Holy guacamole – so much has gone on since my last post. Physical therapy started, I flew for the first time since my surgery, I met with my Ear Nose and Throat doctor about my persistent sinus infections – and these were just the highlights.

Until we meet again…

Its been 10.5 weeks since my PAO surgery and I’ve been doing well – I’m able to walk unassisted when inside and use my crutches to get around outside. Oh, and the wheelchair went back to the rental shop, not to be seen for another 3 months (until the next surgery!).

So, I figured that if I could walk, I was pretty much back to normal. I figured wrong. I have a lot of pain and difficulty doing things other than walking. For example, if I am sitting and my legs are extended in front of me, it’s really hardand pretty painful to lift my leg, even a few inches. The muscles in the front of my thigh are super weak. I have noticed increased in the joint, expecially when I sit with my hip at greater than 90 degrees for more than a few minutes. Also, the muscles in my backside are super weak and shake when I do many of my exercises. I still have trouble putting on socks or buckling shoes and I have a really hard time falling asleep because I can’t get comfortable. My left hip aches ALL the time, near the greater trochanter on the femur and in the areas of my labral tears. One thing that’s freaking me out is that I still notice the sharp ice-pick like pain in my right hip when I do certain movements. While it is only 10.5 weeks since the surgery, I am a little concerned about how this is going to affect my next surgery (which is 12.5 weeks away). I need my right hip to be strong because I will be depend on it exclusively while my left hip recovers.

Physical Therapy. Started PT on the 7th and had 3 sessions so far. The focus of PT is to strengthen my core, my glute and thigh muscles, and to stretch the joint. On my off days I do my exercises at home. I feel really strong at the PT offices but when I try to do the same exercises at home, it’s like my strength evaporates. I am also super sore because of the increased exercise. I know that it’s helping but it still feels like a setback to be sore and in pain now when I felt so pain-free at 6 weeks (although at 6 weeks I was not weight bearing and almost totally inactive).

Denver – There I went I flew to Denver to attend my cousin’s wedding this past week and had a great time and was truly happy to spend time with my family. I was able to sit in a bulkhead seat on the airplane (which permitted me to extend my legs and avoid joint stiffness) and got the added benefit of sitting next to two French Mastiffs from the Westminster dog show! I used wheelchairs to get me through the airports (BEST choice ever) my family drove me get around once in Colorado.

Dragging luggage through the airport (like carrying a shopping basket at the grocery store or walking the dog) is incredibly difficult when on crutches. In general, travel was harder than I’d anticipated, both physically and mentally, even at this point in my recovery.  I am sore and still worn out a few days after getting back.  That said, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Balloon Sinuplasty. Aside from all the hip drama, I suffer from severe allergies and persistent sinus infections. After having met with an ENT and having a CT scan I am scheduled for a balloon sinuplasty this Friday. It was either that or a traditional surgery and since balloon sinuplasty is less invasive we decided to try that first. Click the link to learn what a Balloon Sinuplasty is and what it does — What is Balloon Sinuplasty? — there’s also a useful animation. At this point, my head is so full with hip related anatomy and physiology that I don’t have the mental capacity to learn the intricacies of sinus surgery. I’m not looking for a miracle, just to be able to make it through the Spring allergy season without having a meltdown.

Wheels on the bus go round ‘n round!

In other news, February 24th will be the half-way point between my two surgeries — time to start getting ready for May 8th and my SDD surgery. Yikes!?!

Finally, I am happy to report that I got approved by Access-a-Ride, the MTA’s paratransit system.  I used the service for the first time to get to my ENT appointment and will use it again on Friday for my BSP.