Larry Penkava – I'm hip! » Blogging with Larry » The Randolph Guide | Asheboro NC

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October 2, 2009

Larry Penkava – I'm hip!

Anonymous The Randolph Guide Fri Oct 02, 2009, 08:43 AM EDT

I never thought I’d look forward to being cut asunder, my joints separated, and my bones chiseled and hammered.

Guess I just didn’t know what I was missing.

By the time you read this, I’ll be recovering from hip resurfacing surgery. It was scheduled for Tuesday at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Seems the cartilage in my right hip had deteriorated to the point that it was bone against bone. In medical terms, the femoral head (ball) and the acetabulum (socket) were rubbing together with enough friction to start a fire.

At least that’s how it’s been feeling. That’s why I’ve been eagerly anticipating the surgery.

I learned about resurfacing after being told that I was going to need hip replacement. Hip resurfacing is an alternative to total hip replacement and allows the patient to continue being active after complete recovery.

In the procedure, the surgeon covers the femur head and acetabulum with highly-polished titanium. So, instead of bone against bone, you have metal against metal.

My sawbones, er, surgeon is Dr. Riyaz Jinnah. He described himself to me as an African-born Pakistani educated in England (Cambridge) and now working in North Carolina. He said he feels like a nomad, but without the tent.

Dr. Riyaz is a veteran at hip resurfacing, having done hundreds of the operations. The procedure has a success rate in the high 90s, so I feel confident as I anticipate my surgery.

I should be in the hospital for three for four days before returning home to recover. They say they’ll let me out when I’ve shown I can do such mundane tasks as dressing myself, using a walker or crutches, taking care of my hygienic needs and using a contraption that helps me put on my socks.

Ah, I could have used that sock aid months, nay years, ago. For the past year, putting on my right sock has been an exercise in agony. I’ve tried all kinds of contortions to get sock on foot, but all of them required bending the body from the hip. I even considered painting my lower leg to make it appear besocked.

My recovery at home should take at least two weeks, at which time I go back to the doctor to have my staples removed and the wound evaluated. That’s when they say I can bathe again – phew!

While recuperating, my cousin, Tom Allen, will be my nursemaid. A victim of the recession and having to retire early, he’s graciously agreed to look after me while my wife Ginny is working.

Tom is no stranger to joint surgery. He’s had both knees replaced and understands what we orthopedically-challenged have to put up with.

Next time you see me, I may be using crutches or a walker. I intend to be back at work as soon as possible and I’ve been promised a chauffeur to tool me around town (I’m not supposed to drive for six weeks).

In the meantime, The Randolph Guide will set up a blog on our Web site so I can wax eloquently on my experience. Just go to www.randolphguide.com for updates.

Larry Penkava, who has written Now and Then since 1994, can now say he’s “hip.”

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Blogging with Larry

Speaking of running...
It's been a while since Larry Penkava could job. But last Saturday, during the human race, he rejoined the world of the running, completing one mile during The Human Race.

April 2, 2010
I can see the light! It’s been 16 weeks and three days since my hip surgery and I’m beginning to feel almost normal. I'm counting down to the end of March when I will (hopefully) go on The Run.
January 23, 2010
Larry: Brothers joined at the hip The Asheboro attorney and now city councilman-to-be had hip surgery just 10 days after I did. He had total hip replacement while I had hip resurfacing.
November 5, 2009
Larry Penkava - Not so bad being a shut in Since undergoing hip surgery on Sept. 29, I’ve found myself sitting at home at the mercy of others. Being waited on hand and foot isn’t all bad, but it goes against my proclivity to do things for myself.
October 28, 2009
Larry: Three weeks after surgery My recovery has entered the "doldrums" period. For the first couple of weeks after hip resurfacing surgery, I was pretty upbeat while becoming acclimated to life as a semi-invalid.
October 28, 2009
Larry: Whew. It's done. My surgery went really well. At least that’s what one of the team of doctors told me the day after I had hip resurfacing. He also said my arthritis had been pretty bad. No wonder I had hurt so much in my right hip.
October 28, 2009
Larry: On the mend I received good news today (Oct. 14) during a scheduled visit to the hospital – I can go back to work.
October 15, 2009
Larry: Free, if only for a while
October 9, 2009
Larry: Things are looking up
October 7, 2009
Larry: Schedule, Schmedule… Major surgery means a major shift in your everyday schedule of events. Forget setting the clock to get up for work. Now it’s set to correspond with taking medicines, checking wound dressings, having injections and removing or putting on surgical hose.
October 6, 2009
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