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THR Damn glad that's over!

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It's funny, now that I know if have this T-gait which is my hip dropping on the operated side, I find myself trying to make sure that when I am standing I put my weight on the operated side so the other hip will drop....trying to even things up I guess.

Finished my first 50 hour work-week in 14 weeks. I feel really good, like I accomplished something. Have filled 2 of my 4 teacher vacancies.

Had PT last night and don't feel too bad today at all. I made sure to do the stairs and walk quite a bit today at work. The students are threatening to attach a bell to Steve's neck as they don't hear me coming up behind them anymore. The crutches make a specific noise that they could hear from a long way away. It does my heart good to hear the students trying to encourage me. This afternoon as I was leaving, I was going up the stairs to the parking lot, I had Steve in my left hand and a bunch of stuff in my right, I took the stairs foot over foot and a kid standing at the top commented: "looking good! Getting really fast at that now." I know I have said it before, but I really love these kids.

Plans for the weekend include a much needed trip to the Dog Park and a visit with my step-monster...err, I mean my step-mother. Oh joy!

Tammy
 
Tammy, I'm about a month ahead of you and glad I'm retired, because I really wouldn't relish going back to work. I still get called in for consulting from time to time, but now I have an excuse if I don't feel like it. One of the tougher exercises I got was standing on my operated leg and doing the same things with my "good" leg, but it really helped. I still find myself limping when I first get up from sitting a long time and also when I'm tired, so I keep Daisy Cane handy.
 
Great to hear it Tammy! you are gaining every day.
Those kids are just returning all the love you give them,
that's very obvious. Great that you have that type of
job with such rewards!
:yay:
 
Standing/balancing on the operated leg is a real task, isn't it. They just added that to my PT regiment...oh boy! Can balance on the operated leg for about 10-15 seconds on my first attempt. Subsequent attempts have my thigh muscles quivering like jello. I'm with you John, for every couple of sets of exercises on the operated side, I will throw in a set on the non-operated side, just to keep things even.
 
[Bonesmart.org] Damn glad that's over!
And truthfully that non-operated leg needs the same exercises some of the time.
 
:iagree: My PT had me doing my exercises on both operated and non-operated side. Both before and after surgery. Looking back, the 8 weeks of twice-weekly PT that I had pre-op (trying to avoid surgery, haha) really did get my adductors and abductors and all that in great shape for rehab, so it wasn't time wasted. I did a lot of side stepping up and down, side stepping with resistance bands, side leg lifts and straight leg lifts. The straight leg lifts on the bad side were very painful before surgery and I had to use a strap to help lift, and after surgery that was the one exercise that I simply said "no fracking way" to doing. I can do them now, but I don't.
 
At least you put that pre-surgery PT to good use sissy46. You developed the muscles that would later be traumatized. I think when you have a great base to build from, it makes the recovery process a bit easier. There is something to be said for muscle memory.

Experimented this morning at walking without Steve. I was able to manage 3 steps without dropping my hip. It's a start...a small one, but a start nonetheless. It seems to be easier if I attempt this while walking extrememly SLOW and with a short stride. Any suggestions to improve this would be greatly appreciated.

Tammy
 
Yep. I've always been in pretty good shape, and I've always exercised, but that 8 weeks of PT really targeted the appropriate muscles. Another one I did pre-op that was also presented to me post-op was balancing on the operative leg for 30 seconds, over and over, and I was so good at that I had to do it on a thick foam pad which makes it a lot harder.

It is so easy to revert back to dropping the hip and limping. Squaring the shoulders and taking short steps and thinking "heel, toe, heel, toe" as you walk a few steps should do it. This is a lot easier when it doesn't hurt:rolleyes:
 
Hey Tammy. Sounds like work is going well and it's great the kids are encouraging your progress and recognizing your milestones. Sometimes we'll miss some if others don't point them out. Hopefully you'll get the last of your staff in place for 2nd semester.

The balancing exercises weren't too bad for me once the surgical ache dissipated. For quite a few weeks after getting off the walker it was consistently there when I would move off of the operated leg (relieving the weight). The PT had me balancing between two chairs then do it with your eyes closed. I still practice that one (always having something handy like a counter close by).

Regarding the gait, being deliberate and not in a hurry is the key for me. I catch myself trying to change direction too quickly and I'll get a tweak. It's a good reminder to slow down and that I'm still healing...

I'm so happy for you that your stamina hasn't been an issue at work. You continue to amaze me! Your determination is very evident and it will payoff. Hang in there!
 
Tammy, deliberate, conscious and slow has to be the way I walk to avoid a limp. I always was an extremely fast walker and scooted off in all directions, until I could scoot no longer. I REALLY have to think of each step I am taking and have a rhythm to it in my head, so I know that I am doing the same stride length with both feet, if I do it this way even my bad leg will generally not go into a limp unless it is later in the day. Its like I have to have my brain slow down, otherwise I just go into the old scoot method, which even with the limp is quicker than the thoughtful no limp walk.
 
Hi all. Hit my 10 week anniversary yesterday. Quick update on the physical recovery:

The good: can now go up and down the stairs foot-over-foot using one hand rail (on non-operated side). Can stand for at least 2 hours with no problem. Can now balance on the operated leg once for at least 1 full minute. Can do it mulitple times in a row for 30 seconds. Stamina not an issue at all. Working 10+ hour days and feel great walking out the door. Able to use the leg press with 100 pounds (using both legs). Mastered the first single-leg press with 10 pounds yesterday. I can now walk on the tread mill at 1.9 mph and use only my thumb and pointer finger for balance....no limping.

The bad: still have to observe the 90 degree restriction until at least the 12 week mark. No external rotation of any kind yet. Must continue to take Steve with me every step of the way. Experiencing some really deep thigh pain..more of an ache that the OS says is a sign of the bone fusing/healing. Still living in my yoga pants due to the thigh swelling (still). Have all these cute suits and matching suits just sitting in the closet waiting for me. OS says I am on "sneaker restriction" until the 12 week point provided I have achieved a normal gait......sigh.

The ugly: the burning and numbness in the thigh are still a constant companion. Have not mastered walking without the T-gait. PT says I will be using the cane for "quite some time" (whatever that means). Recently the bottom half of the incision has gone from looking really well healed to red color. The measurements the PT takes where I am lying on my stomach and having to lift the leg up (backwards) is showing no progress from the first measurement :headbang: .

To end on a good note, it was 85 degrees this afternoon and gorgeous today, and American Idol returns TONIGHT!!!

Tammy
 
Wow Tammy, great gains! Glad to hear you are doing well at PT and on the
gym machines. sorry to hear about steve, sometimes guys just don't know
when enough is enough, or when no means no......

what does your PT measure? i would dread the thought of measuring
anything on me at this point... ugh......

85 degrees, don't rub it in. we had our warm up into the 50's over the weekend,
all the snow melted, and now it's just cold, 30 or 20's for the rest of the week,
maybe colder after that. since the snow is gone i'm ready for spring!

good to hear from you Tammy
:thumb:
 
We were 'done' on the same day Tammy and I am just about exactly where you are, still struggling with the hip flexors and T-gait. After taking a week off to rest, physio today was OK because she's now tailoring it to my bursitis issue. Because of my slow progress, she has extended my individual sessions for a while before I graduate to a group program. I use the bike gently but haven't tried the leg press yet: its something to aim for, maybe next week. One big difference: I am sure I could not work one 10-hour day, let alone 5 days of 10 hours -- plus everything else you fit in during your recovery. Seems to me that you are doing incredibly well considering what you've been through-- keep on inspiring the rest of us to go for it.
 
85', Wow !! I see next week here in WI they are calling for a low of -9' and a high of 7' on Mon. going into Tues. We complain about the cold every year but we still live here.....
 
Go Tammy, Go Tammy, Go Tammy!

So the good is really Great, the bad are things out of your control, and the ugly is just a list of things that really are expected to be resolved in a matter of time. Consider the ugly as your wall and between your focus and determination and a little moral support from your warrior friends to boost you, you'll be over to the other side in no time.

So how do you get in the leg press without breaking the 90? Do you get things started with lefty then get righty into position?
 
Tammy, as a (mostly) retired teacher I am amazed at your stamina! I know you can "feed" off the energy of the young ones, when I am recovered I will probably do supply (substitute) teaching again - I miss contact with the little devils. What age are yours? At 7 weeks in I am finding the limp still bothers me, it's habit rather than any pain. The physio told me to think "glide" as I walk, not quite one foot in front of the other but keeping each foot in a straight line.
dede62, I see you are online now - it's 7 am here in UK, I'm trying to work out the time differences! I guess you are probably further away from Tampa than I am but it's very cold here, took my husband a while to get the car clear when he left for work an hour ago.
Regards to all the other insomniacs!
Anne
 
Another tip for the habit limp is to practice the 'toe heel' walking .. You have to concentrate on it, but what it does is slow you down to start with until it becomes natural, then speed up your walking and that is when the 'habit' limp tends to stop... With a try!
 
Great progress Tammy.

Good to see you're having fun at work too. Send some of that weather to the UK!! I'm currently wearing so many layers and I'm at home!
 
Tammy, you might not want to be where you want, but really you are doing awesome. As I get ready to head out to work I would in no way want a 10 hour day, and as I said before I am amazed at the standing in place. Steve is helping you heal right, he understands that one day he will be relegated to the broom closet.
badgerfan, you make me feel warm with temps here going back to 20s and 30s. -7 degrees, my heart goes out to you
 
Tammy, I was given a new exercise this week that the PTs said would help with the limp - they called it "hip hitches" but it wasn't the one I've done before:-

Stand sideways on bottom stair/step (holding onto handrail) with one foot on step and other hanging over space
Drop hanging foot so hip drops down slowly, then lift foot back up slowly as far as you can
Do a couple of reps and turn and do other side, building up reps over time (take it easy say my PTs, I think they must have had a smack from Jo at some time!)

Much to my surprise I found it easy to do standing on the good leg and very difficult on the bad leg - a big difference in how far the hanging foot goes up or down - but when I think about that makes sense. It certainly uses the muscles in a different way! It might be worth having a try.

Anne xxx
 
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