18 months – 2 years post-PAO surgery… and 1 week until the second PAO

Less than two weeks after my last post, Andrew and I flew to Thailand for our amazing Honeymoon. Starting in Bangkok, we ventured onto Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and back again. The trip was so jam-packed; it felt like we had been travelling for a month when we finally returned to the desert. Despite being poles apart from New York, we mutually agreed it was equally as awesome, and we’d happily visit both destinations again in a heartbeat.

The Beach

Thailand has so much to offer and we barely scratched the surface. What I am extremely happy about is my hip didn’t hold me back from doing anything on either holiday. Had we visited Thailand immediately after the Wedding, I would not have been ready or able to achieve half of what I did.

Phi Phi has many different viewpoints and secluded beaches which can only be accessed via a little trek. The infamous viewpoint was an approximate hour and fifteen minute ascend from our beach-side hotel and it was an extremely humid day. My hip did me proud. We hiked and scrambled for miles and not once did my hip complain.

You can see how humid it was from Andrew’s sweat-drenched T-shirt.

This is the secluded, idyllic beach we literally had to vertically clamber into and out of to reach. It was more than worth it though.

On our penultimate day in Krabi, we couldn’t resist the rock-climbing the island had to offer. To the instructor’s disbelief, neither of us had previous experience and we always reached the summit of every attempted climb. Andrew resembled Peter Parker and scuttled up with ease every time. I wasn’t quite as quick and I could feel my hip pinching every time I hoisted my right foot up to the level of my left hip. Flexibility is definitely an essential aspect of rock-climbing, but it was the combination of flexibility plus weight-bearing that proved to be challenging for me. I refused to be defeated though, and despite pain and a fairly extreme fear of heights, I always reached the top. Unfortunately, I then had to juggle hyperventilating with a bit of abseiling until I could celebrate my success.

Negotiating a precarious path…

Andrew and I both commented on how unimaginable these activities were one year previous. I can’t not appreciate and celebrate each accomplishment, and Andy always reaffirms my intrinsic positivity. Every conquered milestone spurs me on to the next level however. After Thailand, my thoughts turned to “What next?”

Our friends had discussed entering the Desert Warrior Challenge in October 2014; a 10k obstacle course in the heart of Dubai’s desert. Predictably, this was my next challenge and I began upping my 5k distance.

It was mid-June and the unbearable Summer temperatures were fast approaching. With that in mind, I decided to up my running distance on a treadmill in the air-conditioned safety of my community gym. Two 10ks and a couple of blood blisters later, it was time to pound the pavements again. I set off from my house, and got 50 metres down the road before bad luck struck. I glanced left before attempting to cross the road and hadn’t noticed the raised drain my left foot hadn’t cleared and was about to collide with. I fell forward, off the curb, onto my left hip and hands. Luckily there were no cars, and luckily I had only turned two corners, so I picked myself up and limped back home covered in dust and grazes.

Both hips had been aching during the long runs, but now my left hip was really sore. Running was replaced with rest temporarily, and I turned my focus to Andrew. He wanted me to train him for not only the 10k obstacle event, but to help him bulk up again. We had two months of training before returning for a couple of weddings in August. Since my left hip was still aching most days, I thought I would request a meeting with Banksey whilst we were back.

…

The prognosis was that my left hip was deteriorating. The beginning of the end of my 27 year old hip. The only treatment to prevent an arthritic hip was PAO surgery. Again. I always knew I had bilateral hip dysplasia and at some stage my left hip would need the same daunting procedure that I had on the right hip 21 months previous. It was impossible to predict when this time would come, so the advice was to continue with my life, continue rehabilitation and progress the right hip, and that’s exactly what I did. Every new milestone I achieved with my right hip was negatively impacting on my left hip. There’s no doubt that all the running, and especially falling onto my hip, kick-started the decline. I explained to Banksey that my right hip generally ached a lot, but never interfered with daily life. His response was it’s likely to be painful still because the joint was so worn down prior to the PAO operation. If you recall, I could not walk easily before my last PAO in November 2012 and from time-to-time, I required a wheelchair to get around. Banksey’s new advice was to cease exercising in an attempt to preserve the left hip joint and deter a repetitive outcome.

Of course I listened, and adopted a fairly sedentary lifestyle. The only exceptions being prehab exercises (to strengthen the relevant muscles), and certain activities that I’ve wanted to ‘tick off my list’. Activities such as skiing and wakeboarding! Obviously these won’t help my hip, but I won’t be able to do either for a long time after my next PAO so why not take some painkillers and live on the edge?! Besides, neither is an impact exercise that involves a lot of flexion and extension of the hip (unlike running for instance). I know most people won’t comprehend how someone can participate in such sports when they are right around the corner from major hip reconstructive surgery, but it’s a case of now, or 2016. Go figure.

Instead of competing in the 10k Desert Warrior Challenge, I spectated at various checkpoints, and cheered Andrew and the gang on from the start to finish line. It was a real shame to not participate, because I probably could have, but I knew in doing so, it would’ve accelerated my joint deterioration. Not only did I have to give up being active, but I had to seriously think about my career. Once again, this surgery was going to be a huge inconvenience to my life as a personal trainer, as well as our financial security. All of my thoughts were absorbed by the prospects of three-months (minimum) off work, alongside a potential career change. Maybe it was time to reconsider a return to the classroom…

I figured the best next step was to gain some recent teaching experience to see if, after four years out of education, I was still suited to, and would enjoy teaching again. The transition back seemed plausible and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity at an amazing school. My initial fears of work post-op don’t look so bleak anymore and I’m optimistic I’ll be teaching there again soon.

