Happy Thursday, everyone! I had a PT appointment this morning and was expecting the usual routine of lots of different PT exercises that assess my strength and fatigue my hip/core muscles. But after my therapist assessed the strength of various hip muscles, she decided today was the day for me to try running!!!! It's a very gradual return to running as I walked 4 min @ 3pm/ran 1 min @ 5pm x 4, but I will take what I can get!
I have been feeling pretty down about the length of my recovery so it's nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel!! She gave me some new exercises to add into my routine and cleared me to do the walk/run combo every other day for a week and then if I am feeling ok, I can shift to walk 3 min/run 2 min, and then we will go from there!
It's been nearly 8 months since I last ran, but it sure felt good to run for 4 minutes!
So it's an especially happy Thursday for me!!!!!!
Showing posts with label hip surgery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hip surgery. Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Hip Surgery Update: Post-Op Follow Up #2
It's been awhile since I've given an update on how things are going with my hip. I had my second follow-up appointment with my hip surgeon yesterday so I thought I'd post a brief update in case anyone is wondering how things are going. T
I had low expectations going into this appointment as I saw my PT about 2 weeks ago and she told me I wasn't going to get cleared to return to running. It's been about 4.5 months since my hip surgery and I was expecting to be able to return to running around the 3 month mark, so it's been a bit frustrating. However, my PT has told me that everyone recovers differently from this surgery. My return to running has been a bit more prolonged as I've had to take a more gradual approach to the protocol provided by the surgeon as my hip flexor tends to want to act up if she adds too many exercises too soon. It also did not help that I was sick with what turned out to be walking pneumonia for 6 weeks and unable to do much activity during that time.
When I saw the surgeon yesterday, he said he's really happy with my range of motion. He said to focus on how I feel each month compared to the last month and that I should be noticing an improvement each month, which has definitely been the case for me.
So at this point, I'll keep doing my PT exercises and I can do other activities, like biking and spin classes, the elliptical and low impact classes like body pump. I'm getting closer to eliminating the imbalance of strength between my left and right hip/glute area, but I've got some more work to do. I feel a bit down about the fact that I am not able to run yet as September and October are my absolute favorite running months since the weather is perfect for running. However, come November/December, we will be moving into the part of the year when it's not all that fun to run due to colder temperatures. So even if I was able to run, this is the season when I'd start to shift my focus to other activities.
So right now, I'm trying to be patient and focus on what I can do. But it's been a challenge as I feel like everywhere I look, I see people running. There's something about not being able to do something that makes you see everyone else doing it. But I know this is the season for me to focus on building up my core strength so I can safely return to running when the time is right.
All that said, I know that having the surgery was the right decision for me. Before I had surgery, it hurt to walk short distances and now I can walk for long distances without pain. I can see the benefits of the surgery and I know that in the grand scheme of things, the time I've had to take off from running is small. It just feels soooooo long right now.
I had low expectations going into this appointment as I saw my PT about 2 weeks ago and she told me I wasn't going to get cleared to return to running. It's been about 4.5 months since my hip surgery and I was expecting to be able to return to running around the 3 month mark, so it's been a bit frustrating. However, my PT has told me that everyone recovers differently from this surgery. My return to running has been a bit more prolonged as I've had to take a more gradual approach to the protocol provided by the surgeon as my hip flexor tends to want to act up if she adds too many exercises too soon. It also did not help that I was sick with what turned out to be walking pneumonia for 6 weeks and unable to do much activity during that time.
When I saw the surgeon yesterday, he said he's really happy with my range of motion. He said to focus on how I feel each month compared to the last month and that I should be noticing an improvement each month, which has definitely been the case for me.
So at this point, I'll keep doing my PT exercises and I can do other activities, like biking and spin classes, the elliptical and low impact classes like body pump. I'm getting closer to eliminating the imbalance of strength between my left and right hip/glute area, but I've got some more work to do. I feel a bit down about the fact that I am not able to run yet as September and October are my absolute favorite running months since the weather is perfect for running. However, come November/December, we will be moving into the part of the year when it's not all that fun to run due to colder temperatures. So even if I was able to run, this is the season when I'd start to shift my focus to other activities.
So right now, I'm trying to be patient and focus on what I can do. But it's been a challenge as I feel like everywhere I look, I see people running. There's something about not being able to do something that makes you see everyone else doing it. But I know this is the season for me to focus on building up my core strength so I can safely return to running when the time is right.
