Update on Steve...

Hi friends...

Jenna and I got up at 5am last night and headed to the hospital. I wanted to get here before the orthopedist came by. I didn't sleep all that well...felt like I was just a little under the subconscious level.

They moved him about 11:00pm into a holding unit as there apparently were no rooms available. The orthopedist came in about 7:20 and told us that the ball of the ball and socket hip combo is broken clean in half and displaced to the side. This proves challenging to repair because the bone that holds the ball provides the blood, nutrients and marrow. They can move the ball back onto the bone and secure it with a pin, however, due to the nature of the break, there is about a 70-80% chance that it would not heal properly and they'd have to go back in a year or less to do a hip replacement. Think of a severed limb. When reattaching the limb, they have to get all the blood vessels, muscles and ligaments reattached. And occasionally, the reattachment doesn't work and the limb has to be amputated. It's the same way here. If they reattach the ball and it doesn't heal, we'll have to take it out and put a new one in there.

With this option, Steve would be out of work for 3-4 weeks most likely and then on crutches (non-weight bearing) for 3 months. They would continue to watch the hip and if the pain didn't go away, they'd consider the hip replacement.

The alternate procedure is to do a hip replacement now. You are back on your feet in about 3 days, and starting therapy the day after. Still off from work for 2 weeks or so, but by the time he'd just be getting off the crutches with option 1, he'd be almost completely healed with the replacement.

We talked with our physical therpist neighbor, Tim, and he agreed that the best decision was the hip replacement. Amazingly, they had a cancellation this morning and took him back to surgery about 8:15. As soon as they did, I took Jenna to camp and ran by work to pick up some stuff to do and now I'm here waiting. The surgery will probably take until after lunch and then it will be late this afternoon before he gets in a room. He'll be here at least 3 days. Jenna and I are probably going to sleep at home tonight and try to keep her in some semblance of routine.

The fundraiser breakfast is still on for Saturday...we need you more than ever! Thanks for all your kind comments...they are such a comfort and strenght to me.

S-