Physical Therapy

Since I had my right hip done 6 years ago things have changed on the physical therapy front drastically. I have had 5 pt appointments since surgery and Lindsey is already moving the hip around in the socket. Today I started strengthening exercises to begin to rebuild all the muscle that I am already losing. Small steps but making significant differences already. The other thing that's new is the amount of time that i need to spend lying on my stomach. It stretches the hip flexors and allows my leg to lie completely flat. It's painful . . not hugely . . but my hip flexors in particular are very tight so I get scolded by Lindsey every time I see her to spend more time lying on my stomach. So, my day consists of 4 to 6 hours in the continuous passive motion machine, at least 2 hours lying on my stomach (Lindsey would like me to do more and I have promised to do so), about 1 1/2 hours actually in physical therapy, 1/2 hour driving each way and about 2 more hours a day icing my hip. The day flies by just by trying to fit everything in that I need to get done. As of today, I also have some isometric exercises to add to all of this outside of PT. And, of course, at some point in there the drug cocktail that I am taking to keep the pain down just knocks me out for awhile.

Here's another thing about me . . . I am even competitive at rehab. :-) Dr. P did 4 surgeries on my day. One was a girl who had 3 other hip surgeries . . all unsuccessful done by other dr's and found Dr. P to fix the damage that the others had done. One was a woman from Colorado Springs in her mid-40's and the last was a guy from Denver in his early to mid-40's. So, of course, each time we all show up in PT, I try to do more than they do. How crazy is that? There are lots of people who have come here from out of town for knee or hip surgery and we all tend to be in pt about the same time. We all joke around and tell stories so it's kind of like having a family away from home. There is a soccer player here from Kuwait who is having both of his knees done. There is a dark side to physical therapy though -- and that would be the girl just out of surgery who threw up all over the place today. Gruesome. Glad it wasn't me.

Today is the first day that I have really eaten much too. No appetite so absolutely nothing sounded good. I had a salad in the cafeteria here after PT and am currently hanging out for another hour before my next PT appointment. Then 1/2 hour drive home, 4 hours in the continuous passive motion machine, at least 2 hours lying on my stomach and then figuring out how to sleep on my side tonite.

I did manage to take a shower this morning to scrub off all the yellow surgical goo and changed my bandages. They looked swollen and puffy but relatively clean so I get to switch to bandaids. It looks like i may have to have some touch up work on my tattoo too. Oh well . . .

Right now I am sitting in a surgical waiting room, watching the IRL race in Kansas City with a magnificent view of the mountains out the window. It snowed here last night so everything is a bit more magical. I am glad the really hard part is over and I have such a phenomenal rehab team.

:-) < - - - - - that's me . ..smiling. It could be the Percocet/Robaxin cocktail or it could be that I am truly happy.