Highs and Lows: Week 5

This week was characterized by highs and lows. There were some very discouraging and disappointing things, but also some very exciting things.  I knew last weekend that this was going to be an interesting week (challenging or difficult would perhaps be more precise adjectives, but as always, trying to be positive).

I started out the week very discouraged and really struggling as my body (especially neck, back, bad shoulder, arms, hands, "good" hip) was just done even trying to move with crutches but I was still non-weight bearing.  For someone who does not like to be still, it was hard to have a body that did not want to move at all. Then, I found out that I got to try walking without crutches!  And, it went well enough to get to use only one crutch for a few days then down to no crutches later in the week at home.  (I still have to have one crutch when out and around.) I was so excited and relieved! My body is also relieved at the reprieve!  

New things I have discovered that I can do in the past week include putting on socks and tying shoes! (Maybe not in normal ways yet, but I can at least get them on!)

I am back to walking in the pool, PT exercises in the pool and loving being in water.  I have also practiced walking up and down stairs in the pool.  The walking and stairs practice in the pool has made walking and stairs on land much easier. Because I can now stand on both feet, I am also back to some of the other exercises I was doing before surgery that help with managing the other chronic pain plus keeping up overall flexibility and strength.  It feels really good to be gradually shifting ever closer to pre-op normal routines. I am also finally able to get back to some of the other therapies and resources and with their aid starting to make more progress with the neck, back, and shoulder pain issues.  

There were some disappointments this week.  I had the opportunity to get a ride back to Nebraska to see family.  I have not been back since Christmas break.  However, the consensus was that as challenging as I had found sitting through class the previous week, that travel this soon was maybe too early and more of a concern.  So, I made the hard choice to stay home rather than risk a setback.  I then ended up sleeping 12-13 hours both nights and figure my body needed the rest of a weekend at home doing nothing other than sleep and PT exercises (or that is what it felt like I did the entire weekend).

Those who know me, know I like to be independent and test limits.  I am and have been as compliant as I know how to be.  However, the disappointment of having to stay home this weekend led to pushing against all other limits that fell under what I considered to be “safe” limits to push against.  So, I worked on campus both morning and afternoon Friday, was right at the maximum time limits for all of the exercises thus far.  (Maybe exceeded maximum times a little—mostly on accident, but possibly not being as careful of time as usual.)  I want so badly to exceed some of the other limits and know my body can and almost 100% certain the hip can also handle it but because I was told very clearly what that limit was, I am still observing it, but right at it, never under it.  (Note (8/7/16): this was written Friday and since then I have quite unintentionally exceeded limits a few times.  I use my phone as both stopwatch and timer and intentionally use a timer to prevent exceeding the time limits I have been told to observe.  Except, my phone had issues so I restarted it and it forgot it was timing and it did not occur to me to check—oops. No idea how long I was on the bike but know it was longer than the limit.  Then, got a phone call later and knew the timer was set and running so thought I was ok.  Except that when the timer went off while on the phone, it sounded the same as incoming text message so I ignored it and ended up significantly exceeding time limit.  Oops.  Another time, I started the timer but it seemed like a really long time so checked—and for some reason the timer had not ever started.  Oops.  So, moral of the story is, I do know with 100% certainty that my body and hip both can handle longer times.  I will dutifully go back to staying within limits but will also be communicating by how much I accidentally exceeded limits and see if limits can be increased again.)

Something that was a concern before surgery and is still a concern is the “good” hip.  It has always gotten sore every time the bad hip flared even before surgery, but being on crutches so long was really hard on it.  I have been hoping that getting off crutches will let it calm down, but so far, the “good” hip is more painful than the hip that had surgery, which does not actually hurt at all anymore.  I am not worrying, so much as watching.

On the positive, I had been a little apprehensive that weaning off crutches would increase pain in the hip that had surgery as it was finally having to carry weight again.  But so far, so good!  It will get twinges at times, and it was a tad sore and achy early on, but for the most part feels absolutely nothing!  It still seems so weird for it not to feel pain!

Overall, I am still making good progress.  Yes, there are highs and lows, but this is true of any situation.  I am still choosing to focus on what is going well and learn from what is not going as well.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

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