Happy 2012 Everybody!

Olympic Torchbearer for 2012 London Olympics

Could it get any better, no, I don’t think it could!

I was nominated by Dr Sophie West, who, inadvertently said that I had “run many marathons despite having had major pelvic reconstruction surgery”.  It should have read “needing to have”.   But I had to add my own words as to what my dreams and goals were, and that is what it was actually selected on.  Johnny Vaughan chose my story and said that it was “a touching and inspiring story, that I didn’t take walking for granted and who’s ambition was simply to run again” .  I don’t feel that I deserved it by any means, there are many more out there who will have been much more deserving, but for some reason he picked me.  I am truly honoured.  And so bloody excited I cannot describe it!

My hip journey has been relatively easy compared to others going through the traumas of Hip Dysplasia, and for that I will be eternally grateful.  I am fully aware of how I could have suffered over the years as others have done, and how easily I came through all of this.  Yes, sure, I had my downs, but being positive has always been imperative to me, and having goals to strive for have pushed me forward, not held me back.

I have made friends on-line, most of whom I will probably (sadly) never meet, but our friendship over the internet is strong, and we all have one thing in common – dodgy hips!  But they are friends who will be friends for life, they have supported me through this journey, and I will continue to support them through theirs.

I will carry the flame on July 14th in their honour – little is known about Hip Dysplasia, but I have the opportunity to put it on the map and raise peoples awareness to it.  I am utterly stoked!  I just hope I do it justice.

Annick x

Light at the end of a long tunnel! The A3 that is!

Well, I can see it in the distance, the light that is! A long tunnel, not as long as some, but longer than others, with a few obstacles faced en route!  The opening of the magnificent A3 tunnel from Grayshott going under the Devil’s Punchbowl is now officially opened! YAY!  And a most welcome relief to the traffic congestion for all concerned.  Having said that there is always a down side, and like with my PAO’s nothing ever goes according to plan.  I have had a few hiccups along the way, but am back on track, although like the tunnel there is always a down side.  We now have a lot more noise from the road south of the tunnel, as, obviously the traffic is rolling – where as before it was stationery and didn’t make a sound.  Hips likewise, have a down side, in that they are still clonking and catching on the Ischial area.  I had cortisone injections done last week – two to both Ischial areas and one to my psoas on the right leg.  My left Ischial area is now catching even more and actually feels quite unstable!  I am still getting the discomfort when I drive on a long journey so not sure what I can do about that.  Ah well, hopefully it will settle, and more likely, I will just get used to it – like the noise from the A3.  Not a lot can be done about it so I may as well just get used to it!

All in all, I would say I am at 95% back to where I was three years ago.  I have started running and am up to about 40 – 50 minutes depending on terrain.  Slow, but still moving nonetheless!  I have had a busy summer with dogs (actually since Easter it has been mayhem) but now that I have stopped dog-sitting to focus on selling our house, I should (yeah, right!) have more time to focus on running.  Running itself feels great – just the psoas that was getting a bit tight after about 3 miles, so we shall see how that pans out.  I am glad that it is all behind me, well, for now anyway.  THR is a probable in a few years time, but I shall be putting that off for as long as I can.  Much as I like Mr Witt, I really don’t want to see him again for a very long time!  Bless him!  I would not be the woman I am today without him!

 

Japanese Tsunami

Just a little thought – well, actually quite a big thought really! Having watched the harrowing and desparate footage of the tsunami hitting the coast of Japan, I suddenly thought how slight my problems were compared to those that have survived and have absolutely nothing left. Whilst I have discomfort on a daily basis, it is so tiny in comparison to the pain that those poor people are going through, and will endure for years to come. Having lived in Japan, both my husband and I have a great affinity to the country and its people. Such a wonderful society, and such a beautiful country. Our hearts go out to them.

Feeling sooooooooooooo good!

Well, it has been a while, but just thought it was about time for a little update.

Last time I wrote, I had just started rehab for my fractured Ischium, and continuing rehab for both PAO’s.  Well, time is a healer, as the saying goes.  I started running on the treadmill at the beginning of January, walking two minutes, running two minutes for a total of 10 minutes.  Well now, I am up to running for 2 mins, 3, mins, 4, mins, 5 mins, and 6 mins, interspersed with 2 minutes of walking.  Once I get to my peak running time, I then go back down the pyramid.  This morning I did a total of 29 minutes of running (missed off the last 3 mins and 2 mins as I was running out of time (‘scuse the pun!)) and it feels great – normal, not wonky, not like I have cement instead of hips, totally normal.  I just need to get the cardio up as I am using a lot of puff, but I am getting there.

