 |
My Blog
Friday, 1 December 2006
Craig Update
HEY EVERYONE - Here's not quite the latest from Craig - He Emailed Dad - Dad forwarded to me - but in the mean time Craig was able to get on as you can see from his most recent post. Some of this is old news but you can read it as it happened... From Dad: what a relief to see the backed up EMails from Craig in my Inbox this morning (12.1) .. apparently they finally got a reliable computer connection working in his room and Craig got his Yahoo account established for EMailing. Connection problems also kept him from posting to the blog. Craig is doing VERY WELL!! As you will see from the following ... will do some pastes to give you the essence of what Craig wrote: Friday morning, I still don’t have an internet connection Mohan should be by shortly. I think this extension cable must be bad hope to get plugged in soon. I’m sorry I can’t imagine what you guys are going through not hearing from me. I’m glad Dr. Bose updated you. (The following was written Thursday night) Dad, I couldn’t get to the blog site so I’m mailing you direct. Everything is fine the surgery went well recovery was a lot easier than I expected. Believe it or not there’s hardly any swelling. It’s 8:15 pm thurssday here and they brought the computer in from the foyer room where it normally stays. So physio went well today I already have more range of motion than before, not necessarily comfortably. I got out of bed today and took about twenty steps with a walker was also able to stand hands free for about ten seconds could’ve stood longer but the physio said “Very very excellent craig that is enough.” It’s strange to have two same length legs again I feel I’m listing to the right. The pressure I normally have across my lower back was already diminishing. Doc took a picture of my femur don’t know if it was before or after grinding. There were no cysts in the femoral head unusual for being bone on bone so long, and he said that again the bone He was working with was even better than expected. So there is no worries about longevity. The physio said to me, he had looked at the x-ray, “However did you manage before surgery….you were not walking on that were you?” I just smiled at him and said, “oh yeah, and working construction, biking so on.” He didn’t know what to say to that kind of stood there shaking his head. Typing on a pillow is tiresome so that’s all for now Love Craig I get to walk down the hall tomorrow maybe sit and blog at the desk tomorrow. And now the latest ... Well its two days after surgery I've been walking with the walker twice today. Both range of motion sessions went extremely well. We're gaining every time. All tubes are gone and I'm wearing my scrubs instead of a gown, that feels so much better. I doing so well with the walker I get to try arm crutches tomorrow. I can get out of bed when ever I want to now, I just have to call for assisstance. Like Dr, Bis just said, he was just here, "after all independece is the goal." So todays other activities included watching cricket on espn, reactivating my yahoo account, if you'd like to drop me a line the new address, at least for this India trip, is crbraue@yahoo.com, and finally getting this connection working again. It's been very tempermental, and I've lost some big posts because of it so if I repeat myself its because I can't remember what got lost. That's all for now, God Bless and see you soon! Craig ps I think I finally get this game cricket, scary huh?
Posted by Craig R Braue
at 10:27 PM EST
Updated: Monday, 11 December 2006 6:07 AM EST
Two days post op
 Well I've sailed through two days things are great! Sorry it's taken so long to post this. We have had nothing but trouble with the connection here locally, but now everything seems fine. I've lost a few big posts due to the trouble. I was finally able to get some stuff to my Dad which will get to Chris and then be posted. This is Sister Suni who along with Looma Elisabeth, Jansi, Raji, and many others make up the nursing staff on the fifth floor. I was never in better care on any of my Hospital stays as i was at Apollo Specialty Hospital.
Dr Bose said surgery went excellently. I ended up with a 54 mm BHR (second largest they make). In the world of resufacing  you obviously match the size anatomically, but research has shown that the bigger the diameter the better. While in the recovery room one of his assistants brought in one of the chunks of bone they had to remove, it was huge like something from a gravel driveway. Coming out of anestheia is never fun, but this time was way better than last. Post-op pain has been minimal. I was up watching some TV and eating the same day. He said to call him Dr. Bis. Dr. Bis (pictured here) assisted Dr. Vijay Bose during surgery and both Doc's made it a point to tell me that the bone they had to work with was much better than they expected. Or as Dr. Bose said very dense very strong. You will be able to see them demonstrating how good the bone was in surgery on a soon to come post with gory details if you can handle it (not for the sqeamish).  The next day went well they got me up on a walker I could even stand hands free for about 10 seconds. It was wierd to stand straight again with no pelvic tilt and some of the usual tightness accross my lower backwas already diminishing. Range of motion exercises went well I already have way more rotation than before and the most amazing is laterally. I've got exercises to do every hour they're a little painful but it helps pass the time. The nurses and all the staff are awesome always cheerful and happy to serve. It's funny we're both speaking english but unable to understand each other at times, I'm getting better with the accent as they are with mine. Here is R. Padmaraj one of two PT's that literally got me up and moving they're consumate professionals, gentle, patient, yet persistant. Padmaraj also gives Understanding Cricket 101 lessons. The second day post-op was even better, up on a walker twice, and all tubes came out, so I can wear scrubs, I hate hospital gowns. I'm doing so well that I get to try forearm crutches tomorrow. Gotta go more later. Craig
Posted by Craig R Braue
at 5:59 PM EST
Updated: Tuesday, 12 December 2006 2:29 PM EST
Tuesday, 28 November 2006
The Right Man, at the Right Place, at the Right Time!