All that said, I know that having the surgery was the right decision for me. Before I had surgery, it hurt to walk short distances and now I can walk for long distances without pain. I can see the benefits of the surgery and I know that in the grand scheme of things, the time I've had to take off from running is small. It just feels soooooo long right now.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Hip Update: 6 weeks post-op
I feel like a broken record saying this, but it's hard to believe that it's been almost 6 weeks since my hip surgery on May 9th! I would say that the first 3 post-op weeks craaaaaawled by as I despised being on crutches. But the past 3 weeks have gone by really fast and have been way more enjoyable since I can walk and have very little pain.
This may bore some of you, but I thought I'd share some of the progress I've made and things I've learned since my surgery.
- My activity level has slowly progressed. In week 4 I was able to add resistance while biking. Last week I got cleared to do some pool work and swim laps. When I swim laps I have to alternate using a pool buoy between my legs so that I don't overuse the muscles around my hips. This week I got to start to use the elliptical for short periods of time (10-15 minutes). Next week I get to start to bike outdoors,which I am SUPER excited about! I've also been able to add more challenging PT exercises like shallow squats on a bosu ball, planks, and step-ups (only on a 4" step, but I've got to start somewhere!).
- My incisions have healed remarkably well. I had no issues with my incisions which I'm so thankful for. I actually had more trouble with my skin's reaction to the adhesive from the bandaids/steri-strip tape as that area is more red than my incisions. I still have some pain around my incision when I lay on that side or bump up against something but all in all, it hasn't been bad.
- The biggest struggle has been realizing my limits. A couple of weeks ago, I biked at the gym, cleaned most of the house, did laundry, ironed, installed my garden fence, and then went to a BBQ in the evening. In the past I could have done all of that and been fine. Post-surgery, I can't do that much in a day. I paid for it as I was in quite a bit of pain and had to ice my hip and take tylenol. It's hard for me to look around at all the things I could or should be doing, but I am realizing that I can't be on my feet as much as I used to, especially if things like squatting down or crouching are involved, as was the case between cleaning and installing the garden fence. Now I know that cleaning is the equivalent of a workout for me. It's sad, but true.
- Dang, surgery is expensive. All of my surgery bills came through as of last week and the grand total for my procedure was about $27,000!!! Luckily I have a PPO insurance plan instead of a high deductible plan, so my out of pocket is only around $1,000. Thanks goodness for insurance.
- It's hard to be in a prolonged state of recovery. I'm getting stronger every week, but I have a long ways to go before I will be cleared to run. I get really frustrated with how 'lame' my workouts feel. Logically, I know I can't compare my current workouts to my pre-surgery workouts as I'm still in a state of recovery, but emotionally, it's easy to get down about how weak I feel and how long it's taking to fully heal and get back to running.
All in all, things are going well and I'm right where I'm supposed to be in terms of the recovery process. I'm constantly being reminded that patience is a virtue that I really need to work on, but this experience is giving me lots of opportunity to do just that.
This may bore some of you, but I thought I'd share some of the progress I've made and things I've learned since my surgery.
- My activity level has slowly progressed. In week 4 I was able to add resistance while biking. Last week I got cleared to do some pool work and swim laps. When I swim laps I have to alternate using a pool buoy between my legs so that I don't overuse the muscles around my hips. This week I got to start to use the elliptical for short periods of time (10-15 minutes). Next week I get to start to bike outdoors,which I am SUPER excited about! I've also been able to add more challenging PT exercises like shallow squats on a bosu ball, planks, and step-ups (only on a 4" step, but I've got to start somewhere!).
- My incisions have healed remarkably well. I had no issues with my incisions which I'm so thankful for. I actually had more trouble with my skin's reaction to the adhesive from the bandaids/steri-strip tape as that area is more red than my incisions. I still have some pain around my incision when I lay on that side or bump up against something but all in all, it hasn't been bad.
- The biggest struggle has been realizing my limits. A couple of weeks ago, I biked at the gym, cleaned most of the house, did laundry, ironed, installed my garden fence, and then went to a BBQ in the evening. In the past I could have done all of that and been fine. Post-surgery, I can't do that much in a day. I paid for it as I was in quite a bit of pain and had to ice my hip and take tylenol. It's hard for me to look around at all the things I could or should be doing, but I am realizing that I can't be on my feet as much as I used to, especially if things like squatting down or crouching are involved, as was the case between cleaning and installing the garden fence. Now I know that cleaning is the equivalent of a workout for me. It's sad, but true.
