Sunday, September 29, 2013 - Day 96

Just a quick update before we're off to play cards - yup, that started up again last week. But I made it into the newsletter as well as another member that had open heart surgery over the break! Geez. 

Anyway, this morning started with a bike ride! I love going on (easy flat) bike rides. I've never been a bike daredevil, most likely due to breaking my arm when I was 6 trying to ride with one hand, so I like easy paths. There's a really nice, new, path that stretches through many towns in CT over old train tracks. We threw the bikes in the truck and drive about 20 minutes to the paved, flatter area. I started my RunKeeper app and off we went. However, not after a minor setback of course. So I went to start peddling and wasn't going fast enough and kind of tipped to the right side and stuck my leg out so I wouldn't fall over and BOOM I moved something around in my socket area and holy crap it hurt so flipping bad. I have no idea what I did. The bike ride was fine but walking around it feels pretty sore. Maybe just a muscle thing, hopefully. Or some kind of scar tissue/tendon thing. Back to the bike ride. I set my app and we were off. We rode this trail just before my surgery and it was our first time, so it's still new. My app talks to you every 5 minutes, we thought the trail was about 3-3.5 miles each way but once we got to the end the app said 5.5 miles (in 30 minutes). Holy cow. My quads were burning and I was breathing pretty good. 

It was pretty chilly this morning but after the half hour I was feeling toasty. We turned around and booked it back - after a little photo op of course:

11 miles. 3.4+ speed on the bike. 1:05hr. 

When I got off my bike I was a little nervous to see what my hip was going to feel like after my little stumble earlier. All I know is that my legs were so freakin weak and exhausted I could barely walk! I looked like a baby fawn (oxymoron in know). Front of my hip was sore from whatever I did to it, but no real hip pain! So, an hour and five minutes of 3.4 speed on my bike with no stopping and no pain. That's one way to regain strength. 

We came home, had some lunch . . I proceeded to stand for another hour or two and cook for the week, paid bills and went through my cookbook - an ugly task. But I survived sitting mostly Indian style through that. My right hip is sore and I think mostly from whatever I did to it versus from the bike riding itself. I plan on hitting the gym this week as much as possible so we'll see how things progress 

Another end to a fab weekend. 

Did I mention the parents met the Pawn Stars in Vegas? 

Friday, September 27, 2013 - Day 94

Wowza. What to report today? I had another follow up appointment yesterday - 4 weeks since my last one, to see how my bone was growing. Sadly, it doesn't looking different even after the aspirin, vitamin and Ensure intake. It's slowly looking alright and the screws aren't breaking or bending anymore which is good news. Ultimately, I'm allowed to drop my crutch and do whatever I want - within reason! I confessed that I hit up the gym and he didn't yell at me! I told him I did zero resistance and he actually told me to bump it up to whatever I want. I am plenty strong enough to do that now and I won't be hurting anything. #almostnormal

The plan now is to come back in 6 weeks. Ugh. I'm getting sick of driving to Boston so often and taking all these days off work. But whatever. December screw removal should be fine. 

Millis had another guy with him doing my measurements and what not and he was in shock of my flexibility and range of motion after 3 pao's. I'm like yeah, Millis says I'm like a gummy worm. He was also impressed with my strength and surprised I never needed PT for any of these recoveries. Later on, doc was saying I'm not like other patients because I actually TRY to get better and get up and move around fighting through the recovery pain. I owe a lot of that to myself because I want to get better as the only way to do that is to push myself but also to my hubby and parents who (when they're not yelling at me to use my crutch or sit and relax) to make sure I'm getting up and going for walks and doing my exercises. Those two things are SO important I can't say it enough. 

So I'm basically ME! No more crutch and no more answering what happened, why am I on crutches. I can stand, I can walk and workout! My socket is tight and it's difficult to get a full stride in still. My hip clicks often but doesn't hurt. Doc says it's probably just muscle popping over bone or screws. I can now run up the stairs pretty well and stand on one leg with no issue. 

I'm sure there's more I wanted to say but I can't remember now. 

Here's my scar. Looking much better! 

And we had a visit with our friends, my college roommate, who had a baby girl a week ago! Love baby Elyse.

Doctor Millis on YouTube

Will post more about my follow up later...but right now just stumbled on these You Tube videos...I think they were made about me! Sheesh. Take some time to learn about Hip Dysplasia...

Dr. Michael Millis talks Hip

Tuesday, September 24, 2013 - Day 91

I've hit 13 weeks today so it feels only appropriate to post:

Yep. That just happened. FIRST DAY BACK AT THE GYM, since June 24. I haven't been using my crutch at all since basically Saturday and I feel really good. I decided it's time (for my sanity) to get back to the gym and get this show on the road. I literally had to leave the gym because I wanted to do so much more but refuse to hurt myself. But ahhhhh a huge weight has been lifted because I'm about 90% back to normal. I say this every time, I can't believe I had (another) hip surgery 3 months ago. Can I officially be done? 