Mood:
 on fire
YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well all those years of not giving in, all this time putting up with the pain (especially backpacking through the Smokies......Ow), all these years of taking my mother in-law's nutritional advice, all these years working constructionand just plain refusing to let this thing called arthritis slow me down have paid off! Dr Bose greeted me in his office with a big smile and said,"It's even better than I thought it would be. There's plenty of good solid bone left for resurfacing!" (Rob, you already knew that , huh?) He proceeded to show me the templates he uses on the new full scale (not a PDF file) x-ray to match the new hip with the good one and more good news. A 60mm size matches my good hip perfectly, I also think it's the largest one they make. That's good news because everything that's good about resurfacing gets even better with a bigger size, more surface area, more thick film lubrication, more bearing, harder to dislocate. He went on to say that it would take the same amount of force trauma to dislocate this hip resurf as a normal hip (hello moguls again), also from doing annual bone density scans post-op they have found bone beneath or downstream gets more dense with time. Heard enough good news yet? But wait there's more! All the white stuff on the right off the joint (osteophytes, see picture below) are a GOOD sign. That means, especially on the pelvic (acetabular) side that the body only responds that way because of there being good bone (When you're bone on bone like me) on the opposite side (femoral/leg) "It's all good baby!". Oh but wait, there's more! In order to install a 60 mm BHR you have to grind off a total of 12 mm off the top of the femur, well guess who's already done that? Huh? That's right! that's right! you guessed it, ME (with His enabling grace!) so that really good dense bone is right there to where he would grind anyhow, that means not only have I/God guaged his procedure for him, lol but I come out of the OR with Identical length legs. Can I hear a Hallelujah! Coincidence? I think not! So basically as far as the ortho side of things, we're about to turn the clock back to June 30 1981 the day befor the accident. And all I got to say is............"on your left" ..........(what is courteously said when overtaking a slower cyclist) Good night Gracie!!!!!!!
Posted by Craig R Braue
at 10:54 AM EST
Updated: Tuesday, 12 December 2006 2:32 PM EST
Plugged in again!
Hey......Hey.......Hey! I was getting worried again not being able to view the site. But I got through! OK where to begin? I'll start with the latest first. I'm in my permanent room now, obviously, complete w/computer and high speed connection. All my tests and x-rays done everything's oakey doakey. But man am I tired! I saw Dr. Boses assistant surgeon Dr Biz his preferred abbreviation). We discussed my case at length. I happened to have a printed copy of the x-ray posted here and with a cursory look he seemed to think there was plenty of good bone left for a resurf. I'm about to eat dinner then will be taken to meet Dr. Bose at his office with the new x-rays that he can template off of. Dr. Biz said to write down any and all questions and feel free to ask away. I just met my nurse Looma-Elizabeth, who is a Pentecostal Christian, and bold she didn't wait too long in our introduction to ask me if I was a Christian! I beleive her picture is there on Gary's blog. I asked her about post-op procedure, oh by the way surgery is scheduled for 8:30 am (10pm EST Tuesday your time), so I'll sleep all day tomorrow. Thursday i'll be up on a walker and progress from there. We talked about pain and she said that there is little to no pain post-op (her experience). So I don't know if that's good drugs or skilled hands or both. I'll beleive it when I don't feel it!!!!  Hey i'm fading fast here.....hope I can stay awake for dinner and more importantly for meeting the doc. I'll try to post the results of the consultation yet tonight, but if I get the same grief trying to get here again you probably won't here from me untill Thursday. Pictured here is Jansi yet another of the excellent staff of the fifth floor crew, she practically fed me my dinner, something I'm not used to but truly appreciated just the same.
