Re: Lorrie's follow-up with Dr Boachie, 3/17/2006, 12:00 pm

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone –

glad to see that my follow-up with Dr. Boachie was on the calendar. We

just returned today (Sunday) from the appointment and a side visit with my

parents.

Dr. Boachie said

my x-rays look great! I’m healing well and he saw white areas where

the bones are fusing. I am now allowed to bend forward 45 degrees.

I can pick up Jill and hold her from a chair or something she is standing

on. If I picked her up from the floor I would have to squat down and

raise both me and her up off the floor. This would require too much

strength that I don’t have. He wasn’t surprised that I have a

lot of leg pain and told me I need to walk more and especially walk in a

pool. I need to do my physical therapy exercise and use the stationery

bike. I haven’t been doing much of the above because I’ve

been in so much pain and had that yuck feeling. But it is amazing that

the past 10 or 12 days the pain has been much better. Kam you did say at

the 4 month mark I would be feeling better and you were so right. I see

light at the end of the tunnel.

I still have a

little swelling on my right side and Dr. B said that would go down a little

more but I would always have a protrusion there. We discussed my leg

length discrepancy that is more evident after the surgery. He measured me

and it is about 2.5 cm or a little under an inch. So I will have to wear

a lift in my sneaker or shoe or have one put on the outside by a

shoemaker. I have one leg shorter than the other even without my hip

displasia. Dr. Boachie thought I stood on my shorter leg for the x-rays

(my left leg) but I said no I always stood on my right leg because I thought it

made me look less crooked. Bill (my husband) thought that Dr. B was a

little upset about this because it may have thrown off his calculations about

my correction. I didn’t think this was the case. I, of course

had no idea but in the future Dr. B wants me to stand on my left leg for

x-rays. Oh well, I can’t do anything about it now.

It is funny to me

that every time we go see Dr. B I have my new x-rays but he is always fumbling around

with all the other x-rays in my file to find the ones prior to his correction

so he can compare. In the past I was able to pull them out for him but I

can’t understand why the x-rays can’t be kept in a better

order. I’m sure his staff is so busy and they just clump them

together. He had x-rays in the pile from my previous doctor, Dr. Levine. Even one from 1973 before my first

surgery as a 12 year old! I was shocked. Glad he had all of them

anyway. He said I had a long history and I joked that I should be glowing

right now with all the x-rays (all of us should be – I guess). His nurse

did give me a handful and asked if I wanted them – I said “of

course!”

He asked about my

breathing and I told him it hurts to cough or sneeze and breathe when I wake up

in the AM. He said this is because of the rib removal and because they had

to spread apart my ribs (I didn’t want to hear more).

I did discuss

with him that I was “blue” many times and he didn’t question

me. I told him I was still on the Fentanyl patch and my percocet intake

was 4 a day but I’m down to 1 or 2 or none now. He wanted to make

sure I was descending in the amount of the Fentanyl patch and I told him I

was. I take 50 mcg now and next time I see my medical doctor I am

confident I can go down to 25 mcg.

All in all it was

a great visit and I will be going back in another 4 months. I’m

still in pain but I have seen a good improvement in my pain these past 10 days

so I’m getting better! It has been 131 days – almost 19

weeks! Spring is coming and I do feel better.

Lorrie Snyder

Ellicott City, MD

[Guest guest]

Dear Lorrie: I'm so glad your appt. went well with Dr. Boachie! You've been through so much. The healing certainly takes time, but you'll notice some progress when you least expect it. I still have moments where I notice I'm doing something with ease that use to be a challenge. Hang in there. Sending you continued healing thoughts. etteLorrie Snyder <Lorriesnyder@...> wrote: Hi Everyone – glad to see that my follow-up with Dr. Boachie was on the calendar. We just returned today (Sunday) from the appointment and a

side visit with my parents. Dr. Boachie said my x-rays look great! I’m healing well and he saw white areas where the bones are fusing. I am now allowed to bend forward 45 degrees. I can pick up Jill and hold her from a chair or something she is standing on. If I picked her up from the floor I would have to squat down and raise both me and her up off the floor. This would require too much strength that I don’t have. He wasn’t surprised that I have a lot of leg pain and told me I need to walk more and especially walk in a pool. I need to do my physical therapy exercise and use the stationery bike. I

haven’t been doing much of the above because I’ve been in so much pain and had that yuck feeling. But it is amazing that the past 10 or 12 days the pain has been much better. Kam you did say at the 4 month mark I would be feeling better and you were so right. I see light at the end of the tunnel. I still have a little swelling on my right side and Dr. B said that would go down a little more but I would always have a protrusion there. We discussed my leg length discrepancy that is more evident after the surgery. He measured me and it is about 2.5 cm or a little under an inch. So I will have to wear a lift in my

sneaker or shoe or have one put on the outside by a shoemaker. I have one leg shorter than the other even without my hip displasia. Dr. Boachie thought I stood on my shorter leg for the x-rays (my left leg) but I said no I always stood on my right leg because I thought it made me look less crooked. Bill (my husband) thought that Dr. B was a little upset about this because it may have thrown off his calculations about my correction. I didn’t think this was the case. I, of course had no idea but in the future Dr. B wants me to stand on my left leg for x-rays. Oh well, I can’t do anything about it now. It is funny