…

So, I’m exactly one week away from surgery number three; my second PAO. I’m in daily pain with my left hip but nowhere near as painful as when I was one week away from having my right PAO. I’m limping every other day with this hip but never have I experienced the same feeling of my hip giving way and then not being physically able to take another step. I can’t stand for significant periods of time, but I’m rarely restricted to what I want to do every day due to how much walking is involved. I believe this is because I’ve successfully slowed down the deterioration of the hip joint by adopting a virtually sedentary lifestyle for the last six months. Fingers crossed, these changes will have positively impacted upon my imminent recovery and enable my left hip to improve better, quicker and stronger than the right did.

My right hip is still painful so I have been worried about how it will cope after next Monday. My left hip’s recovery relies heavily on my right hip doing a good job, so I just hope that the two years of hard work and rehabilitation pays off.

As of next Monday, I’m temporarily relocating back to my second home on Sarah Ward, in Guy’s Hospital, before recovering at Andy’s house with Eli. I’m anticipating a shorter recovery than last time as the angle of rotation is less severe than my right hip was. The level of dysplasia in my left hip is relatively average, so fingers crossed (again) that this recovery will also be relatively average…

I think I had enough bad luck last time if you remember. Wish me luck for the 9^th March :) 

12-18 months post-PAO surgery

It’s been nine months since my last post and as you can imagine, so much has happened! Our wedding was perfect, New York was amazing, the move to Abu Dhabi was a relatively smooth transition and we absolutely love life here in the UAE.

In summary: I had a small amount of hip pain on our wedding day; NYC involved way more walking than I imagined but the hip did hold out. It fatigued fairly quickly and occasionally I needed a sit-down, but not once did I feel any intense pain; and virtually no bother with the move.

The sports marketing company that Andy works for organise an annual 5k running event at the Formula 1 track in Abu Dhabi. The date of the run was almost a year to the day since my operation so I decided to enter to prove (mainly to myself) that I was fit and healthy again. My dad was visiting at the time too which made it all the more special and I managed to persuade him to take part too (he power-walked it).  I set myself a further two personal goals – 1. Run the entire distance without walking, and 2. Run it in 30 minutes or less.

I had progressed my rehab and training in the month’s build up to the event but it seemed the running was too much for my lower leg muscles. I developed achilles tendonitis in my left heel (likely due to over-compensating), which abruptly ended the training, and in all truth, should have prompted a withdrawal from the 5k. However, having set myself the target of a 5k and knowing it would’ve been such a monumental achievement, I refused to bottle it.

It was a very emotional day and I couldn’t have achieved what I did without Andrew. He ran beside me the whole route and gave motivational comments when I wanted to walk. Thanks to him I didn’t, and I’d like to think that I was one of the happiest people that day when I received my medal.

The entire 5k I was battling with either tendon or hip pain, but not enough for me to quit.

Four days later was the actual anniversary of our hip surgery, and only my hip twin, Natalia, knew exactly how I felt. Naturally we updated our Facebook statuses and shared our appreciation for each other. As I’ve mentioned before, we have such a strong bond, and are still in regular contact. Of course we invited Natalia and Tom to our wedding and it meant so much that they were able to be there on our special day.

AND, I’m thrilled for the pair of them who very recently welcomed their third little girl into the world!

Shortly after the run I had an interview for a personal training job. I wasn’t sure that I was entirely ready to return to PT, especially as my hip hurt with running and squats in particular. I was extremely honest about my position and even pointed out that we would both be taking a risk. It was a risk that we mutually were happy to take and it was an excellent decision for my hip. My hip strength improved rapidly within three weeks and after six weeks, I was managing to back squat 60kg. The pain when I squat has reduced drastically, but even now, I can feel a slight impingement with every bodyweight squat and small amount of pain with any weight over 30kg.

Had I not been given the opportunity, I know that my hip would’ve taken longer to recover so I’m very grateful and relieved. Even if I did/do feel like the most unfit PT at the gym. At the beginning, I wanted to tell every gym goer that I was 12-months post major hip surgery so they wouldn’t judge me or compare me to the other trainers. Even now I feel embarrassed when customers ask why I didn’t take part in the triathlon, or the 10k obstacle course or that 14k mountain challenge with my colleagues and themselves. I find an excuse each time but the truth is I really want to do them all. But I’m still relatively unfit compared to half the gym users that they’ll be wondering why I finished so far behind them all. My next aim is to regain my pre-dysplasia awareness fitness so I can enter all of these events and be proud of my achievements, rather than worrying too much about what others think. I have already knocked 4-minutes off my 5k time since the end of November so I’m heading in the right direction.

18-months post-op and I feel my hip is as good as it will get, and despite my general strength improving, I’d still rate it 90% of previous capabilities. There are no issues at all with walking, not many issues with demonstrating or performing exercises at the gym or running, but I’ve attempted a couple of netball games and even a mini touch rugby tournament, and unfortunately I’ve had to sit-out a couple of times due to  some sharp shooting pains and throbbing aches. I believe these are pains I’ll just have to deal with if I want to play sport as I think my hip will never truly be able to cope with the ‘change of direction’ that’s involved. It’s just nice to occasionally be part of a team again.

There’s still a fair bit of ‘clicking’ but no ‘clunking’ thankfully, and my left hip appears to be holding out. - Although I have heard a few ‘clicks’ recently. I will try to arrange an appointment with Bankesy in August when we return home for a couple of weeks. I’m sure he’ll have forgotten who I am. So I’ll just have to remind him that I was the ‘athlete with one of the worst dysplasia angles he’d seen’.

Probably the most important news to update you with is that I can wear heels again. When we moved I shipped out a box of shoes, most of which I didn’t think I’d be wearing for a long while, but by December I was strutting around in the new French Connection pair that I purchased in my wheelchair!

In my previous post last year I mentioned our ‘mini-moon’ trip to NYC before the main honeymoon this year. Well that time has arrived people and Andy and I will be heading to Thailand in thirteen days to explore some of the islands and relax with a few cocktails. It will be the most amount of time we’ve spent alone since NYC so I can’t wait!

