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THR Sometimes peachy, sometimes the pits

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Mamarey... I hear you about the cane, especially in the middle of the night. It gives a real sense of security, especially in the dark, walking almost blind and groggy and sort of stiff, like the sea legs haven't gotten there yet!
 
Elosarabrab, ByGosh, LeeApril26, TeeEm, yeah, those stairs are gonna have to wait. My PT told me doing stairs like grown-ups is the hardest thing for all of her THR patients, due to all of the strength it takes. She said she woudln't even okay her patients to do them until their surgeon has okayed it at the checkup mark (6 weeks or whatever). I wish I'd had known that; I wouldn't have pushed myself. I agree stairs in general have become the boogey man for me in recent years, a lot of it because of feeling unstable due to my hip. And I have had knee pain going downstairs during some periods the last few years; the thing about the creaky, painful knees is that it can go away for a long time...so I forget I might have knee problems lurking. With this THR I can't tell if the knee weirdness I have now is fallout from surgery; or referred pain; or knee problems all along. The right knee feels wobbly-ish when I walk and I hear a creak sometimes. Also, the operated leg literally now looks lower than the other leg. My PT noticed this, too (when I pointed it out). Frankly (unbelievably!), I never noticed this before! My OS's report from our initial pre-op consultation stated my legs are the same length. So I don't know what to think, but the right kneecap/line is definitely visibly lower than the left leg.

On a brighter note: I TOOK A SHOWER!!!!!!!!! WHEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! My first blinkin' shower in FIVE WEEKS. (Tomorrow I will have completed 5 weeks post op and begin week 6.) No more STINKY PEACHES! Bird baths can only do so much. And the hot and humid season is beginning. It felt great. But I kept battling with the shower head/hose, trying to make sure it wasn't going to splash hard and directly onto my scar. And then I started flashing back to my youth, to the Water Wiggle. If anyone grew up in the burbs in the States in the late 50s/early 60s they will remember "Slip 'n' Slide" and "the Water Wiggle." So I started laughing in the shower, thinking it was just like the Water Wiggle and after I dried up and felt SO good, I Googled it and yep, of course some Baby Boomer posted the old TV commercial for these two silly toys on YouTube. Watching that commercial really made me laugh all the more, so I urge anyone who needs a giggle to look for the Water Wiggle ad. The ad I like best is the old, black and white one. In the end this "teener" girl has this little white bow in her bouffant, which, yes, I wore, too (though my bow always ended up lopsided). Enjoy:

ByGosh, thanks for your nice words. It helps offset the black marks I've sometimes received for "complaining" or "worrying" about things in this recovery. I sure don't feel interesting; and my travails are a drop in the bucket compared to many others.

I have to sign off now, but will return to see what everyone has been up to.
 
Wahoo.... first shower, that is Soooooo good.. Did you get to wash your hair.. That was a big boost for me :)
 
Peaches, That advert didn't reach us over here. Or if it did I don't remember it.
My left knee has been a bit grumpy post op. Usually when I first stand up it complains. I am hoping it will settle down by itself once my muscles get stronger.
Also :yay: first shower. It feels so good doesn't it? I didn't want to come out when I had mine.
 
Peaches. I guess stairs are a goal for both of us. My knees are also acting up. I am hoping it is the lack of exercise, as I know I have OA in both knees but had to stop the knee exercises because of the hip pain. Your uneven knee caps sound odd. Are you feeling that your legs are uneven? Or is swelling still on the operated side? Just trying to puzzle it out. My OS made my previously uneven legs even, so I am getting used to a real change in gait.

I remember Slip and Slide very well. It was popular in Brooklyn backyards. Have no memory of the Water Wiggle, but certainly had a bouffant bow. Could not wear it to school as the nuns did not allow teased hair.
 
