Laptop Down!

No new posts lately due to a faulty laptop.  And whenever I seem to try to drag myself to the desktop, one of my precious offspring is on it.  So....I've been slacking.  Sorry.  In happier news, I'm still workin' and I'm still runnin'.  More and more and more.  I'm like the little engine that could.  Some days I backslide and some days I'm chugging up that ridiculously steep hill and praying that I'm somewhere near the top.  Kinda like life, huh?  Stay tuned for more updates...and if anyone has any laptop advice, I'm all ears!

Cool Runnings

Running. A concept I have only just recently embraced. Albeit...slooooowly. But I can do it, by golly! Moving is still painful and hips get quite stiff. Still busting out the ice packs everyday, but I'm movin and groovin, y'all! I even ran a little 1 mile race earlier this month...a little family "fun run". My daughter and I took that mile and DOMINATED! Okay, that's a lie. She dominated and I brought up the rear. But I ran the whole thing!!! She went ahead of me and was at the finish cheering me on. I've never run an entire mile non-stop in my whole life! And I did it!!! Next up, tackle the infamous 5K! I've already signed up for a race in September (the color run "Run Or Dye") and my goal is to run the whole thing....no walking. Lily and I may do another 5K before then, we'll see if the ol' hips can take it. She's hooked now. The run bug has bit, and she's itching to do a 5K! So darn proud of her!! Even Big Daddy is taking about starting to run again! He just wants a cool medal like us girls! ;-)

Eye of the Tiger

Cue it up, and blast it y'all!

I think we can make it official. I'm a runner! Woohoo! Still going through the "Couch to 5K" program....and hating, errr I mean LOVING it! *big smiles, BIG smiles* As (prayerfully) anticipated, each run gets a little easier. The rhythm gets more in sync, I get a little faster and go a little further. I've seen parts of our beautiful neighborhood I've never seen before! Now, I know I've mentioned how much I LOOOVE not only our gorgeous neighborhood, but our fabulous little town...well, get ready to hear more about it! I'm gonna shake this 'ol blog up a bit and start talking about things other than these crazy hips. The good Lord-willing, I'm done with surgeries and it looks to be I'm on the road to "normalcy" *what's THAT??* so I want to start chatting about other things, in addition to hip stuff of course! I mean, the title states "The Harmonious Hip", so of course I'll always be up for a good acetabulum discussion. But, it's also "Harmonious"....which would suggest "all encompassing" and "balanced", right? Of course right! So, expect some Mom-talk, some fitness-talk, some nurse-talk, some Texas-talk, some discussions about my favorite things in life, etcetera...etcetera...etcetera.... Bonus points if you can name that musical!!

So, howdy y'all and welcome aboard! I'm so happy y'all are here!! Got a question/comment? Give me a shout! I'd love to hear from you!!

A pic of my post-workout shenanigans...still loving me some ice packs! Owwwch!

Knock knock! Who's there?

Opportunities are a funny thing. They come and they go....and just when you least expect it, a really BIG one comes knocking at your door!

So, just the other week, I received an email from a friend with such an opportunity....it was an audition for a very big event featuring some of Broadway's greatest producers, directors and performers who had collaborated to bring all of the different "Phantom Of The Opera" stories together in one musical concert. Apparently they were seeking some local talent to fill in some of the solo parts. And they picked me. Me!!! What? Really?? Me??? Yes, I'm still pinching myself! We had our first rehearsal last week and I met the director and worked with some of the Texas A & M chorus. I won't "name drop", buuuut let's just say, this particular director is also a famous Broadway performer who happens to be in my personal playlist. I literally listen to this guy while I'm working out...and here he was right next to me, giving me blocking!!! Surreal, y'all. So anyways, my part...small, but actually pretty important in the storyline of the Phantom. I feel I've been given this baby and I'm going to accidentally drop it on it's head or something! I've never been so nervous in all my life! Such an honor, I can't even begin to express my gratitude for this incredible, once in a lifetime experience! For those of you locals wanting ticket information, here's the link! http://opas.tamu.edu/phantoms.html It's April 4th and 5th at Rudder Auditorium at Texas A & M University.

p.s. Hips are doing amazingly well...now we'll just see if they can hold up in my 4 inch heels! Yikes!!

PUMP you up!

