Well I'm back... to be honest you could pretty much read my last posting and think it was today's! I've decided to write it up anyway as my sister emailed me yesterday and pointed out that my last update was Dec 31.. so Fiona, this one's for you
I went to the Physio on Friday, she is happy with my gait... finally! I explained to her that it's good after I get past the "start up" stiffness/discomfort then deteriorates after half an hour or so, as my hamstring-or-whatever tightens up - and that she'd 'got me" right in that window
Interestingly when we went to the zoo with our sons, DIL and grandtwins a week or so ago, I had the discomfort level go to a certain point and thought oh oh, I'm going to have to sit on a bench and meet up with them every half hour or so... but kept going and the discomfort stayed about the same - possibly even eased a little - and I walked the whole time with them, and that was over four hours
It was such a lovely day, and a memory made to treasure so I was grateful that I could participate fully; in my heart I know I wouldn't have been able to do it pre surgery.
Anyway, the Physio ran a few "tests" (just checked out what movements hurt and what didn't) and has said - basically in agreement with the OS a few weeks ago - that it is tendinopathy, which is more or less a combination of tendinitis (inflammation) and tendinosis from overusing the tendon resulting in small tendon/muscle tears. It seems to be partly my hamstring, which is good as it's not as hard to fix, and partly my deep glutes (medius) which is harder to fix, as in there are less "doable" stretches. I have a few new ones, but the Pretzel Stretch relies on me making that number 4 shape... no double entendre here, I LITERALLY mean being able to put my left ankle over my right thigh and pressing the knee outwards... which I still can't do. I can inch the ankle up to just above the knee, but it stays pointing resolutely ahead with my leg practically glued to the other one
I am to keep trying "from time to time" and see if I can eventually do it.
I've started the other stretches she gave me and at this stage all I've done is end up with TWO sore butt cheeks (as I'm using my "good" leg to raise my operated leg),
. My "good" leg is playing up quite a bit actually... even sitting here now I've got THAT groin pain. I am SO not ready to go down this path again yet, though the physio did say that this extent of muscular pain is not a normal part of the progression. She felt the left hamstring/butt area and said it was "like a rock"... now normally I'd be ecstatic to hear that my buns were tight but then she prodded the other one she added "not like that one"
(she did say the non op side was "correct", op side is way over taut)
The psoas is still pretty much at the level it was at... which is not perfect, but I can deal with it. The quad is still behaving too, the IT Band... comes and goes, fully dependent on whether I overdo it or not; so I do try to NOT overdo it... who knew it could be so simple
I've bought a foam roller (actually it's a kids baseball set with a soft-foam covered polystyrene type bat (?!!) - I'm sure you'll work it out if you re-read it
- and similar firm/foam ball, cost me $8 :cool
and that works really well to "roll" out the tension. Sometimes just putting the ball between me and a wall and "rolling" myself up and down - by bending my knees, nothin' flash
- is enough... sometimes I have to use the bat
There have been times in this recovery when I would have liked to use a NOT foam covered bat - on my HEAD to put myself out of my misery... I'm sure there's been those times for my hubby too
his misery, though not HIS head
There has been plenty of tension around while all this THR stuff has been going on, but I know that these irritations are just that... irritations, and certainly not damaging to our long term relationship. I hope your "issues" with your hubby are only as serious as those between myself and my hubby
@LibraryLynn , as in not serious at all! I'm glad if I have helped you in ANY way, though all I've done is share my story, as honestly as I can.
I have another Physio appointment in four weeks, I know that "normal" protocol is only two visits included post op and asked if she was aware that that would be my fourth visit... she said it's two provided you're on the right trajectory and you're not! So if these stretches work out I WILL be on the right trajectory and it will be my last visit. I think I'll go to some extra sessions Privately, hopefully working in conjunction will expediate the process. I've been loathe to have two different Physios, feeling that it might be counter productive, but the four weeks between visits is really stretching the process out. As always, "we'll see".
So that's my "update", such as it is. Going to do some "stuff", we start back working for da man tomorrow so there's a few things to put in place. Then it's time for a swim, it really is the BEST; good opportunity to stretch without pain, exercise without discomfort and relax without guilt because you're "stretching" and "exercising"
Donna
United Kingdom
No restrictions!!!! Woohoo!!! 
I have really progressed in the last couple of weeks 
my nurse friend Jenny has just loaned me a TENS machine, I used it for the first time this afternoon and I don't know if it's coincidental but my butt is pain free right now.... for the first time in over six weeks; if it is responsible for the improvement I'll be buying one in the New Year sales for sure :cool:
I have "found" eye masks and am now getting the best sleep I've had for years; I still can't make a full night, but that's a whole other can of worms... I am sleeping pretty much pain free and without (usually) my knee pillow that was an absolute necessity for the last three years or so... another clear indicator that the THR was "a good thing" 
and I'm hoping the "tennis ball in the back pocket" feeling, which isn't painful at all, just odd, will abate too. I can live with it, if I have to have one residual issue, I'll take that one thanks very much, if it means I can start walking in a relatively normal manner in less than twenty steps! Making my number 4 comfortably is still eluding me, but I can get my heel up as far as my knee now, so that's an improvement and I'm livin' in hope
buts its 5-6 hours altogether which makes me less 
and so happy not to have 
or this 
for an hour or two at night. I do attribute it to finally being able to sleep on my side with no pillow! Yea me!
with high hopes of being totally "cured" --- I guess I too just need patience! Another issue I thought I had mastered for the first few weeks this go-round only to find it ran out mid-December. When I did my update this morning, I realized that I'm just now getting to the three month mark. 
I really feel like its been so much longer! 
Bonesmart was the first place I even HEARD of it, knowing it was a) real, b) to be expected and c) temporary, gave me more comfort than knowing it was due to the compression of blood vessels.....blah blah medico speak. It is the reason I now spend most of my "blogging" time popping on to other's threads to offer my "two cents worth"; paying it forward.
I know it's all about balance but how one achieves this balance... I dunno
If not, give me a bell or email and I'll talk to you about it. When I was thread hopping last night I saw a post with this combo 
