Becoming Bionic
After almost decades of slowly becoming immobile from the waist down, the path has swerved right towards possibilities. I have officially finished phase two in my journey to become bionic.
It wasn’t easy,
and it was never fun. I can remember the exact moment I started to lose
mobility. I didn’t realize what it was at the time, but it stuck with me as the
thought “I should have been able to do this. I must have gained too much weight.”
And by too much weight, it was probably 5 tiny pounds. But back in 2005 that
was my thought process. Before phase one there were years of specialists, pain
medications, and setbacks. I went from a seven-minute mile to a 45-minute mile
to only being able to go two or three blocks. I went from walking, to walking
with a cane, to a walker, and finally a wheelchair. I could not touch the floor
for the last two years. The last year I could not walk up the stairs to my own
home. They needed to be adapted.
I am lucky. I
have a good care team and a supportive family. I also live by an outstanding
rehab center with a fabulous therapy pool. Getting in the water and being able
to move and work on my strength before my surgeries was a blessing. AND that is
what I did for six months leading to that first surgery I put it all into my PT
day after day. The end goal was to important to not put in the effort. I needed
to complete phase one without issue to get to phase two.
Phase one began
on April 10th when I underwent a Left Total Hip Arthroplasty. The
surgery went well. They knocked me out and I woke up in a drug haze, numb from
the waist down. That was an outstanding pain free 6 hours. I highly recommend it.
In my mind everything played out in slow motion, and I feel like I was there
for days. In reality, I hobbled into the hospital at 5:30 am on the 10th
and was wheeled out around 2 pm on the 11th. While there I had two PT
sessions and one OT session. A few special requirements to leave were adapted due
to the inability to use my non-surgical right leg. I only had to be able to
step up a half height stair and a few other items all having to do with the
right leg.
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| Pre Surgery - I was a little excited. |
At home I rested
for the 1st week, getting up every four to six hours to walk around
my living room. Ten steps, that is how long my living room is. Do you know how
many times you have to go back and for to walk for 5 minutes in a living room
that is ten steps long? I turned more than I walked. After week one I was up
more and doing my standing exercises. By week three I was cleared to drive and
started using my surgical leg as my dominant leg. Unfortunately, There was
still very limited ability on my right side and the pain was still uncontrollable.
It was almost if I was split in two, One half of me wanted to get up and go,
go, go. The other half cried out in pain and couldn’t move.
Phase two began on
July 5th. I once again walked into the hospital at 5 am, but this
time I left at 11 am the next day. There was no drug haze or 6 hours of
numbness. Medications were adjusted and I felt this one right away. You know
what I hate? Bed alarms, having someone watch you pee, being told it is time to
wake up and start your day at 4 am, and hospital food. The first week at home was about the same, miserable.
At one point Ander asked me how my day went and I yelled at him “ I feel like
someone cut my leg off and sewed it back together!” The good husband he is, he
just disengaged and walked away.
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| One of two $50,000 souvenir cups. |
By week two I
was out of the house more taking walks, only taking a Tylenol now and then, impatiently
waiting to be approved to drive. Now I’m out and about and 90% pain free. I
ache now and then, but nothing like before surgery. In a month or so, I will be
approved to bend over 90 degrees. I should be approved to go back to pool
therapy again by September.
I’ve been told
this whole healing process takes about a year. Which leads me to phase three. I
want to do a 5K. I’ve talked with my PT and she feels it’s a doable goal. No
running, just walking, possibly fast walking. I am hoping to finish in 45 – 60 minutes.
AND I’m planning on doing it in April, one year after my first surgery. Phase
four? Maybe tattoos to complement my scars, until then I’ll keep walking a
little further each day.
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| Post Surgery OR photos. I think they are cute! |