happy healthy hippy
A blog following my Triple Pelvic Osteotomy in January 2016
Well a lot has happened since my last post. I turned 27 last Thursday on my 9 week post op anniversary. My birthday last year - I remember feeling very sorry for myself and crying for most of the day because of pain and anxiety. Fast forward 12 months and despite being more disabled now than i was then, I am so much happier. I had an amazing birthday weekend...eating too much food, a few cocktails, and lots of friend & family time. It's possible to have fun on crutches! It's just exhausting! I had to nap for three hours on both Friday and Saturday and then Monday was a write off completely haha!
I've also had a really good week in terms of progress. I'll admit I'm getting more groin pain and experiencing increased muscle tightness and soreness... but I'm also moving, walking, and exercising a lot more so it's to be expected. The past week I've been to the pool/hydro four times. I also ramped up the reps of my land based exercises to make sure I feel the muscles fatiguing. Today, I can tell my glutes had a workout yesterday - I love it! I'm still using two crutches as I feel I have a much better walking pattern and as a physio I know how important this is to prevent other areas of the body/muscles from compensating. I can walk indoors with one crutch when I need to (carrying things has never felt so satisfying!!) but I do notice I tire easily and develop a slight limp. I love talking to people from all over the world who have had this operation on the Facebook support groups - however it's so easy to start comparing yourself to others. There are people at my stage who are already cycling on a road bike, walking without crutches, or back to work full time. At first, it did make me worry whether or not I'm on track. But I realised it's not a race or a contest... so as long as I'm improving then I will be content with my personal success'. Of course, the other end of the spectrum there are people who are still in severe pain, struggling to sleep, or not getting outdoors on their own! So I feel genuinely lucky that I'm somewhere in between! Andrea X
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I'm definitely getting stronger 💪🏻 I've been pushing my walking and getting outside most days, I feel I've made a lot of progress recently and hit some new milestones.
Sunday, Andy took me to a swimming pool! I rang beforehand and they said we could use the poolside disabled changing room, and so it was just a case of hobbling with Andy's support to the steps. I loved it. I did lots of walking - it's amazing that I can ditch the crutches in the water and feel almost normal! I also was able to spend longer on all my hydro exercises and finished off with a few lengths using a pull buoy float! I felt invigorated! Monday, I set a new personal record of over 7,000 steps in a day (on my crutches of course!) - I was zonked by the end of it! I'm averaging about 2,000 however so that was a one off. My greatest achievement so far though has been having a shower stood up! The past week, I had started using the bath board on my own but yesterday, it just felt like the right time to stand. I was beaming afterwards, I didn't realise it would feel so good until it happened! Life's little luxuries that I'm sure we often take for granted! I also had a land based physio appointment yesterday! I practiced "reciprocal gait" - basically alternating the crutches to facilitate a normal walking pattern with forward momentum, similar to the action of swinging arms. This felt a lot tougher! I did some gentle cycling on a stationary bike with low resistance - just for 2 minutes but it was comfortable. My physio also stretched out my hip flexors, which I'll admit I was nervous about because this always seemed to flare my hip up pre op. Afterwards, i had some twinges/sharp pain in my groin, similar to pre op (which I always associated with the labral tear) but as we tried lots of new things, it's difficult to know what irritated it. I was a bit upset because it was the first time I had experienced any pain reminiscent of my pre op symptoms! However, today I put my physio head on and thought what would I tell my patient in this situation. I would say, it's still so early in the rehab, the surgery has fixed the bony problem, however it will take a long time to get the strength back and correct all the muscular issues in order to offload the labral tear and settle it down. Take each day as it comes. Back in patient mode, I'm feeling reassured haha! Again, something Mr McBryde previously told me has all of a sudden made sense. Talking about the 6-12 week period, he said "You'll wonder why you had the operation." Now i certainly don't have regrets but I realise that some doubts along this road to recovery are expected! Andrea X I can fully weight bear!! Well I technically can, just not physically yet. But it feels great trying! I am still using two crutches for walking but now encouraging as much weight on my operated leg as I feel comfortable. It feels so odd yet very stable. I'm getting some discomfort deep at the back of my pelvis and muscular tightness in my hamstrings and groin but I can handle it for short periods. I can stand without crutches for a few minutes too so the perching stool in the bathroom has been neglected whilst I've enjoyed brushing my teeth equally upright!
