Monday 31 May 2010

3 months post-op

.....and it's my birthday!

Okay, I'm back online at home finally. I have since moved, started my new job and have a new car!! Exciting times :o)

Three months post-op, wow, I cannot believe how time flies. I am still using that pesky crutch on a daily basis, but not necessarily all day. I just move faster with it, so the crutch is officially becoming a psychological 'crutch' too. Interestly, a week or so ago on a couple of occaisions I walked out of the house, locked the front door and only once I got out into the fresh air did I realise that I'd forgotten the crutch! That's got to be a good sign right? The muscles just seem to be getting stronger every day, but unfortunately, I'm at a standstill in the battle against the limp *sigh*.

Tomorrow though I'm going to the QMC in Nottingham to meet with my physiotherapist for the first time. He is very used to handling hip resurfacing patients and I was referred to him by Mr. O directly. You often find that hip resurfacing patients get lumped in with hip replacement patients, which is bad, because there are restrictions with most replacements, and none on resurfacings, and most physios treat you as the former!! I had the same problem after my PAO, the physio had never had a PAO patient, so she treated me like a hip replacement too - so frustrating! Mr. O told me that he gets well annoyed about this and that's why he chose this physio for me. So the really specific work will begin from tomorrow. Meanwhile, I've been swimming and gymming as per doc's orders. There's a great swimming pool and gym at the local hotel here in Kegworth, right on my doorstep, fabulous!

The other major event for me in the last couple of weeks has been driving. I have been so worried about getting into a car and being able to drive safely due to the surgery (on my right leg!). Bear in mind that I also hadn't driven for about 5-6yrs prior to the surgery due to pain. Mr. O told me at 5 weeks that I was cleared for driving based on my progress and movements, but I've just been too nervous about it all. I decided to have a refresher lesson before I picked the car up, just for peace of mind - plus I wouldn't be in the car alone, there would be dual brakes, and .... it wouldn't be my car if I wrote it off!! No, seriously.... I just needed to boost my confidence. The driving instructor was so curious as to why I'd pay for a lesson when I could just go out with a friend or relative. Well, family would be nervous for me and I'd never relax, and friends....well, they'd be miles away right now as I've moved to a new area and currently know no-one! Anyways, I went out in the driving instructor's car for a full hour driving around the place and it was fab....I had no real problem with controlling my leg movements within the car, no muscle spasms and no muscle aches during or after the ride. So I was pleasantly pleased and more confident about picking up my new car! Oh my new car, I love it! VW Polo, so nice to drive and it just feels safe too. It's a good choice for me.

If it wasn't for the crutch, I could honestly forget I had this surgery or that I'm now part bionic (Oh, the brand of machines in the gym are called Cybex - har de har har! Cyborg-Bex!). I still have a lot of work to do in eliminating the limp, but honestly, my life is a million times better already! I can even get my socks on now, sort of..... lol

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Offline for a bit...

Okay so we've finished phase 2 and into the week of the move. I'm not sure when I'll get connected online at my new place so I thought I'd give a brief update before I go. I don't want this to turn into a blog about packing!! Because that's all I can think of right now....

I don't seem to have made any significant progress in eliminating the limp in the last two weeks. I haven't been in the pool as much as I'd like due to the aforementioned packing and socialising (goodbyes!). I've probably been 4 times in 10 days which isn't very good at all. Although I've done a LOT of walking recently and heavy-ish lifting!! It'll be fine, once I move I'm going to get sorted exercise-wise and I'll be getting my appointment for the physio too as promised.

My mother stayed with me last week and she said she'd noticed a big difference in the limp so maybe to me on a day-to-day basis its not noticable but it is slowly getting better. I'm not in pain and can get around at a fair pace with the crutch/cane anyways. I am noticing a significant ache in the muscles under the incision when I climb the stairs or squat. I wonder if its the scar tissue contracting? It can be painful if I try to lift my bodyweight from a squatting position through that leg only, but only in the muscle, not the joint. And the pain subsides very quickly once that movement is stopped, so... This is why I need to see the physio the sooner the better as I'm a little scared at how far I can push myself in this respect.

Oh oh......I managed to get my sock on without the putter-onner!!! It wasn't the most elegant of movements and involved hooking the big toe with the sock and wiggling it on. I've only managed it about 3 times as I only seem to be able to do it at the end of the day, when my muscles are warmed up and stretched out - so the putter-onner is still a must in the mornings for speed! But its getting there then. I can also sleep on my op side now with absolutely no ache at all now, its fab! This is week 9 post-op so that's great.

Right, time to put those last things in the boxes and try to get some sleep. Last day at work tomorrow and I'm already feeling sad about it. I will miss my colleagues terribly, they've become quite good friends. But I'll not be too far from Leeds to visit. That's the life of a scientist eh?

Monday 3 May 2010

Whoever said...

"Sometimes these things happen for a reason".....

....needs a good talking to before being drop-kicked out the nearest window. You know who you are.

Major surgery is stressful. Needing to get a new job before your contract runs out is stressful. Moving is stressful. All these things are MAJOR life experiences. DO NOT do them all in the space of 2.5 months or you risk a brain hemorrhage!

All I can say is thank goodness for family and good friends. I am fiercely independent, but I've had to learn to ask for help due to the mobility issues. Yes, it can make you feel down sometimes. Useless, dependent, helpless, child-like....all these feelings spring to mind. I have had moments recently when I just want to give up, almost wishing I never got my new job because it might have been 'easier' to be unemployed for a while. But, I think I'd have hated that more - just a different type of stress. At least I know that I'll be continuing in the job I love and, of course, continuing to pay the bills!!

Today has been frantic. Stage one of the move. Up early to continue the organisation of the flat - stuff to charity, stuff to bin. Heavy bags too! Running errands around town as I have very little time to do that before the moving day. By mid-afternoon I was pretty exhausted from humping bags about and running around town, and knowing that I needed to get to the gym/pool as part of my rehab I decided to leave some of my to-do list and head straight to the health club. When I got back from there it was early evening and I'll admit that I got little else done on the list! Meh! Oh I might be tired, but I wouldn't have been able to do a fraction of it if I had to do it within the 3 months pre-op. No way. I'm tired, and maybe more so than someone who hadn't been through major surgery recently, but I'm not in pain and that IS something to be thankful for right there.

Stage two of the move begins tomorrow. My mother is arriving to stay til friday to help me pack everything as I have no time off work. I cannot express how much I appreciate this help! I cannot get certain things down from my cupboards without standing on a chair - er, NO! Not risking falling off a chair and causing a femur neck fracture at this stage.

Time for some rest I think, the next few weeks are going to be chaotic and full. I will survive....with or without my sanity intact!

....."happens for a reason".....*smack*