to me that every time we go see Dr. B I have my new x-rays but he is always fumbling around with all the other x-rays in my file to find the ones prior to his correction so he can compare. In the past I was able to pull them out for him but I can’t understand why the x-rays can’t be kept in a better order. I’m sure his staff is so busy and they just clump them together. He had x-rays in the pile from my previous doctor, Dr. Levine. Even one from 1973 before my first surgery as a 12 year old! I was shocked. Glad he had all of them anyway. He said I had a long history and I joked that I should be glowing right now with all the x-rays (all of us should be – I guess). His nurse did give me a handful and asked if I wanted them – I said “of course!” He asked about my breathing and I told him it hurts to cough or sneeze and breathe when I wake up in the AM. He said this is because of the rib removal and because they had to spread apart my ribs (I didn’t want to hear more). I did discuss with him that I was “blue” many times and he didn’t question me. I told him I was still on the Fentanyl patch and my percocet intake

was 4 a day but I’m down to 1 or 2 or none now. He wanted to make sure I was descending in the amount of the Fentanyl patch and I told him I was. I take 50 mcg now and next time I see my medical doctor I am confident I can go down to 25 mcg. All in all it was a great visit and I will be going back in another 4 months. I’m still in pain but I have seen a good improvement in my pain these past 10 days so I’m getting better! It has been 131 days – almost 19 weeks! Spring is coming and I do feel better. Lorrie Snyder Ellicott City, MD

[Guest guest]

Lorrie,

I can't wait to read your six-month report!

kam

[Guest guest]

Hi Lorrie,

Glad the visit went well and that you are in less pain.

Bonnie

RE: [ ] Lorrie's follow-up with Dr Boachie, 3/17/2006, 12:00 pm

Hi Everyone – glad to see that my follow-up with Dr. Boachie was on the calendar. We just returned today (Sunday) from the appointment and a side visit with my parents.

Dr. Boachie said my x-rays look great! I’m healing well and he saw white areas where the bones are fusing. I am now allowed to bend forward 45 degrees. I can pick up Jill and hold her from a chair or something she is standing on. If I picked her up from the floor I would have to squat down and raise both me and her up off the floor. This would require too much strength that I don’t have. He wasn’t surprised that I have a lot of leg pain and told me I need to walk more and especially walk in a pool. I need to do my physical therapy exercise and use the stationery bike. I haven’t been doing much of the above because I’ve been in so much pain and had that yuck feeling. But it is amazing that the past 10 or 12 days the pain has been much better. Kam you did say at the 4 month mark I would be feeling better and you were so right. I see light at the end of the tunnel.

I still have a little swelling on my right side and Dr. B said that would go down a little more but I would always have a protrusion there. We discussed my leg length discrepancy that is more evident after the surgery. He measured me and it is about 2.5 cm or a little under an inch. So I will have to wear a lift in my sneaker or shoe or have one put on the outside by a shoemaker. I have one leg shorter than the other even without my hip displasia. Dr. Boachie thought I stood on my shorter leg for the x-rays (my left leg) but I said no I always stood on my right leg because I thought it made me look less crooked. Bill (my husband) thought that Dr. B was a little upset about this because it may have thrown off his calculations about my correction. I didn’t think this was the case. I, of course had no idea but in the future Dr. B wants me to stand on my left leg for x-rays. Oh well, I can’t do anything about it now.

It is funny to me that every time we go see Dr. B I have my new x-rays but he is always fumbling around with all the other x-rays in my file to find the ones prior to his correction so he can compare. In the past I was able to pull them out for him but I can’t understand why the x-rays can’t be kept in a better order. I’m sure his staff is so busy and they just clump them together. He had x-rays in the pile from my previous doctor, Dr. Levine. Even one from 1973 before my first surgery as a 12 year old! I was shocked. Glad he had all of them anyway. He said I had a long history and I joked that I should be glowing right now with all the x-rays (all of us should be – I guess). His nurse did give me a handful and asked if I wanted them – I said “of course!”

He asked about my breathing and I told him it hurts to cough or sneeze and breathe when I wake up in the AM. He said this is because of the rib removal and because they had to spread apart my ribs (I didn’t want to hear more).

I did discuss with him that I was “blue” many times and he didn’t question me. I told him I was still on the Fentanyl patch and my percocet intake was 4 a day but I’m down to 1 or 2 or none now. He wanted to make sure I was descending in the amount of the Fentanyl patch and I told him I was. I take 50 mcg now and next time I see my medical doctor I am confident I can go down to 25 mcg.

All in all it was a great visit and I will be going back in another 4 months. I’m still in pain but I have seen a good improvement in my pain these past 10 days so I’m getting better! It has been 131 days – almost 19 weeks! Spring is coming and I do feel better.

Lorrie Snyder

Ellicott City, MD