Birthday Update...
I've been MIA lately because I was a little embarrassed about replying to comments and using the quote feature (which apparently I was doing wrong). I've also been in a bit of a funk lately as I've read about the sad loss of more than one person. My oldest brother in Indianapolis isn't doing well, and his illness has been reclassified as stage four. There will be no happy ending to his struggle in this case, and time is not on his side.
This had made it difficult to focus on my recovery from my two hip replacements, which still at times still seem somewhat surreal to me.
I saw my OS for my six week check last Tuesday which included x-rays of both hip replacements. When you get x-rays, they position you in such a way that makes you wonder if you're going to blow a hip due to the manipulations. He said everything looked fine, and that I could fly to Indianapolis if I needed to do so. I see him again on March 27th.
One issue of angst for me is that after my first hip surgery I seem to have developed heel (retrocalcaneal) bursitis on the left side. I never had this before, and it appeared immediately after I went home from the hospital. My heel doesn't hurt when I'm standing, only when putting pressure on it lying in bed. The first PT told me to use a small pillow to "drop" my heel, but after awhile it feels numb. The biggest help is icing, but sometimes the pain wakes me up in the middle of the night (I'm still sleeping on my back). The new PT (with hip [HASH=151]#2)[/HASH] has used KT to tape it a couple of time, but I don't see a big improvement. Strangely, I think this may have happened in the hospital when after surgery they put the mechanical booties on my feet to move them around to prevent blood clots. I had to tell the nurse more than once that they were too tight and uncomfortable.
I'm not a PT so I don't know what's appropriate, but I'm not liking the one assigned after my second hip replacement. He suffered a hip fracture within the last year, and he's having me do "exercises" that are beyond my comfort level. The other day he had a band and was having me move each leg (hip) outward. He's also commenting on when I do certain exercises (that I've never seen from my last PT) that it's working because he can see me "trembling."
As a result I've having more groin area pain, as well as some lower back pain. Also, I have some incision area discomfort and a feeling of pulling. I find I do push the envelope on excursions and will go out for 4-5 hours at a time while standing and walking around. It's been six weeks now, and I've asked my OS if it's OK to discontinue and he said yes. He said if I'm having issues up the road he'll give me a referral. I called the Home Health Care and said I wanted to stop. I think this particular is having me do things that cause more pain. He's sort of "gung ho" on building up the surrounding muscles, but I feel that will come in time.
I'm feeling overwhelmed, and feel like I need to stop. When I questioned my OS, he said: "Hips aren't knees" (meaning the level of PT that is needed) and you seem to be doing extremely well. He does cheer me on and makes me feel like I'm the poster child of hip replacements.
Sometimes, I worry if I'll ever be the same again - happy and pain free...
. You have such an awesome attitude, I am sure you will be dancing again once you finish healing.
United Kingdom
Sounds like you're doing pretty good overall.
May it only get better.
