happy healthy hippy
A blog following my Triple Pelvic Osteotomy in January 2016
Where has the time gone?
So it's been nearly three months since I last blogged and I feel fantastic now. I am sooo ridiculously happy with what I've achieved recently. Last week I did:
The week before last I also did a 15 km trail walk that took all day with my family- completely painfree. Another new thing! And the most exciting thing is, I can finally see muscle in my legs! It's took two operations and 16 long months of rehab to build muscle again and get back into shape. I have got my identity back, I feel athletic again. I am proud of my body that I've worked hard to achieve. I wouldn't say I am back to 100% but the mild discomfort I do get isn't interfering with my life. I'm learning to live with it. I can go out and dance with my friends all night TWO nights in a row 🙌🏻...I can go to work all day and still go for a walk in the evening in the sun...I can go to the gym for a few hours and then clean the bathrooms, sort out the washing, and do the food shopping all in the same afternoon (hooray!) I am not having to restrict or adapt my life significantly anymore. I am enjoying being busy, I am back to "burning the candle at both ends" as my mum would say! The next test for my hip is five days walking and partying at Glastonbury festival - just the trek to the campsite with all my gear is going to be a challenge! But I have real confidence in my hip now! I will make sure I update next month to let you know how I got on. Andrea x
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So since my last post, I had a very frustrating week, followed by a great week. I'll start with the bad week. The groin pulling I mentioned carried on and was very uncomfortable every time I walked. It was there as soon as I woke up and didn't ease off at all. It stopped me from getting back to the gym and progressing my physio. I felt fed up and my motivation lapsed.
I had physiotherapy and my physiotherapist prodded about to see what was causing the groin pain. Fortunately, my adductors, which have been a nuisance in the past were fine. It was one of my hip flexor muscles, Psoas, that was very sore. She did some trigger point release (painful!) She said it’s overactive and carrying tension. It’s common if other muscles (core and glutes - what a surprise) aren’t doing their job properly. A few weeks ago, I thought I hadn’t lost that much strength following this operation but I’ve realised now I’ve still got quite a bit of work to do to get to where I was. So onto the great week! I ramped up my reps with my exercises and feel I turned a corner, less groin pain - hooray! There’s a big difference in my glute strength - I can feel them firing up a lot more! I’ve also been working on some yoga-inspired Psoas relaxation. I think this is helping and I’m more aware of how to “let go” the tension in that area at any point in the day. I’m really into yoga philosophy and hopefully going to take it up as a more regular hobby soon! For now though, I think I need to focus on my core and get back to pilates. Another milestone was going back to work, just for a morning. I didn’t have to do a great deal but it was good just to get back in that environment. I’m doing a phased return again over 4 weeks so I’ll be eased in. Next week will be 3 half days. Now saving the best news until last. I had my 6 week follow up yesterday in Birmingham and Mr McBryde thinks I'm doing great for this stage. So great in fact that he's discharged me!! I was not expecting this! I said I've still been getting a pulling but he reminded me the extent of the surgery I have had and that it's still only 6 weeks since my last operation. He thinks it is likely muscular and that it should improve further but I may always be left with some sort of ache in my hip. At my first appointment with Mr McBryde, I remember him saying that I might always have a niggle in my hip even after the osteotomy and I remember thinking "This sounds really shit, so even with this massive surgery, I'm still going to hurt!" But now I'm on the other side and a year down the line, I'm so happy with the outcome even though it's not perfect. I'm optimistic that I've not reached my full potential yet and I believe I will just keep getting better and better! I guess if I was told this is as good as it will get I might feel a bit different! The void left in my life or the elephant in the room is definitely the fact I haven't got back to running. It might not be a big deal to everyone but it's something I've always done for exercise and worked at for my fitness. Though now, I'm realistic that pounding the pavements is probably not the best choice if I want to look after my pelvis in the long run! Mr McBryde echoed this. That said, even if I don't decide to jog on a regular basis, it's still one of my goals to physically be able to. So the past few days, I have started my training - 1 min jog then 4 min walk x 3. So an impressive 3 mins of jogging! It doesn't feel comfortable but I'm going to keep at it! Wish me luck! Andrea x Sorry, a bit of a delay catching up due to christmas and new year shenanigans! Although I’ve no excuse really because I didn’t do a great deal for the first couple of weeks after my op - lots of lazing around, family time, + eating anything beige or chocolatey.
