Getting Past PAO Surgery

Here I am trying to figure out what week post-PAO I am at. Funny how things have changed, as there was a time I could tell you how many days, hours, minutes, & seconds had passed. That's not to say that I'm 100% completely recovered, it just means that life goes on and I don't have time to think about my hip all the time--this is a good thing, maybe just not so good for my blog.

If my math is right, then this is 16 weeks plus a couple days post surgery. I already wrote how I planned a vacation starting at week 14, well it's a bit longer than the typical vacation and I'm still running around enjoying the freedom of walking on my own. Mind you, I spent nearly 15 weeks on crutches this year due to 2 surgeries so I have a lot of making up to do!

To all of you researching this surgery, I can say that there is much hope that your hip pain will vanish. At least mine has. That constant deep, aching feeling is a thing of the past--thank God! At this stage though, I still have quite a bit of numbness in my thigh to the point I don't always know if I'm touching my leg (sometimes it startles me as I think it could be an insect or something!) I can also say that there is some soreness in the muscles, like when my 2 year-old thought it was a good idea to use my leg for a slide. Um, that didn't feel good at all. The screws are tender areas, and I have a slight bit of numbness in my foot that goes unnoticed most of the time. Running (as in chasing my kid around) does not feel good, but I can abuse a bike for a solid 30 minutes. I can also walk a mile without looking like I'm wearing cinderblocks for shoes, at least that's how I use to picture myself. My scar has healed nicely, I just wish it wasn't so big--it has to be a good 6 inches long, plus the 2 on my leg from the scopes. I'm hoping the purple color fades with time, and I'm praying I'll never get a matching one on the other side!

So at the stage I can tell you that yes, it's been worth it. No more limping, no more pain, and no more pain meds!