Continued Traffic

I haven't posted in awhile, but am amazed at the traffic this blog continues to receive. I hope people find it to be a good resource for anyone facing PAO surgery. I can tell you that I am so glad I had this surgery. On my way to teach a class today I was wondering how things would be if this surgery wasn't available for someone like me. Would I limp in shear pain for the rest of my life? Would I have stomach ulcers from so many pain killers? Would I have faced a total hip replacement in my early 30s? Not nice thoughts I know, but they make me even more grateful for having access to a great surgeon.

Just wanted to check in . . .like I've said before--No news is good news!

Hip Girls!

What would we do without our 'Hip Girls?!' Or at least the internet with so much information on PAOs and such. It's the first place everyone hits after being told they're in need of having their hip cut out and repositioned, and by the way you'll be down and out for 8 weeks. In my journey it seems like each women finds at least one story to latch on to and follow. I know I did, and I had the opportunity recently to meet my hip idol and have a couple of beers. Of course we talked hips, but what was even better is that we've both moved on from hips and have our lives back!! I can't thank her enough though for answering my questions in my time of distress. It's nice to have someone to lean on! I know I've also been that point person for a couple of other ladies that have contacted me (turns out I even worked with one years back!) I'm glad I started the blog because I know how scary the process can be, and just to have someone's story to reference is nice. Although each person's experience is so different.

No News is Good News

It's been a while since I last posted, but that's because there really isn't too much going on with my hip. And in the world of hips. no news is good news! I can tell you that it's calmed down from October when pivoting was stopping me in my tracks, thank goodness! I started teaching a resistance and weight class once again, and I can feel improvements with each week. I do a lot of work with exercise cuffs, squats, and lunges and the great news is that my leg is able to do what I tell it. My range of motion while in a lunge stance has also improved, and certain stretches are now more comfortable (like laying on my back, 1 foot on the floor with the knee bent, and the other ankle crossed over the bent knee.) So nothing exciting, but that's a good thing!

Massaging the Scar Tissue

OMG, can I just say "OUCH!" I had my scar worked on today by a massage therapist, and boy does that hurt. The skin literally had adhered to the bone, and it hurts like a banshee to have someone apply pressure to it, let alone force. She told me to keep working it. Problem is that the most I can stomach from myself is just applying some oil and lightly rubbing it in. It's hard to inflict pain on one's self. I can feel the heat coming off of it right now, and it's been 5 hours.

No so fast . . .

I'm suppose to be merrily going about my business at this stage of the game, but for the past 4 days my hip is constantly on my mind and has me wondering 'What is going on?!' Out of the blue I've been having pain in the groin area, the same general area where the cartilage was originally torn. It started when I knelt down to kiss my son one day, and is now most prevalent when I pivot. I've also had the sharp electric like shocks pinging me along my outer hip, so maybe the nerves are still trying to reconnect? I can only hope. In spite of this, I did manage to play some golf over the weekend, I figured if it's gonna tear, then it's gonna tear. But of course, that is the worst thing that could happen. Hopefully I'm worried about nothing and the hip calms down--the sooner the better!

1 Year Post Op Appt

It's been 1 year and 1 month to the date since my RPAO, and today I had my 1 year follow up appointment. 2 days ago I had a very unusual pain in my outer hip while teaching a class. It felt as it something had chipped off, hurting so badly that I couldn't put pressure on my leg for a few minutes. My doc thinks it was just a muscle spasm and nothing related to the joint. Thank goodness for that! And I was so please that this spasm decided to happen prior to my appointment rather than after!!

I was also told that if I want more kids to go for it and that no special considerations need to be done for my hip. So that was also good news. I sometimes worry as the hips really change during pregnancy with the joints loosening up and such.

And I told him that my good hip is calming down from all the extra work I put it through last year, but I'm mindful of the activities I do being careful not to irritate it. I pray I never have to go through this again!

So that's it! I go back in a year. What a difference a year makes.

One Year Out!

Has it only been one year since my RPAO? It feels like an eternity! That was one long year with all the rehabbing and getting back on my feet, but it also seems so long ago since I've been in pain--thank GOD! The weekend before my surgery last July I went out and enjoyed an evening of dinner & the casino with friends. By the end of the night I could hardly walk, even the really old people with their walkers and oxygen tanks at the casino were passing me as I tried to walk. I'm not making that up, it's all true and it reconfirmed how badly I needed my hip fixed.

Fast forward a year. Last night I headed out once again to take in the casino & the Kid Rock show. My hip didn't even cross my mind, and it didn't dawn on me until today that my 1 year hip anniversary is here. What a difference a year makes. I am so thankful to have found my awesome surgeon, and so glad that my hip was salvageable! What an experience this has all been, and I'm so lucky that things have worked out as well as they have.