What is up with 'Righty'?

A little over a year has passed since my last blog entry and it suddenly occurred to me that I have several updates I would like to share (although I won’t pretend to imagine there are people out there still following :) – so I suppose this one’s for me!

Screw Removal a Continued Success
Dr. Schrader did a fabulous job with the procedure and I would definitely trust him again should I decide in a moment of pure insanity to ever have another surgery. The up-sides included the following:

• less sensitivity in my pelvic bone when I have the unfortunate occurrence of smacking it into a counter or drawer or wall (yes, I’m clumsy)
• less ‘snapping’ noises when walking
• he used the same scar line so I look less like Frankenstein than originally anticipated

The inevitable downsides were the numb patch that suddenly appeared at the top of my right thigh and the fact the pinching pain that was present since the PAO was still there after walking significant distances or attempting to jog.

A New Roost
Josh and I bought a house this summer which was extremely exciting. We have a huge backyard and the many many hours we’ve spent trying to weed the damn thing and de-kudzu it, has proved to me that my hip is stronger than I thought! I could not have done that two years ago and if I was really smart I’d say I still couldn’t (but I think I use that excuse enough with Josh) :)

Another One Bites the Dust
I got married! Which does not seem at all related to my hip surgeries – but is exciting nonetheless. The truth of the matter is, the wedding was a great test for just how successful the surgeries were. It was the beginning of really working out again – every bride knows there is the crunch time that leads up to the big day where we strive to look our very best (although some of you I suppose didn’t have to worry about that). For several months before the wedding, I would pop in one of Jillian Michael's workout tapes and jump around the basement yelling at the tv – “damn you Jillian”. My favorite moments were when my mom was here working out with me and we had actually done the videos so many times we had her ‘motivating speeches’ memorized and frequently said them with her with dripping disdain and mockery in our voices. The up-side:

• The fact that I was able to do jumping jacks, jumping lunges, jump squats and every other horrid and painful callisthenic you can think of really made me feel like me again.
• I actually felt my hip flexors gain strength while doing very annoying pike crunches
• I rocked out my leg guitar in my wedding dress on the dance floor – which I credit to the kickboxing portion of JM’s videos
• I wore high heel shoes for the rehearsal dinner (but did opt for flats under the wedding dress)
• Josh and I hiked all over Greece on our honeymoon and I kicked his butt! :)
• My left hip – although dysplastic – did great!

The very big downside is that all that jumping – even though I pushed through it – made my right post-PAO hip hurt – a lot! The clunking has increased, the pinching in the front of my hip has increased, and my annoyance for the very painful surgery and the limited results has increased.

Thinking about ‘Jogging’ Again
I’m meeting another PAO ‘survivor’ for dinner in a couple weeks that just finished a half-marathon. Very impressive Jen and I’m going to pick your brain on how the heck you did that!!! My older brother is competing in the World Ironman Championship in Kona this weekend, so my motivation to get off the couch has increased just enough to get back into my workouts and a goal of more triathlons eventually (the mini kind that I can manage). To start, I have only completed two real runs since my surgery and both have been post-wedding. The first was a trail run with Josh that ended in a significant amount of pain in my right hip and my left knee oddly enough. We only did about three miles but this was not a smart idea. The second was just yesterday with the dog and also turned out to be a bad idea – picture a dog running in every which direction and pulling on the short leash dragging an already bad runner all over the place – not ideal. I only made it a mile and a half and the hip was hurting too much to continue. The up-side:

• Motivation to see Dr. Schrader again to figure out what is up with ‘Righty’ – what is wrong with this damn hip? Can he fix it? No clue – but making the decision to go see him again has been therapeutic in a way.

So that’s about all that is new with me. More later?

Officially Unscrewed

It has been a long time and a long road since my last post. So many exciting things have happened...just last week I underwent a surgery to remove the four screws which held my hip together the first few months after my PAO - please see the evidence below - they are bigger than they appear! :)

I was just as anxious about this surgery as I was the first one - new surgeon, new risks - but it went well. Dr. Tim Schrader is an amazing guy (thanks Lauren for the recommendation) and he preformed the surgery in under an hour and a half and without complications. My surgery was on a Wednesday and by Friday morning I was without crutches. After such a great start I thought I would be skipping by now - it hasn't exactly worked out like that.

