since i was away and Dr Millis was away, my 2-month post-op appt was scheduled closer to the 10-week mark. i re-read one of Dr Millis' old emails and it suggested that i could be off crutches after 8 weeks. so i possibly coulda chucked those things a long time ago! will i get post-crutches depression?
unfortunately my post-crutch depression will need to wait. we flew up to BOS for my 2nd post-op appt. Dr Millis opened the xrays i took that day and said, looks good--did we really do surgery on this hip? then he pointed out that there's a new hairline fracture where he made a cut on the ischium. he explained that he doesn't put screws everywhere so the piece down in the back can wiggle around with different activities and potentially crack. it's neither common nor uncommon and someone earlier in the day found a hairline fracture too. i feel no pain from this fracture, which would literally be a "pain in the ass", somewhere in the middle of the butt crease. he had me walk across the room unaided and commented that my gait was completely normal...but i should be using one crutch until the next appt. PT jaime said it'd be ok to walk around the house unaided. i'm going to return my wheelchair, which i haven't used since week 3 on a shopping mall field trip.
so, no more rowing for me but i can still swim and do stationary bike. i have to avoid hamstring and adductor motion, and any movement where i push against my left foot. my new PT moves are: 1) figure 4 stretches for both legs (ankle on opposite knee) and pull towards chest. 2) hip flexor stretch by hanging left leg over edge of table/bed and bringing right knee to chest. 3) leg lifts to front, side and back with blue theraband (graduated from orange band!). 4) stand on left leg and do right leg lifts w/o resistance (works on left leg balance). i can still do ab crunches and quad stretches but no more butt bridges (works hamstring/adductor). there is no more right/left weight-bearing restrictions, i can stand/crawl on knees, do toe push-ups, plank.
i have 4 screws in which Dr Millis wants to take out when my bone is healed. my pre-op MRI showed abnormal cartilage near the labrum on the medial side of the femoral head, some sort of cysts.
most people feel 95% back to normal around 6 months and it probably takes about a year to be back to 100%.
Bummer on the continued crutching... I don't get how we can ride a stationary bike (I have not found any 'comfortable' bike seat) when it's the 'butt bone' - ischium that is the one still healing.
ReplyDeletei've wondered about that sitting thing too. and i've never met a bike seat i like either. one explanation (not from the dr's office) is that the ischium gets wiggled more with muscle movement, i.e. the hamstring and adductor muscles pull on it, while just sitting, there's tendons and things holding it in place so it doesn't move around as much. i was told to use the upright bike, not the reclining bike which uses more ham movement than being upright. if you get a better answer, let me know!
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