Day 15: Visit With PA: Staples Out, X-Rays of Foot

 

ifteen days after surgery, Fifteen days after surgery, time to go in for my visit with the PA (physical assistant).

First order of business was to remove the wound staples. I was curious what that would entail — were they curled under like a normal staple? Would it require a special tool to remove them? Would it hurt?

No on the latter. As I suspected, the legs of the staples were straight — they just held the edges of the wound together. The nurse did unpack a special set of pliers (of course) and proceeded to pull them, one by one.

Just a little twinge.

The new dressings seem to be just little strips of tape across the wound, just to hold them together, again.

One unexpected thing was I seem to have built up a pocket of fluid on the right hip. The PA aspirated it with a needle and drained some 80cc’s from under the skin.

What’s Happening With the Foot?

My biggest concern is the status of my foot: broken? sprained? infected?

To find out, they took x-rays of my foot and ankle: no fractures.

The PA related that they do wrench your foot and leg pretty heavily during the surgery — they have to extend the leg to dislocate the hip joint and then they have to rotate it to expose the femoral head and push it out. He said he has seen the bottom of the fibula fracture.

Yeesh!

I don’t remember reading that in the long list of potential consequences I had to acknowledge and sign off in the disclaimer. I suppose I could have taken a half hour and read it more carefully, but, in the end, what are you going to do? If you want to have the benefit of the surgery, you have to accept the risk.

The Implants

He (the PA) also had x-rays of my hips taken. It’s amazing! The implants look great! He indicated they’re positioned perfectly and pointed out a few of the parts of geometry.

He also said I’d likely set off the metal detectors at the airport. Advised me to keep the x-ray images on my phone to show the TSA agents.

It’s just as well: I’d rather get a physical search than go through the x-ray machine, anyway.

Physical Therapist — Last Visit

The head PT guy came to check me out and sign me off. I was a bit too tired from the office visit to demonstrate anything, but we concurred I’m not having any issues: the recovery is going great.

They had suggested that the Dr/PA might recommend further out-patient therapy, but on this visit he indicated it was rarely needed: only for those that were having extensive recovery issues, and that’s not me.

Disability Placard for Driving

The last item for the visit was for the PA to sign off on a disability placard for driving. I can’t drive for probably another week, but when I do drive, I don’t want to do extended walks from the parking spot. So, I want to get this in order ASAP.

Summary

And, that’s pretty much it.

From here, the slog continues, but lessens day by day. The PT says I should be tackling the stairs normally in two to four weeks. I can drive in one or two weeks. The pain will continue to subside.

I’ll still be making entries at milestone points, maybe a few more reflections. But likely not daily, anymore.

I have some programming work to do on the site.

<

>