My pain has reduced, but I still have limited movement and LOT'S of snapping and crackling - feeling yet again like a breakfast cereal. I get fatigued very quickly - in fact just walking through the grocery store yesterday left my right side feeling like I'd be hit by a truck.

Our hope with this surgery was to determine if the pinching pain was caused by the screws slowly working their way out - or possibly the muscles and ligaments getting caught on them and causing more damage. If the pain continues I will be back in for more MRI's and tests to see what the issues are.

I'll keep you all posted on the progression - thanks for tuning in!

This ones for the girls

It is an odd reality to get to know someone through this virtual world. The truth is that these hip women that I have been leaning on so much over the past year are so much more than a website.

The fact of the matter is that I have only seen their determination come out through their blogs...their sense of humor in their writing...and their strength so prominently displayed in their profile pictures.

We have learned to laugh together about the silly moments in the healing process, the times when we were walking through the hospital hallway with our gowns hanging open in the back for all to see.

We have been in awe of each others recovery, sometimes secretly cursing that one of us is so much farther along than ourselves and wishing that we could be there with them on that hiking trail. no? Just me? ;)

We have written kind words to each other for motivation when things were not so easy…knowing that the emotional turmoil can far outweigh the physical pain

And through it all, there are very few of us who have actually had the opportunity to reach out to one another and give an encouraging hug when we can so clearly see the tears welling up in the others eye from frustration, or laugh out loud together recounting one of our recovery stories that never seemed so funny at the time.

I count myself lucky for having this opportunity…and although I have always been on the receiving end of one of those encouraging hugs or phone calls…I hope that I can give that gift back to someone soon.

And given all this, it is still very easy to see that us hip women have far more in common then a congenital disease and reconstructive surgery…

I read a fellow bloggers post this morning and realized that very quickly.

Now to that woman…and I hope you know who you are…I have this to say. You have been an inspiration to me since the very beginning. You have displayed a strength I can only hope to aspire to. We have gone through very similar realities…and although I can not be there to look you in the eye and promise you that the future has someone very special out there for you…consider it a certainty.

The day is here...

I never thought I would be happy to report that my left hip is killing me...but alas...here I am.

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Atlanta and I decided to really take advantage of it. After a couple hours at the gym we took Aidan to the park and enjoyed the amazing weather. Soon after that we headed to the mall to pick up some new suits for work and for the first time in about a year...I walked around the entire mall with no significant pain. I'm not sure if it was the high of buying SO much great stuff for myself, but after three hours of walking and shopping I still didn't feel pain in my right hip.

My left hip did not fair so well.

This marks the first time I was able to walk far enough (without pain on my operated right side) that my left hip finally screamed out that the surgery in December is a good idea. As much as it upsets me that this surgery is a necessity, I feel better in knowing that I can finally count my RPAO a success.

I have only my trips to the physical therapist to thank. Since starting my weekly routine with Michelle at the Atlanta Sports Rehabilitation Center I have grown significantly stronger. I know there are a lot of 'hipwomen' out there that aren't sure if physical therapy after surgery is a good idea...I'm here to tell you...IT ABSOLUTELY IS.

If anyone out there wants more details about my physical therapy routine, please do not hesitate to drop me a note.

Not your grandmother's hip replacement...

I couldn't decide on the tagline for the tshirt...but I think it works!

Fun with Animation

http://swarminteractive.com/patient_ed_animations.html

To see an animation of PAO surgery please follow the link above, click on 'See the Animation' tab, click on 'Hip' Orthopedic Animation then choose 'Periacetabular Osteotomy'. It walks through the surgery in a non-grotesque way (for those of you out there who are a bit squeamish!)

It's too hot for a penguin to be just walking around

Yesterday a lady with a significant limp walked passed us on our way into work. I turned to Ramsey and asked him how much worse her limp was than mine...fully expecting him to say "LOT's" - instead he frowned slightly and said, "they are about the same." What a reality check. I had no clue I looked like a 5'8" penguin.

So, until my physical therapy starts, the only thing I can do is avoid wearing black and white.

Here we go again

My left PAO is officially rescheduled for December 18th. Not the Christmas present I was hoping for, but I'm thinking this will be enough time to prep righty for all the pressure.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s a…pig?

