Hip Traveling (and Status at 21 Weeks)

I think I mentioned previously that I was due for some travel in early December. Here's a report.

Yes, Virginia, your artificial hip will trigger metal detectors. My itinerary was simple (Allentown to San Francisco via Chicago), so I only had to clear security once while leaving and returning (this is not the place for TSA stories and ranting about how we are surrendering our rights and succumbing to our collective fears, though that is a tempting topic...). Overall my experience with security was ok, but I'd guess that any one person could end up being treated far better or far worse than I was.

I traveled without any card from my doctor or copies of X-rays. There's no way you could expect security personnel to accept those cards and not do a search. I left plenty of time, and in each case the search took maybe 5-10 extra minutes (but see below). My single Birmingham prosthesis set off the normal walk-through detector. At Allentown I was directed to a screening area, where I was offered a private screening, which I declined. I had to wait for maybe five minutes while they finished working with and then helping an elderly lady put herself back together. The search was no big deal to me but the screener does get fairly familiar so if this bothers you a lot, request the private screening. At San Francisco, a brusque agent shunted me to a weird little roped-off spot that looked like a penalty box where I waited for almost ten minutes; they were very busy and the agent made a pathetically feeble attempt to get the attention of a male screener. I'm glad I wasn't on a tight connection.

A few lessons and things you might consider. (1) Yes, leave time if you can, but realize that if you have tight connections that involve leaving security and changing terminals (say, an international arrival followed by a domestic connection), you could be hosed by the extra time required. (2) TSA says they will respect your privacy, but lots of luck if you think that you can somehow explain that to a busy and impatient agent, and somehow have the whole process be discreet: you are going to set off the detector, the agent's first response will be to ask you to step back through, and they will not be expecting you to disobey and instead try explaining something to them. So just deal with this all happening in a public setting. If it really matters to you, don't travel with someone if you're trying to hide your hip from them! (3) One thing I realized that might be a big hassle one day are circumstances where you have to move through security multiple times (cancelled flights, etc.). If nothing else, popping out of the secured gate area will be that much bigger of a hassle. (4) On a related note, be prepared to set off metal detectors at all other places that employ them, not just airports. (5) In the case of international travel, especially to developing countries, I would definitely bring some sort of doctor's card plus a small image of a hip x-ray. When I think of traversing security on domestic flights I've taken in China, some visual evidence of your implant could really help if there is a language barrier. (6) Given my experience with just two screenings, one thing to keep in mind at a busy screening area is that if you are traveling alone, try to keep an eye on your belongings as they travel through the x-ray. You'll be unable to pick them up until you're done with your manual screening, so valuables, laptops, etc., plus your shoes, will be elsewhere for a while.

It's now some 21 weeks since surgery, and all is still well. The new hip feels good, with a few clunks now and then, and my unrepaired hip continues to lobby for its turn. I had a slightly odd experience when I laid down to retrieve something that had rolled under my bed, and while on my stomach, I somehow felt like I pulled something near the repaired joint. It kind of freaked me out (I wasn't twisting or anything odd) and it ended up feeling like a set back in terms of stiffness. But nothing dramatic happened and after two weeks I'm back to feeling fine.

For any reader who has cycling interests, here's some performance-related information. Understandably, this was my lowest-mileage year in a decade: I managed 2712 combined miles between the road and the trainer, with many more miles being on the trainer than normal. Still, given that I had the hip replaced in August, and that starting in late May I was pretty much crippled, 2700 miles feels pretty good. Of those 2712 miles, I managed 942 miles in the ~5 months after surgery, 211 of them on the road, after recovery but before cold weather. In the two months before surgery I managed only 282 miles that were pretty lame; in the five months of the year before that, I was able to do 1488 miles before my trip to Hong Kong and the rapid decline in my hip. My first (tiny) trainer ride took place 16 days after the operation, and my first road ride (of 15 miles) took place 51 days after the operation. I could have ridden outside sooner than that, but I didn't want to take the risk of falling onto the repaired joint, or encountering some environmental or traffic condition out of my control that would demand excessive torque or twisting. It was hard not to ride, but a femoral neck fracture is not worth it!

I have a follow-up visit with my surgeon next August 19th. I've already posted tons of too-much information, and I think it's time for some radio silence. I'll report any major changes or incidents. And, as is seeming likely, given the decline in my other hip, if I opt for surgery in June or July I'll report on the run-up to that.

I hope all the details and reports I've posted have proven helpful to others facing the decisions associated with hip surgery. So far I am really glad I went ahead with the procedure. I really can't remember what the pain on my left side was like (it is just gone), though what I'm feeling in my other hip does help me remember how much of a difference the surgery made. Good luck to you if you're in a similar boat!