Ten Weeks

At ten weeks I am no longer lurching, but I am still limping. On the limp severity scale of 1 - 10 I am somewhere between a 2 and a 5, depending on tiredness. I was able to walk 2 miles consecutively over the weekend, with about half of that on the beach. As expected, my hip flexors were sore two days later, but I felt good during.

I wore mid-heel shoes the other day with no ill effects.

I am functional for most common activities at work (sitting, standing, walking) and at home (cooking, cleaning, light gardening, errands, chores).

I really don't need the cane but it's tough to give it up. I am afraid of people bumping into me. With the cane I don't feel I need to explain why I take the elevator up and down one flight, walk slowly in the crosswalk, and don't run for the elevator. I work in a busy, fast-paced downtown office area and I have found that people are usually impatient. When I have a cane I am less likely to be pushed, jostled, or frowned upon, and sometimes people even hold doors for me. I didn't want anyone holding doors when I first got the cane but now that I am used to it, I realize that it's no fun to have the door slammed in my face.

Sometimes my left (unoperated) hip will catch and feel worse than my right. I will be having left PAO in December if all goes well.

Athletically I still have a long way to go. I can't bend my right knee very far. I can't touch my toes. I have almost no flexibility or strength in my right leg other than enough to walk and function at a basic level. I still occasionally use my hands to lift my right leg into the car or into bed. I know this is an area I need to work on, and my physical therapist is forcing me to go slowly so I don't overdo and risk a stress fracture, muscle trauma, or other injury.

Tomorrow I am going on a short plane trip for the first time post-surgery. I've been told that the 7 stainless steel screws in my pelvis will not set off the alarms. I'll let you know whether or not I have to drop trou and show my scar to the TSA agent!