Good morning, faithful blog readers.
If you've stuck around to continue reading, God bless you :) I'd say I've waited long enough to post an update. I am now only 5 days off from being 3 months post op! And, as I welcome the month of August, I'm aware that it's now been one year since my first surgery that went so poorly. 3 months into a highly traumatic surgery on my right hip, I feel stronger and more capable on my right hip than my left hip completed one year ago. No doubt, the last few weeks have caused me to contemplate the differences in these recovery periods.
I have been off all forms of walking assistance since week 6. I have almost completed my PT which did not begin until 3 months into my first (failed) surgery. Although I still have swelling and significant groin and hip joint pain at moments, my right side feels as though it is coming together in ways we prayed for. My left hip continues to have shooting nerve pain and is swollen twice as much as my right hip. In moments where I gets discouraged by the left side, I have to discipline myself to stop, pray, and consider the progress on the right side. Others remind of this as well. And though we don't know how the re-do surgery will go this winter (and if the nerve issues will be addressed in necessary ways), I am grateful to God for the comparison of an accurately healing hip as opposed to the frustration I have lived with in my left hip.
Regarding PT, I've been overwhelmed with gratefulness to meet Andrea who has engaged my PT recovery process in ways that feel as significantly different as my right surgery was with Dr. Clohisy. We've focused our time on less engagement on the hip flexor and more focus on the psoas and glute muscles that "fell asleep" and lost memory this past year as my body chose to overcompensate in the hip flexors. Translation: I have to re-learn to walk again in ways that are slightly differentiated but wholly vital to my overall healing and readiness for my third surgery.
Though we have a long road still ahead, my spirits are high today. I have some low moments but overall, I can see the light ahead. I meet with Dr. Clohisy in 3 weeks for my 3-month check up. I'm anxious to hear his feedback and begin conversations regarding the timetable of my re-do surgery. I'm hopeful he'll have more wisdom to share about addressing my nerve damage.
Lastly, we did receive some excellent news in the few weeks regarding re-do PAO's. There had been no research we could find on successful re-PAO's, which brought some anxiety to Nate and I about moving forward. We learned that two weeks ago Clohisy published a report on re-PAO's, showing a 77% success rate for those he has done. This isn't the 95% success rate we could have had, had he done my left hip in its original state. However, we feel this is is a pretty good statistic given our desperate need for pain relief and forward movement.
Updates to follow from my next visit to St. Louis.
May you be filled with the joy of Christ today and rest in His love.
