happy healthy hippy
A blog following my Triple Pelvic Osteotomy in January 2016
It's been over two weeks since I last posted, I've finally got stuck into my rehab and found the - dare I say it - perfect balance. I can push myself without having to pay the next day and I love being back in the gym with my gear on, earphones in, and heart speeding up! I did the stair climber for the first time last week and was out of breath after 3 mins...but being out of breath was something new so I enjoyed it! I've since done a solid 6 mins! I'm having fun setting new records each time I go (my friends are bombarded with snapchats of my little achievements!) and improving my fitness. I do get some funny looks in the gym with my crutch but I couldn't care less!
I've been going the gym about 3/4 times a week and doing the bike, stepper, upper body machines, and my mat based physio exercises. Then I go in the pool and alternate between swimming lengths with a floatation belt (makes things a lot easier as I don't have to do much with my legs) and my hydro stretches. I always finish with the jacuzzi. This is actually my favourite place in the world at the moment - I feel so relaxed, the temperature is amazing! The days I don't go the gym, I focus on my physio exercises and do steps up and use a wobble board (thanks dad for this gift) at home. I have 1 complete rest day a week to let my body recover. I'm finding that my pain is controlled and isn't going above a 4 out of 10 now - that's my guide for knowing whether I've done too much. It's all about gradually and progressively loading the joint and seeing how it responds in the 24-48 hours after exercise. Some discomfort/reaction is expected! I'm using a foam roller regularly for my hamstrings and adductors, which is certainly helping. I keep getting tension in the same spot and my physio worked at this area last week and it was super painful. Until my glutes are strong, other areas will try to compensate. My new best friend is a spiky massage ball that I lean on to release my sore and tight hip flexors. My hip flexors are my biggest issue now. I'm still getting pain when I lift my leg up, for example when getting in and out of bed/a car, or putting my socks on in standing. Apparently it's quite a common complaint in the 3-6 month stage. This is because the psoas muscle passes close to one of the bone cuts and the tendon can get irritated by the extra bone formation as the break knits together during the healing process. I keep getting little pangs of excitement, when I feel things are going well, at the thought of doing fun things in summer. I want to keep my focus on my rehab for now but as soon as I'm walking normally and doing my day to day activities pain free, I'll start planning things 😄☀️ Functionally, I know I'm not even as good as I was pre op yet but I do think the deep groin pain has gone. I can't wait to ditch the crutch (my limp is still lingering) and increase my walking distance to really test the hip out! There are days where the recovery still seems so overwhelming and daunting as I've got a long way to go to get to where I want to be. But right now, I feel I'm turning a corner and in a good place! Andrea x
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I can't believe I've spent a quarter of 2016 on crutches! The year is disappearing! To sum up my recovery so far... The first two months have been so much better than I had anticipated pain and mood wise. The third month has been been harder mentally with doubts creeping in, pressure I put on myself, and battling against fatigue and "brain fog".
The past week I've got my energy and enthusiasm back 😄 I started eating much more food and noticed a massive difference with how I feel. I've now realised although I had a healthy diet, I was eating no where near enough for what I was asking of my body. I've since upped my calorie intake, aiming for 30g protein at every main meal, and eat 6 times a day (1 of my new snacks is a protein shake!) Such a simple change that's had a big effect. I was so strict with getting the right nutrients in the first 6 weeks of recovery but then for some reason slacked off - and probably at the most crucial time when I'm trying to build muscle! I've graduated from hydrotherapy and now having weekly physio 1:1 on land. I have 6 strengthening exercises that target my specific areas of weakness (hip flexors and glutes) and I can feel the muscles firing and working hard with each rep! I'm more focused and positive about my rehab now. Before my 12 week land review, I felt a bit lost with what I should be working on outside of hydrotherapy and my pain was up and down. I was probably progressing myself too soon (bad patient 😂) with too many weight bearing exercises, not realising that my muscles weren't up to the job yet. In regards to bone healing, I'm allowed to do any type of exercise... but if my muscles aren't working efficiently during a particular movement, I will just irritate the joint and soft tissues. That's why the physios' role is so important - I know it's not possible to assess my own hip strength properly therefore I shouldn't prescribe my own exercises 😬 lesson learnt! My walking has improved a lot since the weekend - I had Andy video me about 10 times (no exaggeration) up and down the hall so I could analyse and perfect my technique. Very geeky of me 🤓 Well I have to stimulate my brain a way besides guessing who "A" is in Pretty Little Liars! Anyway, it's made such a difference, I'm now using mainly 1 crutch indoors. I'm getting there, even if it is taking a bit longer than I had hoped! Andrea x The overwhelming tiredness has hit me again this week! Some friends visited over Easter so I had another sociable and fun weekend. Tuesday, I headed the pool and even did a whole 5 mins on a stationary cycle in the gym beforehand! New personal best 💪🏻 Slowly but surely!! After a tough hydro session Wednesday, I was flat out and then haven't found the energy to do much else since!
Yesterday I was sore and miserable so I sulked and moaned a bit! My morning hadn't started so well - I had tried to shave my legs in the shower so leaned over but my blood pressure must have suddenly dropped as I went dizzy, lost my balance, and thought I was about to pass out. Thankfully I didn't fall but it was enough to shake me up and remind me that my body is still recovering from surgery. I have been putting a lot of effort in to keeping a positive attitude but il admit sometimes this hip journey feels like it's never going to end and I lose hope for a few moments. A lot of, what I would class as the "post op" pain, seems to have gone so my symptoms now are too familiar for my liking! I know I probably need to find a better balance of rehab Vs rest. When I have a good day, I've maybe been doing too much and paying for it the next couple of days. Increased pain knocks my confidence and morale. Even as a physio and understanding that I should be pacing myself, it's a frustrating part of my rehab working out my body's limits. It's made me realise that I'm still healing and have to accept I can't go full throttle yet with my exercises. I want to work my muscles to their optimum but I need to appreciate I still have a broken pelvis. I am sure by my next post I'll have it all figured out 😄 Andrea x |
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