A literal pain in the ass

Yesterday I had some x-rays taken prior to my review with Jit. The X-rays show good early bony healing to 2 of the 3 cuts that were made to my pelvis during surgery. Unfortunately the fracture line in the ischium (the sit bone) is still apparent and therefore not stable enough for me to completely come off crutches yet. Jit explained that during surgery he injected a bone stimulant to promote bone growth. As the ischium is so deep it would not have had the benefit and needs more time for bone to develop and close the gap between the two edges. It does explain why I get a sharp pain in my right buttock if I put too much weight through my right leg so it's at least a couple more weeks with a single crutch for me. 

I spoke to Jit about the altered sensation in my right lateral thigh and he confirmed that it is a result of some damage to the Lateral Cutaneous nerve of Thigh, which is unfortunately a common side effect of the PAO surgery. He is pleased that the sensation is slowly returning even if it causes me sharp pain and discomfort at times. 

Otherwise Jit is happy with my progress and I am allowed to gradually increase my loading with exercise, focusing on building quadriceps and gluteal strength. I have started to ride my bike and it feels great to be out and about and no longer stuck in my lounge room on the exercise bike. My fitness has taken a big hit with doing minimal exercise over the past two months, and it did feel as if my heart was going to explode while riding up a small incline. But I guess I need to start somewhere. I am not one to focus on things such as weight and a number on a scale however I have recently been more aware of my appearance and have felt self conscious. I figure it is probably because I am currently the heaviest I have ever been. I can pretend that it doesn't matter but I do feel disappointed in myself. My rational brain tells me "it's okay.. you have had major surgery and you needed to take some time out" but being someone who prides myself on being healthy it is very hard to keep the negative comments out of my head. I am writing this, not for your pity, but to highlight that surgery is not just a physical thing and there is an emotional rollercoaster that goes with it. I will continue to take small steps towards my goal of being "me" again with another layer of resilience added. 

6 Weeks Post Op

Wow the past month has flown! Christmas is usually a busy and  hectic time of year however this year was very different. Being out of my usual routine I was able to take a bit of a back seat and enjoy Christmas from a different perspective. Yes there were moments where I freaked out about being prepared enough however a little bit of online shopping seemed to do the trick. Overall I was still able to part-take in multiple Christmas catch ups and enjoy all of the festivities. 

Jit had mentioned at my 2 week check up that I could start driving from around 4 weeks if I could actively flex my hip comfortable in sitting. Feeling good I started to drive short distances just prior to Christmas - much to my husbands delight who could finally have a couple of drinks at Christmas parties as he had a driver. I guess it is a small price to pay after the running around he had done since my surgery!

I have managed to come off all of the pain medication, having Panadol Osteo available if I over to it. I have seen my physiotherapist a few times since I last wrote. He has mainly worked on my adductors and the anterior hip region assisting me with improving my hip range of motion. After each session I completed some exercises in the hydrotherapy pool- such as walking laps, marching on the spot, side leg lifts, pushing a pool noodle down int the water with my right leg, balancing on my right leg etc. It feels great the in the water as I can move more freely without the need to use crutches. Both Physio and hydro has really helped get me moving better, I no longer need to assist with my hands when lifting my right leg up (into hip flexion - ie getting into or out of a car). I am at the point that when I am sitting down I often forget that I have had surgery and almost go to get up and walk before remembering to use my crutches. 

Most years after Christmas my little family head away camping. This year I was a bit hesitant as I worried about on how I would manage camping (saying that we are fortunate to have a caravan with a few luxuries and therefore are far from roughing it). I finally committed as we could always come home early if I was not managing. I am so thankful that we decided go as the new environment has done wonders for my soul. There have been a few things that have been tricky, such as using the crutches on the softer sand, but overall I have been able to sit and laugh with good friends and watch my children really enjoy themselves. I have also been able to do some exercises in the river and I feel with the added difficulty of the current pushing me downstream it has helped to strengthen my right leg. 

Being 6 weeks post op today I am due to see Jit for a review. I will see him next week once we are home from out camping adventure. I have started moving around with a single crutch at times (increased my weight bearing) however I still I need to focus on moving well and not limping therefore I go back to using two crutches when I fatigue. There are still times that I worry if I will ever walk normally again or be able to do simple things like sit on the floor comfortably but I know I am still only at the start of my journey and if I continue to progress as well as I have so far I am sure I won't look back!