Its been a long time since I updated this blog, and I'm not sure whether anyone still reads it or not, but will update just in case someone facing a future PAO comes across it.
I am now 3 yrs 8 months post RPAO, and 1yr 5 months post LPAO.
Hips are amazing. I have gone from barely able to walk more than a few steps without excrutiating pain, giving way and needing a walking stick or crutches, through 4 yrs or surgeries comprising 2 scopes, 2 PAOs, 1 screw removal-another scheduled, and several GAs for steroid injections, to being able to walk and work pain free and painkiller free.
Last March I started , very gradually to run, just a minute at a time and followed the couch25k programme. In July I ran the Race for life 5k fun run for Cancer Research and just beat my 30min target. I was happy at how well my hips were coping so tried a little further. By Christmas I was running up to 8 miles and the hips still held up perfectly well.
After a brief xmas break, followed by a bout of flu I am now building up again running 3-4 miles 4 times a week and increasing gradually. I have gained a place in The Great North Run, the worlds biggest half marathon, so on 16/09/2013 I shall be joining 54000 other runners to run from Newcastle to South Shields. Excited doesnt cover it!! :) I have also persuaded my couch potato, slightly overweight hubby to et fit lose weight and join me, and we are both running to raise money for Cancer research into childhood cancers-Kidscan.
Please take a look at our charity page and make a donation to this worthy cause if possible
www.justgiving.com/Hirst-GNR
I have a follow-up appointment with Mr Witt 1st Feb so hoping everything still looks good on my xrays and he is happy for me to run (or maybe I might forget to ask him that...) Screw removal can be confirmed and perhaps he will discharge me. Though I would miss having a good excuse to spend a few days in London each year....
I will update after my appointment.
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
A long overdue update
Ooops....... can't believe how bad I have been at updating this blog!
Well I had a very successful post-op appointment in February, everything going well and surgeon was impressed with strength and ROM. I have been cleared of all restrictions and don't need to see him again until next year.
Since my appointment I have been slowy increasing my exercise and walking. I can now walk 10 miles!!! :D and have done so several times, not without some soreness, but thats to be expected (hubby had sore legs too and he doesnt have any problems). I have biked up to 12 miles a time, and more recentley started running again...hubby not at all happy with this, so am taking it very slowly and slightly in secret ;) I can comfortably run 10-12 mins without any problems with my hips. If I do overdo things, I get a slight burning pain in my right hip (PAOed 3 yrs ago) which has always been the worst hip and the one with the most damage pre-op.
I have just come back from a hectic weekend in London, loads of walking and steps, and have had some aching in my right knee which is prone to some problems anyway, and my left ankle -but am proud to report hips held up brilliantly.
So, have just 3 goals left to complete this year,;
1) fell walking scheduled for May,
2) 5k run -possibly in July depending how things feel
3) completing an exercise class-this is more dependent on fitting one in with work than anything else.
Once I have achieved all of these and hopefully get finally discharged from my consultant next year, I can finally put hips behind me, for a few yrs at least until righty give up. I can already declare that both PAOs were a resounding success, and can fully recommend them to anyone-as long as you have an excellent and very experienced surgeon to do them.
Well I had a very successful post-op appointment in February, everything going well and surgeon was impressed with strength and ROM. I have been cleared of all restrictions and don't need to see him again until next year.
Since my appointment I have been slowy increasing my exercise and walking. I can now walk 10 miles!!! :D and have done so several times, not without some soreness, but thats to be expected (hubby had sore legs too and he doesnt have any problems). I have biked up to 12 miles a time, and more recentley started running again...hubby not at all happy with this, so am taking it very slowly and slightly in secret ;) I can comfortably run 10-12 mins without any problems with my hips. If I do overdo things, I get a slight burning pain in my right hip (PAOed 3 yrs ago) which has always been the worst hip and the one with the most damage pre-op.
I have just come back from a hectic weekend in London, loads of walking and steps, and have had some aching in my right knee which is prone to some problems anyway, and my left ankle -but am proud to report hips held up brilliantly.
So, have just 3 goals left to complete this year,;
1) fell walking scheduled for May,
2) 5k run -possibly in July depending how things feel
3) completing an exercise class-this is more dependent on fitting one in with work than anything else.
Once I have achieved all of these and hopefully get finally discharged from my consultant next year, I can finally put hips behind me, for a few yrs at least until righty give up. I can already declare that both PAOs were a resounding success, and can fully recommend them to anyone-as long as you have an excellent and very experienced surgeon to do them.
Friday, 27 January 2012
5 months
Things still going extremely well on the hip front.