- Dang, surgery is expensive. All of my surgery bills came through as of last week and the grand total for my procedure was about $27,000!!! Luckily I have a PPO insurance plan instead of a high deductible plan, so my out of pocket is only around $1,000. Thanks goodness for insurance.
- It's hard to be in a prolonged state of recovery. I'm getting stronger every week, but I have a long ways to go before I will be cleared to run. I get really frustrated with how 'lame' my workouts feel. Logically, I know I can't compare my current workouts to my pre-surgery workouts as I'm still in a state of recovery, but emotionally, it's easy to get down about how weak I feel and how long it's taking to fully heal and get back to running.
All in all, things are going well and I'm right where I'm supposed to be in terms of the recovery process. I'm constantly being reminded that patience is a virtue that I really need to work on, but this experience is giving me lots of opportunity to do just that.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Week 1 Post-op: Small successes
Well I made it through the first week after surgery - not that there was ever any doubt that I wouldn't, of course. But sometimes making it through something is an accomplishment in and of itself. All in all the recovery process has gone pretty well. It's definitely been more painful than I thought it would be but it's always hard to imagine how your body is going to respond to something like surgery, especially since surgeries are so different from person to person.
Here are some of my small successes from the past week:
- Accepting and asking for help. This is tough for a fiercely independent person like myself. I felt really guilty about my mom driving down and back in the same day to take me to PT and help out while Phil was at work but I also knew that I needed to accept the help she was gladly offering (and really there was no way I was going to talk her out of coming!). Later in the week I had to ask a friend to rearrange her morning schedule so she could take me to PT as I wasn't able to drive yet and was nervous about getting in and out of the house by myself. And I've asked Phil to help with countless things, from doing my PT exercises with me to doing stuff around the house/being my personal pack mule.
- Warming up meals for myself and making simple things like oatmeal. Thanks to my ability to balance really well on my right leg and shimmy along the counter of the kitchen, I've gotten pretty good at making meals for myself. Plastic bags are my best friend right now as I used them to transport things to/from the fridge and to/from the couch where I eat my meals (obviously you can't hold anything in your hands while using crutches).
- Working my way up to biking for 30 minutes. By my second day of PT on Thursday, I was able to bike with my good leg with the surgical leg "along for the ride." I started off biking for 7 minutes that day and have progressed up to 30 minutes. It's far from what I'd consider a "workout" but I'll take what I can get right now!
- Making friends with Oscar. Up until my surgery, Oscar was always a little "standoffish" and made it very clear that she preferred Phil. But the flip really switched after my surgery as she has become the best little companion. It was such a comfort to have her around when I was at home by myself last week.
I'm so glad that I'm halfway through my 2 weeks of non-weight bearing crutch time. I have my post-op appointment next Monday and hopefully at that time I'll be cleared to walk with the aid of crutches. Being on crutches makes everything so much more difficult so I can't wait to ditch them in a couple of weeks!
Here are some of my small successes from the past week:
- Accepting and asking for help. This is tough for a fiercely independent person like myself. I felt really guilty about my mom driving down and back in the same day to take me to PT and help out while Phil was at work but I also knew that I needed to accept the help she was gladly offering (and really there was no way I was going to talk her out of coming!). Later in the week I had to ask a friend to rearrange her morning schedule so she could take me to PT as I wasn't able to drive yet and was nervous about getting in and out of the house by myself. And I've asked Phil to help with countless things, from doing my PT exercises with me to doing stuff around the house/being my personal pack mule.
- Warming up meals for myself and making simple things like oatmeal. Thanks to my ability to balance really well on my right leg and shimmy along the counter of the kitchen, I've gotten pretty good at making meals for myself. Plastic bags are my best friend right now as I used them to transport things to/from the fridge and to/from the couch where I eat my meals (obviously you can't hold anything in your hands while using crutches).
- Working my way up to biking for 30 minutes. By my second day of PT on Thursday, I was able to bike with my good leg with the surgical leg "along for the ride." I started off biking for 7 minutes that day and have progressed up to 30 minutes. It's far from what I'd consider a "workout" but I'll take what I can get right now!
- Making friends with Oscar. Up until my surgery, Oscar was always a little "standoffish" and made it very clear that she preferred Phil. But the flip really switched after my surgery as she has become the best little companion. It was such a comfort to have her around when I was at home by myself last week.
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| She hopped up on my legs when I was doing my PT tummy time. |
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| Nap time! |
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| All sprawled out for another nap! |
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| ... and another nap! |
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
FAI Impingement: Post-surgery Update
Greetings and happy Wednesday, everyone. It's been 2 days since my surgery so I thought I'd check in and let you know how it went.
