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SPOKANE, Wash. – Imagine not being able to put on socks and shoes easily.
This is the reality right now for Jacob Bird.
“It took a very long time to wait for the hip replacement,” he told 4 News Now.
Bird says he broke his hip in 2000 while in the military. He has suffered from arthritis and other problems ever since. In 2015, he wanted to get a hip replacement, but the doctors told him he was too young at the time, so they performed corrective surgery instead.
In January of this year, he got to the point where he couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to go to the VA and have his hip replaced.
Since the beginning of this year, there has been back and forth with the VA and other doctors to finally get there. Two weeks ago, he finally saw a surgeon who scheduled his hip replacement for December 7.
“I can hardly put my – it’s embarrassing to say. I’ve been in sports all my life and always been athletic and so forth, but it’s hard for me to even put on my left shoe or my sock. It’s a tension, ”he says.
Bird also has two young children and it was difficult to keep up with them.
“It limits us to what we can do as a family, so I was really looking forward to having the surgery, so I can’t be a burden or limit myself to spending time with them,” he said. declared.
Then Bird got a call Wednesday morning from the surgeon’s office. They had to postpone his hip replacement.
RELATED: Providence to Postpone Some Elective Surgeries, Procedures Starting Wednesday
Providence announced on Wednesday that it would begin to reschedule certain elective surgeries on a case-by-case basis.
“Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital are taking steps to ensure that we have the capacity to care for our community,” the statement read. “This action is directly linked to keeping intensive care beds and staff, as we can for the largest number of COVID-19 patients to date.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the Spokane Regional Health District said 127 people were currently hospitalized in a Spokane hospital due to COVID-19.
MultiCare also said it recently had to “pull back” some procedures to ensure there is additional capacity.
“Surgeons have been asked to use their best clinical judgment to determine if anything can be delayed in the best interests of patient care. For patients affected by these decisions, we communicate regularly, ”reads a press release from Multicare.
Both hospital systems are bracing for an increase in the number of patients and more people continue to test positive for COVID, especially during holidays and gatherings.
Bird says there is no date set for his surgery yet, but doctors have told him he will be the second person in line to have the operation with his surgeon when it is possible again.
Here is what Providence said in deciding how to reprogram certain surgeries:
“We understand that rescheduling a planned surgery or procedure is never easy. That is why each patient’s situation is carefully reviewed by a team of experts to determine whether a delay of 90 days or more from the date of examination would cause harm to the patient. A number of criteria are taken into account, including things such as the urgency of the surgery, the duration of symptoms and the risks associated with delay. We work to find the best solution for each patient.
We recognize this is not ideal, but the pandemic has now reached a point where we need to delay some elective or elective surgeries and procedures in order to continue providing care for all those who require hospitalization. Our hospitals do not have unlimited capacity… ”
Even though Bird has to wait to do more fun things with his family, he understands what’s going on.
“I don’t blame the hospital system for this … I can’t really blame anywhere except the fact that we are not where we need to be in health as a country and city,” he said. he told 4 News Now. “So I have no animosity towards the hospital system, it’s just depressing and unhappy that I have to wait, but I would gladly give way to someone else who needs it more seriously than I do.”
RELATED: Health officials concerned about increase in COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations in Washington
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