pics of the machines

My nephew hanging out with me whilst I am on the Game Ready machine. This one freezes and applies pressure to the hip. The millennium crutches are in the back.

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The CPM Machine - Constant Passive Motion

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It is much more attractive with an adorable nephew posing in it...

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The CPM in action. It moves your leg back and forth from a 0' to 90' angle. It also weighs a hell of a lot!

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I just had to add this one of my nephew!

L O N G recovery ahead

Yesterday I had a lovely outing sitting outside across the street at Starbuck's. It was the first time I've really gone out for anything other than to and from a place. We sat out there for a little over two hours which was huge for me as I have not been able to sit in a chair that long since surgery. Unfortunately the fresh air didn't help me sleep any better though. I would kill for a good 8 hours in-a-row of sleep. Again, not so much for the pain, which is getting better on the operated side (unlike the rest of my body which is getting worse), but lack of comfort. I was even desperate enough to try to sleep on my stomach, which didn't last very long.

Today I went for my post-op today and the sutures were removed. They told me that I couldn't shower for a day or two as when they remove the sutures they put a tape with some sort of sticky glue stuff on top and want that to stay put for a while. I wish I had known that as I had thought I would be able to take a shower after the visit, so neglected getting up early to take one before. Oh well.

Dr. Kelly came in afterwards and asked how I was doing and moved my right leg around. He said that I could cut the CPM down to one hour a day, but I asked if I needed to keep it because I would have to pay another $350 for two additional weeks. Thankfully he said that was fine to return it and I've seen the last of that machine - they are coming to pick it up today! He then showed me the pictures they took when they were doing the surgery. I cannot believe how red it was inside, really bright, bright red! He showed where I had a bone spur and where they shaved that off and the other bone that was shaved down as well, and also my psoas before and as they were cutting it. All very amazing to look at. Unfortunately the post op report was not typed up yet, but I was told I could ring them next week and they would fax it over. We went over my PT and he said he actually wants me to go very slow, and that my recovery would take about six months. I was not too surprised from this, but it was still not thrilled about it. The key thing is he wants my psoas to stay slightly tight since I have the laxity issue, but at the same time not scar up completely. It is a very fine line and my rehab is going to be very specific because of my multiple issues. He already told me to change one of the exercises I was told to do as he does not want me to externally rotate the leg too much. He said internal rotation is fine for now. I asked if he could reaffirm this with the PT guys as they were having a hard time believing me about having to do only two hours on the CPM and four. I also asked him why he had to make four incisions and he said that was because they had to get to the other side of the bone to cut it down. Fair enough I suppose. He said also to use the brace as long as I want because he doesn't want me to hurt at all. I am to try to put more weight on the leg but only as I can tolerate, it's very important to not inflame the hip. Regarding the crutches I will most likely be on them for a few more weeks. I kept laughing in my head when everyone kept saying I'd be on them only two to three weeks. I knew this was going to take a long time to be able to walk again without pain. But I don't want to mess up everything that was done so I will do exactly as I am told. The last thing I could deal with is having to go through this all again (poo poo, touch wood, etc.).

After I had been home for a couple of hours I noticed that one of the incision site tapes had liquidy stuff seeping through it. I just rang the office and spoke to Arianna. She said that sometimes the incisions open up after the sutures are taken up and that is should heal by itself, and to keep and eye on it and make sure it stays dry. Hopefully it will do this quickly.

I think that's it for now. I'm tired so going to have a bit of a kip if possible.

Spoke too soon

The last two nights I have been getting about 4-5 hours sleep and then waking up and not able to go back to sleep. It's not so much pain, as I took some pain pills before, but the fact that I just can't get comfortable on my back or on my side with a pillow between my legs. I am a bad sleeper to begin with and lack of comfort with sleeping positions is just exacerbating the issue.

Yesterday we came back to the city. Thankfully I wasn't queasy on the drive back; I thought I was going to be so ill on the way out to the island last week. I did the CPM for two hours and when we were taking my leg out of it, I must have twisted or turned a bit too much one way as my hip started screaming in agony. I was so annoyed as I hadn't needed to take a pain pill since I went to be on Monday night. After this incident the pain just got worse leading me to cave in and take a pain pill. I was quite a grump the rest of the night. (Until House came on - I LOVE HUGH LAURIE!!! I've been watching the complete set of Jeeves & Wooster - I put it on when I have to spend the time on the CPM - and I absolutely love it. They don't make television like they used to, for the most part. Anyway, I highly recommend watching this series, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are completely brilliant!)

