2 Weeks Post-Op

School started for the kiddos, and well....for me too.  I started Physical Therapy this week and feels like I'm learning how to use muscles that haven't been awake for a very, very loooong time!  It's funny though...during PT, I feel some tightness and discomfort, but it's not too bad.  I'm a pretty tough bird anyway, so I don't complain unless it's REALLY painful.  If anything, it actually feels GOOD to be using my legs again!  I absolutely cannot wait until I am well enough to start working out again....like really working out!  This weight gain has been most depressing and the sedentary life I've been forced to live is nothing short of torture.  So, to get back into a "gym" per se, is wonderful!!  However, it's after PT that the pain really starts to kick in.  Ya know, we talked about those deceiving endorphins last time, right?  Yeah....  So, nights have been rough.  LOTS of muscle spasms!  But, I'm very happy to be seeing some progress.  My Physical Therapist says I'm trying to do too much too soon though...that I need to slow down and take the progress little by little and allow ample time for the joint to heal itself.  Hard, but I'll try to control myself.  I'm like a lone sled dog with A.D.D....LET'S GOOOOO!!!!  Good thing sled dogs love the cold, since I'll be spending most of my "off time" looking a little something like this: 

Brrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!  MUSH!  MUSH!  MUSH!!!

1 Week Post-Op

Tired
Determined
Sore
Frustrated
Patient
Praying
Emotional
Tired
Giggly
In God's Word
In Less Pain
In MORE Pain
Loved
Inspired
Mothered
Resolute
Steadfast
Weary
Hard-Headed
TIRED!!!
Hopeful
Eager
Ever-Faithful..... Always!

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Status Post....Day #4

Made it back to Texas, safe and sound. Praise God!!! All involved in the transport of not only my broken self, but crutches, bags, purse, husband, etc. were wonderful!!! Thank you to U.S. Airways and United Airlines for your compassion and "safe handling" getting me home!

Finally, FINALLY had my 1st shower this morning. Amazing! And exhausting.... Either my meds are REALLY awesome (and they are!) or I'm completely delusional (which is highly possible), but I actually feel LESS pain than I did with the 1st hip scope! I have better range of motion, better stability and I can put quite a considerable amount of weight on this leg. Perhaps it's because it's actually been FIXED!!! Hallelujah!!! Still using my crutches for stability, but I can actually go short distances (like bed to bathroom) WITHOUT them! Amazing!!! Needless to say, the shower was incredible....and boy, I sure do smell a heckuva LOT prettier! But I'm EXHAUSTED! And have a general feeling of "I've just been run over by a Mack truck" (or Peterbilt....ya know, whichever you prefer). So, a well-deserved nap is in order! Post more later. Maybe MUCH later..... Zzzzzz ;-)

Status Post...Day #2

Ahhhh endorphins....how deceitful the little beauties are! It's as if all my cells were asleep and today's the day the bloody alarm clock went off. I'm awake already, thanks! Now turn it off!!!

Pain not unbearable per se....thanks to my new friend (and foe) Morphine. Just a general flu-like miserableness sort of feeling. Love my Millennial Crutches (worth every penny!) and love my ice packs. The Morphine, on the other hand, while necessary at this point, is causing such traumatic dreams, I dread sleep....and my body desperately needs sleep. I am hopeful for some uninterrupted dreamless sleep today to gear up for tomorrow's long journey home. Ever grateful for this warm home that was so graciously opened for us to stay while here in Augusta....it has proven itself priceless indeed!

Post-op Day #1

Right Hip Arthroscopy with Femoroacetabular Debridement, Labral Repair, Osteotomy and Psoas Tendon Release DONE!!! Woohoo baby!!! One down....one to go!! Surgery lasted a little longer than expected, but Doc says he "took care of business"! He took lots of great pics and WOAH....the "Before" looks like a freaky, jagged, rocky mountainside from a horror movie!!! Bone where it clearly does NOT belong and then all this ragged and torn tissue that's been ripped to shreds!! Good grief! No wonder I've been so miserable all these years!!! So, Dr. B shaped all the bone and lined the femur and the hip socket up as God originally intended and gave me 2 new shiny screws to hold it all together! Sounds simple enough, right? Yeah, sure.... Haha!

Pain is manageable and I'm minimal weight bearing on the operative leg...not too shabby! My pretty red crutches and I are getting friendly once again. At the hospital, they gave us this fancy schmancy ice cooler device that connects to a pad that keeps it constantly cool...so no runs to refill ice packs every 30 minutes! It's always cold! :-D Thigh area is still really numb, which the docs say might be like that for a while, from the dislocation and traction they had on the hip for so long....it "stresses" the nerves around the hip and takes them a while to come back around. The entire leg just seems to not want to "work", like I can't lift it at all without help. But that should improve with time and therapy. Overall, I'm absolutely thrilled and super excited to get started with physical therapy....but even MORE excited to get done with the other hip too! If all goes well, we should be able to operate on the other hip in about 3 months. Woohoo!!!

I cannot even begin to express how incredibly impressed we were with the ENTIRE staff at Eisenhower Army Medical Center!!! Stereotypes of military hospitals (and yes, I'm afraid they're usually true) out the window! Dr. Bojescul is a true bonafide EXPERT in hip arthroscopy, y'all. To my Tricare "Hip Chicks"....please, please consider traveling to Fort Gordon! He, along with an entire committee of doctors, nurses and therapists, are working VERY HARD to compile case studies (mine included!) to send to Tricare to sway their ignorance that this procedure is "unproven". Yes, still send your appeals! But there's no reason to continue to suffer as we have...and by going to Dr. B, you ARE actively pursuing, not only pain relief, but directly contributing to the very case studies that will eventually overthrow Tricare's policy! Yes, unfortunately, the travel expenses are on our own dime, but what is it worth to finally have the pain relief we've been so desperate for?? If you need any contact info or have ANY questions about Dr. Bojescul and his staff or questions about the procedure itself....please don't hesitate to contact me!!!

And now I think I'll give in to the Morphine induced sleep that is beckoning.... Zzzzzz

LET'S DO THIS!!!

Made it to Augusta and Fort Gordon. It is BEAUTIFUL here! Probably one of the prettiest Army posts I've ever seen! We met up with some friends of friends and had a wonderful Bible study last night! All is well and my heart is peaceful and content :-)

Finally met my surgeon and the chief resident today. Extremely impressed with EVERYONE we've encountered here at Eisenhower Army Medical Center! Doc is very confident that this surgery will essentially "fix" me! He is going in via arthroscopy (yay!) and plans to debride and shape the bones how they SHOULD be. He'll also be repairing all the tears of the labrum and screwing things back in place when he's done. Ya know....your basic Home Depot job ;-)

We report to the OR at 0600 in the morning! I've already put in my order for my Propofol....shaken, not stirred. LOVE TO ALL!!! xoxo

T minus 1 week!

And so the countdown begins! In exactly one week, Lord-willing, I will have hip surgery #1 behind me! We will be flying from Houston to Augusta, GA where we will be heading to Fort Gordon and the Eisenhower Army Medical Center, where Dr. B and Dr. E will work their magic to fix my hips...for good!!! Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I feel....