I am at the coast today before the end of summer. Last time I was here was the weekend before my PAO. Now I'm closing in on 10 weeks post PAO. Last time I was nervous and scared, trying hard to have fun and forget the surgery coming up. This time I am cautiously trying to see how much I can do, exploring my new post-PAO world, and feeling pretty darn independent.
I walked for a total of a mile today (1/2 a mile on the beach and later 1/2 a mile on pavement), which isn't very much empirically but seems like a good distance for me at this point. I had my cane to avoid limping but didn't really feel I needed it. I went up a flight of stairs several times. I did all of my PT exercises which are still pretty simple and using only my body weight and gravity (worked glutes, hip abductors and hip flexors - 3 sets of 20 reps).
I did toe raises. I pushed myself up out of a chair using only my right leg 5 times. (Remember, I have to be able to use only my operated right leg to support my weight for 8 weeks, starting in December, if my second PAO occurs as planned.) We'll see how I feel tomorrow, but despite all of today's activity I don't have any pain this evening.
Pre-PAO if I walked a mile (or less), my back and hip would be stiff and ache. Today after I walked I did not have those old pains and complaints. Granted, I walked slowly. I did have muscle soreness afterward and a bit of ache that felt like it was coming from where my pelvic bone was cut, but I had no intra-articular pain and none of the agonizing pre-PAO stiffness.
I am still taking it easy and doing pretty basic exercises, but I am happy with my progress.
2 comments:
Terri are you needing aby meds or are you ok now?
I needed anti inflams from a couple of weeks of crutches, but I think I am overdoing it byu standing as I still find it painful to sit. You sound to be doing great by the way!
Louisa - I read on your blog that you were having a pretty rough time of it. I stopped taking the narcotic pain killers around 4 weeks post-op. Since then I have taken Tylenol twice. I have been very lucky not to have a lot of pain, but I am probably more pain tolerant than many people. Standing is difficult for me as well but I can sit without much trouble. Hope things improve for you!
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