September was my last post and I wish I could say that I found a magical cure and all is well. It's not. I continue to have a psoas that simply will NOT release through physical therapy. My glutes have all but shut down again and I struggle to remain pain-free. I have good days and bad but mostly have limited my activities to ensure more good days than bad.
I am still seeing a physical therapist once a week who does a psoas release. An interesting discovery - when we can get my psoas to calm down, my adductor immediately flares up and vice versa. Frustrating! And, I am still seeing my active isolated stretching guru who just looks at me and says - you need a psoas release. :-) Thank goodness for both of these people. I am sure I would not be walking if it weren't for both of them!
And, to add insult to injury, my health insurance PPO is changing as of January 1 so that Dr. P and the entire system in Vail will be out of network for me. Lovely, huh? It won't stop me from heading back out to see him but I will need to put some extra cash in the bank to finance it. I am also working on a potential plan to visit someone in Vancouver who I have on good authority has helped another hip patient who was struggling a bit. I'll keep you posted on that one - thanks Kelly!!
The recovery continues. I remain hopeful that my left will match my right sometime very soon!!
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
What is "normal"?
Status update -- it's been a little over a month since the shot in my left hip flexor and I am back in physical therapy once a week and i have been doing all of my assigned exercises as instructed. My lower back is still KILLING me. I have a hard knot in my lower left back that seems to get much worse when my psoas is tight (ok so almost always) and I still don't feel like I can live "normally". Normally to me means being able to get out and walk and do the things that I want. I avoid situations now that will require any sort of distance walking since that will almost always cause a flare up. I rode my bike last week and I really tried to go slowly. It's just that, it's impossible for me to do anything halfway. I love speed and I love to push myself so I was not the best when I got off of the bike. Lower back was tight and my hip flexor was a little wound up too. Then over the weekend, I did lots of walking and again, my lower back screamed. In fact, the screaming was so loud that it required a night of Vicodin to quiet it. Ugh!! I thought for sure I was headed to full blown muscle spasms but somehow I managed to thwart them. My hip flexor is not nearly as painful but I still seem to be suffering from lower back issues.
Which leads me to the title of this post -- will i ever really be able to do things without limitation? I was born with bad hips and I am 51 years old. It seems that there just simply HAS to be consequences with other body parts from 50 years of walking incorrectly. As I have been talking to numerous people (doing my own informal research), I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that, even though my hip is fixed, I may not be. I suspect that years of walking incorrectly have taken a toll on my spine and the muscles may indeed be tightening to try to help some discs that aren't quite right anymore. It scares me!!
I am going to try to head back out to Vail before the end of the year and see Dr. Philippon again. It's definitely a question that I want to discuss with him. I hear from more and more patients that don't seem to have 100% success with their hips. Athletes bounce back quickly but the chronic sufferers seem to have slower or lesser results. Is this because there are other factors at work? Did my right hip surgery feel so successful because I was younger? Did I let my left hip go to long thereby exacerbating what was already being injured from a bum hip? More questions than answers really but it's been on my mind a lot these days.
I seem to be fine and feel better when I limit my physical activities. Can I tell you how much I hate that and just how much that scares me??? I had big plans to schedule a canyoneering trip and plan a great backpacking adventure. If I thought about this too long, I might burst into tears so I keep hope alive and remain thinking positively. Ugh!!!
Sorry for the downer post today and I really promise to post again the next time I have a good day and feel great! :-)
Which leads me to the title of this post -- will i ever really be able to do things without limitation? I was born with bad hips and I am 51 years old. It seems that there just simply HAS to be consequences with other body parts from 50 years of walking incorrectly. As I have been talking to numerous people (doing my own informal research), I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that, even though my hip is fixed, I may not be. I suspect that years of walking incorrectly have taken a toll on my spine and the muscles may indeed be tightening to try to help some discs that aren't quite right anymore. It scares me!!
I am going to try to head back out to Vail before the end of the year and see Dr. Philippon again. It's definitely a question that I want to discuss with him. I hear from more and more patients that don't seem to have 100% success with their hips. Athletes bounce back quickly but the chronic sufferers seem to have slower or lesser results. Is this because there are other factors at work? Did my right hip surgery feel so successful because I was younger? Did I let my left hip go to long thereby exacerbating what was already being injured from a bum hip? More questions than answers really but it's been on my mind a lot these days.
I seem to be fine and feel better when I limit my physical activities. Can I tell you how much I hate that and just how much that scares me??? I had big plans to schedule a canyoneering trip and plan a great backpacking adventure. If I thought about this too long, I might burst into tears so I keep hope alive and remain thinking positively. Ugh!!!
Sorry for the downer post today and I really promise to post again the next time I have a good day and feel great! :-)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
One Week AP (after Philippon)
It's been one week since I saw Dr. Philippon and got the shot. I guess in some ways, I think Dr. Philippon is capable of nothing short of a miracle. :-) If I had to admit it, deep down inside I always think that my hip will be better just by the fact that Dr. Philippon looked at it.
So, I have been diligently doing all of my assigned PT exercises - 2 times per day in fact. I think I can feel my gluteus medius getting stronger as I write this. HA!! Maybe it's the placebo effect of being at Howard Head and having the physical therapy team tell me that they think I can solve this through exercise and stretching but I actually do feel the tiniest bit better. I went for a walk last night and worked in my garden a little and wasn't in excruciating pain so I think that's an improvement. I am cautiously optimistic I will say. I am still having lower back pain but that could be from what I found out last week is, "narrowing joint space in my lower spine". Ugh!!!
And, under the category of, "when it rains; it pours", I came home from Colorado to find my toilet in my 1/2 bath leaking. The plumber was out yesterday and reported that, when the previous owners put in the hardwood floors, the toilet was not set properly and that is has been leaking for some time. I need to call a contractor to check my subfloor and get my hardwood floor replaced. That, of course, after I call my insurance agent. Ugh!!! And, on top of everything else, I am starting a pretty intense travel schedule for work. Great!! There may not be a toilet in there for some time to come.