It’s true, pigs must be flying today as I finally spoke with the infamous Dr. M., and only two months after our scheduled conversation. I suppose after relentlessly calling his office over the past couple months, his secretaries kindly asked him to quit ignoring me so they wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore. I actually had the secretary put me on hold for 30 minutes waiting for him to finish with a patient.

Below is a transcript from our very fruitful conversation;

Sam: Hi Dr. M., how was your vacation? (I hope he picks up on my sarcasm)

Dr. M.: Yes Ms. Spreadbury, I saw your x-rays, did I not call you earlier?

Sam: No Dr. M. you did not (I am his only patient under the age of 50, he brought in tons of students for my surgery since I was such a unique case, I have left messageS with him relentlessly regarding my 3 month follow up and he is claiming he doesn’t remember if he called me or not? How much did I pay him for this?)

LONG PAUSE

Dr. M.: Well, they look fine

LONG PAUSE

Sam: They look fine?

LONGER PAUSE

Sam: That’s great to hear…unfortunately I have not yet been able to walk over 100yards without tightening in my hip causing me to limp significantly. It doesn’t feel like joint pain, but more related to my muscles just fatiguing very quickly. Additionally, I am hearing a lot of popping that typically occurs when I sit down or stand up which is accompanied by shooting pains down my leg (see mom…I did give him specifics about my pain! He’ll have to pay attention to me now)

Dr. M.: Pain is common after surgeries like this

Sam: (seriously?) Oh, okay, well can you recommend any strength training exercises or cardiovascular workouts that will help me build up strength and therefore reduce the pain?

LONG PAUSE

Sam: Should I start seeing a physical therapist? (Do you really think I can't hear you playing solitaire on your computer right now?)

Dr. M.: I can write you a script for that

Sam: Do you have any recommendations on who I should see or what their specialty is?

Dr. M.: No

AWKWARD PAUSE

Sam: Should we talk about my left hip? We have that surgery scheduled for the end of August but I’m not sure I’m strong enough for it yet and my pain has not been significant in that area since the surgery

Dr. M.: Work with my secretary to determine your scheduling issues

Sam: So you agree I should cancel my surgery?

Dr. M.: If you aren’t having pain now, you don’t need the surgery now

EXTREMELY AWKWARD PAUSE

Sam: Okay, so you are sending me a prescription for PT. Do they x-rays show my bones healing and the screws still in tact and in place? Are there any other specifics you can give me regarding my healing process?

Dr. M.: Yes

PAUSE

Sam: Well, great catching up with you as always

CLICK

Want to know what I took out of this?
- No surgery in August, possibly rescheduling for December
- I should have ignored him months ago and started seeing a PT against his wishes
- The greater the surgeon the bigger the jerk

The long walk home

These past several weeks back on the road have been difficult and proven that my road to recovery is not even remotely complete.

Last Thursday we arrived at gate E2 in the Atlanta airport which, for those of you who are not familiar, is the farthest gate from arrivals. If it weren't for Ramsey and Kris lugging my bags and briefcase through the terminal I would have been in deep trouble. I'm tentatively set to be in Thailand and Paris in June and am worried that my hip might not be ready for such things. It's a good thing work prevents me from really enjoying any part of overseas travel...thanks for looking out for me Accenture!

Any ladies out there have advice as to how I can work up to walking 3 miles without pain? Biking and swimming feel good now, my flexibility (or lack there of) is coming back, but I can't seem to walk over 1/2 mile without considerable pain and tightening of my hip. I can't even guess how bad my left hip is now b/c my right one is giving me such pain. Workouts or stretching anyone can recommend?

Road Rash...

Last night I went for a bike ride with some friends in Piedmont Park. Rebecca is looking to do an MS150 ride at Callaway Gardens this fall and instead of her buying a bike I offered up my old cannondale that has been rusting away in the back porch. I spent some time cleaning the gears and fixing the rear derailer which was not functioning properly, adjusted the seat and obviously brought the tires out of deflation. As I stood it beside my new road bike I felt a sense of sadness for the neglect I had brought upon it...but one glance back at my Orbea made that feeling go away. :)

So Sara, armed with my mtn bike, Rebecca and I set off to the park for a quick spin to see how the road bike suited her. It didn't take her long to feel comfortable and she was quickly racing ahead. I remember thinking how nervous I was everytime I hit a twig or bump in the road...one false move and there goes 6 hours of surgery and 3 months of recovery.