Hi, LeeApril26 ... I was just looking for your post that talked about your first day at school (i.e., your first day at outpatient PT). I hope it went well! That was smart of you to take a dry run first. "Dry run" should be part of the THR Recovery List. It makes you feel less nervous if you've done a dry run or two. Did you enjoy the facility, the PT, the stuff you will doing? It must feel like a real milestone.

I feel like a ninny about my uneven knees. I honestly don't remember them looking like that pre-op. I am hoping that at my six-week checkup, they will also X-ray my knees and lower back. Maybe if the surgeon thinks he'll get another gig out of me--doing my knee(s)--he'll be hot to trot to X-ray them know. Groan. I actually started taking peeks at the "knee" side of this forum, trying to mentally prepare myself (prematurely, perhaps ... but you never know). I still do numerous hallway walks; toddler stair steps; and the PT exercises.

I'm so sorry to hear you are having knee "issues" too! Hopefully at your checkup your OS can shed some light on this.

I read elsewhere or somewhere you said you've been swimming for a lot of years, but had to stop because you couldn't get to the pool (due to difficulties getting on/off mass transit). Golly, that sucks. I was advised many times to try water aerobics to alleviate some of the hip pain, but I found it too stressful and time consuming to schlog to a pool somewhere before/after work, so I didn't pursue it. I hope you are able to get back into a pool soon. Everyone I know who swims swears by it and loves it for so many reasons.

I wonder how many Baby Boomers' hip and knee problems started by hurling themselves onto that Slip n Slide?
How many MRIs have been done from Water Wiggle head traumas?? :)
 
Peaches The PT went well. He seems knowledgable, nice and much less pushy with exercises than the young woman who came to the house, but it could just be the honeymoon. Because of the knee issues he encouraged me not to walk much more than the six blocks I'm doing know, for fear of back issues caused by the strain. He had me walking a lot without the cane, did some leg lifts and strength tests, and that was pretty much it. He said he would add knee exercises to our work. I was tired and iced for a long time when I got home. I have had knee issues since 1995 and was told then that I'd need knee replacements. I went to an aqua therapist who taught me many exercises to strengthen them which I've been doing ever since. So, I hope that the PT and an eventual return to the pool will help. I think it's brave of you to look at the knee forums.

As for schlepping to a pool, I agree, but it was such a relief for me. Aside from the knee issues, my job required what I always called dysfunctional politeness, and I always had to be "on" in person and for many phone calls. In the pool no one expected me to talk, smile or anything, and when I swim I just pay attention to my body and count strokes. Also, I am very low maintenance. I leave the gym with a tiny bit of make up and a wet head, so it isn't so big a deal. Easier in good weather, but when it's cold I just pull on a wool hat and run a block to the train (or more recently hobble.)

I laughed at your correlation of hip/knee issues with slip and slide cause my mom disliked it and used to tell me I'd be sorry not to take better care of my knees when I did that or played crack the whip on skates. Now I am saying the same thing to my son who took up marathon running last year at 34 and has completed three so far. After he does long runs his knees and hips hurt. I hope they figure out a way to regrowth joints real soon.
 
Peaches First I have to tell you that I LOVE the tv commercial! What a hoot! :rotfl: Thank you for posting it, and how the heck DID you post that? I still can't figure out getting things on here from someplace else.
The Water Wiggle looks likes soooo much fun, I wish they sold them now-a-days, they'd be fun for all of us in the backyard.
Congrats on that shower, nothing like being squeaky clean again. The bird bath really doesn't do the same thing.

Okay--so which leg is lower - op or non-op? If the knees are different heights, that means one hip was either shortened or lengthened, no? How do you look in the mirror sans clothes, as far as your hips bones in the front and on the side, being at the same height, and your waist line, and your shoulders? Can you see any unevenness?
Pre-op, my worst hip side's shoulder was lower, probably because I lost all the joint space. I would think that your PT could measure your leg lengths - it's not hard to do when you're laying down. I've seen orthos and PTs do it several times. Or your OS can do it when you visit him. Ask him to. There are alot of people on this forum that have leg length differences, and get it corrected by shoe inserts.