Ta ta for now.

Week 34 - 39

Virtually 9 months post-PAO surgery and 7 weeks post- hip arthroscopy and screw removal

To summarise the last five weeks; I’ve been focussing on my rehabilitation, wedding planning, job hunting and moving.

When I last updated you all my hip was still fairly painful and the physios had taken my rehab completely back to basics. This continued for three weeks, at which point the physios deemed me to be a cause for concern and referred me for regular hydrotherapy. As I could walk fine and dandy I thought hydro was a bit extreme, and recalled something Debs said to me a few months back. She explained that it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach and rehab needs to be tailored to each individual. She went on to say that with my strength and control I may be able to handle slightly more advanced exercises and I should trial and error things, and only stop if it gets too painful. The physios at the Royal Berkshire Hospital advised me not to return to the gym but I felt I needed to try it for myself. I want to reiterate that I’m not stupid or overly impatient; I have a fair bit of knowledge in strength and rehabilitation so I felt qualified to attempt something different before resorting to hydrotherapy. Without blowing my own trumpet too much, I was onto a winner…

All I did was a bit of cycling and upper body resistance, followed by a brief stint on the cross-trainer and then my basic hip exercises. I had no pain throughout the session or for the rest of the day. It literally cleared up and I was so happy that I visited the gym the next day for another low-intensity session. I must have gone three times between physio appointments and they were happy my pain had gone and cancelled the hydrotherapy. It was a new physio I saw that day and I reassured her that I had continued with my hip exercises daily, to which she was also very happy about. It was then that the physio explained why it was so important to follow the basic exercises, other than the obvious reason to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint. She asked if my hip was ‘clicking’ still – something both hips have done for a long time.  I explained there was still a lot of clicking and I that I had thought it would stop after surgery. The physio explained that I had a lot of scar tissue in the joint and adhesions which need to be broken down and eradicated. The clicking sound produced is an indicator of the adhesions being broken down between the bones that make up the ball and socket joint. Therefore the clicking immediately after surgery is a good sign but the frequency of the ‘clicks’ should decrease as my rehab advances and the adhesions disappear.

This particular physio (wish I could remember her name) was really helpful and provided me with new useful information and it was just the extra motivation I needed to keep up my hip-specific exercises. She also explained that I had tendonisitis in both hips and that I need to resume taking ibruprofen and stretch regularly. Towards the end of the session, she mentioned and recommended that I attend the hospital’s ‘hip scope’ group. They offer two classes a week of up to eight people and it’s a chance to complete your exercises for an hour. You have the benefit of all the equipment and three physios in the room to assess and progress you during an allocated 15-min one-to-one slot. So alongside the gym, I’ve been going to my hip class for the last few weeks and my hip is getting better and better. - So much so that I got the green light last week to attempt some fast step-ups and even had permission to resume my interval jogging. I can confirm that I am now successfully completing six sets of 2-min running intervals and my right hip finally feels almost normal again. If I had to rate it I would say it’s currently at the 90% mark and I finally feel young again!!

My check-up with Banksey is this Friday, although I’ll probably be seeing one of his minions. I really I hope he’s at least working in the hospital though as I seem to have two “dissolvable” stitches poking out of my thigh. You may recall that I had to pluck the last stitch out of the top of my wound in January after PAO surgery. Well, since the dressings came off a few weeks ago there are noticeable stitches protruding from each scar, only this time, it hurts when I tug on them. These little buggers are not budging and I need Banksey to remove them.

My left hip hasn’t gotten any better or worse since my last post. It twinges now and then, and sometimes aches but still hasn’t interfered with my walking. Another reason I hope to see Bankesy on Friday is to find out what exactly the plan of action is regarding my left PAO surgery, especially as we’re moving…

I’ve been keeping a secret from you all for a few months now and couldn’t announce it until everything had been confirmed. You may have thought it was odd that we visited Abu Dhabi twice in the space of three months but the second trip in particular wasn’t just for a holiday. Andy has recently accepted a new job over there and so we’re officially moving to the Middle East on the 18^th September! This is why we brought the wedding forward a few months – as not only will it enable us to live together legally, but we agreed that planning a UK wedding whilst living abroad would be way too complicated. So as you can imagine, these last couple of months have been mega-busy and it’s felt so good. I’ve been off work for 9 months now and organising this wedding and the move has not only given me two things to look forward to, but mentally I’m in a much better state than I was 5 months ago.

I remember writing that it felt like I was taking so many steps back when we lost the flat and then I had to move back to my dad’s house. At the time it seemed like we had a string of bad luck; my hips, losing my job, the flat and subsequently having to live separately from Andy. I’m a firm believer in things happening for a reason and I felt that we deserved our silver lining after a tough old year. Despite a lot of ups and downs I tried to remain optimistic and now 2013 is set to be the best yet. So far it has brought me one fully-functioning, pain-free hip, and four-weeks today I will be moving to Abu Dhabi with my perfect husband to begin our new, well-deserved adventure.

The wedding is eleven days today, then we fly to New York for a mini-moon (to tide us over until the big one next year), and then it’s all hands to the pump for the big move abroad. Wish us luck!!

Week 31 – 33

7 months post PAO surgery and 2 weeks post hip arthroscopy and screw removal

As I’ve left you in suspense for two weeks, let me start by saying, the surgery was a success!

…

Two weeks ago yesterday I woke up at 7.15am and although I wasn’t allowed to eat anything after 7am, I didn’t think three small chunks of watermelon would harm; especially as the pre-surgery instructions permitted me to drink water until 11am and let’s face it, watermelon is virtually all water! I had stayed in Clapham with Andy the night before so we didn’t have to travel far to Guy’s Hospital. Once we were showered and ready, we set off for the tube with my overnight bag and crutches in tow.

