Hip-hop anonymous - a PAO journal

My first back week at work was good, but more difficult than I had expected. Whew, I was tired. Not used to standing and walking so much, my feet, legs and hips felt bruised. Not used to sitting so long, my tailbone was really aching. And not used to waking up at 7 every morning, I was sleepy. By the time I drove home, all I wanted to do was go to bed. I got about nine hours a sleep each night but it didn't feel like enough. I only made it to the gym on Monday and Saturday this week, which makes me feel like a bum, but I'm trying to cut myself some slack. I only hope my motivation returns along with my stamina. And it goes to say that no matter how great you feel two months post-op, it takes time to readjust to a normal schedule. This recovery is long, long, long. I'm betting this week will be easier.

I made it back to work today after being away for nine weeks. It felt very good to be back in the office, and my co-workers marveled at how well I was doing. My reunion with Jennifer (my physical therapist) followed. She, too, was in awe of how strong I was. Despite that, she was able to find a host of things that are wrong with my alignment and flexibility. Among the top: My sacrum is uneven. The bottom of my pelvis is really uneven. Off by an inch. The muscles in my lower back are pulled too tight. Hip flexor is very tight. Jennifer chalked most of this up to my extremely sensitive, very painful tailbone. As the saying goes, misery loves company, and my tailbone is working hard to pull everything else into its crabby state. Therefore, she is lining me up with a doctor/chiropractor who specialized in coccyx and lower back pain. I'm crossing my fingers. We only lined up two more physical therapy sessions, as I'm doing so well. After pt, I made my way to the gym. Did 11 minutes...

One week from today, I'll be in my own apartment. The day after Christmas, I'll drive the 500-some miles to Colorado and get on with my life. A hair cut, visits with friends, and my eight-week follow-up appointment will punctuate the first few days of my return. I'll start physical therapy sessions with Jennifer on Jan. 5, which also is the day I return to work. I'm so excited to get moving again! A few challenges lie ahead, including driving, which I haven't done since the operation. And the possibility of snow and ice, which would be dangerous on crutches and stairs. Luckily, I'll have plenty of help until I get the all clear to drop the crutches, so everything should be good. How can it not be?

I've taken four weeks off my job, and now that I'm feeling better, I decided it was time to get back to it. I work as a web content editor for a college's public relations department, which means I'm able to do a lot of work from home. My boss and the college have been extremely supportive of the time I have needed to take off. I'm very lucky for that. Before my surgery, I filed for the Family and Medical Leave Act, which secures my job for 12 weeks. I didn't really need to worry about losing my job, but our human resources department recommended filing. Because I have to commute for an hour each way to work, I plan to do as much work as I can from here and from my place in Colorado before committing to the office. While it will be nice to see my co-workers again (hi, Josh!), I'm not sure I can handle a very full eight-hour day, a two-hour drive, and 26 stairs. For now, I'm happy putting in half days from my recliner for another few weeks.