I have about 90 degrees of flexion and moderate external rotation, aDduction, and aBduction, but still almost zero degrees of internal rotation. My muscles are feeling stronger and less sore all of the time. But as my muscles relax, the joint itself isn't relaxing very well. I do all the things that I am supposed to do, but it doesn't seem to make any difference, I still can't extend or straighten up. Kind of frustrating.
As far as the incisions go, they are doing well. The one that I was worried about having a suture in it actually has an abscess under the skin. Sometimes people get this from the subcutaneous stitches. The doctor said that if it was a stitch, it probably would be red and inflamed, so it most likely isn't a stitch. But there is no real way to tell. But both the surgeon's fellow and the nurse didn't seem like it was a very big deal at all.
Yesterday I had my follow-up as well. I saw my surgeon's fellow prior to seeing my surgeon. The fellow was great, he was definitely from Australia! Man, I love the accents! :) But he was thorough and explained the radiographs, the pictures from within the joint, and looked at my incisions. He even printed out a copy of the operative report for me to read later. (this absolutely thrilled me). I saw my surgeon for about three to five minutes. He re-explained the pictures and then told me that I should make an appointment just to check up with him on my Christmas break. So I don't see the surgeon until I am about 6 months post-op. Hopefully things are as great as they will be and I'll run into and out of the office for good. I think that I have been about 15 times to the surgeon for both the right and left hips.
I was also explained that I didn't necessarily have a labral tear (although the operative reports it as a tear) but rather a frayed labrum. I also had chondral delamination at the base of the fraying. Which also was taken away. This is slightly concerning since I am only 25 and have cartilage damage. But it is gone and hopefully for good. The cam-impingement was substantial and necessitated that they use additional approaches to cut and shave the extra bone. This explains the bruising in the anterior and most lateral portal - since they had to exchange the bone shaver and the scope back and forth to remove all of the bone.
So as it stands things are healing well. I am tired of having a stiff hip that doesn't seem to be healing very quickly. It is so weird that I don't have any doctor's appointments until December or January now (I still have to schedule my follow up with my surgeon). I always have something planned! Xrays, arthrograms, specialist appointments, etc. This may very well be the final stretch to a life that is not ruled by my hips. I have the hope of someday having a day that I do not have to think about my hips. To be honest, there has not been a day since June of 2007 that I have not thought of my hips. I can't even imagine what it is like to not think about my hips while I move, walk, stand, or sit. I assume that I will start thinking less and less of my hips so the transition to a 'normal' life will be gradual. Very scary thought (in a weird way). I don't know how to put it, but in a way, it is like a chapter in my life is coming to a close. For the last three years I had to deal with hip pain, doctor appointment after doctor appointment, imaging test after imaging test, surgery, recovery, more appointments, surgery, recovery. This will come to a close and there will be a time that I don't need to have so many health things going on. It will be great, but that learning as a patient will be lost. Having said this though, I think that being a patient for two surgeries within 2 years of each other is enough patient learning for a while. Let's hope that the hips hold up for the rest of my life! (or at least for many more decades).
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