8/1/2014 More Break Throughs!

HA! Ok - more about progress!
this is exciting!

I haven't had a ton of forward progress in a while, and I was still having chronic low pain in my right knee and left hip.

It was confounding me, because I was still exercising, stretching, walking, biking etc...


I talked to my hip surgeon at my last 3-month check, and asked him about the pain in my hip, and what was the likelihood that I'll be TOTALLY pain-free?
Mind you, I am OK if I were to live forever at this level. Compared to the pain levels of the damaged, pre-surgery hips, this is NOTHING. I'd say a 2 on the pain scale. And I understand - as bodies wear, there is a bit of pain sometimes. But I don't want to settle. I want to get myself to BETTER than before - largely because my body has never been able to function fully around the hip dysplasia I was born with  - and nobody knew. it only became painful in the last 8or so years. I just thought it was my level of fitness - not very, but sort of average -ish, short,  round body. Strong in many ways, less-so in others.

My surgeon said, "Well you're coming up on a year, which tends to be a big milestone. Your implants have really taken hold and are rock-solid [this was a concern, which the amount of sculpting needed for my hip sockets and there being very small spaces that needed to fill in with bone - and did!], so we'll have a look in three more months and see where we are."

But - I have taken inspiration from a dear friend. He is NOT interested in Settling for "You're doing pretty well for... fill in the blank. For whatever..
I don't want to just settle for "You're doing pretty well for having had hip replacements!!"
I want to be GREAT!!

I just had a pretty big break through and figured it out!!

Read yesterday's post re: the anterior muscles in my thighs...
I have figured out that I need to do some different angles, and re-invigorate my strengthening  - including the elastic around my ankle, pulling outward... toe rises... and more of them.. really focusing on that right knee and the left hi. Stretching, strengthening, adding a bit of Traumeel gel here and there.

And the exciting thing is - today I realized, walking across the floor at work, that my knee did not hurt.
It kind of always hurt a little... the cartilage is fine, but it has been a little jacked up from holding up my whole frame... and it just did not hurt!!!!

And the hip was MILDly achy - I had to look for it... very much improved - and this is progress forward for the first time in several months!! I think Dr. Smith is going to be really happy and excited for me when I see him September 8th for my next check-in!! I was just a little bit disappointed that the year was approaching, and I was at this plateau, and now, BOOM!! :)

Never give up!! And make sure you stay at it and keep checking in as you progress!!
I WAS, even.. but then when I really sat down and looked hard in detail, I found my stoppage and it changed so quickly!

Life is very good, and it just keeps getting better.