3/24/2014 Some little epiphanies

As my dear friend Debbie is having absolutely stellar recovery from her hip replacement 20 days ago - she unloaded her dishwasher by herself totally pain free and unsupported

by cane or walker, and felt so good she stood and washed the rest of the dishes in the sink. Then today she went to the PT - walked in and out without a cane at all - he was having her get down on hands and knees and get back up - he wanted her to do it slowly, putting down the "good" knee first - but she just got down there on both knees, easily and with ZERO pain! - and right back up again. 

three more weeks until they let her drive ( longer than my surgeon's rules, but they all have different methods, and obviously her surgeon's work!) .

I was finding my brain asking, "Hey! 20 days? and I was on that damn walker for almost three months before surgery and four more after that?!??! And I'm still using the can for longer treks with 6.5 and 3.5 months post-surgery??"

ANd it really made me realize - Yes, I AM recovering beautifully, and really AM a star patient - because I was REALLLLLY messed up! I hadn't quite realized HOW messed up(I know, I KNOW!!! How coudl I NOT?! But my surgeon has accentuated the positive, and has great expectations of totaly recovery for me. I am continuing to get physical therap - which I DO need to get my full recovery, range of motion, and strength and balance so I AM totally pain0free. I still have s little hip pain, my knees sometimes bother me, after the damn tumble my left foot has been really swelling (as well and the right, but less - probably some from so much activity now). 

So -  Debbie is on one extreme end of the spectrum - less than an hour-long surgery, and total lack of pain after 91 days (even with other health issues like fibromyalgia and spinal stenosis - this was clearly the most major issue she had, because she is just feeling AMAZING!) and off her walk and cane in NO time!

And I am the other end - two severely deteriorated femoral heads, terribly malformed hips with dysplasia, the sockets having been oblong-shaped, all cartilage erased away. 3.5 hour surgery with two screws (They rarely use screws at all) and FIVE hour surgery on the right with THREE screws - and still making amazing progress - just a slower, and with a LOT more to battle back from. 

So - you see - two completely different people with hip replacement needs before 56 (I'm 55, Debbie is 54) absolutely thriving and *GETTING OUR LIVES BACK*!!! 

In our own time, at our own paces. And I could not be more thrilled and delighted for Deb!!! I was hoping that this would be a great improvement for her, even with her other health issues, and it has out shone every wish I could have wished for her!! We cacn't wait to see each other - there is a brnc planned ith out little circle of college chums in a couple of weeks and we plan to strut. :) 

I am not the least freaked out that my hips were so bad. I know they were ,but having this contrast to show me that true severity, I am every more grateful to the amazing Dr Smith. He has been nothing but extremely sunny about my progress, big hugs and huge smiles about it each time I see him. He told be before surgery that he is an optimistic person, just cautiously so. Well, once that surgeries were over, he was very enthusiastic, and I think proud of his work. It was a real doozie of a re-sculpting job. 

*and it stuck solid when I did the ONE damn thing I wasn't supposed to do - *FALL*. 

*whew*. 

I carry some damn fine work in my skeleton and I will never take it for granted. 

And that's my set of epiphanies for today. 

Otherwise it was fine - work, a very fast dinner, and rehearsal. It feels good to stand for a bit at rehearsal - it harkens back with such flashbacks to rehearsing me last pre=op show, at a professional company no less (!) when I had to drag a chair around with me, as you have to stand for somewhat prolonged periods of time in rehearsals, as the director works on where everyone goes. I never thought of it as any issue at all, until standing became excruciating, and my bones made popcorn noises that peopel around me could hear. It makes me shudder. But it also makes me smile when I am standing there, maybe tired and a little stiff, but happy. I also don't over-do it, and i sit when I can. And I don't concede to choreography - nope - still not ready for that! 

But all in good time.