I was the first surgery of the day on Monday which meant that we had to be at the hospital at 5 am so I'd be all ready to go for surgery at 6:30. I met with the surgeon, his physician's assistant, and two of the anesthetists before going into surgery, so that 1.5 hours in pre-op went pretty quickly.
The pre-op nurse had warned me that I would wake up in a lot of pain and that the day of surgery would be the worst. She didn't want to scare me but wanted me to have proper expectations. And boy was she right! I woke up in quite a bit of pain but once I took some Vicodin it was a bit more manageable, and by 9:30 we were released and sent home. I was surprised how quickly I got out of post-op but I was happy to leave so I could rest in the comfort of our home.
Phil was an absolutely trooper. Going through something like a surgery brings you to a whole new level of vulnerability. I was in tough shape when we got home so getting me up the front stairs and into the house was very challenging, plus I thought I was on the verge of throwing up! Luckily once I got inside and sat down, I felt better and did not get sick. He waited on my hand and foot that day and even had to do things like help me go to the bathroom. He's definitely a keeper! I'm an extremely independent person, so it's tough to have to ask for help but I know that this is one of those times where I just have to get over that and take help when it's needed and/or offered.
My day was brightened by the receipt of some get well cards as well as this beautiful flower arrangement from my coworkers!
Phil had to return to work on Tuesday as he'd been off the last 2 days and they are very short staffed at his company, so my mom ended up coming up for the day to take me to my first PT appointment. But first, she helped me remove the dressing and put band-aids on my incisions. I hope this doesn't gross anyone out, but this is what the surgical site looked like. I'm amazed that they were able to do all they did (stitched up the tear in my labrum and reshaped the bone of my ball joint and hip socket) in 2 tiny little incisions.
Before heading to PT, I got another flower delivery - this time from Nora and Nilsa! When Nora came to visit, we went to the Arboretum and I commented on how much I love azaleas - she must have remembered that!
I was still in quite a bit of pain when I went to my PT appointment so I was very nervous about it, but it went better than I thought it would. She did some things to mobilize the joint and gave me a couple of other things to work on. Before leaving the appointment, she had me use the stationary bike. I pedaled with my good leg and let the other one rest between the pedals. Apparently the good leg communicates to the bad leg and it helps with healing or something like that. I don't really understand how that is possible but she's the expert so I'll take what she says for fact! I'll see her again on Thursday.
I laid low for the rest of the day and my mom headed back home around 2 that day. Besides having Phil and my mom as my nurses this week, Oscar has also been keeping a close eye on me. It's interesting to me how pets can just sense that something is not right. Oscar usually does not come too close to me since she's such a daddy's girl, but she's been staying close by and last night she sat on my lap and eventually fell asleep for a good chunk of time. It was very comforting to have a warm kitty on my lap!
So all in all, I'm hanging in there and getting better at using the crutches. Steps are still darn near impossible for me without the help of another person but hopefully I get better as time progresses. I'll be on crutches for 2 weeks and then the third week I will be able to walk but will use the crutches for support. I'm happy the surgery is behind me but am very much looking forward to being in less pain!
I was the first surgery of the day on Monday which meant that we had to be at the hospital at 5 am so I'd be all ready to go for surgery at 6:30. I met with the surgeon, his physician's assistant, and two of the anesthetists before going into surgery, so that 1.5 hours in pre-op went pretty quickly.
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| Pre-surgery selfie |
Phil was an absolutely trooper. Going through something like a surgery brings you to a whole new level of vulnerability. I was in tough shape when we got home so getting me up the front stairs and into the house was very challenging, plus I thought I was on the verge of throwing up! Luckily once I got inside and sat down, I felt better and did not get sick. He waited on my hand and foot that day and even had to do things like help me go to the bathroom. He's definitely a keeper! I'm an extremely independent person, so it's tough to have to ask for help but I know that this is one of those times where I just have to get over that and take help when it's needed and/or offered.
My day was brightened by the receipt of some get well cards as well as this beautiful flower arrangement from my coworkers!
Phil had to return to work on Tuesday as he'd been off the last 2 days and they are very short staffed at his company, so my mom ended up coming up for the day to take me to my first PT appointment. But first, she helped me remove the dressing and put band-aids on my incisions. I hope this doesn't gross anyone out, but this is what the surgical site looked like. I'm amazed that they were able to do all they did (stitched up the tear in my labrum and reshaped the bone of my ball joint and hip socket) in 2 tiny little incisions.
