Well I am finally 3 months post my LPAO. I have to admit I am not very good with keeping up with my blog. I can't believe it has been almost a month since my last post. Mostly I started back to work the second week of July. The first shift was 4 hours, after standing for 4 hours my legs felt like jello. I gradually increased my time and my stamina has come back. I am now back to work full time. I can stand for the entire 8 hours as long as I sit down for at least 20 minutes for lunch. (No Pharmacists don't take very many breaks!)
Yesterday was my last day of physical therapy. In the beginning I went three days a week for the first 3 weeks and then went down to 2 days a week. I am convinced that physical therapy is why I have done so well. I started as soon as I could weight bear. At first the exercises were me just lifting my leg weight, now I am up to 5lbs on the ankle weights. I am doing lunges and sidesteps. It sucked while I was doing it. The pain and fatigue was a lot to bear on some days, but now I feel almost back to normal and my co-workers forget that I had a major hip surgery since I can walk around the pharmacy just as quick as they can.
I still have trouble bringing my hip upward in the "captain" position. My physical therapist said ankle weights and just lifting my leg will help with that. I also have a hard time lifting my body weight off the floor (from a kneeling position) but I can tell it is getting better. The therapist also cleared me for the elliptical. Whoo Hoo! I have about 15 pounds to lose to get down to my pre-surgery weight. Damn you skittles!
My pain level is quite low. If I take 800mg of ibuprofen in the AM, then I don't feel any pain. Today I didn't take any Ibuprofen and there is a slight nagging pain near the scar and in the back of my leg on both sides. I still have numbness in the front of my leg and my abdomen.
I will try to blog monthly from now on, unless a major development occurs. My next doctor's appointment isn't until October. So no news is good news.
I would like to thank everyone who helped me while I was laid up, I had lots of help and am so grateful for the support. Hopefully I will never have to do this type of surgery on my right hip, but only time will tell.
4 years ago