6 Weeks Out

Another week has passed and I'm more hopeful that I'll get the go ahead to wean off these crutches when I see Dr. Z this week.  The key will be if the bone has healed, so I'm anxious to see the x-rays (and get another peak at the screws.)  

Last weekend was definitely a turning point, as I'm feeling more and more like my old self.  A lot has to do with making it to the gym to ride the bike, which I managed to hitch a ride to 3 times this week.  Each workout showed improvement, going from 20, to 25, then to 30 minutes.  At one time I even upped it to level 2 for a couple minutes--I'm such a rebel.  The cool thing is that the first time I rode I was struggling to get to 40 rpms, and today I saw numbers in the 70s.  The whole time though I was very aware that 6-weeks post my original scope in February is when my cartilage re-tore, but still it felt good to ride.

Like I said, things have been looking up this week.  I actually went out to dinner twice (so that's twice in 6-weeks!)  I rode the scooter in Target & the grocery store.  It is a major bummer when the scooters are out, which also happened to me twice this week.  Everything else is pretty much status quo until I can ditch the crutches.  I am still looking forward to the day I can drive. But I know I'm feeling better as my son's class is going to the zoo in a couple of weeks and I was making arrangements with my husband to go, until he reminded me of my status.  It didn't even cross my mind that I might not be able to go! =)

Maybe It's a Sign?

So could this be a sign that I'm getting better?  I woke up on my operated side this morning! Totally freaked me out once I realized it, as this is something I haven't been able to do since early February.  It didn't actually feel good once I rolled over, but no damage was done.  I must be getting better because I don't recall rolling over on it in the first place.  I'll try to avoid laying on that side for now, but it's a major step.  Now if only sneezing would stop hurting . . .=)

5 Weeks & Counting

In my attempt to keep a weekly journal on my PAO experience, I'm finding that week 5 may be a turning point in a positive direction.  It's been kind of an delicate balancing act, at times I'm bored to tears, but I've also seen glimpses of the life I knew.  

For instance, I went to the park with my mom & son and watched him play on the swings and run through the splash park.  I got out for an hour and met the girls for a much needed drink.  The key hear was to really limit myself due to the coordination required for the crutches; and also the logistics of of it all were silly as I had my dad drop me off.  I finally made it to the gym to ride the bike, but as expected I was wiped out after crutching around that place.  Maybe I'll get some killer arms out of the deal, that would be cool.  And I rode the scooter around the grocery store.  So although these all seem like very minor, everyday tasks they added up for one very busy week.

After leaving the gym today for the first time, I was surprised that I wasn't ecstatic about being there or what I just accomplished.  Maybe because it's more of a chore to trek around that place?  Maybe because some chick basically slammed a door in my face?  Maybe because it seems like people are either staring or trying not to make eye contact.  My husband had a good point that people are probably trying to figure out what is wrong with me, as there's not an obvious sign like a cast.  One lady asked if I sprained my ankle, which I responded 'something like that, I had my pelvis reconstructed.' She wasn't quite sure what to say after that, and I wasn't even trying to be a smart ass.  The good news was that I rode for a total of 20 minutes, and I just about doubled my RPMs from PT without even really trying after I got going.  It did take a few minutes to get going fast enough for the electronics to turn on, and I was a little worried at first but it all worked out.

As for the boredom, that's been one of the tougher challenges since the pain has subsided.  I guess it's a welcome sign seeing how I must be feeling better to wish I had something else to do besides sit around and wait to heal.  I just have to remind myself that this is only for a short period of time and I will be walking soon.

Wow, I Needed That!

My 2nd visit to PT today was a huge relief;  I left there feeling a lot better both physically and mentally!  Why was it such a big deal?  Well, after last week's visit to the ER I have made absolutely zero progress and it's been kinda wearing on me.  I've been too afraid to hit the gym to ride the recumbent bike as I just didn't know what to expect.  I think I just needed the controlled environment of PT to prove to myself that it will be okay.  Now I'm ready to dig in.

I actually rode the bike for two sets of 10 minutes, pedaling at a whopping speed of 35 rpms and about 2 1/2 miles total.  Ok, so it's not the 100 rpms that I'm use to, but my hip felt so good going through that range of motion that I'm really encouraged to keep it up.  I haven't done anything cardiovascular-wise in over 5 weeks, so this is a really big deal! I have hopes of one day breaking a sweat.  I also worked on this heel slide move, and then I rolled on to my stomach and brought my heel to my rear.  The first one I did way too fast, and boy did that not feel so good.  But the bigger deal was that I was on my stomach. Once again, something I haven't done since the day before surgery.

