Four Weeks Down, Eight to Go!

Saw my favourite physio this week, John Manley out here in Sooke. I can go at no charge to the Adanac Clinic at the 'Jube' (aka Jubilee Hospital), but it's a long drive, and they didn't do much for me last time. John was happy with my progress. He ask me to let my hips swing side to side with my walk, which hurt a bit in the outside of my right thigh. He also suggested a slight pelvic tilt, as my pelvis is tipped quite a bit forward, to avoid the pain.

Don't overuse your arms
John also encouraged me to just 'tap' my cane, and to rest my hands lightly on my walker. I was rejoicing in my upper body strength early on in my healing. It makes it easier to get around, the fact that I can propel myself with my arms, connecting to my back when i need to, without any ache in my shoulders. Turns out at this point, though, the idea is to let the legs do the work, keeping my steps small, my gait slow and steady. Sigh.

It is getting a bit old, all this walking slowly. Though I am doing better, walking more often and smoothly without my walker, I still ain't goin nowhere fast. Though I can use my golfer's reach to lean forward, it's pretty awkward getting down to the floor. When I washed the windows the other day, I did all the top half, then laboriously got down to the floor to do the lower windows on my knees.

It's very one-sided
When I do yoga, I have to roll from my back to front, or vice versa, via the right side, pushing off the left foot before the knee comes too low.  As for sleeping, only on my back, or my right side, often with an icepack. At least this time, it's easier to get in and out of bed, as my operated side is the left side. Much easier than when my right hip was sore.

I asked the physio if I should try lying on my left side, even though it hurts. He says it could bother the incision, and it would be best not to.

Torsion
 I asked if was okay how I've been leaning forward, keeping my hip at less than 90 degrees by tilting my pelvis. John replied that we're trying to avoid torsion, which I understand as moving too much at the hip socket. There's a longer definition here: http://www.hss.edu/excessive-torsion-hip-pain-center.asp#.U0G4F61dUmc, along with plenty of other useful info about various types of hip pain. So I need to be more cautious about my angles. It feels from the inside that part of the problem is pushing off with the operated leg to stand up.

Book!
I am going to write a book about all this. Collect about 10 stories, meld them together with useful information, and e-publish it. There is a lack of information out there, and, though the system here in BC is efficient and helpful, I know I would've loved to read some other people's stories of hip surgery, before I went through it myself.

Today's Quote: "Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh