. but here goes.

My flight to Belgium is booked and paid for. We arrive on the 13th Nov, and

book in the hospital and do all the tests, blood test, Electro Cardia Gram,

new xrays etc

We have a return flight booked for the 20th Nov, so just 1 week in Belgium.

I will be having the surgery on the 14th, although i do not know if it will

be in the morning or the afternoon. ( just as long as i beat gazza out of

the theater ( last one out buys the drinks eventually!! hehe))

I am debating if i should have a General anaesthetic, or a spinal. I hear

that its a faster recovery time with a spinal, less vomiting, chills, and

general ill feeling, and also i get to watch the procedure ( i would like

that) , but i hear that there is a risk, although very small, of waking up

with permenant peralysis from the waist down..... mmmmmmmmmmmmm

I just spoke today with Dr. De Smet in Belgium, he really is a great guy.

He wanted to make sure i was feeling good about things and that i didn't

have anything that i was too worried about... , unanswered questions etc.

He thinks its great that i have picked up so much info from surf hippy, and

says also that i seem to know more about this than most Ortho surgeons..hehe

( scarey eh?)

He was telling me that he has done around 250 BHR's.

He has never had to revert to a THR, once he has decided to do a BHR.( i

hope i am not the first..hehe)

He has never had a BHR dislocation.

We got on to the subject of surgeon fees. Maybe i mentioned before that he

only makes 800 euros per surgery. Thats roughly 750 US$. I asked why he

works for a university hospital, treating patients with social security,

rather than working for a private practice or starting his own surgery....(

i found out from McMinns secretary earlier this year that traecy makes

around 2,500 UK pounds per surgery , and McMinn 3-4000 pounds ( 4,500 -

6,000 US$))

He said that if he was in this for the money, he could have gone private

more than 6 years ago and obviously be very successfull. He does it for a

university hospital because he became a doctor to help people, all types of

people.... not just rich ones.

WHAT A GREAT OUTLOOK... a doctor who seems to care about patients??? hehe

anyway, he has templated the prosthesis over my xrays and seems to think he

can do it. Although he says that there is always a risk...., he has done

hips worse than mine.

so, now its just a case of sitting and waiting for the 13th november. I

would love to take my laptop with me and give daily updates to the board,

but the airlines won't let anybody take hand luggage.. and i will not let my

laptop get banged around in the cargo hold..hehe

So i will be making a diary and also making a movie of the physio

exercises.. maybe thats one for a webcast session..hehe

everyone take care,

Richie

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