8 weeks post-op

-
If any milestone is big enough to mark the two-month point, I guess it would have to be returning to work full time. Today I made the hour trip north, worked a full day and then made the hour trip back home, where I went to Target, the post office and my favorite local Mexican restaurant for chicken tacos. I'm tired, but not overly so.

Tomorrow, I hope, is the day I hear from Dr. Mayo. I hope he tells me everything is healing fine and that I may start weight bearing (even if it's not 100 percent.) I'm terribly curious how it's going to feel to put my full weight on my leg for the first time in eight weeks. Eight weeks!

I've been feeling good, though not much different than I did at seven weeks. I still have the nagging pain when I sit; my hip is still tender on the outside and a bit stiff on the inside. My scar looks about the same as well, but I think some of the numbness may be going away! (Four week and eight week comparison below.) I'm sleeping much better, though still with a pillow under or between my knees. The best news yet: I can SNEEZE! It hurts a bit, but at the same time, it feels ... so ... good!

I made a physical therapy appointment for Monday evening, but I don't know if I should keep it if I haven't heard back from Dr. Mayo by then. Right now, though, it's something to look forward to, and all us Hip Sisters know how important that is, right, Kirsten?

I can't believe it's been eight weeks.



Comments

Anonymous said…
So true Cass...
I can't wait to read your comments when you hear from Dr. Mayo! Thanks for your uplifting and truthful words.
-Kirsten
June 18, 2008
Manda K said…
Way to go, girl! Remember to listen to your body. If it says to slow down and relax, then listen to it!

Your scar looks really good. Remember the vitamin E oil!! It helps more than you can imagine.

Club 1300 is thinking of you!

Manda :)
June 19, 2008
MY PAO STORY said…
Cassie - The scar is looking good!! Glad you are back to your "old life"!!
Beth
June 19, 2008
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dreams

-
I still have bad dreams about having hip surgeries. It's been nine years since I went under the knife. The surgeries seem far from mind – I don't have daily pain, I don't talk about hip dysplasia, and when I get undressed, I rarely notice the thin white scars on either side of my hips. When I do think about it all, gratitude and pride overwhelm me. I think of my recovery and wonderful life that has followed. It's strange then, that my brain sums up this life-changing event with disturbing scenes from an operating room, flooding me with anxiety and reminding me of the unpleasant parts of PAOs. But maybe the nightmares have some value, after all. Being reminded of the stress and pain and work that went into fixing my hips also reminds me of how strong I was to get through it. Never forget.
Read more

Out of surgery

-
This is Cassie's Mom, after trying to connect to the internet unsuccessfully several times in her room, we have decided that Cassie will dictate to me and I'll try to keep you updated by taking the computer elsewhere in the building where there is a strong enough signal. Cassie's surgery took 5 1/2 hours this time, and Dr. Mayo said it went very well. He did find a cyst in the joint, in the same place as the left one...a matching set! He said that was kind of strange. She woke up in a lot of pain and Dr. Mayo said it took some time to get it under control, fortunately she did not remember much of that! She was out of recovery just 1 1/2 hours later and after a breathing treatment; into a room by 9:30, a little nauseas, and with a very dry throat. She kicked me out a little after midnight, and I took a cab to the hotel, since my carriage had turned back into a pumpkin. During the night they did a Doppler test because they were not detecting a pulse in her right leg, but th...
Read more

4 years post-op LPAO

-
Image
It's been four years since my left hip surgery, the day-long event that became a years-long cornucopia for which I am eternally thankful. My thanks does not wane, even though the periods of pain-free living have started to. Between anniversaries three and four, I have to admit that life has been a little tougher. My hips hurt more often and are less willing to take the beatings an active lifestyle evokes. My mind returns to dark places of my past, when pain ruled and I couldn't count on my body. The most challenging aspect is not letting fears and negative thoughts squash the positive feelings and abilities my new hips gave me. Post-surgery pains are completely different than pre-surgery's. Sporadic, unpredictable and in places I didn't think even counted as "hip pain." Post-surgery pains also have been easier to control, just harder to understand. I am considering a visit to a hip doc in my town, rather than a flight to Tacoma to see Dr. Mayo. I need to...
Read more