2 year anniversary

[Guest guest]

Hello!

Just got back from Vancouver, WA, where I had my 2 year check up with

Dr. Sparling. I'm happy to report all is well. He showed me the x-

rays he took yesterday compared to the day of surgery. Nothing has

changed, which is good! He asked me to keep coming out for annual

checkups if I can, and to at least send films if I can't visit in

person. Since I feel there's nothing I can refuse this guy, I'll

probably keep going at least every other year. We talked about the

worst case scenarios, what I should do if I have a failure of some

kind, how he'd like to be involved even if only by telephone, etc.

For any of you in the PNW looking for a surgeon, this is one great

guy. He's quiet, but highly skilled and very caring.(And did I

mention he's so good looking it makes your teeth hurt?)

And , like you, I went to Multnomah Falls to celebrate my

anniversary, but didn't have the foresight to pack the right shoes,

so I only went up about another .2 mile past the bridge. I had on my

trusty 's sandals, which were fine on the way up, but not so hot

on the way down. With every step up, I thought about the fact that 2

years ago I would have sat in the car and looked at the falls,

knowing I couldn't make it even to the main viewing area. Isn't it

strange/wonderful how we forget sometimes how bad we were? I'm not

sure I've ever yet made it through a day without thinking about my

hips, but I truly DO take them for granted now. They may not last

the rest of my life (although of course I'm hoping they do), but I'm

going to enjoy every step they make possible and all that those steps

add to my life!

To all of you in the investigational stage, keep doing your research,

make the very best decision for YOU, and don't back down from the

battles with the insurance companies. To all of you who have had the

surgery and have become like old friends to me, thank you for the

hand holding and encouragement. Even though I didn't find this board

until I was about 6 weeks post-op, there were many times I was able

to avoid hitting the panic button because someone else wrote about

similar experiences.

I am one happy, (bilateral)hippy!

Pat in Kalamazoo, Bilateral C+, 8/24/01, Dr. Sparling