And, lastly, for all of my fellow hip pain sufferers - I bought a memory foam mattress topper for my bed - 3" thick - because I was having so much trouble getting comfortable at night to sleep. I found that if I stayed in one place too long, I would wake up from the pain. I am pleased to report - NO MORE! I love this thing. No more waking up and I am pretty sure that I don't move much at all during the night. It is marvelous. It provides a perfect cushion and I no longer feel the pressure of lying on a hip or a stiff back from lying too long on my back. I can highly recommend it. I bought mine at Sam's Club but I have seen them at Costco and online at Overstock.com. If you are having trouble sleeping, it could be the best $150 you ever spent.
On a completely different note, it's going to be 96 here today with another day of a heat advisory. I am so over this!!! It's so humid that the windows are wet on my house. There is no end in sight and it's making me more than a bit crabby. I looked at the calendar today and instead of lamenting the fact that summer is almost over, I considered doing my happy dance. Bring on fall!
So, I have been diligently doing all of my assigned PT exercises - 2 times per day in fact. I think I can feel my gluteus medius getting stronger as I write this. HA!! Maybe it's the placebo effect of being at Howard Head and having the physical therapy team tell me that they think I can solve this through exercise and stretching but I actually do feel the tiniest bit better. I went for a walk last night and worked in my garden a little and wasn't in excruciating pain so I think that's an improvement. I am cautiously optimistic I will say. I am still having lower back pain but that could be from what I found out last week is, "narrowing joint space in my lower spine". Ugh!!!
And, under the category of, "when it rains; it pours", I came home from Colorado to find my toilet in my 1/2 bath leaking. The plumber was out yesterday and reported that, when the previous owners put in the hardwood floors, the toilet was not set properly and that is has been leaking for some time. I need to call a contractor to check my subfloor and get my hardwood floor replaced. That, of course, after I call my insurance agent. Ugh!!! And, on top of everything else, I am starting a pretty intense travel schedule for work. Great!! There may not be a toilet in there for some time to come.
And, lastly, for all of my fellow hip pain sufferers - I bought a memory foam mattress topper for my bed - 3" thick - because I was having so much trouble getting comfortable at night to sleep. I found that if I stayed in one place too long, I would wake up from the pain. I am pleased to report - NO MORE! I love this thing. No more waking up and I am pretty sure that I don't move much at all during the night. It is marvelous. It provides a perfect cushion and I no longer feel the pressure of lying on a hip or a stiff back from lying too long on my back. I can highly recommend it. I bought mine at Sam's Club but I have seen them at Costco and online at Overstock.com. If you are having trouble sleeping, it could be the best $150 you ever spent.
On a completely different note, it's going to be 96 here today with another day of a heat advisory. I am so over this!!! It's so humid that the windows are wet on my house. There is no end in sight and it's making me more than a bit crabby. I looked at the calendar today and instead of lamenting the fact that summer is almost over, I considered doing my happy dance. Bring on fall!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
My Day in Vail
So here it was - THE day. I arrived at Howard Head to have LJ do my strength assessment. She didn't make any significant comments to me but I could definitely feel that I had some weak areas. Then off to Lindsay for physical therapy. Weak (very weak) gluteus medius. Yikes -- I was in big trouble for that. She prescribed two specific exercises to strengthen those. Also found that my hip flexors are inflamed! Painfully inflamed. Adductors a little tight and grouchy but Lindsay attributes both of those to the fact that I have weak glute meds. Ok, ok. . . i'm on the program!
Next it was off to the Steadman Hawkins mri. I have never done an mri in my life without valium. I hate, dread, abhor, freak out at and generally dislike being enclosed. MRI's are especially bad for me. But there I was lying down on the slider without any artificial courage. I asked for some reggae music to be played thinking that would send me to my Jamaica vacation memories. What I had forgotten is that the MRI is so loud it's hard to hear anything let alone music. I had a slight panic attack when they slid me in but then I opened my eyes and realized that my head was actually almost out the other end. I love being 5'10"!! I was able to relax and calm down and it was over before i knew it. Whew!
Now, my favorite part - I had about an hour and a half before my dr appointment so I headed into Vail village and had a fabulous lunch at La Bottega. Sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a perfectly beautiful day in the village. A little shoe shopping after lunch made my walk back to Vail Valley Medical all the more pleasant.
Now for the scary but much anticipated piece - seeing Dr. Philippon. I don't think I have said this for awhile - I LOVE Dr. Philippon - not in the freaky stalker way but in the he is one of the coolest people I know way. He is truly interested in listening and figuring out what works well and what doesn't work and how to constantly improve. I trust him completely, 100% and can't imagine what my life would be like if I had never found him. I am eternally grateful to my hip dr in Indy who sent me to him in 2003.
Anyway, I digress. Dr. Philippon looked at my MRI and was relieved to see that there are no adhesions (scar tissue) impeding my recovery. Everything looked good but there was indication of inflammation in my hip flexors. We discussed my psoas and I told him of my trials and tribulations with it over the winter. Time for examination - up on the table and poking on the hip flexors. VERY TENDER . . .OUCH!!! So, to make a very long story short - he decided that the best course for me was a shot of Kenalog directly into the hip flexor, wait 3 months and if no improvement, back to surgery to do a psoas release. He explained that he just completed a new study over the weekend and found a correlation between the angle of the femoral head in the socket and the psoas. Apparently I am one of the lucky ones that is not "normal" and could have an issue with it. And, the best part, apparently he is well versed in the art of giving shots. No pain, no wincing, no wailing and no cursing. I barely noticed that he had given me a shot. Whew!! The part I was dreading most was nothing!
So, what do I feel? Relief and nervous anticipation of what the next 3 months bring. I am headed to physical therapy tomorrow for a new regimen which will include lots of pool time. I am 100% committed to doing everything I can to avoid surgery although I think Dr. Philippon believes that will be the eventual outcome. Ugh!!! Third time's a charm???
Dinner at Montauk's tonite - 1/2 price martini and raw bar. I'll drown my sorrows, adjust my attitude and forge on. Apparently this journey is not over yet.
But, if I have to be on this journey, there is no place I would rather be than Vail, Colorado and NO ONE that I would trust my recovery to than Dr. Philippon!!
Cheers!
