Wait, it's Wednesday already? I was about to go to bed and I was like WAIT, I didn't update my blog!!!
This morning I went to the pool to realize...I don't like swimming. I'm not good enough at it to enjoy it. I've always had that kind of personality. Back when I was 18 (a long, long time ago), I HATED calculus. It was the death of me. I hated it so much, I wasn't able to put any effort into it. So I failed, miserably. So the conclusion is: math = swimming. Just as fun haha. Anyway, today I used a pull buoy, but decided to try kicking a little bit. It didn't feel so good, so I stopped. Then I got back home and my LEFT hip started hurting. STUPID LEFT HIP. Shut up left hip, I'm not talking to you (I have confirmed FAI and a labral tear on this side too). Generally, it's been behaving OK. It's not as bad as my right was. But I haven't returned to all my activities, nor to my physically demanding job. So it's stressful. Stressful to not know what the future holds. I'm not sure I can emotionally handle another hip surgery, third in three years when the rehab is so long, and so limiting. But then I wonder. It's already a bit painful now. It's not going to get much better. I don't want to wait until it deteriorates and then, at that point, have to go through it anyway. I don't think I would ever want to go through this while having a family to take care of. I know people who've done it, but it sounds incredibly difficult (like not being allowed to hold your child in your arms for 4 months...it must be so heartbreaking). We'll see. I'm not at that point yet. I need to keep working on my strengthening my core, my glutes (my autocorrect keeps correcting this to GLUTEN, so annoying!) so that I can slowly move to more intensive activities and see how the hip reacts. Ah, the uncertainty. It's the common theme in this recovery. You never really know how you will feel, and when you will be OK, or when you will go through a setback. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, they say?
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4 months. I feel like surgery was only a month ago...but so far at the same time. It mainly feels slow. The progress feels slow. When I look at my post-op protocol, I realize that I've progressed through phase 1, 2 and am now in phase 3. Whaaaaat? Where did time go? Right now my daily exercises are: - 30 minute spin bike: I'm able to do seated mini-sprints and stand in my pedals!!! - 3x 10 step up both legs w/10lbs dumbbells - 3x 10 squats w/ 10lbs KB (now going to up the weight because it's easy) - 3x 10 lunges w/ 10lbs dumbbells - half kneeling w/ 10lbs KB press - 3x 30s planks - 3x 30s side planks each side - 3x 10 supermans - Half kneeling stretch in three directions Even though I'm progressing...it's far from being back to 100%. I often get "wow!!! you're doing so well!" when people see me and have the crutch version of me engraved in their memory lol. Walking still feels super tight. Good news is, today in PT, for the first time: normal gait!!!! Now the tightness just needs to go away. I've been going to our gym a few times a week, to walk and dribble a bit - hopefully that helps. Today one guy walked into the gym and asked if I wanted to play a game of 21. How fun! He kicked my ass. It wasn't fair because I couldn't run to catch the rebounds lol. ROWERS WHAAAAT? I told my PT that I need variety for cardio. Elliptical bores me out of my mind haha. So he gave me the green light for rowers! Nothing crazy to start with...10 minutes, not too intense and avoiding to reach too far out front. WTH???? When did my arms become completely useless?!!? After two minutes I was dying. My hip was fine. But my arms?!?!? Where did my muscles go? :'( I used to be so strong. I'd push press 85lbs without a problem. Now, I do 10 tricep dips and I feel like my limbs are on the verge of dislocating. ANYWAY. I sent this photo to a fellow hip buddy and he was all "ROWERS? Aren't you like...never supposed to do this post-hip scope?" and then it freaked me out haha. I sent Sara - Dr. Nho's PA - an email just to be reassured. I LOVE his team. Always so helpful. And QUICK. She wrote back a long, detailed email an hour or so later. She basically had the same guidelines - not too long, low resistance, slow reps, avoiding going too close. She reminded me that a lot of patients often start to feel really good at this point, and get antsy to return to their regular gym regimen. And this is when all hell can break loose. She said to do things cautiously, and to see how I feel the NEXT day. If I feel fine, it's a sign that my hip is able to handle it. I'm feeling achey tonight, so maybe it's a sign that I'm not quite ready. Icing as I type this blog entry! So yeah, overall I think things are progressing well. Pain is minimal. Luckily, no crazy flares. I'm achey...but never enough to make me miserable, or force me to go backwards in my protocol. I consider myself lucky - so far - as a lot of people seem to have it much rougher than me. Hoping things keep going well, I like this vibe!
Wishing you a great end of week! Thanks for reading :) Good news since last week, I'm over my flare! Back to powering through life :) Coolest thing this week?