Haven't taken a pain pill yet today, trying to get on without it. I'll see how I'm doing before PT, may take one just to avoid the after effects of the torture. So not looking forward to this outing. Then again, at least it will get me outside for a bit.

pain is getting worse

I am not sure why the pain is getting worse, but it seems to be. Yesterday I took it easy and barely did anything other than my rehab routine. I iced with the GameReady for a while, did the CPM for two hours and then after dinner did my PT. The exercises hurt even more than the first day I had to do them. Agony was an understatement.

After watching telly for a bit with my mother I did another hour of the GameReady hoping to numb my leg up before bed. We then decided I should take a second pain pill, hoping this would help me sleep through the night, or at least most of it.

I passed out about 11.30 pm and then at 12.30 am woke up with a start! I have no clue what woke me but whatever it was made me jump, which is not good for my hip at all. I have been getting leg spasms, supposedly from the psoas release, and it's driving me mad. I fell back to sleep and then slept till about 4.45 am. After I go up to go to the loo I was in pain so decided to take two more pain pills hoping I'd pass out again. Sadly this was not the case. I would sleep for a few minutes and then wake up again, this went on till about 8 am. I was feeling (am still actually) incredibly wonky from the pills so just vegged for a bit and finally just ate something. I'm now thinking the two pains pills wasn't the best idea. I think between the pain and not being able to move around whilst I sleep is what is keeping me up at night. Normally I sleep like a wild woman, all over the place and wake up in pretzel-like positions. Sleeping on my back is just making me ache all over even more. I tried sleeping on my left side again with a pillow between my legs but that doesn't seem to work for me.

sleepless in new york

Last night was Kol Nidre services. I always find the Kol Nidre prayers very moving and I try to attend every year. This year I was hoping to just make it through the first part of the service since I just had surgery this week. Miracle of miracles, somehow I made it for two hours sitting on a folding chair with my brace on. At that point I was hoping to make it through the rest of the services, but my hip was getting the better of me and I had to concede it was time to go home. I don't know if this made the rest of my night worse or if it was just a coincidence.

I decided I would go to bed later last night and by this hopefully sleep longer. Unfortunately my plan did not work. I was up around 4 am and even though I just laid in bed for two hours, sleep did not come. I was in pain when I woke up, but also achy all around as my body does not seem to like sleeping on my back. I did try for an hour or so to lay on my side with a pillow between my legs, but that didn't seem to help either.

After two hours of nodding off for a few minutes then waking again, I gave up and put the telly on. There is absolutely nothing on the telly that early on a Saturday morning so I just left something random on and was hoping to drift off, but I had no luck with that. By 8 am I was starving and had to get something to eat. Not wanting to wake my mother, I hobbled into the kitchen and was going to get some challah. My mother heard me though and followed me in. (As a side note, I know it's Yom Kippur but for medical reasons I'm not meant to fast).

After having a small bite I went back to bed and my mother came in and watched some telly with me. Again I just couldn't seem to drift off. Finally by about 10.30 or so I tried to fall asleep but kept having spasms in my legs, especially the right one. I was told this might occur from the Psoas release, and had been given muscle relaxers for it. I usually take one of those at night but I couldn't stand it so took one then, and also we put on the GameReady. I believe I finally fell asleep for a bit on and off till about 1pm.

I'm still knackered but at least took a shower. My mother had to go get me some more bandages, and when she gets back I will do the CPM machine and then my PT. That's the plan at least.

rough night

I'm not sure if my bad night was from too much walking/standing on Wednesday, the car ride on Thursday or a combination of both. Whichever it all equaled a rough night. I was exhausted and went to bed about 9.30 pm. I woke up in major pain around 11.40 pm. I couldn't believe it was only two hours since I'd gone to bed. I woke up again around 1 am and then around 5 am, then 7 am. I was in a lot of pain and discomfort as well as my back aching and my shoulders and wrists hurting from the crutches. I took a shower when I first got up to try to deal with the aching muscles all over, then used the GameReady for an hour or so to freeze my hip a bit. I just took a nap for about an hour and an half as I couldn't keep my eyes open. I am so glad that I do not have to go to work as there is no way I could handle it right now.

Currently I am waiting for my mum to return so I can do the CPM and my PT exercises. She's been an awfully long time, I am beginning to think she's run off! Can't say I'd blame her at this point, she was up with me all night!