THR Here We Go Again!

I guess I missed the memo- what is the foam roller and what is it used for?
Hopefully it will benefit you somewhere down the road and I cant imagine you would stick with PTs that you thought didn't know what they were doing.
Sounds like you have a nice social life to keep you busy which I find takes the mind off the hips pretty well. I am already thinking Christmas shopping, my daughters 25th birthday in November, a December wedding we are a part and bunches of other events I know I'd better pace myself for and should get busy with.
Holidays will be fun as you are recovering well!
 
Hello @Barbaraj

Just stopping by to say hello. I’m curious about the foam roller too. I got similar talk from my PT about no advantage of pushing when recovering from hip surgery. I hope your stiffness is improving and that the elusive sunshine finds its way there to brighten your day. :SUNsmile:
 
Ah, a sunny start to the day, and supposedly the sun will hang around until late afternoon when--heavy sigh--the rain will return for a few days, including the weekend. I know it's October so it's to be expected, but not looking forward to the rain this weekend when, on Saturday, we're doing the "Monster Mash Dash", a community event which involves, for the more sedentary, a stroll rather than a dash. My husband, daughter and son-in-law, and the grands will all be doing the MMD, with the promise of brunch (and a Bloody Mary for the adults!) afterwards. Not thrilled about tromping along in the rain, but it won't be too bad with my family trudging along beside me.

I was doing my "domestic goddess" routine yesterday afternoon, as my husband was off to have dinner with an out of town friend. I made applesauce with lovely, sweet Gala apples on sale at the market (silky and light texture, having pushed it through a fine strainer) and some homemade chicken noodle soup in my slow cooker. I felt better after this as before my cooking frenzy I was feeling sorry for myself-- stiff and a bit sore, and really thinking this stupid foam roller (last exercise of my PT set) needs to be kicked to the curb. Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that it's not soft enough, the roller is too hard right now and I clearly need a much softer one. But I already spent money on one I THOUGHT would be okay and I'm reluctant to spend any more. I will be chatting with my PT on Thursday and getting her take on it. I'm hoping she'll agree that perhaps this is too aggressive now, especially not even three months out from surgery! I have no idea what it's allegedly doing to improve my situation. All I know is that it hurts like :censored: and while I am generally a compliant and disciplined follower of The Rules, this particular exercise doesn't seem to be doing anything other than make me miserable. Sure, when it's finally over I sigh heavily with relief and the ache subsides, but I am not convinced that the discomfort is really worth it. I'll check back after I hear what she's got to say. I want to know what exactly this exercise is supposed to be "helping" and maybe find an alternative, less painful way of working on the problem short of having to buy yet another piece of exercise equipment!

PS @ahipgma, you are already thinking about Christmas shopping? Groan...no! I got my first holiday catalogue in the mail a few days ago and angrily tossed it into the recycle bin. No way do I want to be thinking about Christmas shopping yet. But, I suspect you are one of those folks who plans out their holiday schedule so you aren't crazed by the end, unlike me who plans poorly and is always crazed by the end! I need to channel YOU.
 
Weeelllll, heres the thing, @Barbaraj.
I'm trying to do thoughtful rather than extravagant this Christmas because my income is gone, and I'm trying to think ahead. Also I have birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate as well in those months. I decorate and bake like a crazy lady as well, always have, so just trying to pace myself, but usually go a little crazy at the end anyway.
Both my kids work in a hospital and I know already they are working Thanksgiving so I may end up making 2 dinners on separate days.
But 2 questions for you-- when did you get back on the elliptical and what is that foam roller thingy?
My PT did some very gentle massage of my newer hip to redistribute any swelling or fluid, is it for that? I thought of you this morning when he was doing it, I got used to the fact that at this PT they do nothing to cause pain but sure do challenge you. We've had enough pain!?
Oh BTW I've never made homemade applesauce so we all have our domestic goddess moments!:bow:
 
@Barbaraj the MMS sounds like fun, even if you do the stroll, hopefully the rain holds off. I'm definitely interested in this foam roller thing as well, inquiring minds want to know!
:rofsign:
 
Well, it's afternoon as I'm writing this as I've been a busy lady today. After morning exercise I came home and grabbed lunch, and then proceeded to strip out the small study off our master bedroom suite as tomorrow--yippee--we are getting hardwood floors installed. We've had old, grungy carpet in there which desperately needs replacing and as it's the original carpet from 1996, it's about time. I didn't tackle moving the desk or a small recliner, but I schlepped all of the other stuff out and put it in a spare bedroom. The small walk-in closet is also getting hardwood so we have to clear out everything on the lower hanging rack and all the junk we keep on the floor, shoved to the back of the closet. It was lots of bending and stooping, but hips are holding up well.

Now that I've decided to ditch that stupid foam roller for now I think I'm feeling a bit better than the last few achy days (it is a long tube of foam--really, really, REALLY HARD FOAM, @ahipgma --which you are supposed to roll down on the outside of each leg). It hurts like the dickens and I'm not doing it anymore--a minor rebellion from an ordinarily compliant PT patient but there it is). Surely my clever PT folks can come up with another exercise that might provide some benefits depending upon what the heck the roller was supposed to be doing in the first place.