I'm happy that I don't have to be as cautious now. Obviously I'm still being careful but I can test my hip out a bit more. I've started doing my exercises on my Pilates mat, rather than on the bed, which makes a big difference. I don't know whether it's just mentally as I feel it helps me to get into the "exercise zone" but it's also a new challenge getting on and off the floor. I had my first post op bath last night. It's been two months of sitting on a bath board with someone hovering over me to supervise. So it was a big deal. I soaked with some Epsom salts infused with lavender which I had bought last week in preparation for this occasion! It was lovely. It was also somewhat nostalgic as in the run up to my op, the bath was where I felt most relaxed - I would zone out to chilled music and use positive imagery to calm the nerves. And now I've had 8 weeks of life on 'the other side' and those nerves are long gone! I'm so grateful that everything is healing well. The consultant I saw in clinic, Mr Politis, assured me the fixation is very stable and it will withstand any activity. I asked about snowboarding and he said "Well, this is why you've had the operation" - that's a yes for the future then! 😄 I have to finish with saying that I have been so impressed by all the staff at the Royal Orthopaedic in Birmingham throughout my journey. Everyone I've met has been lovely and gone out of their way to help me or to just chat and make the hospital experience much more bearable. I'm particularly thankful for Mandy and Tracy on reception, without them I wouldn't have been seen on Thursday as I had actually turned up for my appointment two days late. 🙈 The irony of my last blog post, longing for my follow up to be sooner when as I was typing away I was missing it. These ladies made some phone calls and managed to get hold of Mr McBryde, who asked one of his colleagues to kindly review me. Mr McBryde was able to check my X-ray from theatre so everything went smoothly after the initial hiccup of turning up unexpected and fearing we would be sent back to Liverpool on the train. I had put the date in my phone calendar from the hospital letter the day I came out of hospital so I blame the fact I was still high on morphine for my mistake... Andrea x Heading towards the 7 week mark - Wow! The time has gone so fast but the rehabilitation itself is slow! I am definitely progressing so I'm happy.
I'm also impressed with how I have managed to keep a level head and not get emotional or frustrated. I know deep down that this recovery will be worth the wait by giving me my life back and I keep picturing all the things I will be able to do in good time. This is spurring me on. As I told myself in one of my first blog posts two months ago, I need to remember to be patient, which I'm certainly doing ... just like Leo did with getting his long-overdue Oscar last night! Not every day has been a good day but I have not let that get me down - sometimes it's just about riding them out! Most days are good in fact so I don't think I can complain too much. Yesterday, I was so exhausted and did absolutely nothing except catch up on Take Me Out (guilty pleasure) but I easily put it down to having a very sociable three day weekend! This involved afternoon tea, a games night (cards of humanity was hilarious!), a bit of shopping in the wheelchair, and finished off with a Sunday of pizza and football with friends! Definitely the busiest I have been since my operation. Totally worth having a slump day for. My walking has come on in leaps and bounds (if only literally!) since the practice with my Physio. I'm now adopting a "step through" pattern, which means I am moving my crutches at the same time as my op leg and then stepping my good leg past (see my Instagram for a video!) I've found this much easier as its more natural. I can move around the flat when I want at ease and I can look after myself absolutely fine in the day (with the help of meals stocked up in the freezer!) I have nailed my short term goals I posted about last month... particularly happy that I have started falling asleep on my good side (with a couple of pillows lodged between my knees) Woooo!!!!!!! I'm really looking forward to the trip back to Birmingham on Thursday for my review with Mr McBryde. I am keeping the faith that everything is healing as it should be and I will be cleared to increase my weight bearing. This week is dragging by as I want it to be here already! My consultant told me pre op the first 3 months are about letting the pelvis heal and not about proper "rehab". I remember thinking that seemed such a long time but now I understand. As I'm only just really getting going. Hopefully once I get the thumbs up on Thursday, I will push myself a bit more and try to get out and about every day. Andrea X |
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