Glad you're not pushing yourself on the stairs yet. As long as you can get around, who cares if it's like a big girl or a little one. Little ones like playing with the Water Wiggle more, I hear! :heehee:
LeeApril26 I don't mean to be ignorant, but what is your Avatar a pic of? I'd hazard a guess, but don't want to embarrass myself with my lack of geography. How are you doing? My hubby saw a play last night, can't remember the name, gay, men kissing. He said it was very good. I would say that just about all the of Broadway Plays are good. I really wanted to see Phillip Seymour-Hoffman in Death of a Salesman. I love him. He's one of my favorite actors.
Ladies, I've been reading about quite a few people here with knee and leg pain now. I would suppose it isn't all that uncommon with post-op hips, at least until things get squared away and muscles get stronger. All the joints get stressed out from the new way of walking and the different weight bearing.
 
Gosh, ByGosh, I thought I was just posting the URL. I didn't realize the actual video would be there. I hope I don't get in the doghouse for this. I just watched it again. It makes me laugh. What a dopey thing that Water Wiggle was. But it was fun. I bet you could find one on ebay!

As for leg lengths ... it turns out my surgeon lengthened my leg during surgery! News to me! I saw it in the report he wrote up about my surgery. I just read it today. He never said one word to me about needing to do this, but the report says something like "as per pre-op plan, leg was lengthened 2 mm." It doesn't say why he did it. And the report from my pre-op consultation with him doesn't indicate my legs were not the same length. So I am thoroughly confused. And I wonder if that is why my knee on the op leg feels wobbly-ish and weird and, yes, painful to the touch. And it is indeed lower than the other leg's knee line. I will ask him of course, but am not too happy to learn about this in the report.

LeeApril26, I'm glad your new outpatient PT went well, and the PT is good. I didn't realize your home PT person was a little too overzealous. Sounds like my at home nurse. He landed on my doorstep so to speak a mere hour after I got home from the hospital, feeling wobbly and discombobulated, yet her persisted in telling me I would be feeling great after one week to go out to outpatient PT, with my walker, on the streets and onto a bus. yeah right. I don't think my actual PT released me to go on the street till week 2. Anyway, I'm glad you feel encouraged by your upcoming PT sessions. I laughed at what you called the honeymoon phase. My at home nurse and I had a very fast honeymoon. I think he still owes me one more session, but I am not pursuing him. Anyway, gosh, that's a shame that the knee thing will bring on back pain if you walk more. I just hate hate the knee and back issues. (Today was not good.) They are like bad pennies that keep cropping up and it's so hard to figure them out. But hang in there.
 
Hi Peaches and ByGosh.
The LLD is quite a puzzle to me too but was explained by my OS at the 6 week check. The operated keg is now the same length as the other. It was previously 3 cms shorter. He showed me in his surgery as i lay on the table.
Then the post op xray showed the real story...quite obvious that my pelvis is tilted and this will be rectified as the muscles strengthen and the pelvis will then be even. Voila!
So....hence my focus on physio ....of I work at the program my muscles should be 90% right in the next 6 weeks, pelvis more even and gait corrected....or that's the theory.
I'm going for it as I think it will address some of the other issues like referred pain? Here's hoping. :SUNsmile:
 
You are working hard at your PT Maeve.. Good for you, muscle atrophy can begin after only a few days of disuse, and the extent of atrophy depends on the duration of disuse. That is one good reason to keep moving :)
 
