Ouch Charlie! Ouch!

Today marks the second day of going backwards in my recovery. This is not the desirable method of healing, but inevitable none-the-less when dealing with the hips.

I think it all started Wednesday at physiotherapy. We started to move the hip more and use more muscles. Although it hurt while I was doing these exercises, and while the physiotherapist was moving my hip through its range of motion, it was not excrutiatingly painful. I could handle it. And plus, it felt so good to start moving and feels like I was moving forward in my recovery. Also on Wednesday I got into the pool. I just stood there but definitely put the hip through the maximal range of motion that it would allow. I was tired that evening, but nothing that I could not handle. Then I woke up Thursday morning to a puffed up hip and knee. My hip (well, it is better described as butt since it is so posterior-lateral) was all swollen; it felt like a balloon was put inside! And my knee....(the picture is from my favourite Youtube video showing how my hip feels - ouch! goodness, I could not even straighten it.

To add insult to injury, we hosted a graduation party last evening, and I helped prepare (as best I could). This resulted in moving around much more than I should have considering I was all swollen. Thank goodness I did not have a physiotherapy session yesterday!

Today was a bit better. I could straighten my knee, but my hip is just as swollen as it was yesterday. I had a physiotherapy session today, but I was so swollen and sore that she could not even touch the hip. She did some release/massage on my quadriceps, but everything was so sore/swollen that we could not do much. I did have an inferential treatment to reduce the pain levels (which works wonders, I might add!) I was told to take it easy all day, no exercises or anything. I decided to go back onto two crutches to relieve the pressure on the hip. This is quite difficult to do since I know that I can put almost full weight on my operated side, but I really want this to calm down so that I can start increasing my range of motion and strength. Kind of disheartening.

I help lift my spirits I decided that I should float in the pool today. It was such lovely weather that I thought I should go and catch some rays (and get some vitamin D in the process.) I laid outside all afternoon. I would float in the water (getting on it was kind of difficult but my Mum helped me; bless her soul - she has been a godsend during the last couple of weeks), then I would stand in the shallow end just to cool off, then repeat. By the end I felt comfortable enough to go on some noodles and float in the deepend. It was so refreshing and it felt sensational on my hip. Since gravity was eliminated, there was less pressure on the hip. The cool water also was very soothing on my incisions. Hopefully this water will help them fall out more quickly. Being outside all afternoon was just what I needed; it actually felt like a summer vacation (since my summer vacation thus far has not felt like a vacation in the least.)

All in all the hip is kind of rotten and irked me that I am not moving forward. But I know that this will pass (sooner rather than later). I will be saying some prayers tonight that this balloon in my hip disappears and my pain decreases. One good thing though, I have managed to attain a golden-brown tan today :)

Until next time,

Me

(P.S. the shows one of my favourite YouTube videos capturing how my hip feels...ouch!) :)