My So Called Dysplastic Life

To answer a few questions about my incomplete rant over continued crutches: The doctor didn't really give me a reason for the continued crutches. He said I was healing really well and quickly, at that. When I mentioned to him that others, at this point, were moved down to one crutch with the status of "50% weight bearing," he told me "partial weight bearing" was impossible on one crutch. He also said that of the three cuts they make in the pelvis, the top one takes the longest to heal. Because of the rotation of the acetabulum, that top break has the largest gap to fill with new bone. Maybe, my acetabulum was rotated in an odd fashion that would make that top gap larger than most? On the plus side, He did say that in all likelihood, after the additional 6 weeks on crutches, I would be able to walk crutch and cane free. So, with that knowledge, I choose not to bludgeon him. And I told him so.

Holy Crap Weasels - I am still on crutches! I get to stay on crutches with partial weight bearing for ANOTHER 6 WEEKS. This means that I can walk using both legs, but with every step on my op side, I have to put about 2/3 of my weight on the crutches. The good doctor only wants 50-60 lbs. on my op leg at a time. Yeah. I am freakin' thrilled. I finally got to see my doctor after a 2.5 hour wait past my appointment time. (MUSC Bone and Joint Center is ALWAYS this behind schedule. Bring a book. Or twelve.) I was graced with my usual 10 minute appointment where he informed me of my "crutch situation". I tried to reason with him but we all know there is no reasoning with orthopedic surgeons. I even told him that in one of my last posts I promised to bludgeon him about the head with my crutches if he told me what he just did. Still nothing. ARGH! At least I can drive now. I am free to load up my trunk and back seat with crutches and drive myself (and my crutches) ar...

So I am only a few days away from the 8 week post-op mark and my "6 week post-op" check up. It's funny, my doctor wanted to see me at 6 weeks for a post-op follow up but his office couldn't schedule me until week 8. Now, for some people, this may not seem like a big deal. But for my fellow Dysplastics out there, we know that the 6-8 week mark means the beginnings of mobility! It means the potential to lose a crutch! It means weight bearing and it could mean WALKING! Now, I am not an orthopedic surgeon, nor do I play one on TV, but I do know my body. I know that I am in zero pain and that I am quick to heal. Therefore, in celebration of week 8 approaching, I have been w-a-l-k-i-n-g (still putting a good chunk of weight on the crutches). Don't tell anyone! It just feels soooooo good. Zero pain. I've even tried walking with one crutch! Just short distances.....around the house.....slowly.....very carefully....don't worry Mom. Tuesday is the app...

For the last 2 weeks I have been dreaming of walking. In the beginning, I would dream that I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. I would then realize that I didn't have my walker and that I wasn't supposed to walk without it. Walking there would be no problem, but after my realization, I would be petrified of screwing my hip up on the walk back. Then, last week the dreams changed. I would be farther away from the walker/crutches. I would get out of bed and walk to the kitchen where I would make my realization. Last night, I dreamt I was at school, sorting out a financial aid problem, when I suddenly realized that I was walking without my crutches and had left said crutches at home. They say when extreme drug addicts go into rehab they have vibrant dreams of doing drugs. For example, junkies dream of shooting heroin and they can really feel it, in their dreams. Usually they wake up in a cold sweat, afraid they've used again. Me? I haven't been able to walk ...

Is there any alternative to this stuff? I'm using Mederma Scar Gel. After I rub it in and it dries, it peels off, like sunburnt skin - only rose-scented. Very strange. Is Mederma the best option? Are there others? Anyone?

It took me 6 weeks, but I can now do a few new things. 1. When getting into a car, I can now lift my op leg in without using my hands. The leg finally moves on its own! 2. When lying flat on my back, I can do leg lifts with my op leg. 3. I can finally sleep on my side, just not the regular way. I don't put the pillow between my legs, as suggested. When laying on my back, I put the pillow on the outside of the non-op leg. Then I roll over and rest my op leg on the pillow. It feels really, really good. Remember, when you have this surgery, live for the little things. You'll see improvement everyday at first, then later on, when you least expect it. Yesterday I was hobbling into the car when I just lifted my leg in. I couldn't do it the day before. Same with the leg lifts. Weird. Welcome, but weird!

