Day 20

It will be 3 weeks tomorrow and I am pleased to report that I have made some major breakthroughs the past 2 days. Today I am walking almost normally . . without having to consciously think about which muscles to fire to make me walk and without feeling like my hip isn't going to hold me or is going to lock in place. My back is a little tender but it's doing ok too. Today I am encouraged about the end result of 6 weeks of physical therapy out here.

Tomorrow I get my stitches out. I am thrilled . . they are starting to pull and get uncomfortable so it's definitely time to come out. So, my schedule tomorrow is pt from 7:30 to 9:30; Dr. P's office at 10:00 and then pool therapy from 11:30 to 12:30. I am skipping afternoon pt because I think 4 hours tomorrow will be enough. I was too tired on Tuesday from everything and I think it set me back slightly so I am experimenting to see if this works.

Today was day after surgery day too. Dr. P did 1 hip surgery yesterday and she was at pt this morning when I arrived . . .sitting in a chair next to the exercise bike throwing up in a trash can. She was about the color of wallpaper paste and miserable. Aside from the throwing up (which always makes me want to throw up too) it is hard to watch people come out of surgery still. I can so relate to how they feel. I think I heard today that he is doing 5 hips on Thursday so Friday should be an absolute zoo in there. Mental note to self -- take i-pod!!

So tomorrow I reach the half way point of my journey out here. In some ways it feels like I have been gone forever and in other ways it seems I just got here and started work. I feel like I have lots more to do so my focus is to get as much back as I possibly can before I start the journey home. Here's to day 21!!