I remember in recovery, Mr McBryde said the screw removal went well. The hospital stay was a bit of a faff this time round though. With it being a much smaller operation, I was last on the list which meant waiting round all day in a reception area. I had my surgery about 8pm so was only allowed to eat at 10pm, 17 hours after my early morning breakfast bar! I was very hangry and all they could offer me was toast. Fortunately Andy snuck me in a dairylea dunker and a mini quiche haha! I was discharged at 3pm the next day after more waiting around for medication and a doctors signature. Then we got stuck in Birmingham rush hour so was a long 4 hour journey home! All very frustrating, particularly as I was expecting to be a day case. A few days later, I had a little blip with my wound as it was leaking out the dressing. I had to get it checked earlier than planned and there was a tiny section of the incision that wasn’t closed, therefore was bleeding. It was a bit unsettling but the nurse reassured me this was normal as a haematoma had developed under the skin. She re-dressed it with a bit of padding and I took arnica tablets for a week to help with the bruising and swelling. Now the incision is fully healed and I have started scar massage again with my favourite beauty product - coconut oil (get it from Home &a Bargains or Aldi!) This time round, my scar seems a lot more bumpy and red so I'm back using Mepiform Silicone Dressings constantly. They were incredible for softening and fading my scar last time. Silicone dressings are the only thing which is clinically proven to help scars, besides massage (I've done my research 🤓) Physically, I’m doing absolutely fine. I used crutches for 2 weeks and now I’m trying to get back into a routine with physiotherapy exercises and working on my walking endurance/fitness. Also have been back to the gym twice to do cycling, step ups, and lunges. I’m due to go back to work in a few weeks, hopefully this is long enough to get me back to where I left off (or close to it!) I’m enjoying having the time to exercise when I want, watch Greys anatomy, and listen to Ibiza Sonica Radio! Talking of Ibiza…I’ve just booked my cousins’ hen do on the white Isle for July which I’m so excited for already! It’s difficult to tell if there’s been any benefit from having the metal out so far as my scar and groin still feels tender and sore, it pulls more than usual when I walk. Nothing I can’t handle though and I am not needing any pain killers. My hip is still quite swollen too so the frozen peas are back out! I know soft tissue healing will take 6-8 weeks (and further still for the fibres to remodel + realign) so there’s plenty of time for things to settle down further. I keep reminding myself that rest is as important as keeping mobile right now. I'm not very good at staying still and keep finding little jobs to do in the flat like re-organising my wardrobe. Psychologically, it feels amazing to know I’ve no plates or screws [or anything unnatural for that matter] in my body now. I can’t explain why, I just feel more like myself and happier :) Fingers crossed I’ll feel my best yet sometime soon. Happy New Year Hippies. Here’s to neat scars and strong glutes! Andrea x I can't believe I'm actually writing this but last weekend I went to Chill Factore, the local indoor snowdome and got back on a snowboard 🏂🏂 It's been in the back of my mind for a few weeks now! I got the blessing off my consultant and physio then started trying to get my head around the fact I might fall but it would be ok to do so!
Last week I got my boots and board out and started practicing my moves in the living room. Obviously there's only so much you can do without snow 😆 but I basically just had a go at swinging my shoulders/hips/knees around and running over the steps for turning. I do love visualisation to get in the right frame of mind and get the positive emotions flowing - it made me feel excited rather than nervous! So Saturday morning off we go, we set off at 7am & was on the slope for 8am, pretty much as it opened and before the lessons had started so we beat the rush! And it was amazing! It was like I'd never been away! The last time I snowboarded was on holiday in Mayrhofen [just shy of] 3 years ago! I am so happy that it just came naturally to me. I did have a little tumble at low speed but it was absolutely fine. I think the fear of falling was worse than the fall itself. After ticking this off my list, I have decided that I can probably do much more than I think I can! This is personally my biggest milestone and I am so chuffed with myself. The main things I wanted to get back to were going out dancing with my friends, snowboarding, & running. So I've ticked off two of the three before my year anniversary. This week my groin has pulled more than usual but I just keep telling myself my body has to adapt to the new challenges and my hip get used to it's new position in all sorts of tasks! I feel super thankful that my op has been successful with no major set backs. Now fingers crossed for a smooth recovery for my screw removal next week! Andrea x I've been meaning to write an update for weeks but I haven't got round to it until now as I've been so busy. My social life is back up to full speed. The past few weekends have been booked up with nights out for birthdays/leaving dos, a spa day, the Christmas markets, & I have a hen do in Edinburgh tomorrow. I can't remember the last time I've been this busy but at the same time it just feels so normal to slip back into my old ways and be able to do everything I want again...