Hans und Franz are ringing in my ears these days. I've finally, FINALLY hit the workout circuit after a nearly 6 year absence! And what a learning curve! Oh my! Well, not only is my body 6 years older....it's 6 years HEAVIER too! These hips have kept me sidelined for far too long and it's time to get Mama back in shape! With many recommendations and with the blessing of Physical Therapy, I've started the "Couch to 5K" program. Now, let's be totally honest...I've NEVER been a runner. Ever. I've watched other people, including my father, effortlessly glide across the pavement with envy in my heart, for years. I've read on Facebook, friends who did their "latest half marathon", with their glowing smile and holding that coveted medal, plastered all over their profile page. Well! Sit back no more!! Imma gonna do it!!! So, now into the second week of the program....I'm about as fast as a snail crawling over peanut butter. But #1- It's happening! It's really happening! #2- Every time it gets a teeny, tiny bit easier....the rhythm of the run vs. breath gets smoother. #3- Most importantly, it DOESN'T hurt! Okay, that's a lie. It hurts. But not like before surgery...it's more of a tightness, a "I've been fat and out of shape for FAR too long" pain. It's not the sharp "oh my gosh, someone take the stabbing, flaming sword out of my hip, and oh no my hip is going to dislocate!!!" pain. So, hooray! And stay tuned...I've got my eye on some races coming up. Who knows? I may be posting MY smiling face holding my very first 5K medal before we know it! ;-)

Awww snap!

It's now 10 weeks post op and things are truckin along. I went back to work last week and lasted about 5 hours....only working one shift a week for now. It was soooo great to be back at work, BUT I find my stamina is just not back up to snuff yet. I was wishing for my cane walking to the parking lot after my 5 hour effort. Still going to Physical Therapy 2-3 days/week, which is ironically getting MUCH harder and yet it helps SO MUCH!!! I can feel myself (very slowly) getting stronger, but I still have a loooong way to go. Hips are still very tight, but getting less painful....ever so slightly, day by day. The right one is very encouraging since I have virtually NO pain and my flexibility is almost where it was pre-op. Just still have the occasional "catch", like something is stuck in the joint and then with a few more steps, it works itself out. But the lefty is clearly lagging behind (as it should of course). I can only do standing knee raises to about 60-70 degrees without "help". And even then, I have developed this horrific "snapping" sensation whenever I do them. It's right in the front of the hip, kinda in the groin/top of the thigh area. And it hurts like the dickens!!! Most likely it is the psoas tendon that was released during surgery that is now reattaching itself and is tightly snapping over the bone like a rubber band. Yeah....owwch! Also, during butterfly stretches it snaps and then feels like a very, very tight rope that doesn't want to release. It does of course (eventually) stretch out and then the pain extends all the way down to the knee. Again....owwch! But, on the sunny side, for my valiant efforts during PT, I'm "rewarded" with a massage and some TENS electro therapy and ice. Woohoo! I'll admit, it's a little weird having complete strangers massaging my thigh and groin, but at that point it hurts so bad I don't really care. Big kudos to the Conroe Regional Medical Center physical therapy team....they ROCK! They're workin me super hard, but it's with tough love. I know, I know. Besides, anyone who deliberately dives into these flabby thighs with some BioFreeze, just to help a girl out....well, they're rock stars. That's all there is to it.
Bend and snap, y'all....over and out!

When It Rains, It Pours...

Continuing with physical therapy 3x/week on this left hip.  They're really working me hard at this point and I'm certainly feelin' it!!!  I ventured out for a walk around our very large block last week and it was an absolute joy!  Painful, but joyous all the same.  I felt like a free woman!  Pain is getting much better and I'm off all the nasty pain meds....just Mobic and Tylenol when I need it.  But it's certainly not pain-free yet.  The rain and cold definitely set it off, but usually the more active I stay, the better.  Now, the goal is to increase range of motion and strength.  The hip remains very tight and stiff and quite weak, but it's getting stronger with every PT session.  The dim light at the end of this very long tunnel is starting to come into view.  Yay!

I'm getting antsy to get back to work.  Not only because I miss all my work peeps (hi DSU girlies!), but we are so strapped for cash it isn't funny.  Like "Peanut Butter sandwiches and Ramen Noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner" strapped.  We're getting it done and making it happen, but we REALLY need my income....bad!  So, there's this enormous pressure I've put on myself to hurry up and recover, so that I can get back to work ASAP.  Well, if all that wasn't enough....Big Daddy totaled his truck last week.  Thank God no injuries, but he banged up his truck pretty awful.  Probably the WORST possible time for this to happen.  Trying to come up with a deductible and living on only one vehicle...yeah, kinda stressful.  Doing lots of prayer time and deep breathing and MORE prayer time.  On a happy note, maybe I'll lose the weight I've committed to losing this year, living only on Ramen Noodles!  Hey, there's hope!  Totally kidding....sort of  ;-)