So this is great, a big new room (pics to come) the internet, a credit card.......I could burn up some free time shopping for bike stuff all the way from India!!!! just kiddin honey, ........I think..... Love y'all, and appreciate your prayers, I can feel them! Later! Soon to be pain free walking, gear grinding, flying up them hills, (look out John, you too Kroske) running (imagine that after 25 years baby!!!!!!!!!!) ............Truly Thankful, Craig
Posted by Craig R Braue
at 7:20 AM EST
Updated: Friday, 15 December 2006 9:32 AM EST
Monday, 27 November 2006
Quick Update
Hi All, Here's a quick update on Craig via his Dad, Harold. So far he cannot get on to the website to blog but once he's at the hospital hopefully he will be able to. Here's about all we know: "Hi Everyone ... just talked with Craig - he is in his room at the hotel in Chennai  Regency Towers. His trip was stressful .. especially with the 6 hour delay of his flight from Frankfurt to Mumbai. He didn`t really get any sleep for 36 hours. But he is about to order room service. Apparently they are 10 and 1/2 hours ahead of us (in EST), not 9 hours as we expected. Tomorrow morning (Tues) he will be picked up and moved to a room at the hospital, for tests and xrays. Will find out time of surgery on Wed tomorrow." Keep him in your prayers and we'll keep you updated the best we can!! Chris (signed on as Craig)
Posted by Craig R Braue
at 1:23 PM EST
Updated: Tuesday, 12 December 2006 11:04 PM EST
Thursday, 23 November 2006
Truly Thankful
 Well here it is thanksgiving 2006. In two days I'll be leaving Detroit Metro-Airport for Chennai India. The image here is the reason for the trip. After twenty plus years of arthritis slowly taking over my hip it is time to turn back the clock. Thanks to a very skilled surgeon, Vijay Bose, and the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing prosthetic heretofore (BHR), I'll be rid of this extremely deformed hip joint. Hallelujah! On Wednesday the 29th of November this mess will be machined down to accept a 1.5 pound marvel of biomedical engineering known as the BHR. A cobalt chromium, mirror polished to within two microns, bone conserving, miracle that will liberate me from the constant pain of bone on bone arthritis.
As one who avoids doctors and excessive technology it's kind of ironic for me to be posting this note of thanks for this technological advancement of modern medicine. However words cannot express my gratitude to everyone who was instrumental in the development of joint replacement and the furtherance of modern orthopedics. It is not well known that the history of joint replacement dates all the way back to the 1940's. Barbaric as it was, the "Frankensteinish" contraptions worked pretty well and paved the way for the redevelopment of metal on metal bearings that now give young active patients like myself a way to maintain and improve our lifestyles. Soon I will have normal range of motion back and things like tying my shoes will no longer be a struggle. And man if you thought I was riding my bike alot before.......look out baby cuz here I come! My wife Susan is afraid she'll be a cycling widow. My kids can't wait to go running with their Dad, play tennis again and other things too numerous to mention. Oh yeah as part of the deal I've promised to take ballroom dance lessons with my wife, when momma's happy.... everybody's happy. So, beleiving that all creativity is bestowed upon man by the orignal Creator, this Thanksgiving I thank God the Father of us all for His immanent involvement in divulging the secrets of knowledge to us, His creation. After all what is science other than the study of what exists, and what exists outside of what was created? In my humble opinion, nothing. So when I consider the cumulative efforts of every smithy, miner, swordmaker, chemist, doctor, machinist, and let us not forget the anesthesiologist (thank God), I think this is man at his best. Under divine orchestration I doubt if any one individual in any of these disciplines knew how his contribution would affect the total equation. However, through nose to the grindstone determination, the sharing of information, a divine spark here and there, and moreover just people living their lives and doing their best, look at the outcome, a "miracle". Therefore, for all of this, I am truly thankful! So we may never know what our contribution to some future equation might be, but if we take some advice from the "owners manual" we can be sure someone else will be truly thankful for our efforts. "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you receive the reward...." Colosians 4:23-24 New American Standard Bible (wow i thought this was going to be about hip surgery, that was an interesting rabbit trail..... whew....) I hope the resizing of the X-ray goes well, be patient with me as I'm learning this blogging thing. More posts and pics to come. Craig
Posted by Craig R Braue
at 10:12 PM EST
Updated: Friday, 24 November 2006 1:03 AM EST
Newer | Latest | Older
|
| « |
December 2006 |
» |
 |
| S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
| 3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
| 10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
| 17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
| 24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
| 31 |
|