Peaches, you are in NYC! Interesting, because in some of your earlier posts and describing your challenges in walking the crowded streets, that's exactly where I pictured you - you are a good writer, because you exactly evoked the ambience of being a challenged pedestrian in NYC! Wow!
We lived there the first year we were married. Then I got a job just into CT (on the train line) and I reverse-commuted for a while, and eventually we just moved out to be near my job, which had a lot of weekend and evening hours. After several years we moved farther up the train line because our housing dollars went farther and farther every additional train stop away from NYC!
I loved the commercial! Yes, I remember that, too......
And, re walking and distances, I had been wondering if you were underestimating the distance you had mentioned walking in an earlier post. Where I am now, a block = .10 mile, so my 6 block walk is about 6/10 mile. Apparently in Manhatten (except below 14st) the "street" blocks = .20 mile and the "avenue" blocks are more than .10!
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/nyregion/thecity/17fyi.html?_r=0

Now if the rain would clear and the temperature go up so we could get out there!
 
Happy Saturday to everyone. This is my weekly "progress ... or not?" report. Warning: It ain't all peaches 'n' cream, so if that rubs anyone wrong, move on and don't read it. I am going to paste in last week's report and my updates will be in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. And "away we go!"

This is my Peachiness AND the Pits Four-Week Progress Report:​
[MAKE THAT FIVE WEEK PROGRESS REPORT.]​
Four weeks ago I was in recovery (the surgery was on Fri., April 19). So I have four weeks under my belt.​
[FIVE WEEKS AGO I WAS IN RECOVERY. SO I NOW HAVE FIVES UNDER MY BELT AND AM STARTING WEEK SIX.]​
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--Arthritic pain is gone. [DITTO]​
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--Lower back pain is back, almost all the time. [SADLY, DITTO! THIS IS MAKING ME SO SAD, BECAUSE IT PREVENTS ME FROM BEING ABLE TO GO OUT FOR LONG OR SOCIALIZE. IT HAS CURTAILED MY LIFE JUST LIKE BEFORE THE SURGERY. SO I AM VERY SAD ABOUT IT. THE NEW LIFE I ENVISIONED DIDN'T ENTAIL HIKING MOUNTAINS, TAKING BIG VACATIONS (which i would love, but it's not in the financial cards). I JUST WANTED THE FREEDOM TO GET OUT AND ABOUT AND SEE PEOPLE, DO THINGS, WALK AROUND AND STAND WITHOUT FEAR OF PAIN COMING IN AND SITTING THERE AND NOT BEING ALLEVIATED UNLESS I WAS AT HOME AND SITTING.}​
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--Cranky knees, till yesterday, were quiet and behaving nicely. PT's new stair-step-practice exercises made something go wonky in my knee on the operated side, so I am now babying it and lying low on exercises. I am icing and elevating it. Doing hallway walks, slowly. Will consider today if and when and how much of the routine PT exercises I should do. I am disappointed for this setback, as I didn't want to lose a day. But obviously I overdid something, so I have to cope with it. ​
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[KNEES STILL WOBBLY-ISH; I CONTINUE TO WALK AND DO GENTLE EXERCISES AND ICE THEM. I ALSO GOT NEW SNEAKERS SO I AM NOT WALKING IN POST-OP-TROD, NOW THAT IS A MOUTHFUL, SHOES. I ALSO HAVE STOPPED WEARING FLIP FLOPS OR FLATS OF ANY KIND.}​
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--Pain meds are this: 1 Norco every a.m. with breakfast; extra-strength Tylenol throughout the day--1 or 2; no more than 5 a day, sometimes less.​