My workout today was 30 minutes on the stationary bike (the upright one, not the one where you sit back) at level 1 = zero resistance. After that, 2 sets of 10 reverse crunches using the Bosu Ball Rack (the standing machine) and finished with some stretching. I used to be able to get my nose to my knee. Impossible. But I got there once so nothing says I can't get there again with a lot of hard work. My hammies, on both sides, are really tight. Not even stretchy tight, tight where it feels like it's going to snap. I chatted with another PAO'er who has the same issue. It's really painful. 

I go back and see Millis Thursday and hopefully get a 100% good bill of health. At the moment, my screw removal is scheduled for December 20. Done!

Just moving forward, day by day. The other day I tried to "run" upstairs without thinking and that was a total fail. The left leg pushed off of one step up to the next, it was my right legs turn to push and . . . FLOP! I went no where. I guess it's not as strong as I thought it was. I know it's weak, but when you feel good you tend to do things without thinking. This is the point where hurting yourself and screwing something up would be much more common. #goingslow 

Some (not so) attractive gym pictures. One of my doing a squat. It's cute, I know. 

Do you know how difficult and awkward it is to photograph yourself at a gym without getting "the looks" from everyone else. Clearly why it looks like I'm going to sit on a toilet. 

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - 85th day

I'm a day over week 12? Yup, it has been officially  3 months since surgery. Still don't have much to report since Sunday but I know there are followers so I must keep you in the loop. We have some very busy months ahead of us so this hip better be healed, or mostly healed when I go back to the doc next Thursday or I just might freak out! 

I've been about 80-85% good as of lately. Use my crutch at work almost all of the time and at home maybe. . . None of the time since its currently IN my car right now. Oops. I do walk funny because I'm nervous to commit completely in case I'm not totally healed. Even though if I mess something up it's back on it anyway. But I've been drinking my (sugary), not-so-bad Ensure. The banana flavor was on clearance so I scooped that up and it really isn't bad! Score. Taking my vitamin and aspirin usually daily although I have been forgetting. I've been slacking with the exercises. I wanted to start back to the gym Monday but after a busy weekend the week had a rough start. Anyway, gotta get the strength built up now. The inner thigh towards the hammie is SUPER tight and hurts really bad if I try to stretch it. It's not even stretchable, it feels like it's just going to snap. Gotta work on that at the gym. I got the left to "give" a little by stretching at the gym and now I have to start all over again!!! So dreading that. I remember when I FIRST started back to the gym last time and trying to run for the first time. Where I started to where I was 3 months ago takes such hard work and determination. I just can't wait to get to that point again. I need to workout!!

3 months scars. Good night! 

Sunday, September 15, 2013 - Day 82

I don't think numbering my days is necessary anymore as the posts are going to get less frequent and will go by weeks or months. So I'm just shy of 12 weeks! 

The last week hasn't been too exciting. Work has been so crazy and it's difficult because I can't really do anything while still in my crutch. I will say the last two days I've been bad and not using it. Ugh. I know! 

To recap, this was a wedding weekend for us in Jersey with Kevin's friend he was in a band with. Kevin was in the wedding so we drove down Friday morning to be there for the rehearsal and to get the party started. So Friday I used the crutch and was fine. Went in the hotel pool which was nice! Other than that, just kinda same old. Saturday I decided to leave the crutch in the hotel room during the ceremony as it was a short period of time and didn't want to deal with it. Plus, since Kev was in the wedding, I didn't really have anyone to help me, even though I was with the other two band guys and their wives. Went back to the hotel, grabbed my crutch and headed to the reception. I felt fine while I was walking but I try to limp so I don't hurt myself too badly if I'm still not healed very much. So then came the cocktail hour. I clearly can't carry a drink and two plates with one hand, so the crutch sat in the corner while I stuffed my face. Then, I did the bad thing, I danced my BUTT off all night. Yup. That really happened. I tried to keep a lot of the "jumping" weight on my left leg so I wasn't doing much pounding, but it did get some weight. I can say that my left hip held up amazingly well and my right feels fine. 

Rehearsal Dinner. 

3/4 of Leah Stargazing. 

We had an absolute blast and it was one of the best weddings we've been to. 

The "band" and all the wives in the order we've all gotten married. I went shoe-less for the pic because I'm too tall!

Photo booth fun!

Anyway. So this morning was the true test as to how the hips held up. After I rest, the morning I'll either be in pain or feeling ok. Well, I got up and both hips felt perfectly fine. Minor, minor muscle soreness but hardly anything. Major pain? My abs!!! Haha. I sat up in bed and almost died. I guess from all the jumping around and holding my right leg up so much put my abs through one heck of a workout! My entire torso is sore. Hips are fab. I am back on the crutch today though. 

Jumped in the car and made it back in under 2 hours, did some grocery shopping and spent the afternoon chillin' in the couch, unpacking, and making cornbread for Kevin! 

Awesome weekend. Awesome friends. And yay hips holding up! I just hope the X-ray says the same! 

