The Holding of Breaths

After realizing that my sanity (and marriage) depended on it I've been trying the WMD approach to pain management for my hip. It took about 2 weeks for the prescription strength NSAIDs to build up in my system and I've also brought in the reserves in the form of Flexor patches and Tramadol at night. Essentially, I'm trying to get the inflammation in my right hip down enough to be able to move forward with PT and a gradual return to activity. Over the last 12 days I've noticed a very subtle but significant improvement in my pain levels and function. While we were gone in Steamboat over T-day I did two 45 min-1 hr "walks" in the snow and didn't suffer terribly the next day and since then I've stayed moderately active with some biking, elliptical and even a one hour "hike" up Bear Canyon in the snow on Sunday. I haven't woken up in significant pain in over a week and any pain I have been experiencing has been the kind that I classify as moderately annoying versus all-out distracting.

I had my 5-week follow-up phone appointment with Sampson last week and we went over my op report and findings in greater detail since my memory was pretty hazy after surgery. He said he is not worried about my left but that it "remains to be seen" whether my right will heal or will have to eventually come out. I guess I am glad that he was more honest with me than I had anticipated and didn't just tell me that I would absolutely recover - at least this way I know I won't have such an uphill battle if I decide to "quit" and go metal.

I am incredibly thankful that no matter what this whole experience the second time around has been dramatically better in terms of how soon I've recovered from the surgery. I may have still had quite a bit of pain and I'm sure there is quite a bit more in my future but at 6 weeks I'm doing things that I wouldn't even have contemplated at 12 weeks last time around. I've even been cleared to snowshoe and x-country ski in a few weeks. Maybe the winter won't be so bad and by late February or early March I just might get an easy day out in the backcountry. As much as I miss real skiing like a hole in the heart I do have to admit that the pressure to be in 'tele shape' is so overwhelming every winter that I can put my efforts elsewhere.