Almost Six Weeks Later................

PT is going very well and I'm pretty much 95-100% off my crutches!!! What a relief.....not sure if my shoulders could have handled it for much longer!  The past week, while walking without crutches, my leg is so weak that I tend to walk like Festus (which happens to be my new nickname :P)!  My therapist said most of my left leg movement is horizontal causing a lot of truck rotation which in turn is bothering my back, neck, shoulders, ect.  I've started to walk more normal now since my leg is getting stronger and I think I can tell a difference in discomfort.  The other week I went for my four week post-op check-up and had x-rays done.  Apparently I don't have two screws....I've got four.  So far everything is healing nicely and I'm happy with it!

Four Weeks Later

I can't believe is only been four weeks since I had surgery and I ditched a crutch last week. Besides separating a joint in my left foot and pumping a tube of air into my blood stream, recovery has gone well!!!!  My foot healed up quickly (Thank-goodness)  and the air thing......well lets just say I'm not likely to forget to prime the tube again.  Recovery has gone drastically different than expected.  With changes to the surgical techniques I had no hip restriction from the beginning.  Meaning weight as tolerated ect,  Every day brings new surprises with what I can do.  I'm just having trouble slowing down!  I had no intention on having my other hip done anytime soon but now that I know how things go, I'm putting that on the plate as a possibility next year.  We'll see what happens.

My New Hip!!!

Having a PAO was a big decision but so far I'm happy I made it! Now on to recovery:)

Just Another Hip Chick: Part One

My left hip has been bothering me for several years.  Physical therapy has helped strengthen it but there has been something going on there that nothing has helped.  Honestly, I was wondering if I would get diagnosed with some type of hip dysplasia but part of me didn't really think it was going to be significant.  But when I saw a hip surgeon a week ago, x-rays did in fact show I have hip dysplasia in both hips.  Hip dysplasia is when your hip sockets are really shallow.  The joint doesn't sit in the socket correctly so subluxations, dislocations  and labrum tears are common (I also have a tear).  A Ganz osteotomy (loosely translated, as major hip surgery;) has been recommended.   My doctor encouraged me to make a decision of when to do it within the next three years. We are thinking sooner rather than later but haven't made a decision yet.  The recovery is challenging.  A week in the hospital, two months with no weight bearing on the operated leg and six months of rehab.

The day I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia I didn't really know what to think.  It was a mix of emotions.  I couldn't figure out if I was scared or what I was thinking.  What was I afraid of? What was expected of me?  I suddenly remembered you can look at it in two different ways and which way was I suppose to see it? Simple as that. You can view obstacles or what seems like a terrible thing as the end of the world, or you can realize that sometimes those are the times for the best opportunities to show up. It really isn't anywhere near the end of the world and with all honestly theres a whole lot more to life than a bum joint or a major operation.  A WHOLE lot more!
 

Resources:
 - How Stuff Works
 -Hip Dysplasia