Next it was off to the Steadman Hawkins mri. I have never done an mri in my life without valium. I hate, dread, abhor, freak out at and generally dislike being enclosed. MRI's are especially bad for me. But there I was lying down on the slider without any artificial courage. I asked for some reggae music to be played thinking that would send me to my Jamaica vacation memories. What I had forgotten is that the MRI is so loud it's hard to hear anything let alone music. I had a slight panic attack when they slid me in but then I opened my eyes and realized that my head was actually almost out the other end. I love being 5'10"!! I was able to relax and calm down and it was over before i knew it. Whew!
Now, my favorite part - I had about an hour and a half before my dr appointment so I headed into Vail village and had a fabulous lunch at La Bottega. Sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a perfectly beautiful day in the village. A little shoe shopping after lunch made my walk back to Vail Valley Medical all the more pleasant.
Now for the scary but much anticipated piece - seeing Dr. Philippon. I don't think I have said this for awhile - I LOVE Dr. Philippon - not in the freaky stalker way but in the he is one of the coolest people I know way. He is truly interested in listening and figuring out what works well and what doesn't work and how to constantly improve. I trust him completely, 100% and can't imagine what my life would be like if I had never found him. I am eternally grateful to my hip dr in Indy who sent me to him in 2003.
Anyway, I digress. Dr. Philippon looked at my MRI and was relieved to see that there are no adhesions (scar tissue) impeding my recovery. Everything looked good but there was indication of inflammation in my hip flexors. We discussed my psoas and I told him of my trials and tribulations with it over the winter. Time for examination - up on the table and poking on the hip flexors. VERY TENDER . . .OUCH!!! So, to make a very long story short - he decided that the best course for me was a shot of Kenalog directly into the hip flexor, wait 3 months and if no improvement, back to surgery to do a psoas release. He explained that he just completed a new study over the weekend and found a correlation between the angle of the femoral head in the socket and the psoas. Apparently I am one of the lucky ones that is not "normal" and could have an issue with it. And, the best part, apparently he is well versed in the art of giving shots. No pain, no wincing, no wailing and no cursing. I barely noticed that he had given me a shot. Whew!! The part I was dreading most was nothing!
So, what do I feel? Relief and nervous anticipation of what the next 3 months bring. I am headed to physical therapy tomorrow for a new regimen which will include lots of pool time. I am 100% committed to doing everything I can to avoid surgery although I think Dr. Philippon believes that will be the eventual outcome. Ugh!!! Third time's a charm???
Dinner at Montauk's tonite - 1/2 price martini and raw bar. I'll drown my sorrows, adjust my attitude and forge on. Apparently this journey is not over yet.
But, if I have to be on this journey, there is no place I would rather be than Vail, Colorado and NO ONE that I would trust my recovery to than Dr. Philippon!!
Cheers!
Monday, August 2, 2010
My happy place
Ft Collins, Colorado. Maybe a little too touristy, college(y) and busy but a fabulous place nonetheless. Had a fantastic steak dinner in Loveland last night, brewery tours on tap (no pun intended) today and no big plans for the evening. I am amazed at the peaceful feeling that comes over me as soon as I see the big sky and the mountains. I absolutely love it here and must figure out a way to live here someday. It's definitely my happy place.
I usually get an altitude headache the moment I arrive in Colorado. Thankfully (knock on wood) I have escaped so far. I am hoping that I can spend a few days at 5,000 feet, acclimatize and then head to higher country in Vail with no ill effects.
I am dying to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park but know that is not to be on this trip. Grrrrrrr
Feeling rested, relaxed and ready to tackle whatever comes on Wednesday. Of course, it's Monday and I am only faced with which beer to taste and whether to plan a light dinner so I can have ice cream later. I love this!
I usually get an altitude headache the moment I arrive in Colorado. Thankfully (knock on wood) I have escaped so far. I am hoping that I can spend a few days at 5,000 feet, acclimatize and then head to higher country in Vail with no ill effects.
I am dying to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park but know that is not to be on this trip. Grrrrrrr
Feeling rested, relaxed and ready to tackle whatever comes on Wednesday. Of course, it's Monday and I am only faced with which beer to taste and whether to plan a light dinner so I can have ice cream later. I love this!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Countdown to Colorado
Two days until I leave. As I was packing some items earlier today, I thought back to last year when I was trying to pack to leave home for 7 weeks. It's so much easier to pack for only a week!! :-) It also brought back lots of memories of my time in Vail after surgery and I cannot wait to get back there!! Looking forward to dinner at Sweet Basil and/or Montauk's and wandering through Vail village. And, of course, I am going to have to spend some time at my favorite brewpub in Edwards. Funny how the bad memories fade and we are left with only the good ones, huh? I have almost completely forgotten about sleeping with my feet bound together, the foot pumps and the hip brace.
A little time in Ft Collins, Rocky Mountain National Park and then Vail. The mountains in the summer - the only place to be. Can't wait!!! I will really look forward to the day when this hip issue is completely resolved and I am writing about the backpacking trip out of Durango that I am planning or the canyoneering trip to Utah or the million other things that I want to do.
As I write, the sound of Willie Nelson singing, "on the road again" is playing in my head. It's for a week; it doesn't seem nearly long enough. Seven weeks may sound like too long but 1 week surely isn't long enough.
Looking forward to seeing my "second family" at Howard Head and catching up on their lives.
NOT looking forward to the shots.
Looking forward to seeing Dr. Philippon and finding out his expert opinion on this whole hip thing. And, looking forward to putting together an action plan. I am tired of sitting on the sidelines waiting for things to get better.
Will continue to post on my progress . . . the good, the bad and the ugly. I am hoping for more good, less bad and absolutely no ugly. We'll see how that works out for me.
A little time in Ft Collins, Rocky Mountain National Park and then Vail. The mountains in the summer - the only place to be. Can't wait!!! I will really look forward to the day when this hip issue is completely resolved and I am writing about the backpacking trip out of Durango that I am planning or the canyoneering trip to Utah or the million other things that I want to do.
As I write, the sound of Willie Nelson singing, "on the road again" is playing in my head. It's for a week; it doesn't seem nearly long enough. Seven weeks may sound like too long but 1 week surely isn't long enough.
Looking forward to seeing my "second family" at Howard Head and catching up on their lives.
NOT looking forward to the shots.
