When I found out that Jim (Malick) was going to have a hip replacement, I offered to go up and help with his first couple of weeks recovery. I figured it was a win-win proposition, after all they are fun to be with, Layne is a fabulous cook, Jim has plenty of Hendricks gin, and a good supply of Dead Frog Ale. Luckily, I got through the Canadian border extremely quickly (obviously, they recognized I was on a mission of mercy and it was getting perilously close to martini time).Weather was perfect when I arrived and unloaded the Outback, so I headed out to finish my steps for the day and to contemplate whether I should have three olives or four in my glass of clear, adult beverage reward. But then some of the buildings looked like I'd already had too much to drink...so maybe I knock back to three olives.
The plan was that I would arrive a couple of days before the surgery (scheduled on the 27th) to help with what ever I could. Although the Canadian health system has great doctors, nurses, & surgeons, apparently communications needs a bit of work. Jim didn’t find out about what time the surgery was scheduled on Friday until mid-day Thursday...and of course they wanted him there a long, long time before his pre-op “stuff”, which was way too early for any of us. We duly arrived plenty early (and bleary eyed) so we’d have enough time to read every magazine and pamphlet available in the admittance area telling us about all the incurable problems and dire medical issues we probably had...with enough time left over to truly become despondent. Jeana (Jim & Layne’s daughter) had flown up the day before for added support and to help us appear to be in complete control of the situation, if a problem should arise.
Finally, his name was called and Layne was allowed to go with him into the pre-op room. She sent us a picture of Jim when he got into his full surgical gown (even with a shower cap and booties!) Layne came out and they wheeled Jim into surgery.
Only took about an hour to complete the hip replacement and Layne had heard one of the doctors say as they were headed into surgery that they couldn’t dally since they had several of these operations scheduled today. Once we learned that Jim was in recovery and waiting to be assigned to a room, that communications issue reared its ugly head. Every time we’d ask for a status report, we’d get the same “It shouldn’t be too long...”. Layne, Jeana, and I were getting a little frustrated with the lack of information being sent our way. We started taking turns asking so we didn’t come across as too needy...but I don’t think that strategy worked. At one point, instead of asking the station nurse (again), Layne called a hospital information number while I made sure it was not the station nurse 10 feet away from us who answered.
Eventually (over 5 hours later), Jim was finally assigned and moved to a room where he was to spend the night. While he was waiting for the room assignment, apparently his pain meds had not been delivered on schedule, so he was hurting pretty badly. It took them a while to get him out of pain enough so he could go to sleep and at that time we headed back home.
The next morning Jim was doing much better, but his quadriceps muscle really was bothering him. Apparently, the act of moving that muscle mass off to the side to get at the hip joint was the most traumatic event in terms of after effects. Jeana and Layne scrutinized and planned the pain med schedule once we got Jim home the next day. Jim picked out a place in the living room and got lots of reading done in the time between his hip exercises.
Jeana had to leave after the weekend and the next week Jeff (their son) came up from Seattle for several days. Jeff made tacos one night and since I had picked up some Ssamjang (spicy, Korean fermented pepper paste) at Granville Island, he fixed bulgogi the next night so we could try it out.
With all the good food, sunshine, and family care, Jim recovered fairly quickly and within the first week he was walking with minimal help from the walker and within ten days, he was walking without any assistance at all.
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| Jim's first walk outside after the surgery. |
After a little less than two weeks, the Hendricks gin supply was getting low and the Malicks seemed to be doing just fine without my assistance, so I decided to head back to Roseburg. I had agreed to stay until Jim got his staples out. So on Friday morning, October 11th, Jim & I walked two blocks up to their doctor’s office where 26 staples were removed from his hip and the incision was proclaimed to be healing well. We walked back home and I hauled all my stuff down to the car.
We said our goodbyes and I headed south perfectly synchronized with the Seattle rush hour. During my stay, Layne had made sure that there were always cookies available to take on my afternoon walks and I truly didn’t mind working through an hour of traffic on Friday because I had a bag of fabulous triple ginger cookies.
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| Layne was constantly fixing something good, this was cookie and roasted vegetable day. |
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| Steak and Kidney pie to close the end of the week... my favorite kind of over indulgence !! |
2) I got lots of quality time walking along the waterfront promenades of False Creek,
3) I only gained four pounds consuming large quantities of delightful and varied dinner entrees (usually followed by cookies & milk...or port), and most importantly,
4) I had an awesome time just being with all the Malicks over those two weeks...and oh yeah, Jim’s hip operation was a great success!
P.S. After seeing a 6L bottle of Hendricks at the duty free store, I’m going to have to evaluate and probably revise my letter to Santa.
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