Zumba!

Wow! It has been a long time since I have posted. Work has kept me very busy with planning, grading, and paperwork. I am having an unmotivated night so I figured this was as good as time as any to update. I finished PT in September and I was supposed to start going to the gym regularly after that. But...life is too busy. I've gone here or there, but not enough to make a difference. I am having major issues with my hip tightening up and causing a limp after I sit for longer than a half an hour. This is bad because I have about a half hour drive to work. I randomly get sharp, catching pains in my hip (normally near the end of a week). I also cannot lift my leg without groin pain. I have been able to do the elyptical machine for 20-30 minutes without issues, so I went yesterday for my first Zumba class in a year. My hip did not hold me back except for the moves where I had to lift my left leg. My endurance was the problem. And now every muscle in my body hurts...it actually hurts to breath! It was worth it though. I missed exercising. I just need to find more time for Zumba classes so that I can have fun while I work out. My next follow up appointment is in January. Hopefully I can improve by then. I told my doc mid-October that I felt about how I felt pre-surgery. I'm ready to be 100%!

From the photo on the left to the photo on the right only took 3 1/2 months!

June 4, 2011 September 17, 2011

3 months and beyond

Well I've made it beyond the three month mark. My handicapped parking tag is expired on 9/8/11 and I am walking sans cane. However, I still have a pretty wicked limp after sitting for long period of time. I had a doctor's check up on the 31st of August and my x-ray apparently looked good (I didn't get to see it this time). It was agreed by all that I should continue PT since I was still struggling to lift my left leg. I have my last two PT session next week and after that I plan on scheduling "PT" at the gym so I actually go. My long days at work have started and are totally wearing my body down. The students are now at school 8-5 M-Th and 8-2:30 Fridays. This translates to me being on my feet at least 8 hours per day but actually closer to 10 hours. These last two days I've started having a new, weird pain in my left hip that seems more structural than muscular. I do go back for another check up with Dr. Scheid on October 18th. I may request to see my X-ray this time.

The same day as my hip appointment I also went to the gyno. Of course they found something wrong because nothing ever goes right with my body. So yesterday I went and had an ultrasound done under my right arm because I found a lump over the summer. Thankfully the radiologist thinks it is just a swollen lymph node and I just have to go back in 2 months to get it checked. I'm about done with this doctor stuff btw....

11 weeks and trying to walk

OMG! Work and school has me so busy right now. I've had students at school for the last week and a half. I love my new students and what I am able to do to help them this year. However, long days at work and physical therapy has been tiring. I have 3 more PT sessions left and I go back to see Dr. Scheid next Wednesday. I am walking with only a cane now. Several places I go I will leave the cane at home or in the car. I don't use anything when I am home to walk. I'm hoping by next week I can lose the cane altogether. My biggest struggle is losing the limp and continued knee pain. Most of the PT exercises really irritate my knee cap a lot, but I need to do them to build the muscles back up. I plan on bringing up the continued knee pain at my appointment next week and also the weakness in my right hip. Whenever I alternate and do my PT exercises on my right side, that hip doesn't seem as strong as my post-op left hip. I just don't want to deal with anymore surgeries at this point! Hopefully I will remember to update after my appointment next week.

9 weeks & PT

I have finally started physical therapy! I had my first session on Monday and it was pretty painful. She had to check all my ROM and teach me the home exercises that I can do. Then I did the home exercises Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I go back for another session tonight. Most of the exercises are working to try to get me to lift my leg from the hip. This is causing me to have a very angry hip that will yell at me at random times through the day. I am seeing progress though! I feel more normal, I can stand on my left leg in the shower and to repeat exercises with my right leg. I also went up and down the steps normally at work yesterday, but only once to be safe. I actually did it without even thinking about it! I will be having PT twice a week until September 1st and my next follow up with Dr. Scheid is August 31st. School starts next week so my updates are going to become few and far between. Oh! And I am still rocking one crutch. I am hoping next week I can ditch it completely or just start using a cane.

8 weeks post op!

Wow! Eight weeks, that's like almost two months now. I've been using one crutch since my doctor's appointment and it is EXHAUSTING. I had to pull out my knee brace to help stabilize my left knee while walking on it. My whole leg just feels tired all the time now and I especially feel it in my knee and shin. When I do a little walking around the house without the crutch I noticed that I start getting lower back pain too. This week I have been at a conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN. If you've ever been here or seen pictures you understand how gigantic it is. And I have been walking around this place everyday (after having a 5 hour drive down here) on one crutch. I can't believe all the freaking staircases too! Up one set, down two more, up another, and then finally to your class. There are elevators, but they are so hard to locate. And with all this walking my feet have been KILLING me. Only one more day of it though....Next Monday (Aug. 8th) I start physical therapy. I'm going to a new place this time around that is on my way home from my new job. That way I can go right after work. It's through the Community hospital system in Indianapolis, so I am hoping it is a pretty good set up. I will try to remember to update next week after my first session.

Follow up with doctor

I had my follow up with the doctor today and it went great! I'm allowed to go down to one crutch now or about 3 weeks. Then after that I can use a cane. I can start PT for my hip and knee now to get my muscle strength back. I'm ready to not have to lift my leg with my hands! I got to see my hip x-ray and the coverage looks great. I have another follow up in 5 weeks which will be at about 12 weeks post op (3 months). Overall I'm feeling pretty good and glad recovery is going as well as it can!

7 weeks and back to work!

I have had a pretty crazy week since I last posted. I went to an Indian's game on Friday and did a lot of crutching in the heat. Saturday I had to ride to Nashville, IN and back. The ride down wasn't too bad, but I started to have pain on the way back. It's only about an hour ride, but the car was very uncomfortable. Sunday I went to car show and had to sit out in the heat all morning. I think it would be more bearable if it wasn't so hot out. On Sunday I was crutching over my dog and I walked with only one crutch on accident and it worked just fine! I started work yesterday and I was one crutching here and there, and limping along the edge of things with no crutches. Then last night I had to take a half a pain pill because my hip hurt pretty bad. So today I made sure I used both crutches as much as possible. I FINALLY have my next follow up appointment Thursday morning. I'm ready to see my x-ray and know how well surgery really went. I am ready for PT to start and to start walking!!

Oh and I just want to vent about the stupid wheelchair company and stupid Lighthouse Academies. I have been calling Cobra insurance since July 12th because the dates are wrong on when my insurance ended with Lighthouse Academies. Cobra contacted Lighthouse to try to fix the dates and they are still waiting to hear back. I have been calling Apria Healthcare that I rented a wheelchair from to try to get them to pick it up since July 14th and they FINALLY called me back today to schedule the pick up. But I was in a meeting at work so the phone tag begins.

I will try to update again this Thursday after I go to the doctor.