Hi Nicole,
The hip impingement was definitely a mental set-back, as I was truly hoping that the MPFL would fix all issues, etc. But I think what was more unsettling was the confirmation of a labral tear in addition to the bursitis and some ligament thickening which I'm wondering is the cause for the catching. Oh well...depending on how things go, perhaps I can get that taken care of over the 2 week winter break so that I can have a surgery free summer in 2013. We'll see what rehab and recovery looks like; don't want to leave my kiddies with a sub for an extended period of time if not absolutely necessary.
I wouldn't say I'm a hero...I consider myself truly dedicated to all the kiddos in my life (work and family) and they always come first-pain or no pain! My twin nephews were over yesterday for a bit and left with myself and my mom (my sister, brother-in-law and 6 yr. old nephew ran to get some school clothes while dinner was cooking on the grill) and I was on the floor, scooting along with them to the best I could. Yeah, couldn't lay on my belly to play with them or crawl around after them (they are 17 months old, 14 months adjusted as they were 12 weeks early, and present with some delays-primary mode of transportation is crawling or cruising along furniture) but I was done there playing just the same. What better way to distract from the pain and give them 110% at the same time. The same at work-it definitely takes me longer and it's always been hard returning as the walks down the hall are long and to get to/from the buses 4 times/day to get them on/off is brutal but their smiles are so worth it. And I consider work an addition 6 hrs./day of PT. My colleagues are very understanding and my one program assistant, who is also one of my best friends, is great at doing some of those little things to help me out, such as heating up my lunch so I don't make that walk to/from the lounge, checking the mail in the office, etc., etc. But I don't rely on them too much; I hate when others view me as an 'invalid' or 'incapable of performing something'. Neither is true-I can pretty much do anything with extra time and some modifications which is probably why I love heading back to work. I definitely return every year with a greater empathy for my kiddos. They are beautiful minds trapped in bodies that don't want to work motorically, socially, verbally, or cognitively but that doesn't mean they are incapable of learning or doing a given task. My job is to adapt it so that they can succeed and I do the same for myself in rehab!
This surgery will probably be the hardest to return to work from though. Granted, the derotational osteotomies were hard-the first one was done in early July, about 6 weeks prior to when school started so I ditched the crutches the day I returned to work (and only because we can't have them at work) and still used them on the weekend, etc. The second round of osteotomies were 3 weeks earlier but ended up with more complications-2 blood clotes and permanent nerve damage (in additional to both hips and both knees being worked on at the same time) making it harder to return. But as of where I am right now, this one will be one of the hardest, having taken place a mere 3.5 weeks before I return to work and will be returning with bilateral knee supports. The knees are not cooperating too much with flexion-the R is far better than the L but I have a good 2 full weeks with PT to work on some of those simple milestones before returning to set up my room and than an additional week before I 'officially' return to work.
My surgeon in Chicago did the MPFL. We had consulted with Dr. Teitge after the femoral hardware was removed and stress radiographs were done under anesthesia and although he recommended doing LPFL in combination with the MPFL, the MPFL should, in theory, be enough. However, sometimes you don't know until after the fact. The knees do feel a bit odd right now but I think that's from the continued swelling, soft tissue irritation, pain, and limited flexion. Plus I think that since they were dislocation/subluxing a good 50 times/day each knee, I'm just not used to the stability yet. :-)
As for being adventurous, you may call it that or simply one who LOVES to shop! My refusal or disinterest in shopping is always a sign to family and friends that something is not right. I headed out this weekend to do some shopping and I can tell you how exhausting and painful it was but at the same time, I liked the 'normalcy' of returning to typical weekend routines more than anything. Sure, I come home dead tired (even though it's less walking than usual) and the knees are painful and horribly swollen but I was like I was before surgery-shopping, buying school supplies, and enjoying browsing in various stores. I think this part varies for people but I think the main thing is trying to get back to that sense of normalcy, starting with the thing you most enjoy; it does wonders for your morale when you are able to sit back at the end of the day and think to yourself, "hey, I was able to do ______ today, just like before"; definitely makes those days of setbacks or frustration a little more tolerable. For me, it's shopping and for others, maybe walking around a nature park or getting back to a non-aggressive sport would be the thing for them.
And I think that's enough 'rambling' for now. I have about 15 minutes left to ice before I head to the neurologist for a follow-up on the nerve damage/foot drop and then to be tortured in PT! Wonder if I can convince them not to hook my quads up to stim today?!?! :-)
Beth
