Posted on August 15, 2010 

Well, It's about time I reported in, been so damn busy! I had my left hip resurfaced by Dr. Rogerson on Monday, August 2nd in Madison Wisconsin. Tomorrow I'll be 2 weeks out. This was my 2nd hip. Dr. Bose did the first on 2/12/07 in Chennai India. The main reason I didnt go back to India and Dr. Bose, was financial. I'm on Medicare now and my income has been decimated by the ongoing recession (depression). I chose Dr. Rogerson for many reasons. He takes Medicare and AARP. He's done over 500 resurfacings with only a couple of problems that he is not afraid to 

explain. He is constantly working to improve his system and keeps up with the all the latest info. He has adopted DeSmets' pool rehab and pt program. He is a warm, personable, honest, down to earth guy. (he came to the hip/hab center himself on the last day to take out my staples). His PA Joanna was wonderful as is his whole staff. Madison is also close to where my partner’s (A partner is required for hip/hab) parents were celebrating their 50th, so one trip could cover both occasions.

Picture from first surgery in India Dr. Biz, Karl and Dr. Bose

The surgery went as expected, except a little longer because of my extra hard bones. When I told her that I would need my singing voice soon, the anesthesiologist used a less invasive intubation technique which worked and for which I am very grateful. It took a while to get my elimination systems going, but they did.. I also had a little short lasting nausea.

PT started in earnest on Tuesday at Meriter Hospital and the PT people were great upbeat motivators. And I was soon crutching to and from the PT sessions sans wheelchair. Wednesday afternoon we moved to Capitol Lakes where Dr. Rogerson has a floor of apartments and his Hip/Hab rehab. We got our room there on the previous Sunday and my partner Dawn moved our stuff in then and could stay there. The rooms were nice 1 bedrooms with a full kitchen. There were 2 negatives about Capitol Lakes at the time. There phone system was screwed up, which caused us some grief in missed contacts and the computers they had in the library were not functioning. I think Dr. Rogerson jumped all over them about the phone problems and hopefully that is no longer an issue. They have WI/FI so bring a laptop if you can. I had land PT on Wednesday evening. On Thursday and
Friday, I had one session each of land and pool PT.

Pool PT was wonderful!!! It felt so great to be exercising and walking around like a normal human on day 3 post-op. That's what water buoyancy will do for ya. I really didn't want to leave the pool. It is a heck of a morale booster and ought to be part of everybody's program (IMO).

On Thursday I started taking short walks outside, crutching to the market and up by the Capitol. On Saturday, Dawn brought my guitar and a firm pillow and we hiked up to the Farmers Market that stretches for a mile all around the Capitol building. We found a little alcove with benches between some vendors and I put out my guitar case to try a little busking. People were enjoying my singing and playing until they started throwing money in my case, whereupon a state cop came up and informed me that it was a $135 fine to solicit money on state property. I explained that I was from out of state and didn't know the rules and was mostly just trying to keep up my chops. I thanked him for warning me and asked if I could continue if I closed my guitar case. He said, "Well, I guess I can't stop you from singing."   I played for about an hour before I pooped out and got presents of goat cheese and pickled peppers from our vendor neighbors.  What Fun!! I was pretty wore out for my last PT that afternoon, but still managed a small stretch of no-limp one crutch walking.

On Sunday morning we bid farewell to Madison riding to the airport in the middle of a good ole mid-west gulley washing thunder boomer. We spent the next 14 hours sitting in planes and airports coming back home to Oregon. No chance to lie down and raise my leg. ..not comfortable, not fun and I swelled up pretty good.

've been noticeably improving every day. I've been working for short stints in my pottery studio, driving, taking care of my sheep and Llama and walking short distances with no limp and no crutches. I over did it Friday. The Sheep shearer came at 8AM and I had to rouse and organize my sons to help him. Then I put 200 miles on my van running errands, visiting and grocery shopping (not enough prone time). I didn't get to bed 'till after mid-night. I made up for that yesterday. I spent most of the day laying around reading and snoozing.

I've got one more day of lovenox shots (yuck! Glad to be done with them!) and one more week of TEDs (sick of them too). Swelling is about gone. I've had more of it this time. I think maybe because of the lovenox shots. The only time I still feel pain much is when I get up from sitting for a while (like I will in a minute when I get up from typing this).

I am extremely happy with my progress and with Dr. Rogerson and his whole crew.  I am recovering faster than I did the first time. I believe that one reason for that is not waiting 'till I was hunching around like Quasimodo this time and spending some time doing some pool workouts and PT for a few weeks before surgery.

Karl Smiley

RBHR Bose 2/12/07
LBHR Rogerson 8/2/10