So all-in-all I'm encouraged.  I'm still no where near close to driving, but as I learned through my last PT go 'round, things start to go fast once the muscles fire back up.  I hope to conquer the gym this weekend, more on that later as I'm off to take a nap to recoup.

Wanna See It?

Ok, so this is kind of gross and you may not really want to see it.  But I was so impressed with what a difference a week makes that I felt the urge to share.

My incision isn't nearly as large as I had expected.  It's about 6-7 inches.  Plus I have a couple 1 inch slits on my thigh from the scope.  I thought I had drains, too, but I have no idea where those would have gone.

The whole thing was bandaged during surgery, and then removed on day 3.  I was left with a bunch of surgical tape covering everything that took the most of 3 weeks to totally fall off.  To me it looks like a mini mountain range with a really long peak from end-to-end.  I now treat it daily with Neosporin, and I think that stuff must be working just like the commercial shows--it's amazing!  The really gross part is that my PT wants me to massage it, and it is so gross to touch--yuck!  Not only is it bumpy, but it's still tender, and numb if that makes any sense.

After 1 week (notice the tape):

3 weeks (not sure what happened to week 2, but you get the idea):

Week 4 (you can't really see the peaks, but doesn't it look a lot better than week 3?!):

4 Weeks Down, 4 To Go?

It's hard to believe that I've been sitting in this recliner for only 4 weeks, it's starting to feel like an eternity! I've read that weeks 3-4 are very tough because you start feeling better, but are still very restricted on your movements.  I can agree with that.  But I have high hopes that the next couple of weeks will bring me great accomplishments and I will be off these crutches before the next 4 weeks are up.

Week 3 started off good. I started PT, I saw my leg muscles start to work a bit, I was getting around better, I had my last blood draw, I had ditched my TEDs--basically I was going places!  I was finding small things to write about, like how I got into the car and didn't have to use my other foot to assist with the lift.  Or how I sent the CPM machine back.  Or how I started working from home on a minimal basis.  Then the purple foot thing started, and the TEDs went back on.  Then the wicked muscle spasm happened, and I wasn't getting around much at all and the muscles were telling me they needed a break.  And the way my schedule worked out there will be 10 days between my 1st & 2nd PT sessions.

So all in all, I've seen progress & I've seen regression.  But I know more progress in on the horizon.  I need to keep in mind that my body is still healing, and I need to takes things slow.  I've been having dreams that I'm walking without my crutches, and then I realize that I forgot to use my crutches and I rush back to get them.

So I will spend this week doing my exercises and icing in hopes of driving soon.  That's my big goal.  I will also spend more hours working from home.  And I will focus on getting more solid rest (if only these Olymipcs were on earlier!)  Onward & upward!

One Long & Unexpected Day

My operated leg & foot have been taking on a purplish tone for the last week, to the point I thought I should phone the doc.  He said it's more than likely an inflamed nerve, but to be safe I should have an ultrasound to rule out a clot.   I was totally convinced that no clot existed, but how can I complain about something and then not take the good doctor's advice.  Plus what if there really was a clot and I put my health in jeopardy?  So off I went today to have the ultrasound.

On the drive over I decide to use my time wisely and do a couple new PT exercises--they're basically isometric holds trying to get the muscles firing again.  So I squeeze my quads (or what's left of them), slowly lift my foot off the floor as far as it will go (about 1 inch), and SNAP!  What the hell was that?!  In an instant I couldn't breathe, I was seeing spots, and I thought I was going to be sick.  My quad muscle did this terrible snap, pop, and flutter move like an overstretched rubber band that caved under pressure.  I was certain the muscle detached, or at the very least tore.  I let out this horrible scream, terrifying my mom and cousin as they hadn't heard the muscle make any of these awful noises.

I end up having the ultrasound (no clots!!), and then head over to the ER per my surgeon's orders to check out my quads.  My biggest concerns were, 1) a tear would require more surgery & 2) am I bleeding internally? which could be complicated by the blood thinners.  I'm sent off to have a CT Scan which was relatively quick and painless, except for all the radiation exposure (when I asked the tech how much I was exposed to she replied "A lot."  Great.)

CT Scan shows no rupture, thank God!  After 4 hours in the ER, it's determined that what I experienced must have been one wicked muscle spasm.  Those quads must be pissed off at how puny they've become and are letting me know!  I've dropped about 6 pounds and it's all from my leg muscles =(  Anyways, it's the best possible news so I'll take it.

It's off to rest & ice for the next couple of days, hopefully that does the trick!