healing my hip, what a journey

Jun 6, 2013

I started physical therapy back in April and it has been a little rough. Pretty darn painful most of the time I am there and then really painful after I leave, but I have continued to attend my sessions because I felt prompted by the Spirit to go and I am trying to trust that prompting and trust that it will help.

And I think it is helping! With regards to hip pain, the last two weeks have been the best two weeks in the past fifteen months. I have had far, far less pain, more mobility, more range of motion, and more stability than I have had since the labral tear in February 2012. I was amazed at how well I did at Swim Camp and was able to move around relatively pain free most of the time (I did have a little setback when I ran across the field to rescue Fisher from a bloody nose, but other than that my hip held up fabulously well.) and even when I was in pain, it was nothing compared to the last many months.

So, it is helping. The joint is gliding more smoothly and my pubic bone is staying in its correct spot. Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! At yesterday’s appointment we successfully found two exercises I could do that didn’t cause me to pass out (at my appointment two weeks ago, everything we tried did cause me to pass out) and now I can start doing them at home.

Dr. Jones also thinks he has solved part of the mystery. Yesterday he was able to find my femoral nerve and trace it to its insertion point. He could feel that it was entrapped by scar tissue and that it is angry and constantly firing. He had me arch my back and move my head different directions and my femoral nerve would fire and I would wince. I guess that isn’t supposed to happen. Arching my back or turning my head shouldn’t effect my femoral nerve at all. I am pretty sure my pudendal nerve is also entrapped because I have most of those symptoms as well.

The downside of all of this is my ovary is really hurting. It is also entrapped by scar tissue and keeps twisting. Earlier today I thought I might die (hyperbole, but boy, howdy, it was painful) and tonight I am moving pretty gingerly so it doesn’t flare up again.

Sometimes I want to curl up in a ball and cry my little eyes out, but I am determined to heal. I am determined to do everything I can to get my body back. And if I can’t have my body back, I am determined to make the most of what I have, and live life to the fullest. I am a fighter.