bertram31.com

Those of you who saw me in Panama must have noticed I was limping around and not drinking very much because I was popping painkillers to stay up with the gang. Well, the condition got worse and the rest of the boating season had me permanently on the bridge rather than up and down as would be my norm. I decided I don't want to go through another season like that, and I DO want to chase some Panama sailfish on a fly again at UVI7 with my friends. Soooo, Monday night I go to NY's Presbyterian Hospital for hip replacement surgery on Tuesday. Based on the success of that and how I deal with the whole thing, hip two in about 6-8 weeks. I won't be at a computer for about a week or so. One of the things I am looking foward to is getting back on Bertram31.com with The Faithful. Guess I should consider this as a personal repowering. Starboard hip first. Walter

Walter, you will come out better than new and rest assured you have all the Faithful pulling for you. Anything you need, ask us first.

The Pinas Bay sails are shaking in their boots.....

UV

Walter,
We are getting as bad as our old boats, repowering our bodies, I think I will invest in titanium stocks. Good luck with the replacement, been there both with my boat and my body.
Pete Fallon

Good luck on your surgery replacement Walter. Hope your up and running soon.


R,

Doug

Walter,
Good luck.
Don't push your recovery. Take it easy.
Listen to the Docs.

Two weeks after my heart surgery, I drove to the shop with a pillow between me and the wheel and worked on a frig. And paid for it in spades. Don't be a dumb ass like me.

I see an 18 year old candy striper beckoning to your every whim while recovering.................

What can I say... best of luck with all of it. I', thinking of you.

Good Luck Walter,
Couple of people I know have gone through it and the end result is worth the price of admission. Listen to the docs and do the PT. You'll be better then new.

Good luck, Walter. Like JP said , a number of people I know are happy they had the operation, my Mother in law being one. Skip Bertman, the LSU baseball coach (now AD) who coached a couple of years after having one or both hips replaced is another.

My Godfather, who bought my B31 new, had both of his replaced. Recovery from each one took months, but he is like a new man now. You won't regret it.

My friend is looking foward to having his second hip replaced. He was quite pleased with the results from the first one.
Choose your sponge bath nurse carefully, some have calloused hands.

Speedy recovery.
Ed Curry

Hi Walter,
Good luck to you.......I'm sure that on the flip side you will not regret the surgery. Take the advise of the Faithful and don't push it. I had Radical Prostate Removal 8 weeks ago and the hardest part for me was taking it easy during recovery. After about week 5 I was feeling just fine and had to make myself continue to avoid physical exertion for several more weeks.
Good luck
Harry Babb

Walter,

Good luck with the hip surgury and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Garry

Walt,
Looks like I was the forward scout for this item. Knee gets better on a daily basis. Slept through the night with only two awakenings. Both times my middle-aged bod needed to pee.
A couple of caveats. Do as Bruce said, don't push it to get well too quickly. Our crowd by nature seems to be impatient. Dis ain't da time fo dat. Next, recovery is not a straight line. Today you feel like dancing, tomorrow you want to sit it out. It's O.K.
DO YOUR P.T. Yea, it hurts, but later when you can't do something and you realize it's because you didn't do your P.T. You'll feel worse than the day after surgery.
Hospitals are not the place for sick folks. You are your own advocate. Make them wash their hands every time they touch you. If they drop something tell them to throw it away and bring a fresh one. Ask what's in the cup before you swallow it. Ask them when they offer the cup, who you are. Make sure it's your cup of drugs.
If you are not getting the response you think you deserve ask for the floor manager, then the dept manager then the hospital administrator. You can't image how quickly attitudes and service and performance change when you squeak the wheel. Hospitals need more bad P.R. like they need a wide-spread Staph infection.
Finally, my 82 year-old neighbor had both done at once. Six months later I'm walking the dog and she's out pushing her lawn mower, and I mean pushing!
You need anything besides our prayers, you call. Our prayers are doing it already. I'm living proof of the power of prayer.
Brown liquid will be raised in your direction and on your behalf as soon as I quit taking this damned Alieve.

Walter,

Good luck. Take all above advice. You will enjoy it afterwards. I hear the hardest part is forgetting not to limp anymore...

D

Mikey, Middle age??? guess as one gets really old , ones perspective changes.

thudddddddddd

Walter, I can only echo the wishes of everyone else. My back surgery was minor compaired to what you guys went/are going through, but the same advice applied. I didn't have PT, because the doc thought I was active enough. I still have a bad disc in there, and still have trouble understanding that I can't do everything I want to. Like Mikey says, some days I go like hell, some days I just totter around painfully. Like Bruce, I think I pushed it too hard, too soon. Take it easy, and carefully. But you know all that.

Good luck.

Timmy, I saw Buddy Hackett (old comedian, before your time) on the old Tonight Show, probably when you were in grade school, bemoaning his 75th birthday. Johnny Carson (another old guy from the dawn of TV) told him he was just middle aged. Hackett croaked out in response, "If I'm middle aged, I wanna know where all the 150 year old peope are!". We have to keep fooling ourselves, or nobody else will.

I rember buddy hackett, abbot & costelo, yea?? who's on first?

Good Luck Walter.Best wishes for a quick recovery.

Walter...

The business thing has been sent... thank you very much!

More importantly, get well soon! I know several people who had knees and hips rebuilt.. and all say they now wish they had done it sooner. One lady had both hips done at once.. she said she wanted to get all the PT over and done with at one time.. and 6 months later she was dancing again.

You have a pretty strong support system here.. and you will be in everyone's thoughts.. so go for it and be prepared to absorb the vibes being sent your way. Springtime is just around the corner, so get well soon!

Walter-

My Dad has had his hip done twice--once at Huntington Hospital and the second time at Riverhead. Both times recovery took awhile. Both times it went well, and he's 81 and still fishin' almost every day (actually at dusk). Good luck.

John F.

Thudddddd,
As an actor I have been describing my self as a bolding, middle-aged white guy. My Bride informed me sometime back that the balding part is incorrect as the last fell out years ago, she also tells me the middle was long ago; so, am I still a white guy at least?
I aint looking in the mirror.

Hoping you guys are going to recover just fine!

Mikey, think you're fine on the last point, here's what you look like in the mirrow:


Br,

Patrick

Walter: Best of luck on your surgery and a fast recovery.

Tom

Whew! THanks Patrick, guess I can go back to shaving while gazing on my older bald countenace in the duck pond.

All the best in NYC and your EH recovery. If you need anything locally or in NYC I am in both locations (not simultaniously) daily/weekly.
Jeff, Michael and Daley

I know people that went thru this, they felt better long before full recovery. GOOD LUCK

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all your notes. I'm off to NYC this afternoon for tomorrow's surgery. Hope it won't be long before I'm in front of a computer again so I can catch up with all of you! Walter

Best of luck, Walter! You'll be in our thoughts...

Br,

Patrick

Walter; The best is yet to come. Feel good are take your time after the op. See you in the spring on the dock. my wife had a new hip put in 3 or 4 years ago and it's been great .no pain and walking good. she had it done when she was 58. her biggest problem is having the once over at airports trying to get on a plane. The best to you and your wife for the holidays and your recoup. BOB F