Hi there! Sorry it’s been so long. Since I’ve been cleared to go
back out in the field, I’ve been working long days and have been really busy…which
is great for my work schedule!
So, a couple things to report…good things for the most part.
A couple weeks ago I spent the better part of a week in the field doing stream
channel assessments, soil documentation plots, and Eastern Box Turtle habitat assessments.
This required A LOT of walking along a several mile long water main easement
wearing heavy, steel-toed boots, and other heavy equipment. I also had to do a
pretty good amount of climbing around in the woods, over trees and up stream
banks, etc. One of the days, the most difficult day, was about a 15 hour
workday filled with walking, climbing through woods, walking through streams,
and climbing up and down stream banks. I worked the ENTIRE day without skipping
a beat. Not a bit of hip pain at all! In fact…I hardly even thought about my
hip all day. That was really amazing for me. It was a really eye opening day
for me. Pre-surgery, I wouldn’t have been able to do even half that.
Last week I also had some other great progress…I realized I
can run and jump/hurdle over things! Odd statement, right? Well…I figured this out
while flagging wetland lines in the woods and I stepped right into a hornets
nest. Yup…that happened. Only got stung once…but that was enough…OUCH! I
ran like the dickens through the thick woods, hurdling over the fallen trees and
climbing over things and through thick trees. I got away fairly unscathed.
The next day I had to return back to the scene of the crime to try and carefully retrieve the equipment I had dropped in a frantic panic...and they swarmed me again (and I got stung again...oh brother)! I had a repeat hurdling experience, complete with face planting in the leaves and smacking my face on some branches. I was fine (albeit a hot mess...but I was fine). Now after that little adventure my
hip DID hurt a bit. Quite frankly, I’m not surprised. I haven’t pushed it like
that since before the surgery and jumping hurdles was probably not ever going
to be on my physical therapy plan…never mind now and so frantically.
On a more serious note: I do notice a couple things that bother me. My psoas still
bugs me when I have to make certain movements. For instance, climbing up onto
the back of the work truck (I’m a bit short…for those who don’t know) is a bit
difficult, and stepping down hill or make dramatic leg movements over things.
Additionally, the boots I have to wear in the field are steel-toed and they are
heavy. Probably not for a normal person but for someone who’s still gimpy they
bother my hip muscles a little bit.
I’ve also really noticed lately is that my screws
are rubbing against my waistline of my pants, especially if I wear a belt. It
wouldn’t be a big deal expect it pinches when I bend down to do anything and
it’s aggravating. I do a lot of moving and bending and lifting out in
the field so this may end up being an issue.
Since the surgery, I’ve been wondering why some PAO’ed folks
automatically have their screws removed and why some do not. I think it’s a combination
of what their particular surgeon’s protocol is, and also what they personally
prefer. Some surgeons, it seems, schedule and complete a screw removal
procedure whether the patient requests it or not. In other cases, I know people
who have had their screws for years and years and don't plan on having them removed. I guess I’m just not sure
how one decides that they are so annoying they need to be taken out. Especially since
the majority of the people I hear from that have had them removed say they were awake during their screw
removal procedure. Can you imagine that? "Don't mind this noise, I just have to really get in there...the DeWalt is acting up." I’m pretty sure I would just lose my mind. YIKES!
Okay, one last thing. I hate to admit this because it
worries me a little…but…my left hip has been really sore the past couple weeks. It’s a
different kind of pain than my right hip pain I used to have pre-PAO. This is more an
intense stiffness when I first get out a seated position. It happens more often when I've been sitting for a long period of time, or in a funny position. The
thing is that it goes away after I’ve been moving around for a couple minutes. I’m
hoping that it’s nothing and that it’s just soreness because I’m so much more
active now. I guess we’ll just have to see how it plays out over the next few
months.
Anyways…that’s about it. Not a whole lot going on otherwise, which I guess is really great news! I’m still heading to PT once a week and working on this psoas/piriformis issue. Other than that, I’m on a great road to recovery lately. I’m feeling almost normal. It’s so great to be this close to being done with PT and the official recovery process. However, I am starting to learn through others that this is not the kind of thing that just gets better and goes away. I feel as though the “recovery” for this surgery will be continuing for quite some time. We will have to see what time brings for me. Hopefully everything keeps going smoothly and I can put all this behind me soon!
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