Those of you who haven't felt the drastic difference between road and mtn bikes will appreciate the fact it takes some getting used to. One small glance back at Sara and I sent Rebecca tumbling to the ground. My biggest fear was that she suffered a broken bone, but after several minutes we realized the road rash and cuts were thankfully the worst of it. She handled it like a trooper but it got me thinking about how one second can change it all. I'm glad that I've been taking it easy on the road bike but my next course of action is to get my clips off the bike and put some 'safer' pedals on...it's just not worth it.

I'm hoping that my feeling of anxiety goes away on the bike because it's something I really enjoy...but after last night, I'm not in as much of a hurry as I was before.

I can't run...but maybe I can roll...

So the last couple of days I've been thinking about how I could possibly keep competing in triathlons and adventure races. The answer to overcoming the cross-country running portion of adventure races has yet to appear...but I think I may have found a solution to triathlons.

The way I see it, I may not be considered disabled by society, but the fact I'm assured time and time again that running is not in my future means that I am 'somewhat disabled' in my mind. So I think I'm going to ask the 'Tri the Parks' committee if it would be possible for me to compete in the area triathlons with a specialized handcycle wheelchair for the running portion of the race. I'm not sure what the rules are, but I figured it was worth a shot...it's not like I'm in it to win it...I just want to get back out there. I thought of walking, but even that is too much for my hip...at this point especially. I would never want to offend anyone by doing this either...so it's still just a thought.

My coworkers and friends have of course laughed at me for the suggestion, but I'm hoping through the jokes and laughter...they understand that not only am I serious...but I completely plan on finding a way to compete again. Even if it's only entering into the race to do the first two stages.

You can't keep a good girl down right? ;)

Anyway, if there are any of you PAO women reading this blog that don't find my suggestion ridiculous and would consider something similar...I would love to hear from you!

On a side note, I got back out on my road bike this Saturday for a decent ride and with exception to the sore pelvic bones from sitting in the racing saddle, it felt pretty good. I was wishing I didn't have a double crank as I was gasping up the hills... :)

Ironman vs. TitaniumWoman

TitaniumWoman...not enough metal to set off the detectors at the airport...but enough to kick Robert Downey Jr's butt

Yesterday I went for x-rays to confirm everything was healing as expected. Dr. Mautner, my referring doctor, mentioned that besides calcium deposits and a screw that looked to be 'poking out' (he said some medical name, but I can't remember it off hand) everything looked good. My range of motion was great and besides my significant limp when walking he expected that at 6 months I should be back to normal. I asked if that included being able to run and he launched into a lecture about how that is never an option...unless I needed to jog away from a mugger.

All in all, everything seems to be okay and once Dr. Murphy okays the xrays I will be cleared.

Pop goes the weasel

I'm sitting here arguing with Josh on whether or not the sound coming from my hip is a click, snap or pop. It feels like a pop...almost like the femur is coming out of socket again. It sounds more like a click or a snap depending on what stupid maneuver I attempted at that moment. The left hip joins in from time to time with the noises and I figure if I gave Aidan (the dog) a tambourine I could start a family band. :) Similar to the Partridge family, we could tour the country side in a van and entertain the masses. In my case the family van would have to have extra cushions and hydraulics in order to accommodate my injury...but we would be entertaining none the less. Just ask my friends and family what an amazing voice I have to accompany the clicking. :)

The last time I went to the gym I stepped on the bike for the first time. Mostly because it was gorgeous weather the weekend before and I spent most of that Sunday cleaning my bikes and wishing I was ready to ride them. Josh got on the treadmill behind me to ensure that I didn't keep hiking up the power...he says I tend to overdue things...phooey. It's probably smart someone was looking out for me though because I did spend the next several hours wishing I hadn't pushed myself so hard. Back to the pool for me tomorrow morning...

10 Weeks Post-PAO

Tomorrow marks the 10th week since my PAO surgery and I am finally starting to believe I am making progress. I just left the gym tonight and was able to put in a little over a mile. Flip-turns are few and far between and usually leave me cursing under the water, but it is surprising how much faster I can swim when I add them in every now and then.

The pain in my right rear is still present, especially after longer walks or a rough nights sleep. I keep telling myself if it doesn't go away I will call Dr. Murphy, but I'm sure it's normal.