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| They made me write 'yes' on the hip they'd be operating on during pre-op. As you can see, the surgical area is pretty bruised/swollen. |
I was still in quite a bit of pain when I went to my PT appointment so I was very nervous about it, but it went better than I thought it would. She did some things to mobilize the joint and gave me a couple of other things to work on. Before leaving the appointment, she had me use the stationary bike. I pedaled with my good leg and let the other one rest between the pedals. Apparently the good leg communicates to the bad leg and it helps with healing or something like that. I don't really understand how that is possible but she's the expert so I'll take what she says for fact! I'll see her again on Thursday.
I laid low for the rest of the day and my mom headed back home around 2 that day. Besides having Phil and my mom as my nurses this week, Oscar has also been keeping a close eye on me. It's interesting to me how pets can just sense that something is not right. Oscar usually does not come too close to me since she's such a daddy's girl, but she's been staying close by and last night she sat on my lap and eventually fell asleep for a good chunk of time. It was very comforting to have a warm kitty on my lap!
So all in all, I'm hanging in there and getting better at using the crutches. Steps are still darn near impossible for me without the help of another person but hopefully I get better as time progresses. I'll be on crutches for 2 weeks and then the third week I will be able to walk but will use the crutches for support. I'm happy the surgery is behind me but am very much looking forward to being in less pain!
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Hip Update
Happy Thursday, everyone! For me it's a Friday as we fly to San Francisco today for our quick weekend getaway.
Several of you have asked for updates on my hip so I thought I'd provide an update before leaving for vacation. I had my appointment with the surgeon yesterday and after discussing my MRI, x-rays and doing a physical examination of my range of motion and such, we decided that surgery is the best course of action for me. This surgeon is very well-known for doing arthroscopic hip surgeries. People travel to Minnesota to see him and he's done over 4,000 surgeries similar to what I need. I know I am in good hands, which is very reassuring. During the surgery, he will fix the labrel tear, shave the bone growth off the ball joint of my hip, and also shave some of the hip socket so the hip will move more smoothly. I'll be on crutches for 2-3 weeks and it'll take about 3 months for me to fully recover.
My surgery is scheduled for Monday, May 9th. It's sooner than I thought my surgery would be but it was the only opening in May so I'm making it work. I'm glad that I can get it over with soon so that it's not hanging over me and I can be on the path to recovery very soon. However, it's definitely going to make for a stressful couple of weeks. I was planning to move to Phil's on May 20th so have pushed my move date up to May 6th (2 weeks from tomorrow!!!!) so I can move and settle in before my surgery.
The move is coinciding with a busy travel season for me, which makes things extra stressful. We leave today for San Francisco, then on Monday I fly from SF to New Jersey for a work trip and come home on Wednesday night. Then the following week I go back to New Jersey Tuesday-Thursday for work, get in late Thursday night, and move the following day. This means I have 5 full days at home before my move! I have other things to do like get a CT scan (needed for the surgery), schedule a pre-op physical, and do a lot of move-related errands, so things are going to be a bit harried for me over the next several weeks.
I had a feeling that a) I would need surgery and b) it would require changing my move date, which is why I've been aggressively moving things over to Phil's over the last week. That said, I feel a little bit frazzled and panicky about everything that needs to happen over the next several weeks but I guess that will distract me from worrying about the surgery. And luckily I have Phil to lean on right now. I'm also reminding myself that this move will be different and I won't be 100% unpacked and settled right away because it's different when you are merging lives instead of moving into an empty space. It will take time to settle and make changes and that is OK. We are going to be in this house for a long time so there's no reason to rush the settlement period (even though it will drive me a little batty to have things disorganized!).
In the midst of all of this, I am having some "why me?" questions and feelings, which is to be expected, I suppose. I'm also beyond tired of people making comments like, "maybe this wouldn't happen if you didn't run so much." Comments like that are very upsetting because I have been very smart about how much I run and the bone growth that caused the labrel tear is something that was completely out of my control. I did not do anything to cause or deserve this injury. I'm trying to remind myself that people often don't think before speaking or they do not consider the impact of their words. But it's still hard to deal with comments like that.
Considering how busy I'll be over the next several weeks, I'm going to take a brief blogging break so I can focus on moving, settling into a new home and preparing for surgery! I'm sure I'll check back in after my move and surgery is behind me! Send me good, healing thoughts on May 9th! Oh and if anyone reading this has had this surgery or knows of someone that had this surgery, drop me a note at lisasyarns at gmail - I'd love to hear any words of advice and/or encouragement, or more detail on what to expect!
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