41/2 month upate :)

I have made a massive step forward this week. I almost feel better:)

I have been discharged from physio, and spent two days in heels!!!!Now this might not sound much to those of you that haven't been through hip problems/PAO but believe me it is a big deal ! To be able to wear whatever shoes you want without and to walk pain free without the fear of your hip giving out at any point is something I can't quite believe is happening to me.
I am able to live my life again, work without strong meds, workout at the gym , walk as long as I want all relatively pain free is amazing and all that at only 4.5months post-op.

To anyone contemplating a PAO- GO FOR IT! It is not so scary as you imagine and the results can change your life. I can't thank Mr Witt and his team enough!

I have been for my 4 month post PAO appointment today with Mr Witt.

It went really well,in fact I couldn't have asked for it to be better.
My ROM was really good. The discomfort that I feel is quite normal and to be expected at this stage.
My xrays showed that the bones have healed exceptionally well and are looking really strong. I have had all restrictions lifted, am allowed to do weights at the gym and even impact stuff! I jokingly asked the registrar if that meant I was allowed to jog to the train station , and he said I will just go and ask the boss- Mr Witt reviewed my x-rays and said YES!!!

I have some inflammation in the tendon that was cut so they are hoping that will settle down as the bones continue to heal if not I will need a steroid injection into that.
We have agreed to watch the other hip for 6 months to see how it goes, and also to review the screws at that time as they will be removed if they are a problem .

The only downside is that there was more Arthritis than I first thought, so I will def need a THR in the future, but hopefully not for 10 years so I'm happy with that.

Guess I am officially on the mend now. :)

4 months post-op

I am exactly four months post-op and am so far pretty pleased with the results.
There has been lots of up and down days but the good days are definately outweighing the bad ones now.
I am back at work, although only half days at the moment, increasing each week by an hour.

I am carrying on with workouts at the gym and am presently doing about 45mins cardio;
10mins stationary bike
15 mins treadmill (walking on 15% incline)
15-20mins elliptical
5 mins rower
plus abs and upper body weights, (hoping to add lower weights after post-op appointment).

I alternate this daily with about 45mins swimming , and have one day off a week.

Each day I 'try' to walk about 45mins too but this depends on schedule and comfort levels.

I am not in any pain at all now, but my hip does still get tired fairly easily and when I have done too much I am still experiencing a pain in the butt around the bone cuts, and also the hip flexor is being lazy. I am finding SLR hard as it feels and I get a burning pain when I try to do them, I still need to lift my leg with my hands into the car. I think Mr Witt will tell me to get on with the exercises for that.

I only need the occasional Ibuprofen or Paracetamol now, but pre-op was taking lots of strong meds and downing them like sweets so thats a big improvement. It is fantastic to be leading a more normal life and getting on with things instead of being hampered by my hip. Working without being drugged up with meds is great too (although now I have no excuse if I do anything wrong,lol). I am still not at the stage where I am not thinking about my hip all the time, but I expect to be there fairly soon, and I am at least as good as I was pre-op if not better!
I have my 4 month check up next Friday so will see what Mr Witt has to say then.

Success at last!!!

I have lost count how many weeks post-op I am-that in itself must be a good sign!!
I think I am 15 weeks post-op.

The last couple of weeks have been full of ups and downs. One day I think I am doing well, only the next I have wished I had had a replacement instead! I have had a few issues with hip flexor problems/tendonitis. I haven't had much help from my physio, and even when I told her which exercises were making it worse, she just gave me a variation of the same one! I have been gradually increasing my activity, with that came more pain and soreness from the bone cuts.

Last week I started at the gym. I have been doing the cross trainer, the bike and the treadmill, also upper body weights and swimming. This has all helped the strength in my hip tremendously, and my physio has agreed to let me carry on on my own over the next four weeks. I will see her again, hopefully for one final time, after I have seen Mr Witt.

Today I took my daughter for a look around a University. It was quite a long day, about an hours drive each way, plus lots of walking around, stairs and on/off buses etc. I took some NSAIDS and paras before leaving home as I was a little sore anyway, and didn't want to be slowed down for the day. We had a few opportunities to sit down during the day, so it was better than I expected. I suddenly realised something at teatime... Although my quads, glutes and back were all sore (muscle only),and I had had a few hip flexor moments getting up into the buses, I realised for the first time in YEARS........................ I HAD NO HIP PAIN!!

I can't believe it, sometime during the day, I forgot about my hip, and only remembered when I noticed that it didn't hurt! Hours later , it still doesn't!! Yes I am a bit muscle sore, but today is the first time my joint has felt normal! Its amazing!! Lol!!

So 15 weeks on, I can say, for the first time , I am 100% glad I have had this surgery.
Things can only get better now, and hopefully the good days will continue to outweigh the bad ones.
I am back to work in just over a week, and today, for the first time, I feel ready.

3 Months post-op!

Three months post-op already, the time has flown, but at the same time that nerve wracking day in May seems an age away.

I am now about where I expected to be at this point. I have very little pain in the joint itself, and certainly the pre-op dysplasia pain has disappeared. My walking is about at the same level as it was pre-op, perhaps better , as I know I can walk around supermarkets without my leg suddenly giving way, and the horrible feeling of instability that was always present and made me wary of every step I took. Now my joint is still a bit weak, I limp for the majority of the time,but I know that is improving daily, and I would rather have that than the pre-op pain that was getting worse daily. I still have some butt pain, and the muscles get tired when I have been on my feet for too long, but nothing that I can't handle. I think the worst thing I am dealing with now is the soreness and weakness at the front of my hip where the Rectus Femoris tendon was cut to allow access into my pelvis. I still find it gets sore very easily especially when going upstairs, driving and walking uphill. It is a balance between doing these activities and the physio exercises to improve it, and not overdoing things and causing a flare up. I am returning to work in two weeks, and although I am looking forward to things finally getting back to normal, I am also terrified at the thought of having to stand and walk around all day. I am sure it won't be as bad as I imagine though.

I have just returned from a week away, a last minute decision as we didn't book a holiday this year due to the PAO. We had a fantastic time, weather was glorious, and I was able to swim and canoe in the lake, and go for short walks each day in between lots of rest and relaxation. My hip didn't spoil things too much, in fact some days it felt better than the left one (Mmmm, bit concerned about that!), I was limited in what I could do, but obviously I knew that before we went and the change of scenery did us all good.

Physio is still going well. I am there once a week. Today I increased the resistance with the bike and the hamstring curls,my regular physio was on holiday this week so the assistant just followed her programme and didn't add anything extra. I am definitely feeling it now so I have obviously done enough. I am hoping to arrange a gym membership this week so I can swim more, and do the cross trainer as well.