Well almost! I haven't got back to running yet but I've tried a few jogs up and down the hall in the apartment 🙈 or for literally a few minutes on my journey home from work. It doesn't feel quite right yet but I can't put a finger on what is uncomfortable! On the plus side, my walking is finally feeling normal hallelujah! Finally my hard work pays off. So naturally my next step is to want to run! But part of me isn't convinced I'm ready yet... maybe the physio in me talking as I don't feel at my optimal strength yet! Or perhaps it is just a confidence thing. It feels like I'm waiting for that moment where everything clicks into place and I just know it's the right time. Getting back on a snowboard soon is also in the back of my mind. It's exciting that I'm even contemplating this! I'm sure my body is capable but I'm a bit nervy about falling over and bashing my hip! I probably will hold out a little longer as I found out that I'm having my screws & plate removed 3 weeks tomorrow! I've not had much time to think about it which I think is a good thing. Although I'm a bit gutted il be hobbling over Christmas, it's exciting to know that this will be my last surgery and il have closure on this hip saga once and for all! I've been rehabbing my butt off the last few months - quite literally - so I'm chuffed that my walking has improved. I've been pushing myself with the cardio on the bike and using the treadmill to walk fast on incline. My physio has also give me the green light to do impact work which includes jumps and hops - it's something completely different so it's fun! I recently did a 3 hour sponsored walk supporting a cause very close to my heart. My little problem has been put into perspective by one of my best friends heartbreaking news. Health really is our most precious gift and yet it's so easy to take it for granted. Having my pelvis sawed apart and screwed back together has certainly changed my attitude and made me appreciate and be thankful for everything and everyone in my life. Andrea x So as Mr McBryde predicted during my 5 month follow up, I have started to plateau or at least slow down with my progress!
I am actually feeling great in the gym and can do a normal workout with minimal pain. I'm in a good routine now and have been getting up at 6am every day to spend half an hour or so on my Physio exercises. Then I've been going the gym 3 times a week for a couple of hours each time, usually this includes a Pilates/yoga/body balance class! In the gym, I've started doing weighted squats and lunges (static, dynamic forwards and backwards) and using the bosu ball for balance work with cables to challenge my core and trunk stability. The thing I'm finding frustrating is despite feeling almost normal during a workout, I still don't feel normal with my walking. Pottering about the flat and walking day to day around the department in work is absolutely fine... but any sort of distance (for example the 25 min walk home from work) where I want to pick up my pace, it feels awkward and unnatural. If I speed up too much, I'm aware that I'm walking more on my non-op leg and don't feel equal. My groin also pulls if I walk too fast. It's so frustrating as I feel I'm doing all the right things to work on my strength and stability but it's not helping my walking! Now if I put my Physio head on, I know that a reasonable explanation for my walking not feeling "right" is that my proprioception must still be reduced. Proprioception means my body's ability to sense change in joint movement/position. The proprioceptive system is made up of receptor nerves in the muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. The receptors detect change and send information to the brain which signals to the muscles to contract or relax. So for example, when you close your eyes, you maintain your balance by using your proprioception (and your vestibular system!) After my surgery, my Proprioception will have reduced due to injury to the soft tissues locally and also the receptors in my foot/ankle/knee won't have been getting the regular signals through weight bearing. In my 8.5 months of rehab so far, over half of that time I was using crutches and therefore not fully weight bearing. So I'm hopeful that another couple of months, I will see a big difference in my co-ordination and balance, which will in turn make my walking feel more "normal"! Now to finish with the good news, I saw Mr McBryde last week for my follow up and I am officially fully healed in terms of the pelvic cuts 🙌🏻 Hooray!! I told him about my groin pain when I walk fast and he said it could either be the known labral tear or irritation from the metalwork. He offered to repair the labrum when he takes the screws out next year however I've decided against that as it would be another 3/4+ month rehab, which I'm not ready for. In my head, I'm only just getting my life back and I've still got potential to get to full strength. So I'm going to have the metal out first to see if that helps, I guess it's a process of elimination! If I'm still getting pain further down the line, il have to sign up for a third surgery! 🙈 Andrea x So one thing that has been annoying me recently is the muscles on both sides of my torso (my obliques) have been hurting on the past 2 nights out with friends. I was stood up for 7+ hours each time - it must be a tough workout after a 1.5 year hiatus from dancing! I haven't realised how weak I will have become pre op/early post op!
