Week 2

The Week of Monday 10th December

First thing Monday I’d arranged a visit to my surgery as my medication had run out and I still wasn’t sleeping at night. The Doc prescribed me with some more fast release and slow release morphine pills for another two weeks, and some big pink ibuprofen tablets. Now I’m not sure whether it’s just been a few years since I’ve had a prescription, or whether the costs have changed, but I was charged £7.65 per medicine! I couldn’t believe it was costing me almost £23. I’m in receipt of statutory sick pay whilst off work but I still don’t qualify for free prescriptions. I know it’s only £23 but when you’re barely bringing in money and still have the usual outgoings, I find it a cheek that I have to foot the bill when I didn’t ask to have a condition which resulted in compulsory surgery.  Call me tight, but I’m going to make the morphine medication last to cover my second recovery, and I will purchase and double-dose on the cheap ibuprofen for <20p. Rant over. The good news is I’ve slept every night since the replenishment and I can even sleep on my left side now. Sleeping on my front or on my operated side will have to wait until at least the six-week check-up mark to ensure the bone has healed nicely.

I began my first drawing on Monday and at Andrew’s request, I drew this…

Tuesday my Dad wanted to visit the National Archives in Kew to continue his family tree research. It was very interesting and I was glad to leave the flat, but I began to feel a little ill and light-headed so we left after a couple of hours. The security guard took my bottle of water off me in case I damaged the archives so I blame my episode on dehydration. We visited Andrew at work for a coffee break on the way home so that was nice and I perked up.

On Wednesday, My Dad and I visited Andrew’s Nan, Iris, in her new home in Burgess Hill near Brighton. We were joined by Andrew’s Uncle Trevor for a cup of tea and then we stopped by Andrew’s ‘home home’ for lunch with his Step Mum, Eli. Then we went to my accountants on the way home to get my tax return sorted before January. It’s getting easier to get in and out of a car, and I’m managing to travel longer distances (100m) on my crutches without relying on the wheelchair now.

I had been looking forward to Wednesday for a while because this was the day my friend Jenny was going to teach me how to knit! It’s only fitting if you’ve had a hip operation that you can knit. So Jenny came over for a ‘stitch and bitch’ session and after casting on, she demonstrated how to knit, and purl. Due to my eagerness, I picked it up fairly quickly, but I kept accidently dropping stitches off the end of the needle and Jenny had to rescue it. It was great to see Jenny and finally learn how to knit, and I went to bed very happy having produced this:

When I woke on Thursday, I couldn’t wait to commence knitting again (yeah I’m cool!) and within an hour, I became the World’s angriest knitter! It was a disaster then another disaster, and my Dad attempted to reassure me that I was a beginner and couldn’t expect to be amazing after a 2-hour lesson. Despite the mistakes, I couldn’t stop because I had a whole day to fill and I didn’t want to resort to television. Luckily for me (and my Dad), Jenny was working a half-day and stopped by to save the day before I went to hydro. I didn’t realise that if you made a mistake, you could unravel, and then go again. Now that I knew this, I became the World’s happiest, beginner knitter again! J Thank you Jenny!

Hydro was great again, and it was my last 1:1 session with Debs before I entered into a ‘group’ session next week. My first thought was I’d be in some kind of exercise class but no. There’s a maximum of four patients in the pool and everyone follows their own programme. It’s a cheaper way of using the pool, equipment and other facilities without paying the full (expensive) 1:1 price. I had decided prior to surgery that I was going to pay for private hydro because the surgeon told me that hydro patients always recovery better and quicker than non-hydro so it was a no-brainer. Knowing this, I saved up enough money to cover the costs (I just didn’t budget for prescriptions).

On Friday I visited the surgery again to have my dressing and steri-strips removed. I was literally in and out within 60 seconds and felt like I wasted the nurse’s time as I could’ve easily done it myself. She told me to give it a good clean next time I showered, and recommend Bio-Oil to reduce scarring.

My friend Forey (first name Sarah) came bearing gifts on Friday which was lovely, and Laura and Nathan came to visit on Saturday for an all-day sesh on Wii Mario Brothers haha. Virtually all my close friends and family had visited now so that has been really nice and means a lot to me! Forey and Laura were impressed with my knitting too and despite it being very short for a scarf, I’m very proud of it!

Andrew and I braved town again on Sunday to do some more Xmas shopping and of course it was very busy. I tend to look at the floor while Andrew wheels me around so I don’t see how many people stare, but I know there are quite a few. - Andy tells me so. I find it funny (and annoying) when we’re waiting for a lift in a department store and the doors open to reveal a lot of lazy people inside. It’s also crazy how many people unnecessarily apologise to you while you’re in a wheelchair. It’s even crazier how many people should apologise for doing something and not seeing you while you’re in a wheelchair - of which there are a few. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the World revolves around me while I’m in a wheelchair and recovering for 6 months. I’m just saying that it’s a real insight to temporarily look through others’ eyes who permanently have to cross these bridges.

In one shop, the cashier serving me politely asked what had happened if I didn’t mind talking about it. I told him that I’d had a hip reconstruction and few heads turned to look at me. I knew exactly what they were thinking… “How old are you?” Of course, hip operations are typically associated with the older generation but I think it’s time that awareness of prevalence in the younger generation is increased.

Another bone to pick is the amount of people who compare hip replacements to hip reconstructions. They are very different and for some to assume that a replacement is worse and say things like “so-and-so was up and about walking the day after their replacement” is not what we (us PAO patients) want to hear. My pelvis has been smashed up with a chisel-like instrument and hammer and subsequently screwed together so I’m sorry if I can’t walk and require care for a couple of months. Replacements are common. Average Joe knows what a hip replacement is. PAO is still relatively new and rare, so if you don’t know the difference, keep it buttoned. Second rant over. Medication makes me angry…

Overall this week has been pretty great and very busy so minimal television I’m pleased to report. The sciatica hasn’t been as painful which is great, but I have a new problem. Well, it’s the same ‘bunged up’ problem as previously stated but its persistence is challenging. Let’s just say it’s painful, and until I’m off the morphine tablets, I’m just going to have to deal with it.

I haven't really had any 'bad' days since the two incidences in hospital, but since the dressing was removed on Friday, I've been a bit sad every time I see the wound.  I've got tonnes of scars on my knees, elbows and knuckles from hockey so it's not that. And I know it's small and will heal really nicely to the point where you can barely notice it. But it's the association when I see it currently. The reminder that I was born with a condition that wasn't detected until the age of 25. A condition that required surgery and would disrupt our life plans. Life plans that will be put on hold due to a lack of income and the need to eat into our savings to ensure we can survive until I return to work. Therefore prolonging life plans further. Not the way I envisaged my twenties that's for sure. However, it's just like being 'bunged up.' We will just have to deal with it because there's no choice.

Week three will involve some more hydro, knitting, and hands-on physio as I’m in desperate need with this leg, back and neck ache.

I bought more wool to make a new scarf this week. I’m attempting my own pattern and this is it so far.