Last weekend I went to Phoenix to spend some time with my family and watch my brother compete in the Ironman. It was so great to see everyone and I was glad to finally see Craig in action. He is now being sponsored by Trisports, so I'm hoping there is some more free gear heading my way! :)

Pain in the butt...

After a couple good workouts I've developed a new pain. This one I have read about on blogs and forums and I honestly assumed I was in the clear...but no such luck.

It started feeling like a pulled muscle in my right bum (sorry coworkers for being explicit :) and now feels like a pinching feeling on a constant basis. Yesterday I swam 1200m and then walked several laps trying to concentrate on taking large steps with my right leg. When I lifted my left leg up to take a step the pinching sensation felt significantly worse. I'm going to try some new stretches to see if that helps, but otherwise I will be contacting Dr. Murphy to ensure this is normal.

A nice day for a walk

When I was growing up my brother and I were members of a swim club. I was never that impressive of a swimmer but I always managed to have fun. Most of the time that fun was had at others expense...like grabbing the leg of a fellow swimmer as I was approaching behind them and yanking them backwards...propelling me forward and leaving them exacerbated. Don't think too little of me though...I had to learn that move somewhere! :)

One of my parents favorite stories of me on the swim team was my coach regularly catching me standing up during the middle of a lap and walking or quickly pushing off on the bottom of the pool. It wasn't so much I was tired or trying to keep up...but I got bored after endless laps and liked to look around. Anyway, my coach used to look up from his chair and yell out over the pool "Nice day for a walk isn't it Spreadbury?"

Something about my swim today reminded me of that story. I decided to walk several laps to get used to putting weight on my right leg. After that was over I decided to swim only 800m today but once I got there I realized I should do at least 1000...could have been the fact I really wanted to beat the girl in lane 3 who was starting to get tired! :)

Doggy Paddle

This morning I woke up feeling quite nauseous and immediately told my stomach I would have to go to fisticuffs with it should it hinder me from jumping in the pool today. Luckily I still have some intimidation skills because after a couple hours I was feeling great and headed off to LA Fitness.

It’s the first time I had been in a bathing suit since the surgery and I have to say that seeing the scar exposed on my right leg was a little scary. I decided that I would strut (or as close to it as I could get with a crutch) out onto the pool deck with pride because as I’ve heard many times before…I earned this scar darn it. :)

The pool was only occupied by two swimmers and judging from their lack of water bottles they were just weight lifters and not the dreaded triathletes I wanted to avoid (they make me look bad). It only took me a couple minutes to figure out how to get in the water…I had to use a highly technical maneuver…cannonball. Just kidding…lowering myself into the water by the ladder proved to be quite easy.

I started out with the goal to do 400m (16 laps). I was a little worried as I haven’t swam in almost a year and my body feels quite weak right now. Turns out I had little to worry about as all the crutching had significantly strengthened my arms. The guys in the pool were a bit surprised when I started swimming past them and quickly picked up their pace. My competitive nature must have gotten to me because I instinctively did a flip turn at the wall without even thinking…not a good start. I was in the lead though! ;)

After the first 400m I decided…what’s another 16 laps…I mine as well do 800m today. At 32 laps I realized I still wasn’t getting tired so I started doing IM’s and that took me to 1200m. Of course once I hit that I decided that I was too close to a mile to stop so I just kept going. It helped that a ‘trisports’ waterbottle showed up in the lane next to me and I wasn’t going to let him get the best of me. ;)

So now that I have the first mile under my belt I’m excited to go back. I didn’t use my legs at all this time because I was a little nervous after my botched flip turn, but I’m hoping next time I will be able to at least start with a little flutter kick.

And then there was one

This weekend I went down from two crutches to one. While it makes it easier for me to carry things and 'take care of myself' in general it has caused a myriad of other issues. The most annoying of all being a new, sharp pain in the hip that literally feels like my bones 'crunching' together. I'm sure that the pain is part of the healing process...but I'm ready to be healed already!! :)

I will be purchasing a cane this week and I'm hoping that I can only be half as fashionable as Lauren...with hers coming straight from South Africa. I fear I may have to settle for the Walgreen's special as I have yet to find one that has any character.

Congratulations and Welcome to the Family

Just wanted to congratulate my brother Rob and his wife Terra who officially tied the knot in Thailand this past Sunday, March 23rd.

I hope you have a great remainder of your vacation/honeymoon and I am looking forward to helping you guys celebrate!!