I knew my surgery wasn’t a high priority and that I would be sitting in the Surgical Admissions Lounge (SAL) for a good few hours. - Which I was. There were a few wedding magazines to keep us busy though so we browsed through them in between different cubicle visits. The first time my name was called was to provide me with my gown, stockings, paper pants and slipper socks. The second was to ensure I had followed all pre-surgery instructions, and I had my blood pressure  and blood taken, followed by signing the consent form. About an hour and a half later my name was called again by the anaesthetist. My initial impression of him was extremely friendly and caring, but now I know they were just tactics to get me to admit to my ‘breakfast’. Subsequently I was pushed to the bottom of the list and I had to wait a further three hours in the SAL. Not happy. At one point, this was all made worse during a visit to the toilet when the nurse knocked on the door and told me to get changed into my clothes again. After throwing my paper pants in the bin, I practically stormed out thinking my surgery had been cancelled for the day. It turned out they just didn’t want me to be ‘cold’ in the SAL; which in my opinion was typical room temperature. I sheepishly asked for some more pants when it was eventually time to get changed again.

Fast forward to after 4.30pm when the nurse called me for the final time. By this point my dad was in the SAL with us, so we all walked round to the double doors before saying “Goodbye”. I had been absolutely fine up until this point and then the reality kicked in. I had a few tears as I waved back to Andrew and the nurse tried to comfort me whilst guiding me around the corner. I instantly recognised the room as it was the same one I had been in for my PAO in November. Once inside and on the bed, I waited for my new ‘best mate’ anaesthetist. I had asked to be sedated before the general again and he happily obliged. If you remember back to November, my last memory before waking up in the recovery room was a young chap practically shouting “SEDATE HER” as I started to breakdown. On this occasion I actually remember having the cannula inserted and the sedative injected as the anaesthetist told me I would feel light-headed and like I’d had one too many. He wasn’t wrong.

I woke in the recovery room to one of Banksey’s minions telling me they’d found and repaired a tear in my labrum, and they successfully removed the long screws. (I barely remember this, but when he visited me on the ward the following day, I was reminded). So as I started to wake up a bit more, the first thing on my mind was FOOD! It was 7.30pm and I was starving. Knowing that visiting hours cease at 8pm, I forced my eyelids to stay open so the nurses/porters would transfer me to the ward ASAP so I could see Andy and my dad. I was happy to hear that I was returning to Sarah Ward and even happier that I had a window bay this time.

Due to my late arrival on the ward, I was given special dispensation and Andy and dad were permitted to stay until 8.45pm. I was offered a dry sandwich or a dry sandwich for dinner so I requested a couple of yoghurts and a cuppa. Both went down a treat and although I was feeling tired, I was generally ok. I’m a fidget anyway so it wasn’t long until I discovered that I could move my leg easily with minimal pain. Banksey  had previously informed me that post-op my hip would be quite swollen and there would be four incision sites so I was intrigued to see what it looked like. After lifting up my gown I found I had two dressings: one at the side of my upper thigh and one at the top of my original scar. The latter was obviously where he extracted the screws but it left me wondering why I only had one hole in the side of my thigh. The hip pain was deep in my groin so why didn’t he go in through the front of my thigh (as was explained four weeks previous). Before Andy and dad departed, a junior doctor came to tell me that everything was looking great and there was every chance that I could be discharged at around 11am the following day. She also said that I could fully weight-bear, but I had to use my crutches just in case. However, I wasn’t allowed to use the crutches until the physio came to show me how in the morning. I refrained from explaining that I’d recently been reliant on crutches for 3.5 months so I didn’t think I required a lesson, and after the boys left, I prepared myself for bed.

I was woken up for medication at 10.30pm and again at midnight for my favourite anti-DVT injection in the belly. – I do not miss injecting myself every day and luckily I only required one. Then it was back to sleep until the drama began…

My incredibly full bladder woke me up around 3am so I felt it was time to call for assistance. My buzzer was still attached to the wall behind me so I carefully stood up on one leg and pressed the ‘call’ button. After 5 mins the nurse appeared and we agreed that I should probably use a commode as my crutches were off-limits. She brought the commode but had to disappear again to fetch some loo roll. All the while I was sitting up feeling more nauseous by the second. So by the time she returned with the roll, I had filled one cardboard sick bowl for her to take away. I lifted myself onto the commode and it was a huge relief to relieve myself, but I was still feeling very sick so I began filling my second sick bowl. Then I started to feel light-headed and knew what was coming. I couldn’t speak very easily but I managed to yelp that I was about to faint. I also knew that if I could lie down I would feel ok, so I had a split second to decide whether to stay on the commode and faint with my paper pants around my ankles, or stand, turn and collapse on the bed in record-breaking time. I made the rational decision not to stand, in case I fainted immediately and seriously hurt my hip, and opted for losing my dignity instead…

It’s a good thing I’m not easily embarrassed as it turns out I left all of my dignity in Sarah Ward bay B4 that evening. I woke up surrounded by ‘the crash team’ who came to ‘revive me’. I had indeed fainted and was unconscious for a few minutes but proceeded to throw up. All. Over. Myself. The crash team were called because I was completely unresponsive (even when I woke) and my blood pressure dropped ridiculously low. One nurse wiped the sick off my face and hair and whacked an oxygen mask on (which I kept attempting to remove to spit the remaining sick out), and two other nurses helped me off the commode and into bed whilst pulling my paper pants up. From what I remember there were roughly three doctors there and about five nurses but none were aware of my history; especially what surgery I’d had. I believe my file had been removed by the junior doc in preparation for discharge in the morning so these guys were all extremely worried and I could hear a number of questions going unanswered. At this point I was capable of responding so I explained what they wanted to know and took the opportunity to voice my hypothesis on the dramatic events; Three pieces of watermelon and two yoghurts in 24-hours was evidently not enough fuel to keep the general anaesthetic side-effects at bay. Despite feeling a little better, I was hooked up to a drip, had blood taken, blood pressure and temperature taken every 5-mins, had anti-sickness injected through my cannula, and had an ECG. Whether it was just my body being an attention-seeking drama queen, or because it is just my kind of inpatient luck, my one night stay in hospital had become rather eventful. Hopefully I’ve made my point to Banksey and he won’t put me at the end of the surgery list again ;)