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(NO NORCO AT ALL SINCE LAST SUNDAY. MAYBE 4 TYLENOL TOPS. BUT MY ACTIVITY LEVEL IS NOT INTENSE OUTPATIENT PT, OR BACK TO WORK ... ONCE I START BACK TO WORK AND BEING GONE ALL DAY I WILL HAVE TO UP THE TYLENOL.)​
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--Able to walk carpeted hallway numerous times, with cane, with what feels like a normal gait and could be a fairly normal pace. As I would rather be slow and steady, I slow down, concenrate on walking right, and do more laps.​
--Am able to walk on the crowded, up-and-down-and-cracked city sidewalks, though with a cane and very slowly. ​
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(PER THE PT'S GO-AHEAD, I NOW WALK THE HALLWAYS ALMOST ENTIRELY WITHOUT A CANE. I MIGHT DO ONE OR TWO LAPS WITH THE CANE TO JUST GET THE BALL ROLLING. I GUESS THE GAIT IS OKAY-ISH. NOT SURE HOW I WOULD KNOW FOR SURE UNLESS THE PT IS WATCHING ME. I CONCENTRATE ON HEEL AND TOE STRIDES AND TRY TO KEEP MY POSTURE STRAIGHT. OUTSIDE WALKING NOT AS FREQUENT OR AS FAR SINCE THE RAIN HAS CURTAILED ME. IT'S HARD WHEN IT IS RAINING HARD TO CONCENTRATE ON NOT FALLING WHEN I HAVE A CANE AND UMBRELLA AND SHOPPING BAG WITH BIG PILLOW FOR RESTING ON A BENCH.)​
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One third of a mile; then a sit-down rest; one third mile back. Ice and rest afterward, but no excessive fallout.​
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--Hip pain and stiffness not altogether gone. This seems normal. ​
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(HIP PAIN AND STIFFNESS SEEMS LESS THIS WEEK, MEANING THE SENSATIONS FROM THE SURGERY.​
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--Able to put my short leg over my high-topped tub, and planned to practice this weekend before trying to do a real shower. But the knee pain is now making me pause before doing it as I don't want to put too much weight on that knee until it is more or less back to normal. Overly cautious? Perhaps. But rather that and put up with more bird baths than overdo it.​
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(PT GAVE ME GO-AHEAD TO TAKE SHOWERS SINCE I CAN NOW GET THOSE LEGS OVER THE HIGH TUB SAFELY! THIS WAS A HUGE MILESTONE. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. FIVE WEEKS WITHOUT A SHOWER MAKES A GAL FEEL SWEATY NO MATTER HOW HARD SHE TRIES TO WASH THOROUGHLYH.​
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--Able to get in and out of bed quite easily. (DITTO. I HAVE PROBABLY STILL NOT BEEN DOING IT TOTALLY CORRECTLY PER THE RESTRICTIONS, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH PAIN, SO I GUESS THIS IS OKAY. SURE HOPE SO.​
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--Focus and concenration a little better, though I still get the blues frequently and get distracted by that. (F & C THE SAME; BLUES HIT HARD ALL THE TIME. I CRY ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S MAINLY BECAUSE I AM SO SAD THAT I HAVE ENOUGH OF THE PRE-OP BACK PAIN THAT I AM JUST AS CURTAILED AS I WAS BEFORE. SEE EARLY WHINING ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S A VALID THING TO WHINE ABOUT. WE ALL GO THROUGH THIS SURGERY TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES, AND WHEN OUR LIVES ARE NOT IMPROVED, IT'S NATURAL TO WORRY. AT LEAST THAT'S MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT. I HAVE SUCH SMALL LIFESTYLE GOALS--JUST WANT TO BE A PRODUCTIVE, INDEPENDENT PERSON WHO CAN GO TO AND FROM WORK AND DO A GOOD DAY'S JOB AND THEN GO PLACES LOCALLY AFTERWARD WITH FRIENDS OR FOR SMALL PLEASURES LIKE WALKS IN THE PARK AND WANT TO DO THAT WITHOUT WORRYING THAT I AM STUCK WITH NO ALLEVIATION FROM THE PAIN.​
