Visiting the workplace was definitely different...
I was excited to drop in and look around, say hello to co-workers etc. I expected the morale to be much different as well seeing as how General Motors had undergone major restructuring last year. Staff is reduced, and there didn't seem to be that warm welcoming feeling in the air. In fact is was extremely quiet and even the lady filling in for me did not seem to be in a very good mood. Perhaps seeing me was a little worrisome as she knows the time is near when she will have to look for new work.
OT has sent her report to my PT (physiotherapist) and asked me to go in and touch base to see where I am at. As well OT wants me to touch base with my family doctor.
Today I saw PT and voiced my concerns about my hip not feeling quite right since the fall in December. For the most part everything feels good just the muscles are weak and in a couple of spots really tight through the hip causing stiffness and pain. She doubled up my heel lift as I seem to be walking a little off yet and gave the muscles a good massage. She gave me some more home exercises because I seem to want to use my lower back/side muscles to raise my leg when lying on my side. This will help take the strain off my lower back and help to regain strength in my leg.
She will send her report to the OT now recommending the gym/pool again and for me to continue the program even after I return to work. She said it wont be an easy overnight return back but as long as I pace myself she didn't see any problems for me to return in about 6-8 weeks. 6 months recovery you are strong, but 1 year is even better as the bone has grown over the plates or prosthesis and you are healed. As long as I don't fall again she said! She was pleased that things are going well.
Tomorrow I will wander over to the gym and pick up my pool pass and hopefully go for a swim. Next Monday I will see the doctor as she is away this week. Hopefully now the 3 month gym/pool pass I had asked for in November 2009 will be fast tracked now as PT & OT will have both recommended it.
I am really looking forward to getting back into the real world and out of the boredom of these 4 walls! All in all I am feeling really good, still tiring but that is to be expected. Like anything, surgery or even sports, we can set goals but even they can be changed as some days are better than others. It is to be expected that things could take a little longer or be a little bumpy here and there. So I will ride the bumps out and do my best and get there one step at a time!
DIAGNOSIS - HIP DYSPLASIA
I decided to start this Blog as a way of sharing and educating others as well as keeping my friends and family updated on my progress.In the Spring of my 37th year, I started having severe groin pain which eventually deferred into my left knee. There were days when I could barely walk 1/2 a block with a cane. Simple daily chores and personal care became very difficult to perform. I had xrays and a CT scan where we discovered that I have Hip Dysplasia. I tried pain medication while waiting to see an orthopedic surgeon locally. After my visits to the surgeon, he referred me to another orthopedic surgeon for an Osteotomy. These were only performed in Vancouver or Calgary in Canada. I chose Vancouver for a matter of convenience and so that my family could visit easier.I have an awesome surgeon who performed the Osteotomy on my left hip. Preparation for this surgery involved xrays, and trips to Vancouver for workshops, working with physiotherapists, the surgical team, several nurses and the anestheisiologist. The outcome has been phenomenal! I got my life back and the pain is gone! I will, however, require hip replacement surgery on this hip further down the road. My right hip will need surgery also.
HIP DYSPLASIA: an abnormal condition affecting the hip socket, or acetablum and the thighbone or femur. In someone with hip dysplasia, the hip socket is too shallow, or the femur is in the wrong place. Hip dysplasia can exist from birth or can develop within the first few weeks, years or later in life. 80% of people with DDH (developmental dysplasia of the hip) are females.
Depending on the severity of the situation, this can result in pain, osteoarthritis, difficulty walking or inability to walk. It can also contribute to a marked deterioration in a person's basic quality of life.
For more information, check out this link http://health.howstuffworks.com/hip-dysplasia.htm
HIP DYSPLASIA: an abnormal condition affecting the hip socket, or acetablum and the thighbone or femur. In someone with hip dysplasia, the hip socket is too shallow, or the femur is in the wrong place. Hip dysplasia can exist from birth or can develop within the first few weeks, years or later in life. 80% of people with DDH (developmental dysplasia of the hip) are females.
Depending on the severity of the situation, this can result in pain, osteoarthritis, difficulty walking or inability to walk. It can also contribute to a marked deterioration in a person's basic quality of life.
For more information, check out this link http://health.howstuffworks.com/hip-dysplasia.htm
Monday, February 1, 2010
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