Hello All
Hope all your recoveries are going well. Mine has now become mundane at 5 weeks post-op.
Was cleared by OS to get out from sitting at my desk all the time, so met with my director about plans for rentering the field. Another step towards normality.
Still working with my PT several times a week and will continue. As I am on this board longer and read other stories of PT, I can understand why some have quit. I would not tolerate being on the table just doing hip related exercises like clam shells and bridges. I have yet to do table exercises or even a single hip exercise. I work hard and experience the "good" pain as my PT calls it of muscle soreness, but it is never at the hip.
As I mentioned previously, my PT and the center I go to are all sports rehab specialists that work directly and with our Surgeons. Their main population is getting olympic and world class athletes back running, swimming, on their bikes and skis. And some of us old fat people in between
Their bodies are already in prime shape, so my PT has her work cut out whipping my whole body into a functionig, working together group of muscles. I think they like the challenge.
My rehab focuses on fixing all those muscles in the other parts of the body that were reappropriated to help support the damaged hip for years. We focus a ton on core and strengthening my entire weaker left side.
For instance, this week we worked on balance each session. In the gym they have a long white line down he center. I had to carry a weighted pole (think tight rope walker) while walking the line. You had to stay focused on balancing the pole, and this was accomplished by balanced walking. It was hard, but not on the hip.
The only time I am on the table is the best motivator to keep going, the deep tissue and scar massage.
I did do PT with a useless person when a different surgeon was trying to figure out whether it was a muscle injury or OA as xrays were not yet definitivs. He did have me laying on a bed doing clam shells while simultaneously working on a young girl's ankle on the next table. The pain was increasing. That PT and idiot surgeon (long story) lasted 4 weeks. It really is the quality of the surgeon and health care team.
We were vacationing in Vail a few years ago and I made an appt with the Steadman clinic. Got my diagnosis and recommendations for a healthcare team back home who were also part of the US Ski Team. What a difference from the previous idiot.
I am grateful for the whole body approach and know I wouldn't be recovering at the same pace without it. I love celebrating the small things like being able to almost sprint up stairs again, getting up from the floor without a massive effort, and being able to get up from lower sitting positions like low chairs and toilets with no having to grab something. Most of that was from a weak core.
Been logging approximately 2 -3 miles a day, have returned to 95% of normal daily activities except for my one lasting restriction of not lifting more than 25lbs. Working on getting to the 4 miles and my 10,000 steps by 8 weeks.
United States