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SPOKE TO A FRIEND WHO IS 82 AND SHE HAS BACK PAIN TOO, BUT SAID IT IS SO MINOR IT DOES NOT CURTAL HER EVEN REMOTELY. SHE IS ABLE TO GO TO CONCERTS AND STAND IN LINE, OR WALK AROUND AND DO ERRANDS AND CHORES WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING STUCK WITH THE PAIN. SHE HAS NOT EXERCISED HER WHOLE LIFE, EITHER. SHE LIKE ME JUST HAS BEEN WALKING AND KEEPING ACTIVE VIA DAILY LIVING.​
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WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT, BUT WHEN SOMEONE 22 YEARS OLDER THAN YOU CAN GET AROUND BETTER, YOU FEEL KIND OF ALARMED ABOUT IT.​
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--Thoroughly able to relish and enjoy many things--being outside, in the sun and glorious spring weather, among people, not having to be stressed out at work. Also thoroughly able to feel blue and stress and worries. I'm riding an emotional roller coaster as well as a physical one: In the course of the day (and it's not even noon where I am), I have felt upbeat and ready to tackle the world; then so blue about my recovery that I have actually said, when someone asked, "I am disappointed SO FAR about this surgery." I don't regret doing it, as I had no choice. But to be honest, I am not at the point where all the pain and mobility problems are radically different from what I am now experiencing. Prior to surgery, I was never able to predict how much I could do or go; when the pain would kick in. I had bone on bone pain in areas but not 100 per cent; thus my surgeon said that's why sometimes I could briefly walk okay. So my experience prior to surgery was easier than many of yours; and that's why now, when still experiencing pain and mobility inconsistencies, I am not seeing a huge change.​
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(WOW. THE ONLY CHANGE I COULD MAKE FROM THIS PRECEDING PARAGRAPH IS THE BIT ABOUT THE LOVELY SPRING WEATHER. THIS WEEK HAS BEEN EITHER REALLY STINKY HUMID AND TOO HOT OR RAIN WITH THUNDERSTORMS AND CHILLY. THE CHILLY I DON'T MIND, THE THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN ARE ANOTHER STORY.​
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Sorry this isn't 100 percent peachiness, but this is just the way it is. I am optimistic that over time there will be fewer pits. I am NOT however optimistic that the "progress" will be the huge leap in the next two weeks that I need it to be. (I have a two-week goal: returning to work.) ​
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(HMMMMM .... WELL, I DO SINCERELY APOLOGIZE YET AGAIN THIS ISN'T THE PEACHY REPORT I'D LOVE TO GIVE AND EVERYONE WANTS TO READ. BUT I AM NO LONGER AS OPTIMISTIC THAT OVER TIME THERE WILL BE FEWER PITS. I AM NOW WORRIED THE SURGERY FIXED SOME THINGS, WHICH MADE THE SURGERY WORTH IT--BUT THAT IT DID NOT AT ALL ULTIMATELY REMEDY THE LIFESTYLE CURTAILMENT I HAD SO HOPED. I BLAME ALL THIS ON THE BLASTED LOWER BACK PAIN AND CREEPING KNEE PROBLEM.​
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NEXT WEEK I SEE THE OS AND WILL ASK AWAY, OF COURSE. FINGERS CROSSED I GET SOMETHING MORE HELPFUL THAN, "DO STRETCHES." I WAS TOLD RECENTLY THAT AT THE TIME OF THE OS'S CHECKUP I WILL THEN GET A PRESCRIPTION FOR OUTPATIENT PT. HE LIKES TO WAIT UNTIL THE XRAYS AND CHECKUP ARE DONE AT 6 WEEKS BEFORE SENDING HIS PATIENTS OFF TO OUTPATIENT PT. ​
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Thank you to all who have encouraged me but also validated my feelings about the pits. (DITTO DITTO, A THOUSAND TIMES DITTO!!)​
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I wish everyone a wonderful weekend and hope your recovery issues are resolving themselves.​
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(DITTO DITTO, A THOUSAND TIMES DITTO!)​
 
