1 year post-op RPAO

A year ago today, I woke up in a plush hotel that overlooked Commencement Bay in Tacoma, Washington. My mom and I took an early morning walk in the misty weather and picked up giant, brightly colored fall leaves from the ground.

A few hours later, my pelvis was cut open for my second surgery in seven months.

It seems like much longer than a year since that day. My initial recovery was smooth, and though it was not easy going through the long process, I'm so glad I did.

Happy to report I can:

• Walk, run, do squats, lunges, with no pain in the joint, no matter how hard I work it. (And I've been working it pretty hard.) No limp or sign of dysplasia/surgery.
  
• Sleep on my side all night.
• Feel a larger percentage of my thigh (85 percent), though with a tingly sensation.
  

Wishing these things get better:

• Strong burning sensation that remains on the very front of the hip when lifting my leg, aka my "Captain Morgan" position. I still have to lift my leg with my hand to avoid pain when getting dressed, putting shoes on, etc. The strength is there, but it burns in that muscle a lot.
• Range of motion about 85 percent of what it was pre-surgery.
• Tailbone, which is a disaster.
• Appearance of the scar, which is fading but still noticeable.
• Deep random stabbing/itching sensation every once in a while, which must be from the nerves still recovering.
  

I'm not as happy with the outcome of the right side as I am with the left, but overall I can't complain ... I can hunt for leaves all day long if I want to now. :)

Never-ending paperwork trail

My second PAO is long since over. But the bills may never stop. Just this week, I got insurance paperwork and a bill in the mail for the CPM machine I used almost one year ago. One year.

I swear I don't know what I've paid for and what I haven't. And I'm pretty darn sure the health insurance company, hospital, clinics and equipment companies don't have a clue either. But one year later? Please.

End rant.

Breaking the post-op rules

No lunges and no squats.

That's the infamous "doctor's orders" I was given. The thing is, I just don't plain like the doctor's orders. See, I've found a new love, which requires movements that mimic the lunge and squat.

The new love? BodyPump.

The lunge and squat-type movement? Lunges and squats.

BodyPump is a one-hour class in which you do 60-100 reps of weight in a two-three minute span on the following body parts: Chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, hamstrings, quads and gluts. It's completely intense, and I'm toning my entire body.

My legs (especially the latest op side) are still weak post surgery. I'm not pushing myself on the lunges and squats, but I think it's important to try to get my strength back. I'm tired of the hamstring curl and leg extension machines, so I'm giving this a shot, rebel that I am.

Babies

Today I went to a baby shower for my good friend, Sarah. Among other things, we talked about babies, go figure. Baby names, baby gear, baby this and baby that.

My thoughts turned to my hips. My friend Adrienne and I (the only unmarried ladies in the group) spoke of how more and more women were having kids later in life. I admitted that I was scared that my hips might not hold up that long.

Since I've learned of my dysplasia (age 27) I've wondered about carrying and delivering children. Will I be able to do it? Will it affect my PAOs? Will it cause early deterioration?

At my appointment with my surgeon in May, I asked -- and he answered -- that my birthing canal wasn't affected by the surgeries. Good news, of course.

However, I wonder. There's not much data out tying obstetrics and orthopedics, especially PAOs. Each specialty knows an infinite amount about itself, but not much about the other.

I guess only time will tell if I will end up being a mother, and if my hips will hold up during the process. In the meantime, I "ooh" and "ahh" over the adorable baby gifts available to expectant mommies, good hips or not.

Dreams and fears

Many nights, I wake suddenly as fear rushes through my body. Simultaneously, I feel relief. The dream that woke me was simply that -- a dream -- and I am not having another surgery.

Anymore, I don't often think about my hips during the day. But at night, thoughts and fears creep through my subconscious and into my dreams. In them, I usually am getting prepped for surgery, awaiting the masked faces that will roll me to the cold operating room. Sometimes, I'm through surgery, with no one to help me to my crutches.

Truth is, I'm still scared of both. What I hate worst about my future is the near certainty that I'll need more hip surgeries, coupled with the possibility that I may have no one to help me through them.

Before dysplasia and PAOs, I didn't think twice about being alone. Now, I'm terrified, and I hope I make the right decisions down the road so I can find and keep the people in my life who will be able to help me.

Sweet dreams.

10-mile hike

... and I held together pretty well!

Last weekend, I put my hips to the test, hiking more than 10 miles in a new natural area. The first trail was mostly flat, with a few deep coulees. The second trail was up, up, up and then down, down, down.

Around mile 6, my left hip started to ache pretty badly. I made the last mile to the end and was able to sit for a while. By the time I started the second trail, the pain was gone.

And that was the only problem I had.

I used to feel terrified that I won't be able to make it back when I walked only a few blocks. Now, though I have random pains, I know the actual hip dysplasia pain isn't going to keep me from a few blocks ... or a few miles.

Happy girl.

9 months post-op RPAO

Sporadic.

That's my right hip. At nine months post-op, each day seems to be different. This hip has behaved much differently than the left side, and honestly, some days I want to send it to its room.

Some days, like today and yesterday, I have enough soreness that I almost limp. Oh, who am I kidding? ... I limp. My Captain Morgan problem is magnified and it even hurts to lie on my stomach or the right side.

Other days, I feel no pain, and Captain Morgan only shows up when I'm really lifting my leg while bending the knee.

As for the rest:

• Numbness remaining: about 20 percent still numb in spots. (Much better than left side.)
• Deep itching/stabbing sensation comes and goes. About one instance per month.
• Clicking every so often. (I hardly notice.)
• Scar is still healing. I hardly pay attention to these anymore, so I really can't say how it looks.
• Plenty of pain on certain days in the front of the hip above my thigh. It's a burning sensation, unlike most other "hip dysplasia" pain I had pre-surgery.
• Zero pain while walking, unless it's a bad day. I'm dancing (Zumba and Body Jam), walking, lifting weights, playing basketball, etc.

My hips are becoming a thing of the past, can't believe it's been nine months since surgery No. 2. I'm not 100 percent happy with the result thus far, but close.

I continue to be thrilled that I'm through the recovery process!