2.5 weeks post-PAO
As a patient in the University Hospital system, you have access to all your health records. So naturally, being in PT school and all, I nerded out hard and closely examined all my tests and lab results when I got home. In school, we learn a lot about standard lab values and contraindications to exercise/therapy. I was shocked to see that my hemoglobin levels at discharge were roughly around 8 mg/dL--a value that we typically learn in school to be a "proceed with lots of caution" cut-off. There are some hospitals that even use this as a strict contraindication to therapy due to compromised oxygen capacity (even though research is starting to show that this is an outdated philosophy). Either way, I finally was able to understand the true severity of the anemia and why I had been feeling so fatigued and out of breath.
The hardest part of my day was getting ready in the morning. Even as a PT student, I truly took for granted just how much mobility and energy is required for self-care. I am really lucky to have an amazing roommate (who is also a PT student... talk about a bonus!) that has been able to help me out so much. She pushed me around school in the wheelchair, carried my backpack, helped me get food together... the works. I wouldn't have been able to return to school this soon without her. Did I mention this is the same roommate that helped me through my first hip scope last year? Talk about a great friend!
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2 week post-op appointmentMy 2 week follow up appointment was on Thursday and it was the first time I had left the house since coming home from the hospital. My dad dropped me off at the front door to the hospital and I crutched all the way into the building and up to my surgeon's clinic. By the time I got up there I was shaking, light headed, nauseous and severely out of breath. All these symptoms were associated with extreme anemia, due to blood loss during surgery. To combat this, I was prescribed a hard core iron medication called Ferrex to help my body replenish my blood volume.
Other than that, things were healing well and Dr. Mei-Dan was pleased with my progress so far! My next appointment will be in 4 weeks, at which time he'll determine if enough boney union has occurred for me to begin physical therapy. Fingers crossed! 2 weeks post-paoWe are now in the first week of June and the second week of my recovery. Summer semester of 3rd year has begun for my classmates, and I can't help but feel completely disconnected from life right now. I have had to rely heavily on my medication regimen to manage pain, which has left me feeling extremely foggy. I've been doing my best to keep up with coursework while at home, but it has been a struggle at best.
After an extremely successful surgery, I was discharged home on day 6. I don't remember a good chunk of time from my stay in the hospital, but I had plenty of visitors to help fill in all the gaps for me :) but first... in-patient recovery
day 1
day 2
day 3
day 4Today was a big day! The epidural had been turned down substantially and I have been able to manage pain fairly well with oral pain medication. The most exciting part of the day was walking for 100 feet without stopping! Slowly but surely, I was starting to feel a little bit more like myself :) day 5
day 6
Day of paoIt seems almost a bit surreal to even say that this day has come. It has been a long road and the hope of this being the final piece of the puzzle and the answer to all my prayers is a lot to take in. I can't help but think back to the day I found out that the first surgery had failed. My heart was broken and I was completely devastated. Being in PT school, I knew far too well the impact rehabilitating from PAO was going to have on my life and... I was scared. I wasn't scared of the pain or anything like that. I was afraid of lost time. I had already spent 2 years of my life either extremely modifying my lifestyle in preparation for surgery... or recovering from surgery itself. I am a yoga instructor, an avid skier and runner. I love to hike and climb and explore this beautiful state that I call home. All of these things are what truly make me who I am, and for the past 2 years, I've been struggling to reinvent myself to fill the gaping hole that was now in my life.
As cheesy as it sounds, I really do believe that sometimes you don't truly know who you are until you have lost yourself. This roller coaster ride has offered me countless opportunities for self reflection and growth, and I know that I am only stronger for having experienced it. As I enter this next battle, I do so knowing that this time next year, I am going to be better, faster & stronger than I was when any of these pictures were taken--and I am SO READY. May 13th, 2015Dr. Mei-Dan performs a staged procedure for PAO consisting of two surgeries spaced 1 week apart. Today was the first stage... and boy was I ready! This surgery was fairly quick, as the labrum was still in-tact from my previous scope (Aug. 2014). The main purpose of this surgery is to clean things up inside and ensure the joint is healthy enough before proceeding with PAO. Because I had a lower than expected dGEMRIC index, I was afraid that I was going to wake up from this procedure only to find that there was too much damage and I was no longer appropriate for PAO. You can only imagine my relief when I woke up to the good news that he could still preserve the joint! As this was my second scope, I already had a pretty good idea of what to expect post-operatively. I had a lot of work done during my first hip scope and I struggled with pain management. This time, though, pain was hardly an issue and was able to ween off narcotics within a few days. The biggest difference between the two scopes was that I had a really hard time managing nausea this time around. Zofran helped a little bit, but I definitely threw up a few times. There is this really awesome scopolamine patch they can put behind your ear that stays on for three days and let me tell you... It. Is. Magical. I had one after the first scope but unfortunately did not have one for the second. I made sure to request it for the PAO :) The easy part was over now and I was just counting down the days to the big surgery. One week from now, I would be back at University Hospital for the final phase of hip preservation. The optionsAfter undergoing an extensive hip scope procedure and completing 6 months of post operative rehab, it was incredibly difficult to come to terms with the idea that I was going to have to start all over again. PAO is a big, life changing surgery... and it is important to know all your options prior to proceeding. I considered that perhaps rehab was progressing slower than expected or that I tore my labrum again by some freak accident. However, a physical exam performed by both my PT and surgeon did not indicate a new injury to the labrum. A subsequent MRI would later confirm that the labrum was still in-tact and completely healed. My surgeon told me that my symptoms at 6 months were quite typical of a handful of girls like me who had both FAI and hip dysplasia and who experienced "failed" arthroscopy procedures as a result. Most of his patients continued to rehab slowly after 6 months, but have all returned to him within 2 years wanting PAO due to the persistence of pain. Of course I wanted to do everything I could to put off another surgery, but being in PT school, I had a lot to consider. I had 1 year left of school, comprised almost entirely of clinical practice. How was I going to survive clinical rotations with the pain I was currently experiencing? How was I going to treat patients if I was unable to be on my feet for more than an hour at a time? But likewise... How was I going to handle another surgery and lengthy rehab? How was this going to effect my education?
Ultimately, my decision In considering PAO came down to the results of my dGEMRIC MRI. Dr. Mei-Dan orders a dGEMRIC MRI study to examine the integrity of the cartilage prior to scheduling surgery. If there is too much damage to articular cartilage, a patient is no longer considered a candidate for PAO and, thus, would require a total hip replacement. My results indicated that my cartilage damage was extensive enough that I was on the border of no longer being a candidate for this surgery... and I am just way too young for a total hip replacement! As such, I decided that PAO was the right decision for me and that I could not wait too long to have the procedure done. Dr. Mei-Dan performs PAO as a staged procedure: 1. Hip Arthroscopy was scheduled for May 13th, 2015 2. PAO was scheduled for May 20th, 2015 Now that the decision was made, it was time to get my game face on. I knew this was going to be a long journey... but I was ready and determined. Let's go!
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AuthorJust a physical therapist and her journey being on the other side rehab. Categories
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