Looking forward to seeing Dr. Philippon and finding out his expert opinion on this whole hip thing. And, looking forward to putting together an action plan. I am tired of sitting on the sidelines waiting for things to get better.
Will continue to post on my progress . . . the good, the bad and the ugly. I am hoping for more good, less bad and absolutely no ugly. We'll see how that works out for me.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Groundhog Day
Ever see the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. He has to repeat every day until he "gets it right". I'm pretty sure I am stuck in the same movie. Every day, I get up and diligently perform my psoas stretches and think that back pain will magically disappear. It doesn't. In fact, I was on the verge of more back spasms this week because I had the nerve to take a walk and work in my garden. Ugh!!
So, just about 1 week until I see Dr. Philippon. I was texting today with physical therapy and getting my "team" in place for next week. I am excited and anxious all at the same time. Can't wait to see Dr. P and hear his assessment of my hip situation. Nervous about the shot(s) but anxious to get on with it so I can get back to my regularly scheduled life. :-)
Have steeled myself for the potential of a third surgery but remain optimistic that the shots and physical therapy will be able to remedy the situation. Am anxious to get back to my workouts without pain.
Looking so forward to Vail in the summer!! Want to have dinner at Sweet Basil or Montauk's and walk through the village without wincing or feeling hip instability. Hoping that Lindsay and i can hook up for dinner and catch up on each other's lives and enjoy a little of what Vail has to offer in the summer.
Feeling terribly optimistic tonite and looking forward to seeing Dr. Philippon and his staff. I know I am in the best hands possible and will be back on track to living my life again.
Let the journey begin!
So, just about 1 week until I see Dr. Philippon. I was texting today with physical therapy and getting my "team" in place for next week. I am excited and anxious all at the same time. Can't wait to see Dr. P and hear his assessment of my hip situation. Nervous about the shot(s) but anxious to get on with it so I can get back to my regularly scheduled life. :-)
Have steeled myself for the potential of a third surgery but remain optimistic that the shots and physical therapy will be able to remedy the situation. Am anxious to get back to my workouts without pain.
Looking so forward to Vail in the summer!! Want to have dinner at Sweet Basil or Montauk's and walk through the village without wincing or feeling hip instability. Hoping that Lindsay and i can hook up for dinner and catch up on each other's lives and enjoy a little of what Vail has to offer in the summer.
Feeling terribly optimistic tonite and looking forward to seeing Dr. Philippon and his staff. I know I am in the best hands possible and will be back on track to living my life again.
Let the journey begin!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Independence Day
But not for me. I was feeling pretty good this weekend. No hip pain and things seemed normal. I was so confident that I even went for a long walk. Wow, I thought, no hip pain, a little lower back pain but maybe that's because I haven't been walking for awhile. So, I turned to head back home and was actually fantasizing about how I might have been working out too much which contributed to my earlier hip pain and now that I had actually taken some time off maybe it had healed itself. In fact, I went so far as to think if maybe I should call Dr. Philippon's office and talk to them about cancelling or postponing my August appointment. And, while I was off in la-la land, I even thought about not cancelling my appointment and simply going to Colorado to do a little hiking.
Wake-up call for April. . . yes, it's your hip and you aren't doing any such thing. No go . . . by the time I got home, the pain was back in full force including the pain down the inside of my left thigh and the lower back tightness and tenderness. Ugh!!! Even as I tried to sleep last night, it kept reminding me how foolish I had been for even thinking that I had self-cured. Nope!!!
Today - still tenderness in my inside thigh and my back is killing me. Back to the psoas stretch twice a day instead of once and limiting my activity. Do you know how much it pains me to write, "limiting my activity"? This was supposed to be my independence year -- no more hip pain allowing me to plan one adventure after another. ugh!! My adventure this summer is a trip to Colorado to see Dr. Philippon for a diagnosis on my hip. :-(
I am not feeling especially optimistic today and hate to wish my life away but am anxiously awaiting August 4 to hear the plan of attack. I do, however, know in my heart of hearts that if anyone can figure this out and make it work, it's Dr. Philippon. And, spending some time in the mountains in August isn't the worst thing in the world. I just wish it were sooner rather than later. I am not the most patient person in the world.
So, it's back to my summer reading list instead of the mountain bike or road bike. Limited amounts of time in the kayak and wishing for August 4.
Wake-up call for April. . . yes, it's your hip and you aren't doing any such thing. No go . . . by the time I got home, the pain was back in full force including the pain down the inside of my left thigh and the lower back tightness and tenderness. Ugh!!! Even as I tried to sleep last night, it kept reminding me how foolish I had been for even thinking that I had self-cured. Nope!!!
Today - still tenderness in my inside thigh and my back is killing me. Back to the psoas stretch twice a day instead of once and limiting my activity. Do you know how much it pains me to write, "limiting my activity"? This was supposed to be my independence year -- no more hip pain allowing me to plan one adventure after another. ugh!! My adventure this summer is a trip to Colorado to see Dr. Philippon for a diagnosis on my hip. :-(
I am not feeling especially optimistic today and hate to wish my life away but am anxiously awaiting August 4 to hear the plan of attack. I do, however, know in my heart of hearts that if anyone can figure this out and make it work, it's Dr. Philippon. And, spending some time in the mountains in August isn't the worst thing in the world. I just wish it were sooner rather than later. I am not the most patient person in the world.
So, it's back to my summer reading list instead of the mountain bike or road bike. Limited amounts of time in the kayak and wishing for August 4.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Why am I so stubborn?
I know that overdoing anything will make my hip ache. I KNOW that. So, why do I continue to overdo everything to the point of not being able to sleep because of pain? Why I ask myself?
I had to get my bike out this weekend and push just to see if that would hurt. Why yes it did. So, if that wasn't enough, I had to clean house, work in the yard, shop with lots of walking between stores, work in the garden and do ALL of my laundry at once. The result -- lots of Advil (flirted with vicodin but it was only a flirtation) and lots of cursing under my breath.
