7 month update!

Sorry for the lack of updates but things have really slowed down on the recovery front, so there's not much to report.
I am now almost seven months post RPAO. Things are definitely better than before the surgery, but are by no means perfect. The joint is good and rarely causes any pain when walking.That's the good news. I can survive most days without taking any painkillers stronger than paracetamol, which is a big improvement on pre-op.
The not so good;
My hip flexor still causes loads of pain and by the end of a shift at work I find it difficult to drive, sit on high stools, get in/out of the car etc, sometimes even walking can get pretty sore.
I still have a constant dull aching in the back of the hip ( ischium, hamstring area) which gets worse if I walk more than about 30mins.
There is a small area in the front of my groin that still feels as if it gets 'caught' occasionally, especially when bending forward over 90 degrees,this also wakes me up on a night.

Leftie catches quite often, and lets me know it wants some attention too, but it doesn't cause the sort of giving way pain that was soooo painful constantly pre-op with the right one.

I still have a few ongoing stomach problems caused by taking NSAIDS so long pre-op, but hopefully they will settle down soon.

Am I better than I was pre-op? Yes, without a doubt, as I am able to function fairly well on a daily basis without being stuffed full of strong meds, and I am glad I had the surgery, but I am also a little disappointed that I am still in pain and am still limited in my activities.
I have tried working out/not exercising/ resting and doing/not doing physio but nothing really seems to help. The muscles are all pretty strong and I don't limp (unless I have been sitting a while) so I don't think its anything to do with weakness.
As a fellow hippy also commented the other day, I am craving being able to get back going for long country walks (or even daily shorter ones for now) but I am starting to wonder whether that will ever be the case.
I have my next post-op appointment in March, which will be 10 months, so will update after that.
In the meantime I hope everyone has a great Christmas, and all those who are presently recovering from more recent surgeries are as pain free as poss.