Not sure yet if it was the best idea, but we did make it to the MET today. I am glad I went as there was a Lee Friedlander exhibit that I hadn't even known about which was good, and their new "Depth of Field" which was OK. I guess it is good for a general intro into photography. Reminded me of my intro to photo classes I took at university. But still, glad I saw it.
I did put on a lidocaine patch on my left hip before we left. I was OK walking around. After the photo exhibits we went to the cafeteria for lunch and then my dad wanted to go back and see the impressionists. Thankfully they had benches in a lot of the galleries so I was able to sit whilst my parents looked around.
My left hip is definitely acting up and quite sore but, touch wood, my right hip hasn't acted up. At least not yet...
21 January, 2008
Do I or don't I?
The last few days have been pretty rough. By rough I mean not only has my left hip become a complete wreck again, my right one is hurting alot. At first it was just in one area, but now it's moved to the front as well. I am not sure if it's because I am starting to overcompensate with my right for the left, or if it's in the joint. The stress of this is really getting to me in all sorts of ways. Not surprising really.
Friday I took the train out to the island and only had one bag. It wasn't too heavy but I definitely felt it in my hips. Saturday I went to Macy's with my mother for a little while. It's a smaller store than some and we didn't do much walking around in it as I knew exactly where I had to go. By the time I returned home I was a wreck. This was mostly my left at this point. I went to lie down on the couch and couldn't straighten my left leg for the life of me, the pain was intolerable. I iced it for about an hour just to numb the pain. As I had dinner plans that night I conceded and put a lidocaine patch on it. Thankfully that helped get me through dinner.
Sunday I was pretty achy with both hips and just took it easy. That didn't seem to be much help though as by nighttime I was in agony with both. I iced both for a while before I went to bed, and that seemed to help. I am just so frustrated with the lack of progress and the setbacks that it's really affecting me something horrible.
So the question is, do I or don't I go to the MET today. There is a photography exhibit that I've been wanting to see since it opened in September, around the time of my surgery. My parents and I have plans to go see it and they don't want to go if I am suffering, but to be honest I am so frustrated with my life being on hold I just want to do things again and enjoy myself.
Last week I was so excited to feel free and be able to get around without worrying how many steps a place had or how many blocks I might have to walk, and now it feels like it's just been taken away again. I know eventually I will get back to that point, but I am having a bit of a hard time at the moment keeping the faith. So that's where I'm at currently. Not quite defeated but definitely forced back from the front lines by the enemy.
Friday I took the train out to the island and only had one bag. It wasn't too heavy but I definitely felt it in my hips. Saturday I went to Macy's with my mother for a little while. It's a smaller store than some and we didn't do much walking around in it as I knew exactly where I had to go. By the time I returned home I was a wreck. This was mostly my left at this point. I went to lie down on the couch and couldn't straighten my left leg for the life of me, the pain was intolerable. I iced it for about an hour just to numb the pain. As I had dinner plans that night I conceded and put a lidocaine patch on it. Thankfully that helped get me through dinner.
Sunday I was pretty achy with both hips and just took it easy. That didn't seem to be much help though as by nighttime I was in agony with both. I iced both for a while before I went to bed, and that seemed to help. I am just so frustrated with the lack of progress and the setbacks that it's really affecting me something horrible.
So the question is, do I or don't I go to the MET today. There is a photography exhibit that I've been wanting to see since it opened in September, around the time of my surgery. My parents and I have plans to go see it and they don't want to go if I am suffering, but to be honest I am so frustrated with my life being on hold I just want to do things again and enjoy myself.
Last week I was so excited to feel free and be able to get around without worrying how many steps a place had or how many blocks I might have to walk, and now it feels like it's just been taken away again. I know eventually I will get back to that point, but I am having a bit of a hard time at the moment keeping the faith. So that's where I'm at currently. Not quite defeated but definitely forced back from the front lines by the enemy.
17 January, 2008
Thursday update
I started taking the anti-inflammatories on Tuesday am, and they seemed at first to help. As much as I hate them, I started to think perhaps they do have some benefits. By Wednesday though I was in a lot of pain again.
At PT last night I told them how much it hurt after my session on Monday, and they seemed perplexed. At the same time though they wanted me to do the pulley/rotations with the weights. This requires pulling a certain amount of weight with your arms as you are rotating your hips, and bending your knees. Even though I only did 2 sets of 20 with 10 lbs, I was suffering afterwards. That and the leg lifts with stim were the only weights I did. Manual manipulation and stretching for the rest of the session as well as stim when I was being iced on the very sore spot. They said it's definitely muscular, and that I have to really account for everything I do. Even just going on the subway is a lot. I'm a bit bummed as I was starting to feel human again, but after thinking about this, I believe this started when I went to London. That was really the first time since my surgery that I was doing normal, regular things without being over careful.
So my "homework" is to do icing, isometrics, stretching and to make sure I keep track of every little move I make so that I don't overdue it. It feels like a huge step back, but I guess it's the only thing to be done at the moment. A bit depressing to be honest as I was enjoying being "normal", but I will get back to that at some point hopefully sooner rather than later.