Songlady ... you were smart to get out of the city. It is NOT friendly at all for people with joint problems unless they have a private car service or lots of dough-ray-me for lots of cabs. Post-op, with restrictions, busses and subways are not really feasible. At least in my humble opinion. It's the getting around that has gotten to me.
Thank you for the NYT article. I have been calculating that my 5 north-south blocks equals one quarter mile, which takes me fifteen minutes to walk. i would advise anyone anticipating sugery to get a pedometer beforehand as I wish I had one so I could see how long my numerous hallway walks are adding up to. It occurred to me today that I am going to walk that hall till the carpet is worn down. That kind of walking practice surely counts for something, as it is unimpeded and enables me to really "go" whereas on the sidewalks it is an obstacle course.

Maeve and Poppet -- as you might know, PT in the States is different. Most health ins. will not pay for the kind of rehab that is the good kind. At least not for a single THR. Instead it pays for a nursing home rehab experience, which my OS firmly and decidedly did not recommend for me. He said the likeliehood of contracting a disease or infection would be high, the PT offered would not be anything I coudln't do at home with a PT coming to visit, and it would be depressing to boot. So I took him at his word and didn't waste my first week or so at a nursing home as I had the good fortune to have a lovely cousin offer to visit me for that first week. There are some really good rehab places--not the nursing home kinds--that I could have gone to, but it would have been out of pocket and very expensive and I couldn't do that. I am struggling now with the $40 copayments for the PT who visits me and for the outpatient I might go to once my OS okays that at my six-week checkup.

I wlll start back to work next week and it will be tough to tack on to the end or beginning of a long workday another bus ride to an outpatient PT place, so I am playing that by ear and maybe will go just on a weekend and see what I can learn that I can do on my own.

I will ask the OS what the story is about the increase of leg length, since I wasn't aware they were uequal. If all along he knew that and if all along I was supposed to be doing intensive PT from day one, then I'm quite upset I wasn't told this. I was told my surgery was routine and his report indicates that, too; but the longer leg and why and what that means perturbs me. Maeve, I'm glad you have had your situation explained to you clearly. Good luck with it all. Sounds like you are doing great!
 
Hi, Sharon ... I hope this tag reaches you. I have seen you refer to lower back pain exercises you were given by someone else here on the forums and you have seemed to really benefit from them. Can you please tell me what they are? They sounded like ones I have been doing, but perhaps not as I still have problems. Many thanks, Sharon.
 
Peaches. I hear your frustration with the back and knee issues and empathize. I am grateful for the end of the bone on bone pain, but the months of debility have taken a toll. Muscles that support the back and knees weakened, and now we have to rebuild, though in your case the knee doesn't sound like a long term OA issue. If it is a leg length disparity, maybe you could put an insert into one shoe until you see the OS? That could be contributing to the back pain. Even leaning on the cane could hurt your back.

I've been told that the bridging exercise I mentioned is good for core and lower back strengthening but it is something you need to be taught. And finding a good PT is crucial. The at home PT was good, but very young, and her mantra,of do more, make it harder, really worried me. I wasn't sure I was ready for three pound weights on my ankles was a good idea at week three. The new PT seems more realistic-at least I hope so. He seems sensitive to the knee pain issues. I have to practice saying no.

From your report I think you are doing very well, walking far more than I am, even though you are wearing out the rug. Don't give up hope about your back. a good friend who is 84 and has spinal stenosis does the Child''s Pose every morning and evening, and the stretch gives her great relief. Once you are released from the precautions, there are things you can try. If you go forward with PT, ask your OS to include your back in the PT.

As for NYC, I love it, but being disabled here is no joke. Perhaps it is easier in Manhattan, where you can take buses everywhere, but as I am in an outer borough with no city bus service into Manhattan, it is like seeing all sorts of fun things that are just out of reach. Haven't been able to get to the theater, most museums, etc. or even my gym for many months, because I can't handle the subway and cabs cost way too much for regular use. I. My son keeps trying to convince me to move to California, but few drives on the 405 were enough for me.
 
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