It's groin pain with an especially nagging ache down the inside of my left thigh -- my old adversary the adductor I believe. It hurts when I try to raise my knee, it hurts when I am at full extension when I walk and it's truly painful when i try to sit cross legged on the floor. No go! And, the resulting back pain from my hip being out of whack is probably the worst part. ugh! I have 2 spots in my lower back that you can almost visibly see because the muscles are so tight. But my right hip is perfect I continue to whine. Why didn't my left go the same route????? It's not fair. This sucks!!
I am counting the days until I see Dr. Philippon. I need a miracle . . . anyone got any extras?
I had to get my bike out this weekend and push just to see if that would hurt. Why yes it did. So, if that wasn't enough, I had to clean house, work in the yard, shop with lots of walking between stores, work in the garden and do ALL of my laundry at once. The result -- lots of Advil (flirted with vicodin but it was only a flirtation) and lots of cursing under my breath.
It's groin pain with an especially nagging ache down the inside of my left thigh -- my old adversary the adductor I believe. It hurts when I try to raise my knee, it hurts when I am at full extension when I walk and it's truly painful when i try to sit cross legged on the floor. No go! And, the resulting back pain from my hip being out of whack is probably the worst part. ugh! I have 2 spots in my lower back that you can almost visibly see because the muscles are so tight. But my right hip is perfect I continue to whine. Why didn't my left go the same route????? It's not fair. This sucks!!
I am counting the days until I see Dr. Philippon. I need a miracle . . . anyone got any extras?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Aftermath
I had a dream last night that I was seeing a hip specialist (I think it was supposed to be Dr. P but definitely wasn't) and he told me that the only way to repair my hip was to remove my leg and attach it to my other leg for some period of time. I was freaking out and woke up screaming, you can't do that. I guess I am a little more wound up over this than I thought. :-)
Today, I feel 100% better about this whole thing. I have an appointment in Colorado and I know that eventually I will be fixed again. I spent yesterday going through the, why me and today have accepted that the answer is "just because". I personally think I may have cursed myself when I so enthusiastically declared to Dr. Philippon, I will never see you again. Yikes!!
I had my health assessment at work today and got a glowing report back. Now, let's get the hip fixed and I'm off to do all those things that I have planned!
Today, I feel 100% better about this whole thing. I have an appointment in Colorado and I know that eventually I will be fixed again. I spent yesterday going through the, why me and today have accepted that the answer is "just because". I personally think I may have cursed myself when I so enthusiastically declared to Dr. Philippon, I will never see you again. Yikes!!
I had my health assessment at work today and got a glowing report back. Now, let's get the hip fixed and I'm off to do all those things that I have planned!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Really? Seriously? Why me?
Where do I even begin? There's a saying - no news is good news - but in my case, no news means I have been living in a state of denial and have not wanted to put into words what my body has been telling me.
So, here's the story . . . Earlier this year, I started having serious problems with my back - back spasms, etc. Kathy, my active isolated stretching guru, kept telling me that my psoas was locked in place. In fact, I saw her 3 times in one week and she commented that she thought it was time for me to see Dr. Philippon because something was wrong. Ugh! Did she really say that out loud I thought. She must be mistaken. There's nothing wrong!! I must be doing something wrong so if I can just figure out what that is, I can fix it. That lead me down a path of doing too much, doing too little and trying to do just enough. Nothing worked. In fact, I got worse.
I was in Las Vegas in April and literally couldn't walk. Not a place to have difficulty walking let's just say. All of the psoas stretching in the world didn't relieve it. I was just about in tears. I spent more time in the pool. I made rash promises to whoever would listen that I would do anything if they could make this go away. No go. In fact, both Kathy and Sharon, my pt, told me that they thought I needed to see Dr. Philippon. Did I listen? Nope . . too busy at work, want to enjoy my summer, planted a garden and can't leave it, have to shampoo my dog. . . . but I finally admitted to myself and then out loud to several of my friends that something was wrong. I was sick about it. My one year surgery anniversary came and I really knew that something was wrong. I knew because I remembered my one year anniversary from my right hip and was 100% at one year. I couldn't even claim to be 85% at one year for my left. Ugh! I was sick, still in denial and didn't want to think about it. So, I pushed on.
I finally called Vail and talked to Mark who listened graciously to my tale of woe, asked a few key questions and declared - scar tissue. I was relieved and sick all at the same time. I was so sure that my left hip surgery would be as flawless as my right that I never even for one second considered that it might not be. Wow!! Floored me but I was so relieved that he could guess by my symptoms what it might be. About 5% -- please note 5 (five) percent of hip surgery patients have this happen. It's low; it's almost so low that you have to think - that would NEVER happen to me. Well, guess what -- it did. Crap!
So, I begin my journey back out to Vail in August to have an MRI and see Dr. Philippon. Mark tells me that the course of treatment will be an injection in the muscle (i am not spending a lot of time thinking about that because it makes me incredibly light headed when I do), a waiting period of about 12 weeks to see what effect that has, potentially another shot if the first one doesn't work and, as a last resort, another hip surgery. Wow. Hearing it, saying it and seeing those words in a blog are different. But there it is . . . potentially another hip surgery.
August 4, I will begin the next phase of the left hip. I wish it were next week because I am tired of fighting the fight. My back hurts, I can't walk without a lot of pain and I'm crabby. I had planned big things for this year and haven't been able to follow through. This just wasn't in my plans. :-)
All of that being said, I am ready to deal with this. Whatever has to happen will happen and I will be 100% again.Back to blogging . . . . phase 2 begins.
So, here's the story . . . Earlier this year, I started having serious problems with my back - back spasms, etc. Kathy, my active isolated stretching guru, kept telling me that my psoas was locked in place. In fact, I saw her 3 times in one week and she commented that she thought it was time for me to see Dr. Philippon because something was wrong. Ugh! Did she really say that out loud I thought. She must be mistaken. There's nothing wrong!! I must be doing something wrong so if I can just figure out what that is, I can fix it. That lead me down a path of doing too much, doing too little and trying to do just enough. Nothing worked. In fact, I got worse.
