July 31 2014 Still Making Discoveries... Reminding Myself that Both Sides still Need Equal Attention

Here I am, and in 21 days, it will be one year since my first hip replacement surgery, August 20, 2013.
Mine were pretty extreme (See ***this post*** to see how grateful I am and how relatively easy it still was!), so my healing has been slow and steady.
Of course, I discover that if I slow down on my exercise  (Walking and recumbent exercise bike) and physical therapy (Stretches, strengthening exercises), it becomes immediately apparent. Boy is THAT motivation!
It gets REALLY hot here in Northern California, and with the heat can come really terrible air quality (We're in a valley and the heat seals in the pollution). Walking is not so easy on those days,. But most days, if I can't go walking, I sit my butt on that 'bike and I work hard for 20-30 minutes. More days than not, it is now 30!! Go, me!
I can't wait for the cooler evenings. I love walking, and I took the summer off the stage to take the time to really get my strength up.

I remind myself constantly (and have a one or two near and very dear ones who remind me, too) that this is THE chance I get to recover from this as well as I possibly can. Not just "I'm better". But "I'm better than I have ever been." I don't want to settle. I am grateful that my surgeon understands that, and agreed to as much physical therapy as I needed. Some brush it off. But, just "better" and settling is NOT good enough! I have my life back. Now is the time for strengthening, increasing my stamina and endurance. It doesn't mean I'll choose to be a marathon runner. I abhor running (Everyone seems to think that that is the end result!) but I will be starting back to Yoga, and I'll find some dance classes and increase my ability and knowledge of dance.
I am an actress, one who does a lot of musical theatre. The characters I play are rarely dancing roles, but it would be nice to be able to tell the director, finally, "Oh, yes! You need me to be in the group number in the party scene? Yep! No problem!" this increases my ability and knowledge, and I am living up to more of my personal potential!

So - I have noticed some things lately as I have been re-focusing on the strength of my thigh/glut/ab muscles ( the main groups of muscles affected in this situation, though it all radiates and effects everything).
I think they have to do with the fact that there were 3.5 months between my surgeries, and I have been sort of gauging my progress/strength, etc. by the FIRST hip (and the one which was originally the worst).
I was taught a method of focusing on individual muscles and their components, moving/flexing them, almost giving yourself an internal "mini-massage". It is so true that the more attention and mindfulness you devote to them - the more attention you pay, the better they will heal.
Sometimes, you just want to go "normal" - just do what you're doing, not have to "think" about it.
The truth is - and I have been taught by the best - the more mindful you are, for the rest of your life - the more healthy and less accident or injury-prone you will be! It takes concentration, and practice, but as you learn - even if you increase it SOME - you will get better. Even if you did NOT have any injuries!

Anyway - back to the thighs.
I noticed a couple of things. My left is REALLY flexible - almost fully,  and always improving! I can easily step in the tub, put on pants, anything that required side-to-side flexibility or rotation, it's just about there! I can cross my legs pretty easily from the left - all of this was impossible for years.
But hey... my right ... it just doesn't move as high, as smoothly, can't *(quite* cross it without lifting it with my hands and it's too stiff to cross far or for long... hmmm... OK - well it IS three months newer...

Then, I was checking in with myself, and working on those small muscles.. I noticed something (which probably should have been obvious). Putting my hands on the tops of my thighs (lying on my back with my feet pulled in, knees up) when I flexed the muscles near my surgery incision scar on the left, I could feel a certain kind of muscle movement and strength from the surface  with my hand.
But trying the same movements on the more recently repaired right-hand thigh, those same muscles were not firing them same! I couldn't feel them from the outside with my hand!
I had NO idea that, gearing toward the progress of the first hip, I had neglected to let the second one go fully through the same healing process! I was unwittingly skipping part of its needs!!
I realized that on the right side, trying to move the anterior (front) muscles, my posterior muscles were covering and doing some of the work for them!!!
So I started REALLY concentrating - flexing first the left, seeing what it was doing, and then the right, working on duplicating that movement.. and with a little effort and concentration, I could re-train the anterior muscles to do their OWN work... not depend on the butt to compensate for it - a very old and bad habit, from pre-surgery when the hip could do nothing, and the posterior muscles and knee were doing all the work for it!!! I have learned that physical therapy on one side of the body is enhanced by doing the same movement on both sides - the brain mirrors it better. And so it was.

Now, I am back on track. Thank goodness, the right is catching up with its own progress! And I am remembering that it IS 3.5 months behind the left - plus having had to hold up the whole operation of my frame for that much longer. Flexibility is growing, control is better, and those muscles are getting their sense memory back! "Oh!! THIS Is how we are supposed to work with all our buddies, the other muscles!!"

This is cool. Given tools by an extremely knowledgeable friend,  excellent physical therapists, a Pilates instructor and yoga teachers, I am stepping it up. This is pretty wonderful.
It makes me happy on levels I can barely even explain.

I hope you are inspired. You can get better, and THEN even BETTER than that!!!