1 year post-op

Well this time last year, I was sat in London having my pre-surgery meal, with a mixture of excitement at beginning the journey that would hopefully change my life, and slightly nervous at what the next day would entail.

What a difference a year makes!
I have gone from not being able to walk around a supermarket without a walking stick, and a hip that gave out at almost every step, constantly living on strong painkillers and working through a fog, to being 'normal' (although close friends and family might dispute that . I can do everything that any other 41yr old can do, work without strong meds, clean the house as much as I like, walk the dog etc but, unlike others my age, it is something I will never take for granted again. It has been a long, and often frustrating year, and many times I thought I would never reach this point and would never be pain free again, particularly following not recovering from the Arthroscopy the previous year. I am now 32lbs lighter, and much fitter than I have been for years.

My no 1 goal following the PAO was to be able to work pain free, without meds. I finally managed that about 11 months post op.

No 2 to be able to walk the dog pain free,something I haven't done for about 4 years. Also managed around 11 months.

I have now set myself some new goals for the next year, whether I will achieve all of them or just some depends on my operated hip and also the unoperated one, but either way, I intend to have fun trying, and be grateful for what I can do now, anything that follows is just a bonus.

I have just started a run/walk programme to get me back into running. ( Hubby doesn't know yet, have been doing it in secret as I will go crazy, things its stupid after all I have been through). I have ran/walked 1min each x5 for 3 times last week. The first couple of times hip felt very strange. almost as if there wasn't any cushioning inside the joint, but the third time I went out with the dog and my youngest on her horse.Thet trotted when I ran, and we all had a great time,then walked for the rest and was out for 80mins, and the hip felt great. Started week 2 today, ran 2min/walked 1 x6 plus 10mins walk warm up and cool down, hip wasn't an issue except the quad when running downhill,but my fitness was!!!! I take Ibuprofen before as advised by Mr W and iced afterwards and everything feels better now than before I started the running so it can't be doing any harm.

My following goals are;

1, Run for 30mins solid,
2, enter a 5k,
3, 10k,
4 half marathon,
5-have entered the ballot to run or walk or a combination of both,the London Marathon (all Annicks fault,lol). If I don't get a place a friend has agreed to walk the Moonwalk ( same distance),although I am not sure London is ready for me in my bra! :)

So thats where I am up to now. I hope it helps those of you who are still recovering, or to anyone who reads this and needs a PAO in the future. It is worth every moment, and eventually you WILL get your life back, and will be a stronger and more thankful person for it.

I have met some fantastic people that have helped me through this journey-too many to mention,all undergoing their own personal hip battles too. Each and everyone of you have been a tremendous support and I would love to meet some of you someday.
Thanks to all the hip chicks who have supported,listened and given their advice.

I hope this blog helps someone who needs to undergo a PAO at some point in the future. Its a tough and frustrating journey but sooo worth it when you get to the end!

Next Appointment

I have had my next appointment with my surgeon brought forward about 5 weeks to 5th Feb, which will be almost 9 months post-op, so shall see how he thinks the recovery is going-a little too slowly for my liking , but hoping it will improve soon.

As good as it gets?

I was assessed by a new physio last week. He was very thorough, and although hadn't seen a PAO patient before obviously understood the procedure well. He managed to identify that some muscles weren't firing properly and also suspects I have psoas tendonitis and bursitis, and thinks that a scan and a steroid injection will be needed. We had to give up with the assessment in the end because I was getting so sore he wasn't able to finish.
So I am now waiting for an appointment for more physio to begin, and also to see my OS again. I have felt slightly better the last few days but think that is mainly down to the NSAIDS and the pain meds masking it rather than any improvements.
I have gone back to using the stationary bike for a few mins twice a day again and some of the old exercises from physio last time around to see if I can make any more improvements myself, although the joint and the main muscles are all pretty strong.
I am starting to prepare myself, at 8 months post-op, that this is about as good as it gets. I hope things will still get better as I move nearer the 1 year mark, but need to mentally prepare myself to whether I would be prepared for any more surgery if it were to be offered or whether I would be happy to live with my hip in this condition.
I am glad I had the PAO as my joint is more stable now and I no longer suffer from the 'giving out' pain from the dysplasia that was present at almost every step. I wonder if my expectations for this surgery were too high, I imagined by 4-5 months post-op that I would have started to forget I had had hip surgery and would be able to get on with all the things I haven't been able to do for the past few years. So far this hasn't been the case.
At this present time, as my other hip has only mild dysplasia and although sometimes painful doesn't give me the constant disabling pain that I had pre-op with my right hip, I have decided not to go ahead with another PAO and would rather wait it out for a THR in a few years time. However this might change if it deteriorates or my other hip improves dramatically.

2 steps backwards

I have been back to my GP today, who has been fantastic the last few weeks. She is writing to Witt to try to have my next appointment in March brought forward, and is going to try and get some physio started and a pain management plan. For now she has put me on Fentanyl patches until she hears back from Witt and has also requested a steroid injection if he thinks thats necessary.
I am pretty sure this is just a temporary blip, but want to know why the joint has suddenly got so inflammed and don't want to just keep masking it with painkillers.
Only two more days to go at work though until a week off for Christmas so that will be a great help and hopefully a chance to relax.
Merry Christmas everyone, and I hope all the hippies have as pain free a time as possible.

Not so great!

Not had a great few days. Operated hip has been really sore and inflammed and has locked a few times. A trip to the GP resulted in her advising me to go back on crutches until everything settles down a bit, back on the diclofenac (with a stomach protector this time so hopefully that will be ok) paras, and dihydrocodeine for breakthrough pain.
I am pretty gutted at the thought of whats going on, and to why it has got so inflammed at seven months post-op, but am trying to tell myself its just a glitch in the recovery. I haven't done anything to aggravate it, and have cut down on everything except the necessary stuff over the last few weeks so am pretty sure I haven't overdone it.
If there is no improvement in the next couple of weeks the GP has agreed to send me to physio for deep heat and massage (hopefully by some gorgeous hunk ;) ) or contacting Mr Witt to see if he will see me sooner than March, although once xmas and the New Year is over I don't think I will get in much before March anyway.