As most of us knew Jude has been struggling with a faulty ball joint in her suspension for the last five years and finally manage to book into the workshop for a replacement part.
Monday this week past, she spent about an hour and a half on the workbench while the mechanic removed the old ball joint and replace it with a brand new non-OEM part, as the original manufacturer never produce a identical original design replacement.
The night before, we stayed at Daeree and Dans in our Moho. I was expecting Jude to have a nervous sleepless night, however I was very surprised that she slept very well. Arriving at Southern Cross Hospital at 0645hrs Jude a little anxious was being brave and didn’t display how her nerves really were.
Even once changed into her hospital robe and gown she had high spirits until the nurse came in to take her away at which was the time her expression changed to OMG it’s real now… as visible in the following photo.
The surgeon wheels Jude off for the hip replacement which took approximately 1.5 hours and 1.5 hrs in the recovery room before being returned to her room. While Jude was going through her ordeal I did some window shopping before joining my oldest daughter Dae-Maree for a brunch at the Batch. By the time we got to see Jude she was a box of happiness and pleased with how everything went as you can see by the following photo.
Now For The Recovery
With the morning operation a success, the afternoon arrives and it’s time to stand up for the first time on her new hip. A little nervous but keen to see how it goes Jude is instructed on the do’s and Don’ts of movements and assisted out of bed to a support frame for her first few steps.
That’s enough for the day for as slow and easy as it was it took quite a bit of effort from an already depleted energy supply. The ordeal has been a drain on her small stature so it’s rest for the rest of the day and a diet of pain relief pills.
As her main support person and nurse to be, I felt for Jude and knew it is going to be hard for her to have patience, not being able to do her normal activities such as gardening, long walks and her beloved mountain biking for two month was going to drive her nuts… and of course tax my fortitude or fortitjude as I called it.
Day two was the visit from the Physiotherapist who got her onto crutches and started her actually walking using mnemonic GAS and SAG system which is Good leg, Altered leg and then Sticks for going up steps and SAG which is Sticks Altered Leg and then Good leg for walking down steps and along on flat ground. Yeah it is a bit of a complex process but it worked… sort of?
To be continued…