Check it out! I just ordered this from Ebay and am I excited. I have to thank Jennifer for pointing this out to me. It looks like this cane works like the Millenial Crutches . And we all looooove the Millenial Crutches , don't we girls? Oh, and it doubles as a "mountain climbing stick" or so it claims. That way it helps with both my recovery and encouraging my lofty goals of extreme mobility! Bad Ass!

I think this picture is a little more honest. This what my scar really looks like. That last picture was just too much of a glamour shot for me. So there, I am nothing if not honest. This is what the scary scar looks like after being seated in a khaki skirt for an hour or two. That's right folks, city clothes. Not loungy, silky, soft PJs but rough, rugged, blue collar cotton. Take that, scar!

Today I went to a store and shopped without a wheelchair. It was Office Depot, so a wheelchair wasn't an option but the home office needed a few things. I managed OK but my arms are sore and my palms are peeling. Very attractive. My hip has been really pinchy lately. I tried to get on a pair of jeans but they made my hip even pinchier. The pinchy feeling isn't inside the hip joint either, like my pre-surgery pain was, but rather on the outside of the hip. It feels like its coming from about half way between my skin and the hip joint, in the fleshy bit. Less than 2 weeks from my 8 week appointment. I can't wait to get off of these bloody crutches.

Here is my scar now at 40 days after surgery. Sorry it took me so long to get it up there. The scar looks pretty good here. It tends to be a bit darker pink than how it photographed and it's a dark pink/purple after a shower or whenever I have to stand or move around a lot. Otherwise, I haven't had any problems with it. I think its safe to start on the Mederma now. I have to apply that 3-4 times a day for 8 weeks to get optimum results. I'll post "scar in progress" pictures so we can see how well Mederma works.

This weekend was fairly productive. I went grocery shopping and we even went to a party! I did notice something a bit odd though. When I push myself too far, it is not my hip that hurts. It's my butt and lower back. So, in addition to being a pain in the ass, I now have a pain in the ass.

So, I never really gave our mattress much thought. It was bought 3 years ago at IKEA when I bought our king size platform bed. It was really cheap for a king size mattress. I mean cheap. Less than 300 bucks kind of cheap, but it worked. It has always been extremely comfortable. I use to love my bed. I use to look forward to slipping into it each and every night. Immediately after the surgery, upon returning home, I realized that I wouldn't be able to sleep in my bed right off the bat. It was just too low. So, I slept in our guest room on our new twin daybed. I adjusted well. Then, at about week 3, I decided to try my bed again. This time I had no trouble sinking down to my bed's lower levels. Oh, the joy of feeling my own mattress again! I couldn't wait until that night when I could finally sleep. Imagine my immense disappointment when that night was the worst nights sleep that I had had in years and years (and this includes my "lost years" as a Ne...

And now I am SORE! Yesterday was very exciting. I decided, enough was enough. If I spent one more days inside, in my chair, someone would die. So, I took a shower, got dressed and we went OUT!!! First to Bed, Bath and Beyond for new curtains, then off to lunch at The Bookstore Cafe (if you're in or near Charleston - stop by - the food is sooo freakin' good), finally to Publix for a bit of grocery shopping. We went home and then back to Bed, Bath and Beyond to exchange a faulty curtain rod, then home again. Now, before you are extremely impressed with my apparently massive upper body muscles, I used wheelchairs in both stores. However, I was boggled by how self absorbed people are. No one got out of my way, when I was on crutches or in the wheelchair, even when I asked! All of the handicap parking was taken up, often by cars with no handicap permit. It was maddening and ridiculous. And I am sooooo sore today. My arms are sore, my sides are sore and my operated side arse ...

Well, I am doing well. My pain level is practically nil and I can do all of my exercises with relative ease. Here is the issue - BOREDOM. My god, I am bored. A word of warning - be prepared my pre-op readers. Week 4 is one of the hardest weeks. Your energy is coming back, your pain level is diminishing, but you still can't walk. On a considerably happier note, here are things that week 4 brought me: 1. no more scabby incision. I am now pretty in pink. (picture forthcoming) 2. no more potty chair as high toilet seat. I never thought I'd be so happy to sit on a regular toilet seat! The luxury of it all, it's so roomy. 3. I can shower standing up (with the walker). I can swim. All thing water related are go! 4. I can sit on the couch. Actually, I can lay on the couch. Either way, it's a lot better than staying in that bloody recliner that I've been living in for the past 4 weeks. 5. I went out to eat in a restaurant for lunch! Exciting, the little things....