Surprisingly, I had a crap night’s sleep, but boy was I excited to hear the breakfast lady with her little cart. I ordered a bowl of cereal, two slices of toast and a cup of tea which had vanished before you could say periacetabular osteotomy. Three of Banksey’s minions came to see me on their rounds and we joked about my night. Soon after they left I thought of three more questions which I’d forgotten to ask. One of which was “Did Banksey actually perform my op?”, as I hadn’t actually seen him since April. Even now I don’t know whether he did but I assume so… I forgot to ask why I only had one incision and I forgot to ask where exactly my labrum was torn. I’m sure I’ll find out all at my check-up in six weeks.


They debrided the tear to remove dead
tissue. You can see the newly 'burnt'
bit which hopefully will cure my hip
pain. 

You can see the tear across the middle of
the pic. The top and bottom white bits are
bone - the top is my hip socket, bottom is
femoral head.

Once the minions left, it was sponge bath time and I couldn’t wait to wash the sick out of my hair. I managed to get half-dressed whilst still hooked up to my drip, before patiently waiting for the nurse to detach me so I could finish. It was 10am and although I felt ready to leave, I had to wait for the physiotherapist and the pharmacist. Without being rude I hurried through the physio session whilst proving I was more than capable on crutches, and unlike my huge stash of drugs last time, the pharmacist only had to talk through two sets of medication. 11.10am came and I was ready for discharge, so the porter wheeled me downstairs where my dad had the car waiting and we were off.  
 On arriving back home in Reading, my dad had resumed his carer status and began preparing some lunch. I’d been asked to make an appointment at the doctor’s surgery for a dressing change on Thursday and other than that, I was back to clock-watching for the day. We had arranged that Andy would stay with us for the week and commute to London, so it was like being back in our Kingston flat again where I would count down the hours until he walked through the door.

The following day my hip seemed fine and the only pain I could feel was superficial; where the incision sites were. The groin pain had gone and by the end of the day I was able to walk around the house without crutches and without a limp so everything should have been good. However I soon became annoyed that I’d waited 6-months to have this relatively minor operation (in comparison to PAO) and could walk around the next day with no issues. If someone could’ve predicted I’d be feeling this great, I think I’d rather have had both hips operated on and gotten the left PAO out of the way. I’m aware I’m going back on what I said last time but my mind literally does change from one week to the next. I don’t think it helps that since keyhole two weeks ago, my left hip is starting to play up almost daily. Admittedly it’s not preventing me from walking (yet). But if this is the start of my left hip finally packing in, I know I’ve got another 6-months to wait. Now in the grand scheme of things that’s not long and it would give me the opportunity to ‘live life’ until then, but when I’m face with the prospect of finding a new job, what employer would hire me knowing that I’ll be on sick leave for two months? At twenty-six, I don’t want to be job-hopping for a few months at a time to tide me over between hip operations. I’m career orientated so whatever I do next, I want to stick with it climb the corporate ladder. What will be, will be, so hopefully when the job offers come flooding in, either my potential employers will be understanding about my poorly hips, or my left hip will start behaving itself and I don’t need to worry about PAO for a few years.

Thankfully I didn’t stay disgruntled about my hip feeling fine for too long, as low and behold, my right hip became very painful by the weekend. On Thursday I stopped taking the strong meds (as it made me constipated again) and I slept fine, but by Friday night the serious groin pain had returned and it was an awful night of pain and no sleep. So first thing Saturday it was back on the strong stuff and although I did, and have managed to sleep since then, the groin pain remains. On Friday I had considered cancelling my first NHS physio session that I’d pre-booked for Monday afternoon, but after the constant pain Saturday and Sunday, I was so relieved to go to the physio. I didn’t expect them to cure the pain, but I could at least find out if this was normal.

So when Monday came it was off to the Royal Berkshire Hospital. I would summarise the session as a typical initial assessment, but the lady was no ‘Debs’. She was lovely, but she had no personal experience of PAO patients so I spent a lot of time explaining what my November surgery and subsequent rehab entailed. She did have a lot of experience with hip arthroscopy and was able to clarify that my delayed pain was very common and most likely referred due to the surgery. During the assessment there were a lot of movement tests to identify strengths and weaknesses, so by the time my session was over, my pain had actually doubled. She was impressed with my strength but explained that after hip arthroscopy I needed to take it easy and although I could do certain movements, I should take it right back to basics. My next appointment is today so we shall see what she says then.

The nurse at the surgery changed the dressings on Thursday and instructed me to change them again in five days if I felt comfortable enough doing so. I did, and this is what it looked like when I took the steri-strips off. It was here that I discovered two holes in the side of my thigh. 

New dressings reapplied and another five days later:

I think Bankesy has done great job re-stitching my scar. It's a lot smaller than it was three weeks ago!

Week 25 - 30

Wow it’s been a while! Very sorry I’ve neglected my blog for the last few weeks but my life has been very eventful and this is the first moment I’ve had some spare time!!

