Well it’s 4 months since my last update and it feels right
to do one now as I am at 18 months post-op today. Considering I thought I’d be done with this
whole blog thing by 6 months on the basis that I’d be over the surgery, back to
normal, loving the new hardware and getting life back, the fact I’m writing a
year on is actually something I should feel a little bit peed off about. But on the plus side I’ve learnt a lot – for
myself and about myself – and hopefully other people in a similar situation may
read it and find some points in common, get some help from it, or just take
comfort knowing that full recovery isn’t always that quick but you just have to
plug away, be patient and eventually you get there.
I am always very wary about tempting fate. Part of me doesn’t want to say things are Ok
in case it all goes tits up again. But the fact is that I do finally feel that
I’ve got to a lovely end of a long and, at times, pretty shitty journey as far
as my hip goes. To say it’s been a
rollercoaster is an understatement and I’ve had down spells that most people
won’t have even guessed at.
People will have seen me walking around, generally seemingly
enjoying myself, looking absolutely fine but won’t have known that the day
started with pain and frustration as just dressing myself was hard work. That every time I raised myself from a
sitting position I was inwardly screaming as it always hurt. That I felt the need to stand for a couple of
seconds before actually moving as I had to be sure I wasn’t going to get that
pain ripping through my groin on taking a step forward. Or that at the end of a day at work I’d get
to my car and have to physically lift my leg with my hands just to get in the
car seat. And then usually have a bit of
a cry on the way home. That was where I
was from about October last year through to early Feb this year.
And that came on top of having got myself back to dancercise
and riding, thinking at around 5 months it was all going great apart from that
niggly groin thing. I hadn’t banked on
that niggle turning into something that could make life such a misery at
times. Don’t get me wrong – I had good
spells, I could walk fine but it always lurked.
And then by the end of the year it had got that I wasn’t actually fine
walking some times. I did contemplate
using my stick but was really just too bloody minded to do what I saw as giving
in to that. So I managed without, but
just with a fair bit of cursing and occasional painkillers.
The turning point was when I went to see Angie Jackson, the
physio to whom I am eternally grateful.
I had originally gone to her intending to see her after a second steroid
injection but she said she felt she could help me avoid the need for the needle. I described in my last post in April how she
went right back to total basics, getting me to breathe properly. Well since then she has been building up the
exercises for me, all focussing on engaging my core properly, and it’s paid off
fantastically. She got me working on my
bridges, building in foot taps and band work. She had me bouncing on my Swiss
ball and doing leg lifts while sitting on it.
She got me doing various squats and exercises up against a wall. She introduced me to the ‘dead bug’, lying on
my back with alternate arm/leg movements.
And combining the dead bug with the ball (that’s a killer!). She also tackled pain I started getting in my
other hip and back.
For my part I have been much better doing the exercises,
mainly as I felt I could really see some benefit from them, which I couldn’t
see before. But when somebody explains
to you how doing some adjustments made the exercises actually more effective,
or explaining how doing all the clamshells in the world wouldn’t help if other
parts of your core weren’t firing properly, then you’re more willing to listen
and put the work in. I have to say I
have not been as diligent as I would like.
Some days work or life got in the way a bit. But I always made time for doing a few before
work – but after feeding the cat. Have
you ever tried doing a side plank while a cat hungry for food and attention is
shoving her face, or worse her arse, in your face? I also did some at
work. So if anybody reading this happens
to use the Etherow kitchen room, this is the crazy woman standing on one leg
waving her other leg around (proprioception clock) explaining herself. And something always in the evening – I got
quite adept at watching telly while lying on my back.
Gradually things improved.
Leg lifting was pretty much pain free all the time. Walking was back to being mostly pleasurable,
and if it wasn’t the groin wasn’t the reason.