I was in Las Vegas in April and literally couldn't walk. Not a place to have difficulty walking let's just say. All of the psoas stretching in the world didn't relieve it. I was just about in tears. I spent more time in the pool. I made rash promises to whoever would listen that I would do anything if they could make this go away. No go. In fact, both Kathy and Sharon, my pt, told me that they thought I needed to see Dr. Philippon. Did I listen? Nope . . too busy at work, want to enjoy my summer, planted a garden and can't leave it, have to shampoo my dog. . . . but I finally admitted to myself and then out loud to several of my friends that something was wrong. I was sick about it. My one year surgery anniversary came and I really knew that something was wrong. I knew because I remembered my one year anniversary from my right hip and was 100% at one year. I couldn't even claim to be 85% at one year for my left. Ugh! I was sick, still in denial and didn't want to think about it. So, I pushed on.
I finally called Vail and talked to Mark who listened graciously to my tale of woe, asked a few key questions and declared - scar tissue. I was relieved and sick all at the same time. I was so sure that my left hip surgery would be as flawless as my right that I never even for one second considered that it might not be. Wow!! Floored me but I was so relieved that he could guess by my symptoms what it might be. About 5% -- please note 5 (five) percent of hip surgery patients have this happen. It's low; it's almost so low that you have to think - that would NEVER happen to me. Well, guess what -- it did. Crap!
So, I begin my journey back out to Vail in August to have an MRI and see Dr. Philippon. Mark tells me that the course of treatment will be an injection in the muscle (i am not spending a lot of time thinking about that because it makes me incredibly light headed when I do), a waiting period of about 12 weeks to see what effect that has, potentially another shot if the first one doesn't work and, as a last resort, another hip surgery. Wow. Hearing it, saying it and seeing those words in a blog are different. But there it is . . . potentially another hip surgery.
August 4, I will begin the next phase of the left hip. I wish it were next week because I am tired of fighting the fight. My back hurts, I can't walk without a lot of pain and I'm crabby. I had planned big things for this year and haven't been able to follow through. This just wasn't in my plans. :-)
All of that being said, I am ready to deal with this. Whatever has to happen will happen and I will be 100% again.Back to blogging . . . . phase 2 begins.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Relief
I am pleased to report that my angry psoas has had some time with a great therapist and has worked out its anger issues. I don't know what I would do without Kathy. Kathy has been trained in Active Isolated Stretching and works on many Olympic runners. I mostly see her for deep tissue (and I mean sometimes I think she is going to put her fingers straight through a muscle deep) but she has helped me before with some targeted stretching.
During this recent flare-up, my PT, Sharon, left for a 2 week vacation and I decided to see Kathy. She immediately diagnosed the psoas with a VERY tender glute med and went to work. After 4 sessions, my back spasms were almost completely gone. After 5 sessions, they were completely gone and I have a new psoas stretch that keeps it completely in check. I am happy girl once again!
I also talked with Howard Head and was given the advice to spend a couple of days a week in the pool. I am buying a pass this weekend and am committed to doing this through the end of the summer religiously. I can't commit after that because I HATE to swim when it's cold outside. What a baby, huh?
So, no more over-doing or under-doing it. A lifetime commitment to keeping buns of steel, a strong core, great legs and no pain. I am headed back out to Vail sometime in the next few months for my one year check with Dr. Philippon. Can't wait to go see all of my old friends at Howard Head. What a difference a year makes!
During this recent flare-up, my PT, Sharon, left for a 2 week vacation and I decided to see Kathy. She immediately diagnosed the psoas with a VERY tender glute med and went to work. After 4 sessions, my back spasms were almost completely gone. After 5 sessions, they were completely gone and I have a new psoas stretch that keeps it completely in check. I am happy girl once again!
I also talked with Howard Head and was given the advice to spend a couple of days a week in the pool. I am buying a pass this weekend and am committed to doing this through the end of the summer religiously. I can't commit after that because I HATE to swim when it's cold outside. What a baby, huh?
So, no more over-doing or under-doing it. A lifetime commitment to keeping buns of steel, a strong core, great legs and no pain. I am headed back out to Vail sometime in the next few months for my one year check with Dr. Philippon. Can't wait to go see all of my old friends at Howard Head. What a difference a year makes!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
An angry psoas
It's been quite a while since I posted. I hope you know that means that things have been going well. So here I am . . . . back again. Uh oh.. . what does that mean? It means I am having an issue and am curious if anyone else is experiencing this after surgery.
(close your ears Noell) I did a boot camp class in January that I probably wasn't ready for. Well, let me rephrase that. I did a boot camp class in January that I would have been ok to do had my competitive spirit not kicked in and made me try to keep up with the rest of the class who had been doing this for several months. . . even years. Fall behind? No way!!! Kill myself keeping up? Absolutely!!
So, the end result is that my supporting hip muscles tightened and I ignored them and kept trying to work out and push through. The end result -- a VERY angry psoas, back spasms, muscle relaxers and vicodin. Ouch!!!!
When Dr. Philippon did my first hip surgery 7 years ago, he automatically did a psoas release. When he did my left hip last year, I asked if he was planning to do a psoas release on my left and he said that he didn't routinely do them but would check it to see if he thought it needed it. He did not do a release during surgery. My piriformis and psoas have been the most stubborn muscles to keep in check during my recovery. My psoas was problematic before surgery but now it will still flare up with the slightest provocation.
I think back on my right hip surgery and I felt like I was 100% recovered at a year. I will be a year from surgery on April 23 and I still feel like I am fighting through some post surgery issues -- my adductor still complains occasionally and now the angry psoas. Ok, I know I am 50 now not 43 but can it make that big of a difference???
I am seeing my physical therapist again and am getting everything back in line and am feeling much better but I want to be 100% and not thinking about these issues.
So, anyone out there have any tips for keeping my back in line? Specifically piriformis and psoas. I would welcome any advice!!
It's been absolutely beautiful in Indy for the past several days - those first spring days when it's in the 60's, sunny and you can smell spring in the air. All I can think about is getting out to hike, bike and play outside. I realized that this time last year I was totally freaking out about leaving for 7 weeks in Colorado, It seems like years ago and it seems like only yesterday. I am so happy to have that past me!!
So, online, e-hip family -- thoughts?????
(close your ears Noell) I did a boot camp class in January that I probably wasn't ready for. Well, let me rephrase that. I did a boot camp class in January that I would have been ok to do had my competitive spirit not kicked in and made me try to keep up with the rest of the class who had been doing this for several months. . . even years. Fall behind? No way!!! Kill myself keeping up? Absolutely!!
