the journey continues.. Sorry but life got busy so this is delayed!
After the travel days, I spent Sat/Sun doing a lot of resting. I wanted to go swim but I was just bushed so I decided to be conservative. I was riding the edge of hip flexor irritation as well, so lots of icing and self care.
11/28 – Mon – Back to PT after the week after travel and we continued working through and progressing. Things are moving along great.
The entire week though Mon-Thurs I was dealing with substantial fatigue and my back and neck were bothering me, along with headaches 3 of 5 days (which is really rare). I wanted to get a deep tissue massage, but lingering in the back of my head was what if I was fighting a virus? If I was, a massage would be a real bad idea. So I waited.
12/1 – PT Again, most things were going ok, but I am not progressing on my right glute so we are somewhat stuck on many of my progressions. The right glute simply will not fire the same as the left and it is absolutely weaker. So will be spending lots of time working on that now, so we can move ahead. We did do lots of different stability drills (because overall my gait is good) and it is clear, anytime forces need to be supported by that glute it cannot handle it.
I am not surprised, I’ve always had glute engagement issues. I would think if I didn’t know this it might be a bit disheartening, but it is all good. I know we have a LONG road with LOTS of ups and downs and surprises.
Additionally, my right adductors continue to fire when they should not. This too is not a big surprise, my massage therapist can tell you that area is always problematic – so again, this is not a “new” issue but rather one I now that the opportunity to work on.
12/2 – Oh crap. I’m sick. I desperately wanted to go to a Holiday party with the HIP Running club. I was so tired, but thought I could push through it. I made a pit stop on the way there and 2 flights of stairs had me absolutely winded. Um, yeah – HELLO! You are not right. So I turned around, tail tucked, and went home and went to bed early.
12/3 – I officially have the martian death plague and I am going to die.
12/4 – yup, pretty sure I died. Now it is in my lungs. So much for swimming today. Or this week.
And is snowed. Am I the only one that, post op, I am terrified of walking outside? My doc said slip-and-fall is still the #1 way to screw up his work all the way until 6mo. CRAP.
Even with the travel and the holidays, there was a continued and regular improvement. I can sit for as long as before, but I sure cannot walk long. Maybe 15min before the hip gets tired.
Driving? Yeah that isn’t any fun. A 3-4 hour drive for holidays was majorly uncomfortable. Even with a couple stops. Just dealt with it – if I knew then what I know now… I would have taken some Indomethecin and it would have been fine. I just thought (hoped) I was passed using any meds.
Weight has been creeping up. Getting sick I do not think I really adjusted my eating back down – as I did nothing. No workouts, almost no PT.
Also, in PT I was STUCK due to lack of CORE and RIGHT GLUTE strength. We could not longer progress my exercises which I have to say made me sad. I had it in my head that I was the exception and with my dedication and persistence and complete compliance with the plan I would rock through this recovery ahead of schedule! Yup, nope. I am a 45yr old man and I am human and I was STUCK. Logically, I knew this would happen, this is TOTALLY normal for recovery to be ups and downs and I was so mentally prepared that I took them all in stride, but some reason – this got me down.
So basically, December kind of sucked for recovery. Plan and simple. I WAS improving but the rate of improvement was SLOWING.
12/23 – 3 MONTH FOLLOWUP!!
Went well.I had to wait 2 hours for my appointment, surgery ran long. Consider I WAS THAT GUY causing it 3 months ago, I was totally chill. I went and got lunch in the cafeteria… which was 12 miles away (OK NOT REALLY). It was far. Actually, it was the furthest I had walked since surgery. Down to the basement, across the building, into the next building, across that building… you get the idea. Northshore Hospital is BIG. I didn’t make it, actually. I had to stop about 100yds from the darn place and rest. How annoying. Yeah I made it about 1/2 way back on the way back before I had to rest.
Overall, I am where I should be (even ahead on several areas) and he was completely unconcerned about my lack of progress (which I viewed as a total failure on my part) and said this is going to happen and you will probably run into another situation where you get stuck and cannot progress. Just keep at it.
My endurance is not awesome, he asked how far I could walk… WELL sir… you know how far the cafeteria is? Yeah not that far!! LOL. He laughed and said no worries, just keep working on it and it will get better pretty quick. (This glute/core biting my in the literal ass!)
I was released to get on my bike, on a trainer, EARLY! Instead of 14weeks, I could get on NOW. WOOT!
I was released to start kicking in the pool, EARLY! Instead of 14weeks, I could get on NOW. WOOT!
I was released to start walking for exercise to build up the endurance.
I was released to work on the flexibility of the hip.
So overall, a lot more “YOU CAN DO XXXX” than before. That was good.
I was NOT released to start walk to run. He was thinking 14 weeks before, but at this point he is thinking no sooner than 16 weeks and we will talk then.
I was NOT released to lift anything heavy. This was also a 14 weeks thing before but at this point we will talk at 16.
Booked a 4mo followup.
We are getting there. Life is getting much more normal, which is awesome. However, the big thing is people no longer see a brace, crutches, a limp and they think you are “Done”. I am NOT EVEN 50% DONE… the next 50% is invisible to the rest of the world.