THR Damn glad that's over!

[nessiepie]

Hi Tammy
Wow, with all you are doing, I think you are superwoman You are being way too hard on yourself. I think the tears are body's way of keeping us sane when we get frustrated. I am just amazed at how weepy I havd been since the surgery. Give yourself a break. You are doing great.

 

[Damn!]

Hello all. I have been a bad Warrior. Haven't felt much like posting. Tomorrow will be 17 weeks for me and I am still at the same place I was more than a month ago with regard to my recovery. Steve and I are still an item. I haven't been able to shake this limp. Still have lots of swelling everytime I get on my feet.....therefore, I am STILL wearing my yoga pants. Ugh! Unsuccessfully tried a spin class. That didn't go over well. Still in PT three times a week....deep thigh pain, and burning sensation on the outside of the thigh are still my constant companions.

Been gearing up for the new school year, so putting in a lot of time at the office. Our standardized testing began, so been testing, testing, testing.

My apologies for staying away so long...can't seem to shake the doldrums. I promise to do better.

Tammy

 

[nerdgrrl]

Hi Tammy- so glad to hear from you! But Sorry to hear that healing has hit a snag. It seems like a long time for you to still be having deep thigh pain, but I am not an expert. Have they done any massage on it? Or does the burning pain preclude that? I can understand the burning taking a while to resolve because nerves take so long to heal. Is there any way to be on your feet less, to maybe get the swelling under control?

Not sure what I can say to be helpful, but we are here to support you, even when you are in the doldrums.

Sending some hugs and a virtual pastry from " the " bakery your way!

 

[sissy46]

Please don't go away again! We missed you.

Like nerdgrrl, I don't know what I can say to be helpful. Your circle of warriors is here for you, though, and if you need us to give your doctor a wedgie...well, we'll do it.

 

[Vida]

I sincerely hope this is a temporary blip in your long term recovery Tammy .. I can only imagine how debilitating it must be to constantly deal with nerve pain, especially after everything you've been through. Our situations are very different in that I work out of my home and my issue revolves around sitting. For what its worth, my swelling finally went down and I started to do much better overall when I stopped PT and focussed on walking, moderate stationary biking and stretching. Hang in there and please take care of yourself. Vicki

 

[puddle fish]

Hi Tammy, you sound like a super woman to me Im just slacking at home, been traveling to london for interviews and Im wipped out. Your doing 10hour + days and PT and going to the gym. Ive got a bit better when Ive done less but range of movement its um scale and some days I cant managed it. My thighs get very swollen if I over do things and Ive found the lightweight support tights have helped with this. Enjoy the banquet and after 11 hour day I would be in bed.

 

[dede62]

Tammy, I understand how frustrating for you it must be regarding this healing plateau. Like my fellow warriors said I wish I had some sage advice or could wave a magic wand to make it go away!

When is your next OS appointment? Have you considered playing hookie from PT to see if things quiet down on their own? I'm not sure if you could see a pain management specialist for the nerve burning this soon, but meds like gabapentin or lyrica may turn down the volume a bit wth that nerve. My hubby has the same thing coming from his back and the lyrica really helps.

Good luck getting all the kids through testing. Do you have 2 phases like we do here? We have the spring tests (usually reading and writing with make-up exams for math and science) then in May are the End of Course tests in Math (alg and geometry) and biology.

Keep your chin up warrior. You have lots of support here, especially when you have the doldrums!

 

[cnydutch]

Tammy good to hear from you but not such a great report.
I wonder if you are stuck in too much too soon mode, and now
that you are superwoman you can't step back and let things
heal properly? Maybe you are on your feet toooooo much?

are you progressing the weight bearing?
how many hours a day are you on your feet? lord knows
working 10 hr days plus PT it sounds like an awful lot!
hope you are having a better day today!

 

[sissy46]

Dear, dear Tammy, are you seeing a trend here?

