One Step at a Time

We received some news the other day that, while not totally unexpected, still managed to throw us for a loop.

Without going into great detail (because it’s a long, confusing story), it turns out that my husband, who has been dealing for quite some time with complications that arose several years after receiving a hip replacement, needs to have hip replacement surgery again… that is, he’ll be getting a replacement of the replacement.

We’ve known for a long time – before we moved to Windsor, in fact – that something would need to be done to address the issues he’s been facing. There had been the possibility that a relatively minor surgery might have corrected the problem – which was what we hoped would be the case – but he learned last week that no, the minor surgery will not solve the issue. A full hip replacement is the only option.

What this means is that he’ll go in for an initial preparatory surgery in a few weeks, followed by around three months of recovery, followed by another surgery (the actual hip replacement) and subsequent recovery.

As you might imagine, we’re both struggling with this new development. No matter how aware you may be of the possibilities, no matter how much you prepare yourself for the worst, you always hope for the best – in this case, the minor surgery. When the reality of the situation turns out not to be the best, it hits hard… no matter how prepared you might have been.

We’re trying to keep things in balance – to stay strong, remain positive, and focus on gratitude – one day (or hour, or minute) at a time. Some days are better than others. The day we received the news and realized that, in addition to everything that comes with the surgeries themselves, our plan to visit family and friends in Victoria over the Christmas break would now no longer be possible, was hard.

But there is so much for which we can be thankful.

• Back when we lived in Victoria, we were told that if this surgery took place it would likely have to be in London (a few hours’ drive from Windsor)… but as it turns out, it will all be happening in town. This is a huge relief, both from a time and financial perspective.
• The surgery, hospital stay, follow-up care, etc. will not have an impact on us financially, thanks to our wonderful Canadian healthcare system – for which I am beyond grateful.
• We have a date for the first surgery, and the scheduling is quick – no sitting around waiting in uncertainty and fretting over the unknown.
• We’ve lived in Windsor long enough to have learned our way around the city, and to have established some friendships… so we’re not completely alone in a strange place.
• I have a wonderful employer who understands and supports the fact that I may need to take some time off or adjust my work schedule over the next while so that I can be at the hospital, drive my husband to and from appointments, and so on.

It’s going to be an interesting winter. But we are so fortunate, and we will carry on, one step at a time.