Firstly, let me give you the hip update. Last time I mentioned that I had Debs’ permission to attempt small bouts of run/walk intervals, and despite still having issues with my hamstring, I thought I’d give it a go. I did my usual cross-trainer and weights session to ensure I was fully warmed-up before approaching the treadmill. As I stepped on it felt like everyone was watching me, as this was the first time I’d gone near it let alone try to use it in the seven-weeks I’d been going. After pressing ‘Go’ I walked for 3 minutes before raising the speed. Although Debs had said no more than 60 seconds, I decided to err on the side of caution and stick to 30 seconds. Having worked as a running technique specialist for the last year, I am fully aware of how to run with reduced risk to my hip so with that in mind, I began increasing the pace. Once I reached 9.5km/hour I was successfully jogging at a gentle speed and my hip wasn’t feeling too bad. A couple of twinges here and there: especially after the 30 seconds when I reduced the speed to a walk again. I decided to walk for 60 seconds before my second attempt. Once again I managed the 30 seconds but I could feel my hip a little more than the first time. It was still hurting slightly during my 60 second recovery walk but I thought I would give it one last try to see if it was something I could “jog off!” It definitely wasn’t getting any easier so I had to stop. The pain wasn’t horrendous but I knew it would worsen if I continued. So I hopped onto the recumbent bike to cool-down before heading home feeling very deflated. I resigned myself to the fact that I probably wouldn’t be running or wearing heels until 2014 now and I’m not sure which upsets me most.

Some good news is that in the last week or so my hamstring strain has finally cleared up. I decided to save my money and not see Debs for treatment and thankfully Andy’s Step-Mum, Eli (who is an amazing massage therapist) offered to treat me. After seven-weeks of intermittent pain, two deep tissue massages and tonnes of stretching, my hamstring is virtually 100% again and ready just in time for my op next Monday! Speaking of which, I went to see Banksey two-weeks ago and the plan of action has changed once again but luckily we were on the same wave-length…

In the lead up to my appointment I was super organised and enquired about the NHS treatment and aftercare for PAO patients in Reading. I was extremely happy to hear that the Royal Berkshire Hospital (where I happened to be born, along with the Duchess of Cambridge might I add), have some experience. After a lovely chat with the head physiotherapist, I was satisfied that she knew what she was talking about and I requested that my doctor refer me now so I can be seen soon after surgery. She did however express her concerns about having left PAO surgery and right hip arthroscopy on the same day. We agreed that the only way it may work is if I had immediate access to hydrotherapy and get in the pool twice a day until I could fully weight-bear on my right side. Which, if I had private healthcare it wouldn’t be an issue.

This got me thinking and I decided to call Debs for her opinion before seeing Banksey. She echoed the other physio’s concerns and it was at that point I began questioning my initial decision. On one hand it is safer to have the ops separately as I’ll have a greater chance of a speedy recovery, but on the other, it means I will require a further two operations (left PAO and then to have screws removed), complete with two more general anaesthetics, and therefore it will prolong the overall road to recovery. One final thing that swayed my mind was that I currently have a choice regarding my left PAO. Up until last November I couldn’t walk easily so it was surgery or a wheelchair. Now, I am able to walk around relatively pain-free as my left hip is nowhere near as bad as my right was, so I would hate to agree to have surgery until I absolutely needed it, just in case something went wrong and I would forever blame myself.

So a few Fridays ago, there I was ready to explain my decision to Banksey, but when I arrived I was soon informed that he was on holiday (again!) and I had to see one of his minions. At first I was a little annoyed because I had so much to talk to the big cheese himself about, but very quickly my mind was put at ease. This new guy started by explaining that Banksey had discussed my case with him in great detail and that he had a change in opinion, to which I replied that I had too. We both felt that on the 1^st July he should only operate on the most painful hip; the right. In comparison to PAO surgery, the keyhole procedure to repair the torn labrum and remove the screws is a doddle, so only one night in hospital is required and usually no more than four weeks on crutches. We also discussed when I would realistically have my left PAO and the Doc asked how much pain I’m in currently and what restrictions I have. On hearing my response but without hearing my opinion, he stated I should probably wait until it was interfering with daily life (i.e. waking) and recommended that they keep me under observation until the time comes to put me on the waiting list. Obviously this will prolong everything further but in many ways this may be the best option. I struggled with walking for 18-months prior to the November surgery so I estimate that my left hip has at least that long before the wear and tear gets too much. It may even be three, four, five years until it’s unbearable, so why should I delay my life any further and run the risk of premature, nonessential surgery.

The last bit of hip-related news is that I attempted running again this week on the treadmill and it was a very different experience to last time. My hip has been feeling really good, with the only time I really feel it being first thing in the morning and when I’ve sat down for too long. Once again I completed my usual gym session before confidently approaching the treadmill and commenced my first walk interval. After 60 seconds I upped the speed to 9.5km/hour and began jogging. It was feeling absolutely fine so I stayed on for the whole 60 seconds before reducing the speed to a walk again. It felt amazing but until I’d successfully achieved more than one rep, I wasn’t going to get too excited. Second and third attempts were equally fine so I left it there for the day to finish on an absolute high! It was an indescribable feeling and I had to call Andy immediately to announce the good news. He was very proud and equally happy, and although a total of 3 minutes doesn’t sound like a big deal, let me tell you, it is! Four or five weeks ago I thought I wouldn’t be running until 2014, then I managed this a week before my next op. I even tried my running intervals again this morning at the gym and managed four 60 second runs. Chuffed to bits! I know it might sound strange that I’m six days away from more hip surgery and I’m running, but my hip couldn’t manage a lot more than what I’m doing, and let’s face it, it’s not very much. It’s all part of the rehab.

In six days’ time, these bad boy screws are coming out! I’ve heard Banksey asks whether you’d like to keep them afterwards and I’m not sure what I’ll say to be honest. I’ve also heard that sometimes the screws can snap off and you’re left with the bottom end of a screw in your pelvis. I’m definitely not going to take half a screw away with me.

