Happy New Hip Year 🙂
Many apologies for my late blog post op! I didn’t mean to leave you all with a cliffhanger pre op with a blog entry that never gave closure (like every season of Lost on TV).
Point is, I’m okay! In fact, I’m more than okay, I’m screw less!!!
My grandma and brother took me into the hospital for my admission. I was surprised that this op was covered by my useless health fund. Finally! Oh the joy when they told me to go upstairs without going into a small room and talking finances with a heartless hospital administrator.
Second last on the theatre list (entertaining myself with a bit of bed goes up, bed goes down) and starving all the way through the afternoon, I was eventually gowned up and sent on my final hip related trolley trip to the operating theatre.
My good friends, the whales, were still hanging on the wall of the waiting bay. I tried so hard to remember what motivational spiel the picture said so I could report it back, but the whirlwind that was my de-screwing began and I forgot all about it.
I woke up on the other side of the waiting bay and was wheeled back to the room saying and doing weird things under anaesthetic. Voila it was done. The last of my operation series was completed.
Determined to make sure my surgery was a day procedure, I came good with little pain. I was popped in a wheelchair and sent home (oh happy day mama!). Back on crutches, I was hopping along like it was second nature.
I returned to work after surviving the weekend recovering, but ‘bull in a china shop’ Amy got back into things too fast. My body issued a serious shut-down in the form of a fever (which hit whilst I was playing and singing some seriously high 80s rock harmonies at work with my band amigo), and a minor infection around the scar site. Back to hospital I went for a clean up and inspection of the scar. Here’s the PG version:
Ordered to not return to work, I missed all the end of year celebrations/hi-jinx and spent my time on the couch watching every movie and tv show on the DVD shelf. Annoyed, sad, and a little bit lonely at home, I knew that I just had to ‘keep swimming’ so I could get better and properly enjoy the silly season, the best season of all!
I love Christmas. I’m a massive fan of Christmas lights and carols. I made it my goal to get to three events despite being crutches bound.
The first being carolling at St Vinnies and Royal Talbot hospital with the community theatre bunch from MDMS.
Tick!
The second being the Carols by Candlelight rehearsal at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
Tick!
And lastly, I needed to sit in the car (which can be the most painful) and complete the annual Christmas Lights tour with nurse bestie.
Tick!
I saw the suave surgeon once more on Christmas Eve to finally hear: “Ditch the crutches, lose the dressing bandage, see you in June!”
Crutches free for Christmas. Best present ever.
As New Year approached, I told good friends that I never wanted to hear the words ‘hip’ and/or ‘operation’ in the same sentence ever again. I felt like I needed to escape from all things hip related (including my blog). I had nightmares early on about the possibility of going back into hospital to have the same op on my opposite side. The sort of dreams where you wake up crying and in panic sweats. Thanks subconscious! I really needed the lack of sleep…not!
In saying the above, I always knew that things were going to be a bit unsteady (literally) at the beginning of recovery. I’ve always been positive, and as much as the idea of another operation frightens me, I know that I can deal with whatever life throws my way. I have always had the support of my friends and family, and that’s why I know it’ll all be okay. I’ll jump that hurdle when I come to it … Or ram through it in a wheelchair if need be.
With recovery came the rehab program. Physiotherapy was again weekly with remedial massage being a helpful relief for my referred pain. Ordered back to Pilates and strength training by my physio, I thought that getting some new running gear for the year might be a good push start. Physio K and I chatted about goals once again, and the plan is to complete a 5k run by October.
Couch to 5k here I come!
Or not….
I have a love/hate relationship with my rehab program. I love the idea of getting my core muscles stronger. I hate the fact I can’t run yet. Knowing that as much as you can ‘walk’, you’re still not completely strong enough to run is an absolute killer. Especially since I got to running during my last rehab program just before the operation.
Patience. Patience and faith in myself to complete my rehab. That’s what gets me through.
Returning to work has been a challenge. Mainly concrete and uneven, the school grounds can be testing on the healing joint, especially whilst on yard duty. This is my yard duty face 😐
Half a term in, and slowly the rehab program is showing its success. At the beginning of term I was sore and just aching all day. Now, I am pretty good throughout the workday and having much less muscle fatigue. My pain comes and goes, but the referred pain is not as much as it once was. Now that’s progress.
It is hard to listen to people complain about “pain” when you are recovering. I look around and see so many people who have emotionally or physically been injured and notice that pain thresholds can differ so much. We can’t compare pain, as much as we like to, it’s not a competition, it is what it is.
I am lucky that as painful my experience has been, I have always searched for the positive in each situation and been supported throughout my recovery. It’s not easy to admit you’re in pain, and having it seen to can be a humiliating experience, especially when you find out that something is wrong and will need fixing.
I guess the first step is to acknowledge that everyone is after quality of life. You can live forever, but if you can’t do what you want because your body is telling you “no” due to underlying pain, then what is the point?
If I can offer one bit of advice to those around me in pain, especially those who know something is not quite right with their body or emotional stability, please, talk to someone and start to get advice on what steps you can take to start getting relief. Because if I have learnt one thing, as much as I wanted to “forget” the pain at the beginning of 2014, I will always carry it with me as a memory of strength that I can get a better quality of life.
I have scars and they remind and push me to search for the best quality of life I can.
I have photos that I have posted that follow my entire operation period, recovery time and rehab program. I will always be reminded of how I know I gave my all to try and live with a better quality of life.
I see the surgeon in June to discuss my progress. I’m hoping I’ll be given some new X-rays of my screw less hips! Until then, I hope you too find what you need to have the best quality of life.
HIP 2 BE ME 