Now onto the positive... I've just looked back at my goals I wrote at the start of July and in just 2 months I've managed to tick off most of my short/medium term ones which feels amazing 🙌🏻 - I started back at work ✅ I haven't done a 37.5hr week yet as I'm using some annual leave to extend my phased return but everything is going smoothly! - I wore a pair of heels for the first time of 2016 at my friends wedding (I managed until about 8pm when I switched to trainers!) ✅ - I can finally stand on one leg without falling/leaning over ✅ I've been incorporating more single leg exercises recently like resisted theraband kicks in different directions with my non op leg or bouncing/catching a ball off a wall on op leg! It's definitely helping my stability. - I can do scissors and knee rolls comfortably at Pilates, in fact I can now do most of the class without adapting it ✅ - I went to Amsterdam and walked 54km in 4 days. ✅ One day was at a festival and I did 36,000 steps dancing! The day after I was achy and had to walk slow and take lots of rests but I still managed to get out and about each day. - I went to my first body balance class today which I really enjoyed ✅ It's lots of static and dynamic postures and core work. The first and last time I tried this class was 18 months ago and I was in so much pain the next day I cancelled my gym membership. So that's 8 out of 10 of my short/medium goals completed. Goal setting is great as it gives such a sense of achievement :) just typing out those things I have accomplished made me feel proud! I have come such a long way already yet I feel like my rehab is only really starting in terms of getting back to unrestricted exercise and full fitness. This is the exciting part- I can finally work out "normally" and without pain for the first time in 2 years. This whole experience has given me an opportunity to rebuild myself into something new and push myself harder than ever. I have learnt a lot about my body during the journey and I now know more than I ever have about strength, conditioning, fitness, and nutrition. I am constantly looking into new exercises ideas on websites, forums, YouTube etc. All this is fuelling my motivation to get in the best shape ever. Andrea x I've survived two weeks at work of half days and a third week with some full days... which was a bit of a shock to the system! Everyone has been lovely and understanding so I do feel well supported. Going back to a more senior position has been a bit overwhelming as its not just the transition of getting back into work, I'm learning a new role at the same time.
My hip has not given me much discomfort. However, I still don't feel I am walking right. In fact, some days I think my walking pattern is getting worse as I feel I'm subtly leaning over to my left/good side and my right leg is being dragged along! It just doesn't feel natural yet. Perhaps I'm trying to do too much too soon! I am just trying to get on with my life though and I don't want to be held back any more! I've still been doing my physio exercises, the gym, and Pilates with a few bike rides thrown in. Sometimes by the end of the day I'm limping, it's not painful, it's as if my muscles have had enough and won't support my hip! So maybe I need to reel my rehab in a bit whilst I focus on getting back to my full time hours. I did think I'd be closer to the finish line at nearly 7 months post op but I know it's just a strength issue now and therefore i need more time. I am thankful that my horrible deep joint pain has gone for good, I am not as restricted day to day, and I can plan social things (just not too much yet!) I just need to carry on being patient, which is getting harder not easier haha! Andrea X I had my 5 month review last Tuesday with Mr McBryde. I got the train from Liverpool to Birmingham and then a bus to the hospital on my own. He seemed happy with my progress when I told him about my journey (I didn’t mention that I had a foldable stick in my bag!) My X-Ray showed that the ilial cut has healed completely and the pubis and ischial cuts are healing well (see photo below). I said I am not getting any deep joint pain now but still have a lot of groin discomfort more superficially. He said he thinks we made the right decision in opting for the osteotomy surgery over the labral repair and explained my discomfort may be due to the metalwork as it lies underneath the psoas muscle (one of the hip flexors).