Scar isn't looking too bad, even if it is wide

So that’s all the boring hip stuff. The exciting news is that 2013 has turned into a more exciting year than expected. I’ve said a few times that this year was a ‘write off’ and my life plans were on hold due to all the surgery and a severe lack of money after being off work for so long – which by the way, I am now officially unemployed. My boss and I discussed it a few times and we mutually decided it was time to part ways as I was unable to return to my usual duties, and it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to for a long while. Therefore, after the op next Monday, I will split my time between job hunting (I’m thinking desk-based work is more ‘hip-appropriate’) and wedding planning! That’s right, Andy proposed and we thought why wait when I’ve got all this free time, so we made a few enquiries and booked it for September this year! This was all decided before seeing Banksey so initially we thought I wouldn’t be walking down the aisle, but it’s almost certain that I will now. Obviously I wanted to get as much wedding prep sorted before surgery, hence why I’ve been so busy. I can confirm that we’ve bought or secured all the essentials so there are only little bits and bobs to finalise leading up to the big day.

We’d spoken about getting married over the last few years and always envisioned May 2014 would be our time. Despite knowing a proposal may be imminent, Andy still managed to completely surprise me when he took me to dinner at the OXO Tower for my Birthday. I burst into tears as he popped the question holding a little blue box, before sliding this absolute beauty onto my finger once I’d cried “Yes!”

Andy always maintained he wouldn’t propose in public OR on a day such as Christmas, Valentine’s or my Birthday, so never in a million years would I have predicted it. We were in our own private area on the terrace which was just perfect, and then our waiter insisted on taking a photo. Having just cried my eyes out I was quite reluctant, but when we returned to our seats we realised why. They presented us with a lovely OXO Tower card with a congratulatory message and our photo inside.

It’s literally been non-stop since then, but we did manage to squeeze in a last minute holiday to Abu Dhabi again for a little R&R. We got some cheap flights through Andy’s mum and stayed with Andy’s cousin so it wasn’t too costly and we had the most amazing time! Not that I didn’t have a great time before, but I had no issues with my hip whatsoever so I could completely enjoy myself.

It was so nice to spend a whole eight days with Andrew too as we’ve been living separately for almost three months now. It still seems like yesterday that we were saying “Goodbye” to our beautiful flat and it felt like I was taking a million steps backwards. Now, if everything goes to plan with the keyhole next week, we should be living together by September (as a married couple!!), and fingers crossed I will have a new job and one fully functioning hip. 2013 is definitely turned into a winner for me!

Week 22 - 24

I can feel that I’m nearing the home straight of my recovery, but I’m not quite there yet. In the last two weeks I have experienced a couple of self-inflicted set-backs. My dad has that “told you so” attitude about one in particular, but from here on out, my recovery is very experimental and I have to trial and error new things. It’s just unfortunate that almost everything I attempt results in increased pain for a while.

Since the op I’ve lost most of the flexibility and strength in my hamstrings and I’ve somehow managed to strain one at the gym. I can’t remember what I was doing exactly but it gradually worsened throughout the gym session. I believe it’s my semitendinosus muscle that’s damaged and it’s very high up; near where it attaches to the bottom of the pelvis. It could even be the tendon as it feels worse than a standard muscle strain. Either way, I’ve stretched it, rested it, massaged it over the last two weeks and it’s still pretty painful, especially on standing and ascending stairs. Either way, two weeks of consistent pain warrants another physio session. I briefly mentioned it in an email to Debs but as I wasn’t too concerned, the main focus was establishing when I could run again. She explained that I needed to be very careful and only attempt it if I could master multiple repetitions of single leg squats with good control. So naturally, I’ve been working on these and it hasn’t been too difficult. - Although I could feel my hamstring niggling at times. Debs is now on holiday until next week so I’ll have to wait for some “hammy” treatment but I have tried running a few steps around the house and in the garden and it felt ok. I will attempt the treadmill at the gym this week and following Debs advice, I will walk and run for a minute each, for no more than five minutes.

Despite the new persistent pain, I’m still managing to get out-and-about and you would be none the wiser that I’m facing surgery in 7-weeks. My quality of life has definitely improved in recent weeks as I’m now able to walk further and faster than I have been able to in the last two years. Andy took me to Stamford Bridge to watch his beloved Chelsea play last Wednesday and I managed to do a significant amount of walking without any problems. When I think back to how much pain I was in at the Harry Potter studio tour or at the Olympics last summer, last Wednesday definitely highlighted not only how much I needed the surgery and how successful it was, but how far I’ve come on this huge journey.

There are things that I still can’t do such as hug my knees or wear heels (as I recently found out), and there are many things that I can do but hurt, such as putting shoes and socks on or performing most lower body exercises. It feels as though I’ve exchanged all these things for walking and although I’m in slightly more pain now than before PAO-surgery, overall I’m happier.

Last Saturday was Andrew and I’s five year anniversary and he’d organised a nice surprise in London. He told me I had to wear something nice and approved the dress I selected. In the January sales I’d bought a pair of French Connection nude heels whilst in my wheelchair (it was a very unique ‘disabled Cinderella’ experience for me) and they complimented the dress perfectly. I wore them around the house in preparation and my hip was fine. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to walk long distances in them so I wore flats on the tube and discreetly changed when we were in view of our destination. Andrew had booked a table at Gordon Ramsey’s Claridges restaurant and explained it was an evening with no expenses spared. He didn’t need to tell me twice! We devoured the most delicious seven courses before the maître d’ presented this:

 

Everything was perfect and we had the most amazing evening… until my hip ruined it. After dinner we were offered a tour of the kitchen and within ten steps my hip gave way. It was identical to what happened in the Dubai mall and very reminiscent of the ‘going, going, gone’ feeling I used to get prior to surgery, only much worse. Once my hip ‘goes’ there’s no turning back and just moving my leg, let alone weight-bearing, is excruciating. The pain brought tears to my eyes and to say it put a dampener on the evening is a major understatement. I immediately reverted to flats and after a cheeky cocktail (to numb the pain) we were forced to get a cab home. I could hardly walk the following day and the pain didn’t fully disappear until the third day. When it first occurred I thought I was back to square one, but as it improved and after my hip twin recounted a similar story after trialling heels, I was reassured that it wasn’t too serious. Apparently I need to allow more time for my muscles and tendons to become accustomed to their new position. Clearly five months isn’t long enough and I doubt my hips will be ready before the next op; therefore I won’t be in heels until at least 2014. My dad thinks I was an idiot for wearing them and believes I should avoid heels for three years! Sorry dad but that’s not going to happen!

