I am 5 months (22 weeks) post-op right hip, 17.5 months post-op left hip, 2 full years post-op exploratory surgery, and 6 weeks post car accident. The four-month update communicated the various challenges that ended that month, started this month. Back to tedious early stages of rehab, but different context. The hip is stronger than right after surgery, more capable in some ways, less in others, badly flared, but the rest of my body is also flared or sore from exacerbation of existing issues and new injuries, so my entire body is trying to heal and recover, thus nothing left to compensate with. Entire body working so hard to heal, support itself, that fatigue is severe, limiting. No endurance for anything. I went from being in decent physical condition, to unable to do much of anything, wearing out in minutes, barely able to walk, etc.
Some days I feel like I will never regain enough functional ability to do anything. It seems as if I have procedures lined up in queue, waiting for me to be fit enough. Every surgery, I think maybe it will be last, or at least for a while, and the last few, have known the next was coming before rehabbed from that one. Same case now.
My hip surgeon wanted the hip checked more thoroughly, but realized the challenges of getting me all that distance, thus asked for shoulder surgeon to check things out. This was done a couple of weeks ago at four weeks after the accident. Things were beginning to calm down, I was starting to regain more ability, but still nowhere near where I had been before the accident. The appointment went really well. He had my x-rays from the ER after the accident and said those look fine. He checked right hip pretty thoroughly--range of motion, where things were tender, etc. Checked left hip as well and commented that left definitely moves better than right. However, he thinks this is just a massive flare from the accident, and is not concerned at this stage. He also checked shoulder again--think he is still trying to determine just how symptomatic the various issues are, thus which ones truly justify surgery. He again told me he will not consider proceeding with the shoulder surgery until I have had time to heal. My body is already dealing with too much, working hard to recover from the accident as well as still rehabbing from hip surgery. He wants to recheck things in 6 weeks, make sure hips are still calming down, I am still making progress, see how I am doing, how things are going.
I am very slowly regaining ability, slowly able to do more, slowly pain is calming. Grateful for progress. Still not back to the ability I had before the car accident, but hoping this is just a setback and not something that creates permanent issues. I am still relying on compression clothing to support my body (compression leggings to support low back, hips, and knees, compression shirt to support upper back, shoulders). I am no longer needing the cervical collar for support, but chiropractors are taping (kinesiology tape) my neck for support. That has helped immensely. We have right hip taped now as trial and so far, really helping. Taping left hip and shoulders is under discussion as well, but we are going slowly, seeing how my body responds. Thus far, no reactions to the adhesive, which is a minor miracle by itself. Oh, and when one is small, sometimes finding compression clothing small enough to actually provide compression can be challenging. Girls' size medium works well! Plus, less expensive.
I feel as if back in the tedious, time-consuming, tiresome stage from earlier. Ability is limited, back to working on making even small gains. Last week was discouraging as full reality was setting in, still dealing with higher pain levels, extreme fatigue, loss of ability. I had to consciously choose to focus on what was going well, each gain, etc. This week has been a little better. I am still tired and still wear out easily, still continuously medicated for pain/spasm, but finally making noticeable gains in rehab and ability. Also, less miserable from pain--medications do not eliminate pain, or even fully mask it. Rather they decrease it enough to be more functional. Early on, pain was high enough that even with medications, I was not particularly functional. Pain has lessened enough that same doses of medications are more effective, but there is still constant pain.
My surgeon told me at 12 weeks not to compare between hips I am not doing so intentionally, but it is hard not to with some things. There are lot of things that I do not recall from last time, but there are a few key milestones I remember clearly. One was being able to sit cross legged again--took longer this time in the first place, then lost the ability again after the accident and still have not regained it. One was being cleared to walk for exercise--it was right around 5 months, early December last year. Nowhere near that yet as still back to slowly advancing elliptical. Another was being back to full pre-hip issues normal ability--by 7 months last time. That may still be possible, but not counting on it or anything really at this point. This hip has been flared pretty much the majority of its post-op rehab. I am just grateful to be making progress again. But, this has been hard. I have been reminded by providers that my body is recovering from a lot, to be patient and gentle with my body. I need to keep expectations low, let my body heal. They have also told me I am doing well with keeping a positive attitude in the midst of all of the challenges. That was encouraging to hear!
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Post at 5 months post-op left hip last year.
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