PS I returned to using the elliptical at about 7 weeks out--very short (10 - 15 minutes) workouts with no resistance added. But, I was using it before surgery so it was like getting back on an old faithful horse for me. It has never bothered me unless I overdo it (which, as you might imagine, I've been known to do) and as long as I've tried to increase time and resistance SLOWLY, I think it's been good for me. Sure, I can be stupid and push it, but I ache afterwards and back off the next time I'm at the gym--and so the lurching journey continues! Happy Hump Day!
 
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OMG! I just noticed I'm listed as a "Supremo" right underneath my avatar name and picture--so cool! My chest is swelling with "supreme" pride. What do the new designations mean?
 
Don't big up your chest too much, BJ. It just means you talk a lot. You're in good company..,there have been many supremos before you...and they'll be many when you're no longer here. How's that for bursting your bubble :rotfl:
And the designations aren't new.
 
Just in case it helps when you want to use your foam roller again, there are indeed various levels of hardness, I've found that the darker the color the harder the foam. I was told to place a folded towel over it to help ease the pain, but what works for me is to place it against a wall and lean my leg or hip into it and roll it that way. I can control the pressure without doing acrobatics on the floor!
It's just a thought, glad you stopped suffering through it, no sense to feel that much discomfort..
Your home made soup sounded so delish.. And also the applesauce!
 
Oh, rats, @Layla! And here I thought the “supremo” designation was for my scintillating insights and brilliant prose. Instead, it’s just because I am just a giant blabbermouth?!! Ah, me...my 5 seconds of fame are over, I guess...sniff, sniff...
 
@Barbaraj 3 years ago, I went to shampoo my living room carpet and after removing the furniture, I started ripping it up instead. My husband stood bewildered, I said loudly, "This is the last room with carpet, it's old and I hate it. Let's get some really pretty wood flooring". And we did. :heehee:
Supremo has a nice ring to it....I need to get talking more.... :rotfl:
 
Impressive@barbaraj---2,125 messages in less than 1 1/2 years! Not only are you prolific, but more importantly, you also are a great support to so many people with your positive, encouraging posts! Thank you!:loveshwr:
I'm trying to figure out what the OP banner over your profile picture means? Seems like it just appeared......
 
I'm trying to figure out what the OP banner over your profile picture means? Seems like it just appeared......
OP equals Original Poster. At least I think that’s what It is.:thumb:
 
Thanks @CricketHip! The site update looks great! I'm sure there will be some changes we'll have questions about as well---so OP is comparable to "thread starter"?
 
Foam roller. Yuk yuk yuk! And I need to check my Avatar heading too xx
 
Btw if we are getting “graded” here I intend to be the rebellious one at the back of the class. Care to join me?! In jest of course :/)

Seriously I volunteered to do a project at work recently and the Lead on the project held a meeting where she had a scoreboard re how much we had achieved over a three month period. Considering all of us were volunteers and this was extra to our own Jobs I thought this was ridiculous. It acted as a disincentive tbh! I nearly packed it in on the spot... oh the joys of work!
 
You know, @Barbaraj I was hesitant to refuse something at PT, then I thought duh! It's my body and as a nurse x 40 years I know people refuse plenty, it's their prerogative. My new PT said we need to challenge you with the exercises but nothing should hurt!!!!
We just downsized and the entire house was carpeted except when we toured, there was one little piece of carpet pulled up that revealed the 50s oak underneath. Before we moved in we had the floors redone and we LOVE the hardwood. Clean, easy, to switch out area rugs when the styles change. Enjoy!
 
Hey, good morning, all. New flooring is finally installed and looks great (see pic!). I was able to set up my laptop this morning and so I'm back! The work for today is to put stuff back into our study and closet but, as I firmly told my husband, we need to LOOK at each piece we're returning to make sure it's something we really need. Time to cull the junk! I found old shopping receipts from over 5 years ago stashed in a stack of messy paperwork--heavy sigh. Now we need to go shopping at some point (I'm licking my chops, husband is groaning a bit) because we need a new area rug for study as well as another small chair and a low coffee table. Good news is younger son wants the humongous old desk so I'm trying to pressure him and my husband to set a date and time to get it out of our house and into his apartment. It's currently sitting in MY exercise room which is disrupting my PT workouts a bit (I am so flexible about this kind of thing--NOT!)

Okay, did have a chat with my PT person yesterday about the miserable foam roller. She said my IT bands on both legs were a mess--tight, lumpy and in real need of attention--and that is why they recommend the foam roller. She agreed that if it really hurts (well, yeah, it DOES really hurt!) that I should try using one of the foam "noodles", the sort for pools, to see if that would be less painful as I said I am NOT buying any more equipment at this point. So, I will be dragging one of those in from the garage today and hoping it will work and not be too excruciating. I agree with you, @ahipgma, that I do know my body best and while I want to improve and get back my full strength, flexibility and endurance, I am in no huge rush to do so, particularly if it requires painful workouts. The weird thing is that although I'm willing to accept that my IT bands are a mess, the outside of my thighs don't hurt. Sure, I still have this ache that radiates from my left buttock down the back of my thigh, but nothing on the right side so hard to believe that these tight IT bands are causing problems. But I guess it's all interconnected so I'll keep trying to work, without doing exercises that cause major pain, on loosening them up. I'll report later how successful the "noodle roller" proves to be.

And thanks to @Debru4 and @Fit4Family for their kind comments about my "supremo" (AKA blabbermouth) designation. I sometimes think (well, actually I KNOW) that I'm too long winded and probably annoying. But I am what I am! Happy Friday everyone.
 

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