 

 

It's almost been a year since I found out the bad news about my hips and I can't believe how quickly time flies. Even the last five and a bit months have gone extremely fast and my life practically came to a standstill. With only 7-weeks left until my next set of ops, I am starting to get a little apprehensive. Obviously I know what to expect this time around so I'm not as nervous, but I know how hard the recovery is so that's massively daunting. So, as I said at the end of my last post, I'm trying to make the most of every day and I've got a jam-packed schedule between now and the 1st July.

 ~

It’s my Birthday in a couple of weeks’ time and I’m planning a big night out. Not only am I turning 26, but it’ll be my first night out since the op and it’s likely to be my last before the next op so I’ll be hitting it hard. Watch out Reading!

 

It was Jacob’s first Birthday party yesterday and we all went to a petting zoo.  These are some of yesterday's snaps of the Birthday boy.

 

Week 19 - 21. ~ Five Month Mark ~

No news is good news people. I haven’t been M.I.A. the last three weeks due to wallowing in self-pity. I’ve actually had a taste of my old life! It sounds crazy but I’ve finally had some good luck come my way…

When I saw Debs a few weeks back, I was still experiencing the deep pain in my groin. When I gave her Banksey’s verdict she seemed more devastated than me. Debs explained that in her 15-years of physiotherapy she had never known or heard of someone having to have labral surgery after a PAO procedure. Banksey himself admitted it was rare, but it can happen to those real unfortunate souls, (*sob sob*). She was even more surprised when I told her that Banksey wanted to operate on both hips on the 1^st July. Her opinion is that after labral surgery I should only be partial weight-bearing and therefore it’s not really possible to do both at once. However, if the “boss” was confident it could be done then she wouldn’t argue.

I returned the pelvic brace to Debs, while explaining I wasn’t a fan, and she agreed that it doesn’t agree with everyone. The remainder of the session involved more soft tissue work around my hip, during which Debs stated that she didn’t believe she could do much more for me and that I should save my money. Debs believed that I was capable of doing my own exercises and self-massage from there on out and that she would be at the end of an email if I needed her. She also gave me permission to return to the gym and we discussed which exercises I could and couldn’t attempt. Then, we said our “Goodbyes” (for two and a half months) and I’ve been left to my own devices since. On my way out I asked the receptionist what my total cost was for rehab so far… £660! Crazy aye. I’m not going to go down the route of complaining about the NHS again, but if they’d pulled their finger out, I could’ve at least halved my costs. And I have another round of rehab to pay for. These damn hips of mine will be my most expensive possession.  

 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday came and went, and I had the usual intense pain, then Monday brought a delightful change. I awkwardly walked into the gym with the pain, and hobbled out with quite a few aching muscles but minus the pain! Since that amazing Monday morning, the intense pain hasn’t returned either! I mean, I’ve always liked going to the gym but I didn’t realise it could perform miracles! I honestly can’t believe the difference and I am so relieved that I won’t have to live with that horrible pain until the 1^st July. (Touch wood).

I still had some pain in my groin but it was minimal and bearable, and proportionately improved with gym visits. I’ve been going four times a week and it has virtually cleared up now. Certain movements will aggravate my hip and I still get daily pains, but they’re very different to the constant ache I had, and I’m sure these are much more in line with usual recovery pains. Three months later than initially expected but my goodness am I glad I’m out of the dark tunnel!

Debs instructed that I take it easy at the gym but after five months of being cooped up, I did not and have not been holding back. Obviously I haven’t made my hip do anything that it really didn’t want to do, but there was a fair bit of trial and error during the first week to identify my limits. The treadmill and rowing machine have been out of bounds, as well as squats, lunges and certain abdominal exercises. Nevertheless I can almost do everything else and my hip is getting stronger and stronger. So much so that I’ve managed a shopping trip, my social life has returned, and I spent a weekend decorating a friend’s house. If you saw me in the street, you wouldn’t know that I’ve had a relatively recent hip reconstruction. I actually have to stop myself from running at times: for instance, when I’ve been crossing a road and car is fast approaching; or when it starts to rain and I want to find shelter quickly; or while ascending stairs – something that I always used to do. If things remain this good, I hope to be able to run in June before the second PAO. The professionals say you can’t run until 6-months post-PAO but I need to find out if that applies to me or whether I have to wait for an extended period due to my prolonged recovery. I’ll email Debs to check.

For those who are interested, I’ve devised my own gym programme. All of my cardio is on the bike and cross-trainer and it’s mostly interval training. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how quickly my fitness has improved and how well my hip has coped with the increasing resistance. I can use all of the resistance machines except for the leg press. – Debs and I thought I would be able to manage it but during my trial and error period it aggravated my hip too much for the time being. I mainly use the machines for leg abductors and adductors, chest, back, bi’s and tri’s, and continue to do my glute and hamstring rehab exercises.  

Since this miraculous improvement I’ve been debating with myself whether I still require the double hip op. I would hate to say no to the keyhole, and then be struggling down the line if the intense pain returns. On the other hand, if you don’t need surgery then you should avoid it. I’ve drawn three different conclusions: 1; it’s still too early to definitively say. 2; Banksey will have an opinion on it so mine may not matter. And 3; I need the screws out anyway so even if I have the keyhole and he feels there’s no immediate cause for concern, he can take the screws out and the right hip is done and dusted. I’m seeing Banksey on the 7^th June so I’ll debate it with him then.

You will recall that I was really inconvenienced by my 1^st July date. Now that I’m relatively pain-free I see the silver lining; I have two months to live my life to the max!