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My name is Don Kirk and I
live in Fairbanks, Alaska. Last fall I discovered that my
right hip would need replacing. I had received an injury to
this leg when 5 years old and the doctors used a 4" long
plate to rejoin my femur. After 55 years this plate was
overgrown with bone. My local doctor was hot to give me a THR but didn’t want to deal with removing the prior implant
that would be in the way of the femoral stem of a THR. I
went to Seattle to see a specialist at the U of Washington,
but he didn’t want to deal with the implant either. I
checked the web on implant removal and found next to
nothing, it was during these web searches that I discovered
hip resurfacing. Neither doctor even mentioned this to me as
an alternative treatment, which disgusted me. When I asked
my local doctor about hip resurfacing, he told me that he
knew about but still felt that a THR would be better for me
in spite of the fact that I couldn’t find a doctor
interested in removing the plate from my leg.
After contacting Wright (Conserve +), I found a surgeon in
Seattle who does hip resurfacing and I had the procedure
done on 1/9/06. My insurance company covered it too, while
not FDA approved. It is 8 weeks after surgery and I am glad
to have a hip resurfacing instead of a THR.
What I really wanted to share with those individuals having
surgery was what I erected over/around my king size water
bed to aid me in getting up. I had a Zimmer frame in the
hospital and the PTs didn’t want me using it because they
said that I wouldn’t have one at home. Little did they know
about me, after 34+ years working construction I know how to
make things happen? I emailed a construction friend of mine
and after surgery when I got back to Fairbanks from Seattle,
he showed up with the scaffolding and in two hours I had a
sturdy frame around my bed. My wife wrapped the feet of the
scaffolding with aluminum foil to protect the carpet. The
scaffolding parts rent for about $40 a month US. The
scaffolding is free standing and does not alter or destroy
anything in the house during erection.
To
make a 6' tall 8' x 8' frame you need:
4- Feet
4- 4' tubes
5- 6' tubes
6- 8' tubes
12- 90 degree knuckles
10- Swivel knuckles
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The tools needed to build the frame are a 3/4" deep socket
and ratchet, a tape measure and maybe a level if you don’t
have a good eye. My wife is
small and she couldn’t help me up, the frame was a real life
saver.
I worked on the Trans Alaska Pipeline for most of my career,
setting up and running projects.
You have my permission to post my note, and Dr. Pritchett
was my surgeon. I arrived in Seattle on a Saturday and was
to have surgery on the following Monday morning and when I
called Dr. Pritchett reporting my arrival he came to my
hotel room to see me. A house call is unheard of these days.
Attached is an x-ray of my leg prior to surgery, showing the
plate. I scanned them into my HP 4600 which has a plastic
viewing table and used a 500 watt quartz light behind it to
make them come out. Having my x-rays in a jpeg format made
it easier consulting doctor electronically. Hip resurfacing
eliminated the problem of removing the prior implant.
I hope this helps.
Thanks, Don
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