So, the end result is that my supporting hip muscles tightened and I ignored them and kept trying to work out and push through. The end result -- a VERY angry psoas, back spasms, muscle relaxers and vicodin. Ouch!!!!
When Dr. Philippon did my first hip surgery 7 years ago, he automatically did a psoas release. When he did my left hip last year, I asked if he was planning to do a psoas release on my left and he said that he didn't routinely do them but would check it to see if he thought it needed it. He did not do a release during surgery. My piriformis and psoas have been the most stubborn muscles to keep in check during my recovery. My psoas was problematic before surgery but now it will still flare up with the slightest provocation.
I think back on my right hip surgery and I felt like I was 100% recovered at a year. I will be a year from surgery on April 23 and I still feel like I am fighting through some post surgery issues -- my adductor still complains occasionally and now the angry psoas. Ok, I know I am 50 now not 43 but can it make that big of a difference???
I am seeing my physical therapist again and am getting everything back in line and am feeling much better but I want to be 100% and not thinking about these issues.
So, anyone out there have any tips for keeping my back in line? Specifically piriformis and psoas. I would welcome any advice!!
It's been absolutely beautiful in Indy for the past several days - those first spring days when it's in the 60's, sunny and you can smell spring in the air. All I can think about is getting out to hike, bike and play outside. I realized that this time last year I was totally freaking out about leaving for 7 weeks in Colorado, It seems like years ago and it seems like only yesterday. I am so happy to have that past me!!
So, online, e-hip family -- thoughts?????
Friday, January 8, 2010
Miscellaneous
I have had a couple of recent comments on my blog . . .it must be the time of year for hip surgeries! So, here's some miscellaneous info:
Adductor pain -- Yes, I have had very tight and painful adductors almost all of my adult life. Remember that the cause of my labral tear was that my hip sockets were too deep and had too much bone with resulting impingment. From what I understand, with a congential hip defect, the muscles that are supposed to be involved in walking are pretty much shut down leaving others to pick up the slack. For me, I never had any glute muscles -- at all! The adductors basically took over - performing a task they were never meant to perform. After surgery, it took a long time to build my glutes and convince them to work while convincing my adductors that they could relax. I still work on stretching both right and left adductors daily. It's a lifetime of problem for me and probably will never be perfect but I am making great progress.
The adductor issues also seem to be involved with IT band, TFL and psoas issues. When one flares up, adductor issues follow. What I have noticed helps tremendously is focusing on glute med exercises and really amping up all glute exercises for a few days. Lots of stretching and using the foam roller to work out the tough spots even though it will bring tears to my eyes sometimes.
Using a surgeon other than Dr. Philippon -- NO!! :-) I had my right hip done almost 7 years ago. I feel incredibly lucky that I saw a wonderful hip dr here in Indy who diagnosed my issue and sent me off to Dr. Philippon. He could have easily replaced my hip and I would have been none the wiser but he didn't. Dr. Philippon was in Pittsburgh at the time and had just moved there from Florida. It wasn't nearly as organized and I came back to Indy and did physical therapy here with weekly phone calls to Dr. P's pt in Pittsburgh. I knew at that time that my left hip was going to need surgery but I tried to put it off as long as possible. Mistake!!
When my left finally caused me more sleepless than restful nights, I went back to see my hip dr here in Indy to get an arthrogram done. He told me that there was a dr here in Indy doing labral repairs and suggested that I go see him. I did. When I asked him about protocols after surgery, he indicated that he didn't follow any of Dr. Philippon's protocols. When I asked him about the technical aspects of the surgery, he admitted that he would never be as technical as Dr. P but felt he could effectively repair the tear that I had. He also told me that he did about 15 repairs a year whereas Dr. Philippon does about 15 a week.
Knowing the success that I had with Dr. Philippon, I elected to go back to him. While I was in Colorado doing rehab for 6 weeks, I was amazed at the number of patients who came to him to "fix" their repaired labrum. I soon realized that Dr. Philippon is the last hope for many patients who have been butchered by other surgeons who claim to know how to do this surgery. There is a reason that most pro athletes go to him for this surgery.
I realize that, for many reasons, everyone can't see Dr. Philippon but if it is possible he should be the first choice for this surgery. It's definitely expensive and not convenient unless you live in Colorado but it's your life and your ability to be pain free and live your life. I wouldn't change one thing.
And, lastly, realize that recovery takes time. Even though there are teeny, tiny scars, it's big surgery. Muscles, ligaments and tendons are moved, stretched and generally jostled around during surgery. Muscles that may have never worked before will be asked to perform and muscles that are used to being in charge will be asked to take a backseat. It takes lots of pt work and time but the end results will give you a new lease on life.
I will continue to update and check my blog so feel free to comment and I will respond. Best of luck to those of you who are just beginning the journey. Know that you will be in the "hip club" and I find that we do a great job of swapping stories and supporting each other. No one knows the pain and recovery like another hip patient.
Adductor pain -- Yes, I have had very tight and painful adductors almost all of my adult life. Remember that the cause of my labral tear was that my hip sockets were too deep and had too much bone with resulting impingment. From what I understand, with a congential hip defect, the muscles that are supposed to be involved in walking are pretty much shut down leaving others to pick up the slack. For me, I never had any glute muscles -- at all! The adductors basically took over - performing a task they were never meant to perform. After surgery, it took a long time to build my glutes and convince them to work while convincing my adductors that they could relax. I still work on stretching both right and left adductors daily. It's a lifetime of problem for me and probably will never be perfect but I am making great progress.
The adductor issues also seem to be involved with IT band, TFL and psoas issues. When one flares up, adductor issues follow. What I have noticed helps tremendously is focusing on glute med exercises and really amping up all glute exercises for a few days. Lots of stretching and using the foam roller to work out the tough spots even though it will bring tears to my eyes sometimes.
