Hip Hip Hooray?????

You just are not going to believe this....well, actually, you probably will. So here goes. A couple of weeks ago, I told Dr. Gedeon that I would like to have my hips x-rayed to at least rule out that there is anything wrong with them because I do have alot of hip pain. My family doctor, Dr. Gedeon and a couple of other doctors have all agreed that my hip pain was almost assuredly due to my back problems. Wellllll.......not so. After getting my hips examined and scanned and then going to a surgeon who does only hip and knee replacements, I find out that my hips are shot. To put it bluntly. Full of arthritis, bone on bone, a mess. Dr. Kaufman, the surgeon, (young enough to be my son...*smile*) said, "Mrs. Cavinee, I don't know how you have been walking. Aren't you in pain?" Well, yeah. But I press on and deal with it. AND I have my trusty walker to help me. He just seemed genuinely amazed that I was sitting there in the examining room acting fairly normal....*little grin* I mean, it was as though he thought I should be writhing in pain. I am in constant pain but amazingly enough, you get used to it after a while....three years......and learn to live as normally as possible in spite of the debilitating effect it tries to have on you. And some days are better than others.
Anywayyy.....both of my hips need to be replaced. One at a time of course. *feeble grin* And this will be done before my back is dealt with any further. So, I have an appointment to see Dr. Berrend at the New Albany Surgery Center on September 16. He does a new, less invasive hip replacement procedure which is what I told Dr. Kaufman that I wanted. (I have been researching.) Dr. Kaufman still does the old procedure where a large incision is made, muscle is cut and so on. The new involves one, possibly two small....two to three inch.....incisions. The muscle tissue is separated, not cut. The recovery time is much shorter as compared to the old procedure. Dr. Kaufman did tell me that I would have to be approved for the new procedure, meaning if I was a good candidate for it. *fingers crossed* *hands folded in prayer* *In Jesus' Name*
Now.....I have only one request......none of this can interfere with our date to see Lion King on September 20!!! After that, I'm a go!!! *smile* AND Donnie, Charity and the kids are going to the matinee on that same day, too!!! I'll be easy to find: Ed and I will be in the handicap accessible seats!! I am so excited! My two girlfriends and I first saw Lion King in NYC in 2000, I believe it was. It was so unbelieveably wonderful! I just had to see it again and since we haven't taken a vacay this summer, I asked Ed if we could please go see the Lion King. If you ever get the opportunity to do so, go!!! (Did I tell you I am super excited about going?!?!)
So, getting back to things of a more serious nature.....I've never had major surgery in my life, so I am a bit ......oh, I don't really know what to call it.....not really scared....perhaps really apprehensive about it all. But I will just do what I have been doing: I will take it one day at a time and put my trust in the Lord, knowing that He is by my side, walking each step of the way with me. I just don't know what I would do without the Lord, as the song says;
"If it wasn't for the Lord, where would I be,
My life was nothing until He set me free,
He walks with me and talks with me, telling me I am His own,
He calms all my fears telling me I am not alone.
He made the difference, He made the difference in my life!"
What a precious Friend and Father He is to me........
"And He walks with me and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known."