Bluesky hips. My Journey to FAI diagnosis & Treatment (open hip dislocation & debridement): Four Weeks Post OP

1st December 2015

Today I am four weeks postop for surgery on my left hip, which coincides with bieng two years post up for the same surgery on my right hip. The Difference I feel between the two surgeries is quite remarkable. I am not sure if it is because my right leg is now a strong leg to stand on or because I haven't had my IT band released or because I have just had less of the labrum removed or perhaps it's a combination of all these things as well as knowing I'm finally over it.....I've done my two surgeries. Fingers crossed I will require no more and can get on with life.

I had staples this time, 30 altogether these came out at 14 days postop and all was well with the wound. It doesn't look as pretty as the other side did, which was sealed with glue, but apparently the staple marks will fade so I will just have matching hip scars. My husband thinks I should be proud of them.

Pain relief wise, I have had a number of days where I have taken no pain relief at all, and if I have, it has been paracetomol with occasional codiene

The swelling has reduced greatly and is really just limited to the trochanter area. I've had little to no groin pain. My right hip had been really strong for the last three weeks I've been so pleased with how it had been holding me up, going around on crutches and only bearing 10% weight in my left leg is extremely tiring but I think it's tired now, and I feel really quite tired achy all over. So I'm taking a couple of sofa & codiene days. just another two weeks to get through before seeing my surgeon for a post op check and an x-ray. Hopefully that will show that all is well and that the bone has knitted together where the screws are holding it. The protocol last time was another two weeks after that of using two crutches and fully weight-bearing on the left leg and then from eight weeks, I should be able to do what I want as long as my body allows me, whilst gradually weaning off the crutches,
I know I can't do any yoga until 12 weeks which is disappointing but at least I start riding my horse a bit if I can, from 8 weeks, five minutes at a time so I can build up. I hope to be able to drive from 7 weeks, especially as I have a few jobs to do over Christmas ( I run a pet care company and have a few cat feeding jobs booked in for some loyal customers) I'm hoping to get back to work properly in January, although I do have someone covering dog walking customers until February.

I think the hard work really starts when the initial six weeks is over. This six weeks is incredibly boring and I've not really got that much to say about it other than its just a daily treadmill getting up, doing my exercises, lying on the sofa, sitting in the chair, watching TV, doing a jigsaw, playing scrabble! only getting up to go to the toilet or to the kitchen to get lunch or cups of tea in my flask which I then carry in my backpack back to the sofa. I've been out to the physio once, she was really pleased with how I'm doing she could see how much stronger I look than last time. That was at the 3 week post op point, and was just a check up really. To check my scar and how we are doing with the passive exercises.

I've been to see my horses once and that's it really, I'm trying to make the most of having a good rest trying not to do too much, and gather my energy for the real rehab soon to come.