Apparently it’s likely I will plateau soon and not feel “normal” until the plate and screws are out. Unfortunatley, he will only remove them at earliest 1 year post op. I guess it’s reassuring to know the likely cause of my discomfort but I also feel a bit deflated that I might not improve much more for another 7 months - it seems a long time to wait! I asked him about the labral tear but he said it’s too soon to know whether I’m getting symptoms from this so we will discuss it in September at my next check up. Anyway, hooray for excellent healing 😄 For 10 days now, I’ve walked without any walking aid pretty much. My average daily steps has been about 7,000! (To put this into perspective, that is triple what I averaged for April when I was still using 2 crutches 😱) I bought a foldable stick (for a fiver on eBay!) that I’ve used once or twice for longer distances but generally it's been hiding in my bag just incase! My pace is still slow as if I try to speed up it feels really awkward and more uncomfortable, then my limp starts creeping back! Thankfully, I’m not getting any discomfort or pain at rest, its only when I walk, which is a big difference to pre op. As well as walking each day, I’ve got into a good routine now with my exercises. I could easily list 30 different things I work on over the course of the week but this is what I’m focusing on at the moment. I do my stretches 4 or 5 times a day and the strengthening work twice, each time repetitions until I feel fatigue (usually about 5 mins for each exercise): 1. Adductor stretch 2. Hip flexor stretch 3. TFL/ITB stretch 4. Lunges 5. Squats with a bias on right leg 6. Stairs 7. Backwards walking 8. Clam shells 9. Crab walk 10. Bridges 11. Hip abduction and then extension with an ankle weight in standing 12. Hip adductor lifts 13. Hip flexion with trans abs/core activation I usually have one day a week where I feel over-tired/sore/fed up so I have a day off exercise and get my hot water bottle out instead. I’ve also started a clinical pilates class at my gym. I can’t wait to get back to my hot pilates but for now I want to make sure I have perfect form and this class is ran in a small group and lead by a physiotherapist who can give me 1:1 hands on guidance. My first session made me realise how weak even my “good” left leg is since the op. 5 months of doing little physical activity has obviously made me very de-conditioned. It should be onwards and upwards from here as I’m finally fully weight bearing and doing more and more each week. Andrea x I've been a busy bee the past month so haven't had as much time to blog! Which is a good sign of course. I've finally ditched the crutch indoors and just using a stick lightly for longer distances outside. I've had the chance to really test out my hip recently and I'm happy to say it's done me proud! Here's what I've been up to the last couple of weeks:
1. Clocked up a lot of miles on a weekend city break with Andy. I managed 34,000 steps/15 miles with my crutch over 2 days. Never mind post op, that's probably the most I've walked in over 18 months! My whole body was aching afterwards but certainly no horrible deep groin pain! Yay! 2. Went to my friend's gig in a bar without any walking aid! I sat down for half the night but it was fun to be out and about with two free hands for the first time 🙌🏻 3. Had a little dance celebrating my friend's birthday on bank holiday Sunday! So much fun! 4. Walked our dog Max for half an hour without any walking aid. Pain wise, when I move about or walk, I'm still getting discomfort in my groin and back of thigh, tightness in my inner thigh, and stiffness in my lower back. I occasionally take paracetamol. When I'm outside, I feel I am walking for exercise/rehab, rather than pleasure. It doesn't feel smooth or natural yet. I know I need to just keep working at it though! I remind myself it can take 6-12 months to feel "normal" again. Functionally, I've noticed a big improvement recently, I'm not as restricted in my day to day activities or social stuff anymore which is amazing! 😄 I'm not going the gym as regularly as I've been focusing on building up my walking distance outside... especially as we've had some glorious spring weather! Some days I feel I could walk around all day, other days I have to scale back and laze about. Some days I can walk outside without any aid, other days I feel I need to grab my crutch for extra support. Some days I do hours of my physio exercises at home, other days my muscles fatigue quickly and give up! So I still take each day as it comes. It's not plain sailing yet but I'm heading in the right direction and I know I can do this... I just need to keep on trucking and slogging away!! 💪🏻 Andrea x |
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