6 Months Post-op

I'll be 6 months post-op in about 12 days!  I want to be as dilligent as possible to continue to update everyone on the progress as I promised.  The farther this is behind me, the busier I get returning to a normal life, at least one that doesn't involve hip pain!

People ask me all the time if I am completely healed.  I guess my answer is yes AND no.   I am very thankful to have had a successful surgery and I feel great.  I do feel I have my "life back" and that was the goal, to be mostly pain free.  I took the kids to the zoo this week, did a good bit of gardening and the only aches and pains I had were the ones that are not hip related, but I do have at least 2 or 3 days out of each month with pretty severe hip pain.  I assume this has something to do with either the arthritis in the joint that is irreversible.  Typically these "flare-ups" last no more than 48 hours.

I also still have post-op tightness in the joint, but this has slowly faded.  When I try to sit with my legs crossed on the floor I still feel it, but now it's just slightly uncomfortable, whereas three months ago it was impossible.  These moments are reminders to me that my life has been affected by FAI and it's bittersweet to be thankful to return to normal activities but to also to think of how much it affected me, my family and our finances.  All the office visits, pt, and sunny days I could've spent with the kids but sat depressed on the couch.  I'm thankful it's over, but the scars are still there, literally and figuratively.

And then of course, there's the thing I try not to focus on or ever give into; the fear that it will return or the surgery will not prove successful, or I'll tear my labrum again.  I would LOVE to cartwheel down a grassy hill with my four year old daughter but I can't now.  So...short answer is yes I am better, but the truth is it will always stay with me.  It's also a great motivator though, when I need to pull from somewhere deep for a little extra strength I know now that I've been tested and I came out ok...I know how to appreciate things we take for granted like walking without pain.

Most of all, I'm thankful and wishing and hoping your day has or will come very soon!!! 

love,
Vanessa:)