Me and My Hipster: I Am Back...3.5 Months!

Waiting for 3 hours in the waiting room to see Dr. A!

I am officially 3.5 month post THR. WOW it feel like 3.5 years at the moment! So much and so little has happened at the same time...haha! I am sorry I haven't posted much recently, but I just had a check up with Dr. A, so I figured it was a good time to follow up with a blog piece.

I am doing a daily blog through photographs and mini stories about my recovery which has been a great creative outlet;you can find this on Flickr: My 365 Days Of Truly Becoming Bionic: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwNA6f3 I am trying to make it as fun, creative, and informative as possible. The idea to do this was that I found so much information about what it's like to have a hip replacement, but not a whole lot about what happens afterwards, so I figured this would be a good way to show the other side of life (recovering) from THR!

So where I am at! I saw Dr. A last Friday for my follow up apt. I WAITED and waited and waited in the waiting room (it truly is a perfectly named room) for 3 hours to see Dr. A . To keep myself busy I bought a new iPhone app to capture me waiting ;) ..hey it passed the time. One thing I can say positive about this waiting time is that I could actually do it. Last month I was there I had to lay down on a gurney, because I couldn't handle all that sitting, this time I toughed it out! After all my waiting I was fortunate to get a full 10 minutes to meet with Dr. A ,yes I am being sarcastic once again, but my blog is the one place I get to vent because it's my blog ;)..so ya I am going too) ;)!
So highlights for the 10 minutes with Dr. A.:

1. I can't sit on the floor..Dr A said no no no! (Total bummer..I really like to sit on floors..I am not being sarcastic now..I actually enjoy it..I do a lot of organizing that way )

After precautions were lifted I couldn't wait to plop myself on the floor and stretch out, but I guess no more of this ..for now!

2. I can walk without my cane in my home as long as I am not limping..if I start limping I need to use my cane( I have been for the most part lately not using my cane inside my home, but still need it outside. I can't do any distance without limping). Dr. A said this is normal for me ,because of all that has happened to my hip and surrounding muscles

Ode to my cane ;)

3. I can start adding strengthening to my PT along with stretching and deep tissue massage (which feels great when getting it done; like a good pain), but OMG it kills like 2 hours later. Dr A said that is also normal.

4.Dr. A said he is proud of me and all the hard work I have been doing, he said it shows! I know that is not a big deal, but no surgeon has really said they are proud of me or validated all my hard work and that felt good!

Being careful not to fall while embracing the season outside instead of always being indoors!

5.We discussed my foot numbness, my achy pains down my leg, sharp pains in my groin, my swelling..he had no real answers except we need to give it time. He said 3 months isn't going to undo 5 years worth of damage. He truly believes it will take me one year to feel some true relief and if I don't than we will have to look into why.

6. I can take advil or alleve now along with my other medication (it is actually helping..Yay!)

7. He gave D and I big hugs because D PROPOSED to me last week..we are ENGAGED!!! That sure help takes ones mind off their hip ;)


Pic taken right after D proposed to me!!!! :)

8. Dr. A and I walked the halls of his office so he could watch me walk with a cane...it was a nice stroll where we got to chit chat ;)

9. Biggest issue I have at the moment (well besides the pain) is full blown insomnia. I cannot get comfortable to sleep. I catch a few hours every morning, but it's not enough. I am working on that. Dr. A. said I could go back to acupuncture now, so I may try that again it really helped before! I really feel like a walking zombie most of the time, not the best feeling! Ugh..working on it!!

Me Zombie..haha!

10. I see him again in 3 months: So for now Physical Therapy and do whatever I can to help control pain. (will try massage and acupuncture as well as Lidoderm patch (numbing patch /no narcotic.. does seem to help a lot with out side-effects!))

Even though this still is really a hard time I am doing better than I was last month, so with that said.. Cheers!
Don't forget you can follow my daily THR story on Flickr: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwNA6f3 ,and I will definitely be back to update after my next apt with Dr. A! Hopefully I will have made some real progress at 6 months! Look forward to see what the future holds for me and my hipster!