10 weeks Post op.

I shall be 10 weeks post op tomorrow (12th January 2016)

I seem to be running a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment.  On the one hand I am SUPER pleased with how well I am doing. I have ditched the crutch in the house, and now only use it if I am going to be walking more than a couple of hundred yards. My Penguin walk/limp is hardly noticeable and I have pretty much no pain in my left hip (recent op leg) at all. I get achy there, particularly on the outside of my thigh and I can still feel it is weak.

I just checked back at 10 week post op post from when I had the right one done. I am really way ahead of where I was. Back then I had only just got down to one crutch and was doing a very pronounced penguin walk without it. I also could not sand on my op leg whilst lifting the other so I am over and above where was back then. So I don't know why am feeling so glum today. 

I went to my first hydrotherapy session last Tuesday. It was a bit of a trek to get there. The pool has moved into the new hospital building at Bristol Southmead and to get there, you have to park on a multistory carpark, get the free shuttle bus to the main building then walk the length of the main building to physio/hydro. I was glad I had a crutch.  The pool was lovely and warm and deep. Exercises I did were walking up and down, knee lifts, moving leg out the side and also backwards, walking up and down a step. Very tiring but worth it.

At dry land physio on Friday, she was pleased to see I had ditched the crutch for short distances but seemed concerned I wasn't doing my exercises enough, she said I should be doing at the least the following, 3 times a day:

2 sets of 15 clam shells on each side
2 sets of 15 single leg bridges, each side,
1 sets 15 quad raises whilst lieing on front, each side.
Quad stretches
flexer stretches

Start adding exercises on the swiss ball

2 15miniute walks a day.

All of that 3 times a day seems like a lot around everything else. For the last 3 days I have managed to do the whole set of exercises twice a day, squeezing in some extra clam shells at bed time. But I am so bored with it all. Its brain numbing doing the same thing, counting reps and sets. But I know I need to do it in order to get fit enough to do all things I want and need to be doing. 

I went to see my Alexander Technique tutor today and it felt nice to get a fresh set of eyes on me. I'd not seen her since before my op. She was really pleased with me and gave me some pointers and things to think about with my gait and sit-stand technique . 

I was having a think about things as I was driving home and I think I am not actually glum. I am super pleased with how well am doing. I'm just exhausted by it all, and frankly, bored. The rotten Uk January weather does not help. I don't mean to wish my life away by any means but I think my body & mind are yearning for warmer, longer days . And also for days where my world does not revolve round thinking about my gait, my hips, my hip flexors, and my glutes!!

I always knew January was going to be tough. That would be all about putting effort and hard work into getting back to work properly in February. I just need to grit my teeth and keep on keeping on. 

   

One of the good things about our wet yet warm January, picking early daffodils for the houses 

9 weeks post op

Nine weeks today for surgery on my left hip.

I'm not having a very good week. I am getting a lot of pain in my lower back and also my right hip. My op hip actually feels ok apart from the back pain on that side. My range of motion is increasing somewhat. I can now do a few clam exercises on that side but still can’t do side lying full leg lifts. I can walk with hardly any limp for short distances around the house, but still use one crutch outside. I have driving for the last 3 weeks and did some work over Christmas and New Year, visiting and feeding cats for people whilst they are away. I also took an elderly Labrador up the motorway, a 3hr round trip and I was pleased with how my hip felt.



To be honest my right hp is really getting me down. It is giving me a lot of groin pain which is like pre-op pain.

I spent most of New Years Day on pain killers. I took 100mg tramadol which did nothing for the pain. Then 30mg codeine, still nothing, so I took another 30mg codeine and the pain did subside, but then  I woke up in the night when they had worn off and the pain was back.

I can’t get comfortable in bed. The pain in my back is awful if I lie on my front or my back. I can lie on my sides, but I have stabbing groin pain in my right hip and can’t seem to do anything to get comfy. So I am lying awake for a few hours at a time after my husband has gone to sleep, looking at the ceiling, wishing I was him. I get a few hours sleep then get woken up by the pain as I turn in my sleep.



I am feeling pretty low. I have made an enquiry to see a complimentary therapist who does all sorts of things from soft tissue release & trigger point therapy to reiki and reflexology. Never been to anything other than a physio, chiropractor on spa masseuse so I don’t know what to expect. I just need some sort of release and relaxation from this ball of pain I feel I am in.



I am going to my first hydrotherapy session tonight, which should help me increase the range of motion in my op hip. I am looking to a float in the hot water. I think my back will appreciate it.