One month post op update

Today is one month since my LPAO and right hip screw removal. It feels like time has gone so slow and so fast all at the same time. Compared to how I felt last year recovering at 4 weeks, I am certainly not as ambitious to do much of anything. Last year I was satisfied to be out and about (carefully) and trying to do light housework...dreading the 12 weeks to come to an end, lol. This year I have no ambition to do anything and am satisfied to sit and do nothing but read but yet since I CAN'T do anything due to the leg/hip restrictions I WANT to go back to work. It doesn't make sense. But that's how it is. Anyway, I won't go into details about my falling and hurting my hip because that's all I wrote about in my last two posts, but I am moving a lot better. Pain is still an unresolved issue but I'll just have to work through that I guess. I pissed off a lot of muscles/tendons/ligaments.

So, let's talk about the right hip. Since the screws were removed that deep awful ache I got all the way down the leg from trochanter to ankle is gone. I can lie on that side without it having that pulsing ache now, although it still hurts to lie on that side since it's still sore from surgery. Once the surgical pain goes away I think it will be pain free at the trochanter. The surgical report I got said that Z incised the bursa again to get to the screws. So I'm sure that it's very tender because of that as well. I also don't feel the weird popping over the screw heads anymore that grossed me out so much. So having the screws removed was definately the right move. However, the right hip is extremely achy and sore from being the sole weight bearer. It's had sharp pains, it's given out, the lateral muscles are getting fatigued and the groin is getting a slight catching feeling again. I don't know if it'll get better once the left hip can start to bear weight again but I suppose it'll be a watch and see kind of thing. It was a little "crunchy" the other day too. I wonder if that was the cartilage that didn't lay down right after surgery?

The left hip was doing really awesome til I fell. I was doing really well not taking vicodin except at night and just extra strength tylenol during the day. Now I'm back on the vicodin and valium a couple times a day til the spasms and extra pain subsides. So minus the setback of the fall, I would say that I am extremely impressed with how my hip feels. No aching as of before the fall and it still feels nice and stable. Obviously this is all before weight bearing so we shall see. One thing that has started to happen since I fell that wasn't happening before is some anterior clunking. I think it might be the psoas. It's not a good thing to inflame the psoas, but what can I do? Now I'll have to deal with that. But, the good news is I don't feel like I'm fresh post op anymore. Yes, I'm still extremely sore, and yes, I can't hardly do anything at this point now without the hip hurting but I can lift my foot off the ground from a sitting position just an inch or so for a second or two. Just long enough to pull on my underwear, or socks! It hurts the psoas, but I can do it! That's a major accomplishment. I can't wait until Jan 20th when I can get rid of these restrictions and do straight leg lifts and put weight down on the leg and drop a crutch! Another good thing is the muscle atrophy isn't getting any worse and my scar is looking pretty good. I've started using vitamin E oil lotion on it to rub in and try to do scar massage on it. It's so weird because parts of the incision hurts and parts of the incision are completely numb and I can't even tell I'm touching it. It gives me the creeps and makes my stomach roll.

All I do all day for now is sit with an ice pack under my butt with my feet up in the recliner. I have a wheelchair now for when I'm alone during the day when my husband's at work and it's handy for getting food or drinks or whatever when I don't have a free hand. Luckily our house is an open floor plan with wood floors and it's easy navigating.

One thing I have noticed is that my PAO leg from calf to foot is very cool and sometimes icy to touch and then when I'm up crutching my ankle and foot turn a dusky color. But once I sit down and put my feet up it turns a normal color and matches my other foot. The pulses are good, so I don't have a blockage in circulation, but I guess that since I'm not using my leg to weight bear the blood must be pooling in my foot resulting in the dusky color.

I still deal with constipation at times even though I'm still on laxatives and my appetite is still low. I'm drinking plenty of water though and making sure I take my vitamins every day. I guess I've lost a little weight since surgery, because everyone I see tells me I'm looking a little thin. I'll take that! Maybe this isn't the ideal way to lose weight, but hey, whatever:) My appetite is sure to come back though full force at some point and I'm no doubt going to gain back every pound I've lost but oh well. It's nice to be a little thinner for a little while.

I'm still fairly swollen at the incision of the LPAO so I don't know that I can feel the screw heads yet, but I keep feeling for them, waiting for the day I will feel them. They are right there at the edge of the wing of the pelvis. Most of the Z girls have had theirs removed, so I'm no doubt going to be one of them. Today is the first day I wore jeans too! And it doesn't bother my incision much, so that is a good thing. But the jeans are also a loose pair, so I'm not sure how my tighter fitting jeans will feel. I'm not ready to wear those just yet. I think I'll stick to my sweats and yoga pants a little while longer while I still have a great excuse to wear them in public:)

I've learned a valuable lesson over the last few days....don't have the RPAO before Christmas! With my SDD and my PAO both being just within weeks of the Christmas holidays, I have worn myself out more than was necessary and obviously caused me to fall and end up in ER. So, if/when I schedule my RPAO, I will not be doing it during any busy holiday times. I will schedule it for after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Plus it was a bummer not to be able to partake in any active holiday decorating and baking the last two years. I wanted to help and instead was just a burden.

Now the year is coming to an end and I am staring at my 30th birthday on New Years Day and all I can say is, I got a fantastic birthday present....a stable left hip!!! (with a little bling inside, haha!)