The Harmonious Hip: Awww snap!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

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!

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What is Hip Dysplasia?

You may hear about babies or pets with hip dysplasia, but it can affect adults, especially young women. Hip dysplasia is an abnormal condition affecting the hip socket, oracetabulum, and the thighbone, or femur. In someone with hip dysplasia, the hip socket is too shallow, or the femur is in the wrong place. Doctors check for hip dysplasia in babies before sending them home from the hospital -- it's an easily treatable condition in newborns. But if hip dysplasia isn't detected and corrected at an early age, the health of the hip will deteriorate over time because of its misalignment. Depending on the severity of the situation, this could result in pain, osteoarthritis, difficulty walking or an inability to walk. It can also contribute to a marked deterioration in a person's basic quality of life. It's not just dogs and babies, y'all!

Periacetabular Osteotomy (or PAO)

PAO: The Mother of All Hip Surgeries... A procedure that cuts the hip socket out of the pelvis to allow the socket to be repositioned and then screwed back into place. This allows the ball & socket to move fluidly, preventing further cartilage damage and preserving the joint in patients with faulty hips. The PAO preserves and enhances the patient's own hip, NOT replacing it with artificial parts like a hip replacement. The hip may still develop arthritis over time, even when the operation is successful. However, PAO is still the preferred treatment in young adults to postpone the need for hip replacement as long as possible.