And the big yardstick was being able to step into knickers and put socks
on. Now there’s barely a twinge putting
knickers on. Most times now I don’t even
think about it. Occasionally I try to do
left leg first and even then it is mostly fine, only some slight stiffness but
not pain in the groin. I have started
back at dancercise again and been 3 weeks now with no ill effect. In fact last week I was half way through the
class and we were doing a routing that involved repeated knee lifts. It suddenly dawned on me what we were doing
and the fact that I hadn’t even thought about it until then and it didn’t hurt
a bit. I felt absolutely buzzing when I
left the class. Well actually I felt rather sweaty and extremely unfit but
buzzing on the hip front.
I’m now going to look out for Bollywood dance classes and
also hopefully get back on a horse again.
(I had included hula hoop classes in that sentence but now found out the
classes have been cancelled so some quick editing called for!) I’m also helping
myself by trying (again!) to lose weight and have joined Slimming World. I resisted doing anything I had to pay for,
felt I could do it on my own but my ever expanding arse, legs, waist are all
telling me I am clearly crap at going it with willpower alone. I did get back to my 5:2 fasting but it was
having no effect at all, whereas a fortnight on Slimming World and 2 miracles have
happened. Firstly I lost 5lbs in the
first week. And tonight my week 2 may
have only been 2lbs down but it does mean I have my half stone award and my
first ever certificate for being less fat!
Secondly, and probably a major factor in that loss, I haven’t had any
chocolate apart the little Hifi ceral bars and Options hot chocolate drink
(only one per day max) in almost 2
weeks. I have snacked on fruit and
indulged cravings occasionally with a mini milk lolly (only 1.5 syns!) I am keeping a food diary meticulously and
trying to be good this first month as I am off for 2 weeks to France and then
Italy at the start of September and have no intention of behaving myself there. I did get a helping hand Saturday as I discovered
that my body really does not like lightly cooked kale. If I don’t get some weight loss to compensate
for a few bathroom visits I shall be well upset. Anyway all of this really has more place in
my other blog (a diet one) than this so I will stop there on the foodie stuff.
So all bloody great on the whole hip recovery thing. There are a couple of niggles I have but I am
not dwelling on them as they really aren’t that troublesome, and I do feel I now have an armoury of exercises to tackle
things with. I know that so many things
in the body are related, but at the same time I refuse to let my hip be the
blame for everything. I’m sure even
without the surgery I’d have had niggles in my back or my knee. I’m nearly 53 years old, I have osteoarthritis,
I’m too sedentary, I eat too much crap and I’m overweight. Of course I’ll have niggles. Sometimes you just have to accept that and it
drives me nuts when I see people wanting to use their hip replacement as an
excuse for everything. If you’re doing
something wrong or have some condition that has caused hip problems, then it’s
entirely logical you will have other hurty bits. That’s another reason I am so glad I’ve seen
Angie as it’s made me take a much more holistic view and be far more realistic about
things based on what I am doing.
Reading back I now see this has become quite a mammoth post
but I am pretty hopeful this will be my sign off. I always intended to write about my run-up
and recovery. It’s been cathartic for me
doing it. It’s been good for me to read
back and remind myself about how I did. And I hope it’s been helpful for some. In particular given how long this has all
taken, and me being so sure I’d be done and dusted much more quickly, I hope
this gives some comfort and encouragement to people who aren’t having the
quickest recovery. Be patient…much much
easier said than done I know. Seek
advice – if it feels wrong ask somebody.
If you’re told just to walk walk walk that may be fine but don’t neglect
core exercises, especially if you have any pain. See a physio, especially if you feel your
surgeon isn’t so sympathetic or isn’t offering any real help. But above all hang in there as it will get
better, just don’t be tempted to compete with others. I know some of my friends across the pond have
learnt a few new words from this blog so it’s been educational too! This whole hip journey has taught me a lot
about myself. It’s made me appreciate
things more and put things in perspective.
It’s taught me the value of patience. And it’s made me some friends on
the way :) And if my left hip ever goes the same way I
will have no qualms about going through it all again. In which case I may just return to this blog
but until then “so long and thanks for all the ‘likes’”
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