Six months post-op/scar pic

-
As I look ahead to my second PAO, I find myself thinking less and less about the first one.

So it didn't surprise me that I almost forgot that today marks six months post-op progress. This was the amount of time that I had allowed myself to get back to normal. When people would ask me how long the recovery was, I always said between six and 12 months.

And now, here I am.

Am I fully recovered? Honestly, I have to say no. Close, but not fully.

The stats:
  • I have absolutely no pain when walking, even for long distances!
  • Still working a bit on strength, mostly for straight-leg type activities.
  • Range of motion is about 80 percent of what it was pre-op ... wonder if that will ever come back completely. Sure hope so; it'll make pedicures much easier!
  • Feelings still returning to thigh area, and it still creeps me out to touch my leg.
  • Two post-op complications are holding me back and testing my patience and pain threshold:
    • First is the notorious tailbone. Getting worse by the month. I no longer can sit on my bed and put my shoes and socks on because the angle puts too much pressure on my backside. Even pulling my pants up causes pain.
    • Second is an issue new to this blog but not new to me. For about a month, I've had a new pain on the underside of my joint, kind of between my groin and my butt. Hurts when I go up stairs, try to do clam shell exercises, abductor and adductor weight training. The good news is I get x-rays next week, and hopefully some answers as well.
  • Scar is still pink, but I can see it starting to fade and can see the pale, thin incision line underneath. Left photo is scar at 4 months, right photo is today's.

Comments

Marina said…
Wow - the scar is not bad AT ALL!!
October 09, 2008
Acy said…
This is really happening!!! Your scar looks great now, hope mine heals that clean.

-acy
October 10, 2008
Chris said…
Hi Cass- I have never posted anything before so I hope this works. I am scheduled for a right PAO with Dr. Joel Matta in Santa Monica CA on November 5, so it sounds like we will be recovering together. Thanks for all the advice about what to get pre-op, this week I got my special shampoo, loofah and borrowed many tools from my 94 year old grandmother (!) and a retired friend who had a THR in February. Also good info to ask doc, it seems like they have been a little cavalier about the surgery whereas I have a few more concerns. I am compiling a list of questions for my doc tomorrow based upon some of yours. I guess my biggest question is: is it worth it in the long run? Do you have a private email I could ask you some ?s instead of posting them all over the www?
October 10, 2008
Cassie said…
Hey Chris,
I'm glad my info has been helpful. To answer your question, yes, it has been worth it. At times, I feel as if I've traded one set of problems for another, but truth is, my post-op issues are things I have hope will get better. My problems before surgery were only going to get worse. I wouldn't be doing the second surgery if I didn't truly believe in it. Of course, I can't predict how the PAO will work in the long run, but so far, so good.
Of course you can write if you have other questions. I'm at cassie155@hotmail.com.
November's coming too soon, isn't it?
October 10, 2008
Marina said…
Hey Cass,

quick question...how is your range of motion post surgery vs before?

marina
October 11, 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