Left hip is five months post-op and gaining strength and mobility. I am regularly working long shifts on my feet, going to the gym and walking my dog......living life again!! I have pain and catching in the front of my hip which I am pretty sure is Psoas tendonitis and something I dealt with for a couple of years following my R PAO. I will discuss this at my 6 month follow-up in February, and hopefully a cortisone injection might help if it doesnt settle on its own. The right hip, at almost 3 years post-op has improved enormously following the surgery on the left, so perhaps I was over-compensating more than I realised. I am happy to report that I finally never have to think about the right hip at all, and don't feel as if there has ever been a problem on that side. The knee still gives my some pain on the right, which I am sure is down to it not tracking correctly because my quads are still weak-so working at that at the gym.
Will post again following my check-up in February, hoping to be given the all-clear to add impact to my workouts then.
Left hip is five months post-op and gaining strength and mobility. I am regularly working long shifts on my feet, going to the gym and walking my dog......living life again!! I have pain and catching in the front of my hip which I am pretty sure is Psoas tendonitis and something I dealt with for a couple of years following my R PAO. I will discuss this at my 6 month follow-up in February, and hopefully a cortisone injection might help if it doesnt settle on its own. The right hip, at almost 3 years post-op has improved enormously following the surgery on the left, so perhaps I was over-compensating more than I realised. I am happy to report that I finally never have to think about the right hip at all, and don't feel as if there has ever been a problem on that side. The knee still gives my some pain on the right, which I am sure is down to it not tracking correctly because my quads are still weak-so working at that at the gym.
Will post again following my check-up in February, hoping to be given the all-clear to add impact to my workouts then.
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Results
Well, I am around the 16 week mark, and things couldn't be better.
My left, most recently operated side is behaving really well is is more or less pain free the majority of the time,just a little discomfort if it gets really tired or its very cold.
The right hip is still causing a few problems with muscle tightness causing some knee pain due to it not tracking properly, and the hip flexor gets sore at times but my physio is helping with those issues using deep tissue massage, acupuncture and cupping. Hopefully there will be some improvement as both sides get strongerand my muscle imbalances improve.
I am able to work without painkillers and work out regulary at the gym. :)
This week I swam 50 lengths in one session. Today I managed to do 40 mins cardio in the gym (bike, treadmill walking and the cross trainer) some upper and lower body weights, then 30 mins (35 lengths ) in the pool. This followed a 5 hour shift at work and then I ended the day with 2 hours of Christmas shopping....still pain free. I am so pleased to be able to accomplish all of that, compared to where i was 3 years ago, unable to walk ten mins without aids, or even 4 months ago,when I was unable to leave the house without being drugged up with strong meds.
This recovery has been so straightforward compared to the first one. I have been fortunate to have such an amazing surgeon, a really good physio that has made such a difference this time, and a supportive hubby and family. I have worked so hard at my recovery, hoping that this will be the last surgery for a very long time, and now I am reaping the benefits. All that is left now is for my strength to continue to improve, and for me to regain the muscle mass and cardio fitness that I had prior to my hip pain and the journey of Arthroscopies and PAOs that followed.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
PT, hydro and updates
Reading last weeks update all that exercises was slightly too much and I ended up sore and using one crutch again over the weekend.
Monday was back in the gym, this time did the bike for 5 mins on an increased resistance and the cross trainer for 10mins as an introduction. The cross trainer felt great, but the bike stressed my right knee a little, Followed by the pool for 20 lengths and a few hydro exercises.
Tuesday I saw my private physio, who advised me to stop pushing my knee to my chest quite so much as this might be irritating the hip capsule, which makes a lot of sense, and gave me lots more stretches and glute strengthening to do. I think that probably swimming is adding to that, so may cut back on that too for now.
Then I stayed and did a hip hydro class, which was great because it refreshed my memory and gave me some new pool exercises to try. These included pool walking with a woggle, but activating the glutes at the same time to ensure they are firing properly, and sitting on a woggle and doing a cycling action up and down the pool. The latter exercise was really good, and I am hoping I can swallow my pride , invest in a woggle and do some 'cycling' up and down my gym pool......I feel some funny looks coming my way!!
I was absolutely shattered when I got home, and definitely feeling it today. I have just seen my local NHS physio, what a waste of time!! She has done absolutely nothing for me. Today she checked my ROM and strength, asked about stamina, told me not to return to work for more than 3 hours at a time (ok, that makes sense) but to get my wellies on and go walking around the dales!! Apparently the hills will be good for my glutes!! Yeah right!! Maybe in 6 weeks time, but I can barely do 30mins on the flat, never mind climbing hills!! I won't be seeing her again, and I am so glad I have the experience and advice of the private one. Where post-op PT is concerned, the NHS have really let me down this time.
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