Sunday, September 8, 2013 - Day 75

OMG I'm sorry, this is a long, long awaited update. I have so much to say and I kept putting it on the back burner because I wanted to focus all my attention on saying everything!!

To begin with, I am almost 11 weeks post. I guess at this point there's really no sense in counting weeks because I'm basically back to normal. And I use the term "basically back to normal" lightly. Last Thursday was my 4-week checkup from my original followup. This time around, I decided to park at CHB Wednesday night, take a taxi from the hospital over to my brothers, and then in the morning take a taxi back to the hospital. It worked out amazingly well. Since he lives on Beacon Hill, it would have been difficult to go park the car and hike literally up a mountain on crutches.

My appointment was 9am, best decision I ever made!! Usually I go for 10am and they are already behind at that hour. An hour earlier, the waiting room was completely empty. I went right down to X-ray, easy. I did one laying down and one standing up and the girl asks "do you know if there's any metal on your hip?". Seriously. What kind of question is that? I'm not a 4 years old that has no idea what's going on! I'm like uh, yes, I have screws. Do you not see the scar? Clearly she hasn't been around PAO'd patients very much. ANYWAY, got the pics and went back to the waiting room to wait for them to accept the images and in the meantime, Dr. Millis was harassing the girls at the desk and then he saw me come out. First question "where is your other crutch!". Oops. Uhh, "It broke, I don't know what happened but I had to throw it away". haha My xrays were good and he walked back to the waiting room with me. I sat for maybe 5 minutes and got called in for height, weight and temp. Lets see, this time I was around 132lb and 5'8.75" I'm going to be a different height and weight each time I go I feel like. Met his new PA and she checked out my xrays and did my ROM and had me walk without a crutch - which was clearly fine...she said it all looked good and Doc would be in soon.

I sat for quite some time, but soon the man came in and checked my strength and what not which is fine, then looked at my Xray. Here's where the crappy part comes in...I'm still not healing. :-(  My stress fracture is looking better, but the other cuts are just not healing!! My loose tendons, the trauma already associated with my pelvis in that area, it's all contributing to the bone just taking forever. I have to keep using my crutch(es) and keeping weight off it so the bones grow properly. He doesn't want to go in there to add a plate or bone graft and I'm not using a bone stimulator. He also told me to keep taking my vitamin, drink Ensure and take a low dose aspirin. Also, to gain weight. Millis said "you know, I wouldn't mind if you gained some weight."...well gee, I'm glad YOU don't mind. But that's not happening. I guess maybe he thinks I'm not eating properly to feed my bones or something. Clearly my caloric intake is fine. But I am upping my daily dose of...

It tastes less than fabulous. But I am doing everything he told me. I think the aspirin is to help blood get to the bone breaks to help it grow. I was thinking about making an appointment to donate blood, but I decided not to until I'm on a better healing track. Then we discussed babies and he told me that I'm next...I told him it's not my fault! If he would stop hacking up my pelvis maybe we can move along...unless he wants to cut up my left hip again. He told me I was done this time. So I made him tell me I was his favorite patient. :-) Anyway, back in 4 weeks and keep on the crutch. I am now a week and a half since then and I have been good. Ensure, vitamins, aspirin, crutch. Every. Day.

Moving along. I booked it back from Boston in 2 hours, stopped in a work for a little over an hour to do some work, came home, packed, waited for Kevin to get home from work and jumped in the car to begin the 4 hour drive to NJ for the long weekend. Without going into TOO much detail and make this post mega long, we had a FABULOUS weekend in Ocean City with my parents and their friends. Walked the Boardwalk (on two crutches, just to be on the safe side)...

 We rode bikes and hit the beach...

At night we went to Atlantic City...more shopping than gambling...

Since this PAO kind of ruined vacation plans, this was kind of our vaca. It was MUCH needed and absolutely so relaxing. We didn't have to do any planning, or thinking. Just kinda lounged around and ate. I felt amazing..as usual. The bike ride was about 30-45 minutes and all flat, which was nice. I was afraid I'd be sore the next day from using muscles I don't normally use...or at least haven't in a while, but I never felt sore.

We had a great time. It's sad that the summer is over and I feel like I didn't get to do much. There's always next year. :-(  But we had a good time on Labor Day.

Since I didn't post last week, I have two weeks in scars to show. It's still pretty red...gotta look back and see how it compares to the other ones. The front of the hip, where the tissue is and stuff is really tight and sends shooting pains here and there which is to be expected. I try to massage the area a bit. My indian style is basically 100%. I pulled my leg up to paint my toenails today and the joint is pretty tight. I can bring it close to me, but if I try to lean forward is where it stops me. But there's not really anything I can't do.

Next check up, Sept 26 and scheduled my screw removal for Dec 13. :-)  We have a wedding next weekend that I hoped to be off crutches for...but that ain't happening. Hopefully by the end of 3 months I'll be good to go and get my flabby self back to the GYM!

9 and 10 weeks incisions.