On a different note, I just made an appointment with my chiro. I was meant to go next week, but I woke up this am in such a state, all twisted especially with my neck/shoulder region that I figured I should definitely see if they can get me in. I don't think I've addressed it much, but I must say that the ART (active release therapy) and the myofascial release that they do at my chiro's has been a life saver. Every since I started going in the summer when my whole neck was locked up I have been doing much better. I truly believe it helped with my pre-surgery stress and my post-op recovery and I can't say enough positive things about my experience with it.
Information on ART: http://www.activerelease.com/what_patients.asp
Information on Myofascial release: http://www.myofascial-release.com/
My Chiro: http://www.ronsafkodc.com/about_us.html
At PT last night I told them how much it hurt after my session on Monday, and they seemed perplexed. At the same time though they wanted me to do the pulley/rotations with the weights. This requires pulling a certain amount of weight with your arms as you are rotating your hips, and bending your knees. Even though I only did 2 sets of 20 with 10 lbs, I was suffering afterwards. That and the leg lifts with stim were the only weights I did. Manual manipulation and stretching for the rest of the session as well as stim when I was being iced on the very sore spot. They said it's definitely muscular, and that I have to really account for everything I do. Even just going on the subway is a lot. I'm a bit bummed as I was starting to feel human again, but after thinking about this, I believe this started when I went to London. That was really the first time since my surgery that I was doing normal, regular things without being over careful.
So my "homework" is to do icing, isometrics, stretching and to make sure I keep track of every little move I make so that I don't overdue it. It feels like a huge step back, but I guess it's the only thing to be done at the moment. A bit depressing to be honest as I was enjoying being "normal", but I will get back to that at some point hopefully sooner rather than later.
On a different note, I just made an appointment with my chiro. I was meant to go next week, but I woke up this am in such a state, all twisted especially with my neck/shoulder region that I figured I should definitely see if they can get me in. I don't think I've addressed it much, but I must say that the ART (active release therapy) and the myofascial release that they do at my chiro's has been a life saver. Every since I started going in the summer when my whole neck was locked up I have been doing much better. I truly believe it helped with my pre-surgery stress and my post-op recovery and I can't say enough positive things about my experience with it.
Information on ART: http://www.activerelease.com/what_patients.asp
Information on Myofascial release: http://www.myofascial-release.com/
My Chiro: http://www.ronsafkodc.com/about_us.html
15 January, 2008
update to yesterdays post
I went to PT and was quite relieved with the outcome. After explaining the issues with my hips he examined me and said that it is all muscular. This was the best news possible, as it means I did not damage anything and we can help control it. He wants me to take some anti-inflammatory meds for a bit and ice a lot and try to limit weight-bearing activities for the time. Yesterday we did mostly stretching and then stim, the kind w/ the leg raises, and then he put the stim on the irritated area when I was icing. I hurt a lot more initially afterwards but feel slightly better today. I also just took about 600mg of Ibuprofen (left my script meds at home) so will see how that goes.
We also discussed my left hip and agreed that even though the injection wore off there is nothing to do about it for the time being. We cannot even contemplate surgery until my right hip is 100%+ better and would be able to handle supporting me for any length of time by itself.
So, that's where it is for now. Hopefully we will get the inflammation down quickly and I will be back on the path to strengthening in no time.
We also discussed my left hip and agreed that even though the injection wore off there is nothing to do about it for the time being. We cannot even contemplate surgery until my right hip is 100%+ better and would be able to handle supporting me for any length of time by itself.
So, that's where it is for now. Hopefully we will get the inflammation down quickly and I will be back on the path to strengthening in no time.
14 January, 2008
17 weeks post op - and slightly freaking out
Well, it's been a rough weekend to say the least. Here I thought I was doing so well last week that I might have gone too far, too fast. I had been hoping to go to the pool this weekend and try out some exercises that my PT showed me, but alas, my hips had other ideas. I tried icing them but it did not do much. Yesterday my right hip was so bad that I actually used a lidocaine patch on it. I have not done that since before surgery, so you can see why it is so upsetting. I will go over all of this with my PT again, though last week he did say I couldn't damage anything that had been done surgically. Hopefully it is just that I over used it and pushed myself too far.
As for the left, whatever the injection did to help it seems to have stopped doing. I know I should contact Dr. Kelly and tell him, but at the same time I cannot imagine having surgery in the near future for this. My whole body cannot handle that again this soon, and I definitely feel my right hip would not be up to the pressure of supporting me for three months on crutches. So we have yet another catch 22.
To add to it, my lovely hands have been out of control pain-wise for the last week. Anytime they hurt for more than a day or so straight I start to worry.
The weather is not helping either for the moment.
Oh well, as my heroine says,
Tomorrow is another day.
As for the left, whatever the injection did to help it seems to have stopped doing. I know I should contact Dr. Kelly and tell him, but at the same time I cannot imagine having surgery in the near future for this. My whole body cannot handle that again this soon, and I definitely feel my right hip would not be up to the pressure of supporting me for three months on crutches. So we have yet another catch 22.
To add to it, my lovely hands have been out of control pain-wise for the last week. Anytime they hurt for more than a day or so straight I start to worry.
The weather is not helping either for the moment.
Oh well, as my heroine says,
Tomorrow is another day.
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