" any way to be on your feet less?"
"I started to do much better overall when I stopped PT...."
"I've got a bit better when I've done less...."
"Have you considered playing hookie from PT to see if things quiet down on their own?"
"I wonder if you are stuck in too much too soon mode....you can't step back and let things heal properly?"

You know we all care about you and want so badly for you to get past this wall you've come up against, but beating it down may not be the best way.

I rest my case, without even tagging Josephine.

 

[Josephine]

 

[Damn!]

Got a laugh out of your posts today! Thanks Warriors. I see the OS once a month now for the next 3-4 months so he can evaluate my lurch vs. limp issue. He told me to practice at home walking without Steve, but try not to limp. Easier said than done. I can manage pretty good when I am in the bathroom getting ready for work. It is only a couple of steps to the counter, then another couple to the shower, etc. Gets me feeling pretty cocky...like, I've got this! Then, I head out and anything beyond the first step or two has me limping like crazy.

PT has been targeting all those lovely abductor muscles (and the gluteus medius) to strengthen them. Lots of side steps. I tend to "hop" or so they tell me, so I still have tons more in my future. However, tomorrow is my last PT visit for a while as my insurance company has said that they need to develop an at home exercise program....HA! My PT has written letters, etc. to get them to authorize additional visits. Hard to believe I have burned through 50 outpatient PT visits...not to mention the 3-1/2 weeks of 5 x a week in home visits. Seems like an awful lot of PT to be where I still am.

 

[Vida]

Tammy, C Mac Cardie and Anniepops Ann have got me walking as if I am clenching a walnut in my buttockal area. Although it is hard to do and I need to keep checking my gait in shop windows (handily doing double duty as retail therapy) I am really seeing a difference. It is super hard to remember 'heel, toe, clench bum, stick out chest and straighten back,' and be able to engage in conversation of any depth except maybe: "Yes, I see those tomatoes" but I am becoming ramrod straight and pretty strong in my formerly sloppy abductor/hip flexors that did not respond to the wretched clamshell. A pox on physio and any sort of pain. I've had enough!

 

[C Mac]

Hi Tammy,

Sometimes a plateau happens, whether it's during your recovery or in your personal exercise regime. It sounds like you've maxed on your insurance coverage for the outpatient PT and after 50 sessions, they should be able to give you some sort of workable home plan to carry forward by yourself. It might help to be released from PT and the expectations that occur with that and just come back to yourself and do stretches and exercises that you enjoy and find helpful.

A while back I remember there was some talk of Iliotibial band soreness/tighteness, were you able to look at the stretches in that thread? Is that what you think is the sensation that you feel in the side of your leg?

I also saw what I think you were describing as this stretch (without the pushing on the knee), this is a great one to bring home to help with many of the muscles in your groin and buttocks. Just resting your foot up there on your knee until it seems like it gets easier to do and your flexibility increases.



I am also a big advocate of using the foam roller for both the IT band issue and the groin tightness, if you are experiencing these as sore/tight places. In fact if you google foam roller stretches you will find all sorts of way to use the roller on different muscles.

The gimpy limp does take an amazingly long time to abate, for some, and while it's good to do some practice without the cane, it can also be helpful to just accept the cane as an assistive device for a little longer. You can certainly practice the walnuts cracking as you walk with the cane -- clenching your buttock muscles as if you are cracking a walnut with them.

How is your LLD -- do you have one?

Hang in there and don't be shy about sharing your troubles, your Warrior Friends are here to support you!! Plus 4 months is still very early in your recovery period and your level of activitieS is quite high...
Take care,
Cardie

 

[bellaroma]

Oh Tammy, We have missed you so. I am sorry that you are on this plateu. I really thing the heel, toe, back, stratight, chest out and now walnut set is the way to go. Mayabe it will be good to have a home plan as it will change the pace. I know you know this, so I will not dwell on it, but just remember that your Warroir girls are here to support you and also to help you kick butt when needed.