Bike. I now upgraded to the spin bike!!!! What else? I'm able/allowed to stand on my pedals!!! I'm starting to feel normal again! Ok...it's far from the spin classes I taught a few years ago. I have to concentrate to keep my hips stable and in control, so no crazy sprints nor jumps haha. Morning pain seems to be all gone again. Hopefully it stays this way! My walking isn't on point yet. I thought I was walking fine, but nope. My PT made me walk in front of a mirror, and pointed out that I bring my upper body outwards when going in extension. I now have to focus on keeping my hips aligned when I walk. Which made me realize why my gait was off with that trunk rotation. It's because walking correctly hurts. My darn capsule. SO TIGHT. Still :( I've been stretching it everyday with figure4 and half kneeling in three directions, but it's still my biggest issue post-op. But I must walk correctly. Today my PT explained that each step is creating a mini stretch..and over time, will help. I really hope I'll get over the capsule tightness, because it hurts. And sucks. Anyway, I'm so tired...so I'm going to end this now! This week I had a few people tell me they read my blog, and I'm always so surprised haha I have no idea how many people do. But if you are, thanks so much! I'm going to keep y'all updated. Generally I'm happy with how things are going - especially when compared to my first recovery. Speak soon :) Well this has been my life since the past week. I got back from Chicago on Tuesday, and Wednesday started to be painful. Things got progressively worse over the following days. I was waking up every morning with the pain I thought I had said goodbye to a few weeks ago. My hip would feel tighter and tighter as the day went by, particularly on days I was teaching at CEGEP. I thought it was just one of those days, and that I'd feel better on Saturday. But nope. And there I had it, I was experiencing my first flare. I decided to take a break from all my PT exercises. Had PT this morning, and once again was reunited with dry needling lol. I was like "yup, pretty sure this is contraindicated post-surgery" haha. I complain, but it's really a love/hate relationship. As John Mellencamp would put it, hurt so good (come on baby make it hurt so good, sometimes love don't feel like it should...). Despite the pain, I now know that I have to keep up with biking and stretching with my oh-so-lovely la crosse ball. The bike will keep the joint moving, which is good anyway if dealing with some inflammation. Also, since I'm lacking strength, it won't take a lot of time to lose what I gained in the past few weeks. Keep active, just take things slow. I should go back to the pool. Ugh. I hate getting my hair wet HAHA. My hair is so thick...it takes SO much time to dry after washing them and then all the effort is ruined by a 30 minute dip in chlorine water. #firstworldproblems #halfasiangirlproblems Holy crap today was a case of extreme walking. It snowed through the night, and then rained in the morning. Perfect combo for disaster. I think I had about 10 steps from my car to the front door of my PT building...probably the slowest steps since surgery haha. I kept having flashes of me falling on my right side...screwing up everything in a few seconds. That would be the WORST. Seriously. Luckily, I made it safely to and from! So I'm still waiting to try to get the surgery covered by my government. You basically need a letter from an orthopedic surgeon who practices hip scopes in Quebec to say that you have/had to go in the US to seek care - as it was either not available in province, or if the delays are too long they risk irreversibly damaging the joint. Asking my first surgeon is out of the question. He's so sure that he's great, and that he did everything possible for me (when he actually didn't do anything, including repairing a large labral tear). His solution was to wait a few years and have him replace my hip. What? I'm on the waiting list of two OS in Quebec. One in Montreal, and one in Quebec City. The one in Montreal usually doesn't take new patients, but one of the doctors I work with sent me to her, so she accepted to take me as her patient. I sent my file in May, and they wrote an email saying I'd be seen in the fall/winter. So we're now more in winter than in fall, and I'm wondering if it will stretch into spring or summer. Then there's the Quebec City doctor. I found out about him through Dr. Millis in Boston, when I sent my file for review to make sure I didn't have dysplasia. He studied under Dr. Millis and is the only surgeon who performs PAOs in Eastern Canada. He also does hip scopes. So yeah, I'm on his waiting list as well. They told me 6-8 months wait for consult, and I was added to his waiting list 3 months ago. Still have several months to go :( Not putting too much hope into this, but it's worth a try. Doubt it's going to happen, but who knows, there's a chance! Here's to a new week! Hopefully my hip will start playing nice, and I will be able to return to my exercises. And that I will keep progressing. I know, I know. Slow and steady wins the race. Can't be too much in a hurry with this surgery. Patience is a virtue, they say.
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AuthorMy name is Marie-Christine. I'm 34 years old and live in Montreal, QC, Canada. I have had two failed hip scopes on my right hip to do undiagnosed hip dysplasia. My amazing surgeon, who is in Quebec City, performed periacetabular osteotomy in November 2017. He also did one left hip scope (non dysplastic) in February 2017. Archives
May 2018
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