I should have been better about updating as my days came and what milestones I reached on what particular days so as to have a decent account of my recovery so I can compare it to the opposite side. Sucks I didn't think to do that after this PAO. I will promise to be better after the next one!
Yesterday was my 5 week post op date. I am totally self sufficient now. I can drive easily given that it is my left leg that was operated on. I can shower standing up and sitting down (the shaving of legs still needs to occur sitting and I just feel more comfortable with the chair in there still). I can, shhhh, stand on two feet without any real pain and yes it feels weird. One day I just looked down and holy crap, I was standing on two feet equally. I know I am not supposed to do this until I see my surgeon again in two weeks, but it just happened. Now I brush my teeth on two feet...I can't see how it can hurt too much because it is not as if I am walking around on it (although I feel like I can walk on my hip!)--which I would NEVER do at this point.
As far as pain levels goes, it is up and down. For instance, yesterday, I had to take Tylenol and tramadol on board all day but then today I just took a half a tramadol and Tylenol the rest of the day. I still take my muscle relaxant at night, but I was taking that pre-op too and am content to keep that on board until I get my other side screwed. Quite honestly, I am taking these pain meds mostly for my non-operated hip. My left hip is feeling really good, its the muscles and nerves that hurt on that side, but my right hip aches that deep sickening ache all of the time. Suffice it to say, the right hip is less than happy to be supporting me fully these days.
I am not sleeping well at all. If I sleep in a bed, then I wake up every time I move. Just this past week I have been able to roll over onto my stomach. This is a welcomed position change from my back, but I can't stay like that too long. I am still unable to roll and stay on my non-op side as my adductors spasm if I do that. Those adductors have really taken a hit with the new bone positioning--right from day one they were sore. Most night, sleeping in the bed keeps me awake bc I move, so I usually sleep in the recliner, which prevents me from moving too much so I can sleep longer than the usual four hours. But I can't stay there every night as my back hurts there too much. Complicated. So, I rotate between bed and recliner.
I am doing all of my exercises, including riding the bike. This week I have seen a great improvement in my atrophy as it is visibly less! I am biking between 25-35 minutes total every day. I hope that it helps me so I can get off crutches quicker. My ROM is okay: flexion is about 100 degrees until I get the groin pinch, and I can do the figure four without too much discomfort, external rotation is good--I can get it to be equal to my right side now without any stretch, it is the sharp joint pain that is limiting me from full external rotation. I am happy with my ROM, but I do believe that I should be able to do more. I am unsure if it's my arthritis that is limiting my motion or if it is just the inflammation from the surgery, either way, I hope that I am doing as well as can be expected. I will know more when I see my surgeon for my follow up in two weeks.
My incision is looking nice, all healed up, but the subcutaneous sutures are still extremely palpable with all 10 knots still able to be easily felt. Two of them feel like they have some inflammation inside. I will keep an eye on it because I feel like they all should be dissolving a bit faster than they are. My screws, all four of them, can be felt easily on days that the incision is not too swollen. Lately, I haven't been able to feel them too easily, but I do feel them pinch when I flex up. As my surgeon told me, I will be "begging to get my screws out!" Maybe I need to fluff up a bit? I sure am trying by drinking two high calorie Boost drinks daily...not necessarily to beef up, but to maintain my current weight, which is VERY difficult for me right now. Healing from major surgery uses us so many calories!!!
All in all, I am doing pretty darn well.
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