Using a surgeon other than Dr. Philippon -- NO!! :-) I had my right hip done almost 7 years ago. I feel incredibly lucky that I saw a wonderful hip dr here in Indy who diagnosed my issue and sent me off to Dr. Philippon. He could have easily replaced my hip and I would have been none the wiser but he didn't. Dr. Philippon was in Pittsburgh at the time and had just moved there from Florida. It wasn't nearly as organized and I came back to Indy and did physical therapy here with weekly phone calls to Dr. P's pt in Pittsburgh. I knew at that time that my left hip was going to need surgery but I tried to put it off as long as possible. Mistake!!
When my left finally caused me more sleepless than restful nights, I went back to see my hip dr here in Indy to get an arthrogram done. He told me that there was a dr here in Indy doing labral repairs and suggested that I go see him. I did. When I asked him about protocols after surgery, he indicated that he didn't follow any of Dr. Philippon's protocols. When I asked him about the technical aspects of the surgery, he admitted that he would never be as technical as Dr. P but felt he could effectively repair the tear that I had. He also told me that he did about 15 repairs a year whereas Dr. Philippon does about 15 a week.
Knowing the success that I had with Dr. Philippon, I elected to go back to him. While I was in Colorado doing rehab for 6 weeks, I was amazed at the number of patients who came to him to "fix" their repaired labrum. I soon realized that Dr. Philippon is the last hope for many patients who have been butchered by other surgeons who claim to know how to do this surgery. There is a reason that most pro athletes go to him for this surgery.
I realize that, for many reasons, everyone can't see Dr. Philippon but if it is possible he should be the first choice for this surgery. It's definitely expensive and not convenient unless you live in Colorado but it's your life and your ability to be pain free and live your life. I wouldn't change one thing.
And, lastly, realize that recovery takes time. Even though there are teeny, tiny scars, it's big surgery. Muscles, ligaments and tendons are moved, stretched and generally jostled around during surgery. Muscles that may have never worked before will be asked to perform and muscles that are used to being in charge will be asked to take a backseat. It takes lots of pt work and time but the end results will give you a new lease on life.
I will continue to update and check my blog so feel free to comment and I will respond. Best of luck to those of you who are just beginning the journey. Know that you will be in the "hip club" and I find that we do a great job of swapping stories and supporting each other. No one knows the pain and recovery like another hip patient.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
One No-No
Apparently wearing 4" heels is still not a good idea. Hip did fine but all the muscles that support the hip told me I was crazy last night.
Today it is snowing in Indy -- looks like we have about 3 inches or so and it is snowing like gangbusters so you know what that means ------ZIPFY!!!! If there is never another post on this blog, it means: Zipfy 1; Me 0. Wish me luck!
Today it is snowing in Indy -- looks like we have about 3 inches or so and it is snowing like gangbusters so you know what that means ------ZIPFY!!!! If there is never another post on this blog, it means: Zipfy 1; Me 0. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Here's to 2010!
Here's an update for anyone curious. I feel fantastic! I simply cannot believe the difference that having 2 good hips actually makes. I have had chronic lower back pain for most of my adult life. I thought I had been cursed with my mother's back problems. Wrong! Now that both hips are functioning as they should be, my lower back issues have disappeared. I would occasionally get back spasms so bad that I would cry . .literally. Those are gone. I love to cook but had all but given it up because I couldn't stand on my feet for hours. That's over. I can stand on my feet for 8 hours with no resulting consequences. I would have to consider whether I was having a good enough hip day to go for a long walk. Again, gone. I can walk wherever, whenever and for as long as I want. No pain during and no consequences after. In fact, I haven't found anything yet that I can't do because of hip pain. I have finally accepted the fact that I am fixed. As you know, I had doubts after surgery with all of the muscle madness but it was really just that. I am good!!!
It's been 8 months since surgery. In some ways it seems like it was yesterday and in others, it seems like it was years ago. Looking back on it now, the only thing that I would change is getting the surgery sooner rather than later. I put it off way too long thinking the issue would go away. It didn't; it got worse. Now I regret that I lost the time limping about and being miserable.
As 2010 was approaching, I thought a lot about where I have been and where I want to go with my life. I suspect that turning 50 had something to do with that too. For the first time in years, I didn't have to think about something and then think that I couldn't do it because it would hurt my hip. Add to that the strength and muscles I have gotten from pt and strength training and I am in better shape now than I have been in 10 years. These could possibly be the best years of my life.
We are expecting 5 inches of snow in Indy today and tomorrow and I am surfing the web to find the best sledding hill around so I can go try the new Zipfy. Wishing I was back in Colorado so I could really give it a good run but Indy will do until I get back out there . .. hopefully sooner rather than later. I would still like to figure out a way to get out there and learn to snowboard this year even though every time I say snowboarding people try to discourage me. What is up with that???
It has been awesome to hear from fellow patients. Sometimes I thought I was the only one going through this and I might be crazy but then I would hear from someone who had the same issues and I felt so much better! So, thank you! We should all meet up sometime when we are 100% and celebrate our new leases on life.
So, here's to 2010 and a year when I get to finally live without restrictions!
It's been 8 months since surgery. In some ways it seems like it was yesterday and in others, it seems like it was years ago. Looking back on it now, the only thing that I would change is getting the surgery sooner rather than later. I put it off way too long thinking the issue would go away. It didn't; it got worse. Now I regret that I lost the time limping about and being miserable.
As 2010 was approaching, I thought a lot about where I have been and where I want to go with my life. I suspect that turning 50 had something to do with that too. For the first time in years, I didn't have to think about something and then think that I couldn't do it because it would hurt my hip. Add to that the strength and muscles I have gotten from pt and strength training and I am in better shape now than I have been in 10 years. These could possibly be the best years of my life.
We are expecting 5 inches of snow in Indy today and tomorrow and I am surfing the web to find the best sledding hill around so I can go try the new Zipfy. Wishing I was back in Colorado so I could really give it a good run but Indy will do until I get back out there . .. hopefully sooner rather than later. I would still like to figure out a way to get out there and learn to snowboard this year even though every time I say snowboarding people try to discourage me. What is up with that???
It has been awesome to hear from fellow patients. Sometimes I thought I was the only one going through this and I might be crazy but then I would hear from someone who had the same issues and I felt so much better! So, thank you! We should all meet up sometime when we are 100% and celebrate our new leases on life.
So, here's to 2010 and a year when I get to finally live without restrictions!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)