 

[puddle fish]

Hi Tammy, Ive been doing it myslef PT and hydro they gave me some sheets to work through the worse part is the discipline in doing the excercises so I have tried to work them into my daily routine. I find if Im on my feet to long or walk to far the limp is very pronouced. I think my main problem is still some of my muscles just need to work themselves out and relax as they are so contracted they are inhibiting the movement. This is one my PT told me to do nad I have found it helps pretending that you have a zip between your ankles all the way up you body to your chin and your trying to zip it up only your an over stuffed suitcase. Thanks Cardie for reposting the info on those excersices I looked for it a while back and couldnt find it. Mine have been giving me grief on and off I guess I should look for a foam roller or try a rolled up towel.

Best of luck with a step up to the next plateau

 

[Anniepops]

Hi Tammy, sorry to hear you are fed up of still relying on the stick most of the time but honestly, it is worth using it anyway until you get those muscles into gear, even if you need it for a couple of more months it's not a long time in the grand scheme of things. I used my crutch for many months and people would comment, showing surprise that I was still using it but I just shrugged it off. I knew I needed it so that was all that mattered.

When we have constant PT we can get frustrated if we do not see pretty continuous results but every hip is different....I know,I know, you already know this but we need to remind ourselves of this when we think we are lagging behind other people.

Don't be put off if you cannot do the walnut crunch very well at first on your operated side, believe me, I still can't feel it half as much as I can on my good side. I find the concentrating on everything I am supposed to do whilst walking very very hard, the slightest distraction and I am limping for England, I just go all to pot.lol. We will get there in the end.

Good idea of Cardies...it is worth giving the foam roller a go, for such a simple looking piece of kit it is amazing how much of a difference using it makes.

Puddle fish, the rolled up towel won't work because it needs to be very firm for it to massage deeply but you could try a rolling pin. The good thing about the rolling pin is someone else can do it for you although I wouldn't trust anyone else as it does really hurt in the beginning.ouch ouch ouch.Not trying to put anyone off but it is good to know that the pain is normal. It does get better really quickly though.

Hope things improve for you very soon.

Take care

Ann

 

[C Mac]

Still have lots of swelling everytime I get on my feet.....therefore, I am STILL wearing my yoga pants.

It sounds like you'd rather be wearing something else, what about going to some of your local thrift stores and looking for a few pairs of pants that are up-sized a bit but comfortable and professional enough to get by at work for a while. You may only pay between $6-$8 for the pants, wear them while needed and then donate them back. Living in the DC metro area I am amazed at the items that I find at the local thrift stores, people wear stuff and get rid of it in a season or less!! Works for me and my kids at various times as well!!

Take care,
Cardie

 

[puddle fish]

Dresses, or skirts tights and boots were my answer to jogging pants. I found the heavy weight tights with lycra have helped keep the saddle bag effect under control. The ouch bit of the foam roller is a bit worrying, it's going to be too much for the left side not sure if I could stand it on the right. I carry a folding walking stick with me when I go out just in case as limping puts a huge strain on my back.

 

[dede62]

Hello CF Warrior! How are you doing these days? I'm sure work is busy as usual, but hopefully the testing window is done. Have you been to the dog park with the pups? Hope the exercises they gave you to do at home are working for you. You mentioned an appontment in the next week or two. Let us know how that goes.

Work is in full swing working on next year scheduling. We've had an influx of buildings wanting to use our schedule builder this year. We're also helping another call center across the state with support on that module. We had two presentations this last week for them and our two new districts will be working on their schedule in the next two weeks. My ankle is still giving me problems, but I've got an MRI scheduled for the 1st. I'm also getting over a nasty cold this week. Considering I didn't get sick before or immediately after surgery I'm OK with that. Downside is that I feel like I'm back in recovery mode not able to go out for a decent walk and I skipped the pool yesterday. This too will pass!

Post when you can!

 

[Spid]

Hey Damn! Would love to know how you are doing now?

You were a great source of inspiration for me so you'll always be one of the users I never forget about on here! Hope you're back to 100% anyway and enjoying life.