I still get pain in where the fracture was on my left hip, when sitting in the car driving for long distances, and I still get popping and twanging from both hips when doing this and that, but apart from that I feel normal.  I am just over a year post-op on my right hip, and 20 months post op from my left (7 months post fracture) and I can honestly say that most of the time I now don’t think about my hips.  I hope that I have managed to avoid having a bone graft and plate where my non-union is and that this is now the way life is going to be, getting better and better!

In my post of March 9th, 2009, I made this comment about my pending hip surgery, “ Bit like the A3 tunnel that is being constructed pretty much on our doorstep – a long process to getting it started, desparately in need of being done, and hopefully when completed will solve alot of problems.  It is supposed to be completed 2011 in time for the Olympics in 2012 - I am planning on being way ahead of it on that score!”  When I wrote that, 2011 seemed a long way off.  Well, the tunnel is due to be opened this May/June, exactly two years since my LPAO, and three years since I last ran officially.  And, rather ironically, there is a run being organised through it prior to its opening, which I SHALL be taking part in.  It will be my first official RUN!  I have not been ‘way ahead of it’ as I had hoped I would be, but I am keeping up with it, and it’s opening will herald a new chapter for those that have used the A3 and fallen foul to the traffic jams which constantly blighted it, and hopefully I, too, shall be opening up a new chapter of my life and will moving on from the hip problems that have blighted my life recently!

What breaks hopefully mends?

On August 4th I returned, again, to the London Clinic for a cortisone injection to the area around my Ischium which showed inflammation on the MRI.  Prior to being anethetised, Johan confirmed that I had, indeed, fracture my Ischium.  Apparently it showed up very clearly on the 3D CT scan that was done.  He said that it is where one of the bone cuts had been and is right where the hamstring joins, which would explain the discomfort that I had been having since having my right PAO done.  Basically that area has been sore, because the hamstring has been tight and has been pulling on the bone, which has been trying to heal.  My marathon training probably didn’t help this, in the fact that my hamstring was getting tighter and tighter, and then when I slipped it finally threw it’s hands up in the air and said “Can’t cope anymore”!  And snapped!  Nice~! Lol!

Well, I can now say that as I am now 3.5 months post-slip, that all seems to be going okay.  I am not being woken during the night from the pain that I was getting pre and post marathon, and I have started very gentle pilates type physio, non-weight bearing exercises for the next 2 – 4 weeks (been doing them for about the last 3 weeks), and I am seeing Johan next Monday (20th) to see what he thinks.  If this doesn’t heal properly and I am still getting pain then he will look at a bone graft and plate.  I REALLY don’t want to have to go down that route, so for once, I am behaving myself, not doing really stupid things, like cutting down trees and dragging them down the garden etc., I am watching where my feet go, and just basically giving my bone every possible chance to do what is right!

I, under the advice of my physio have now joined the gym that adjoins to her practice (neat, eh!).  Steve, my gym coach, is strict (ridiculously so! Lol!) as he is making me take baby steps (I know, that’s what is needed!) and I am only being allowed to ride on the bike at a low level of resistance and do the x-trainer (first time 10 minutes nearly killed me!), also at a low resistance.

Moving on a couple of weeks, I am now riding the bike for 20 mins at a resistance of 6, and on the x-trainer, I am still on resistance of 4 but doing 20 mins now.    I am also now doing upper body exercises, but when I asked to do an ab exercise, I was told “NO”!  Next week, perhaps!   But so far all is going rather well. 

I have also decided what I want to do when I grow up!  Took my time on that one! Lol!  (Dorothy, I hope you are reading this, because I think this could apply to you!).  I am hopefully going down the route of a “Canine Hydrotherapist”, that is if the hips behave themselves and I can build up enough strength to be able to manoevre a (large) dog around a pool – it has been likened to walking through setting cement!  Well, there’s a goal if ever I saw one!  So watch this space.  I am hoping to go on the first of many courses next January!

Anyway, to say that everything is finally starting to be heading in the right direction might just blight things, but I will say that I am in a much better place at this point in time than I have been for what seems like a very long time.  Compared to others though, mine has been a very short road, and for that I will be eternally grateful.  My hugs and kisses to all my ‘hip chicks’ and may their journey be (eventually) a good one.

Stress fractures and all the jazz!

Well, my last post talked about my slip and the pain that I had had following it.  My pins were removed successfully and if it hadn’t of been for my left hip being so painful, I would not have needed to use crutches – it was that straightforward.  I did, however, manage to develop an allergic reaction to the scrub that they used, which itched like hell for a week and a half, just to add to my woes.

The weekend following my pin removal was the worst – this was now three weeks following the slip.  I turned into someone with Tourettes – every expletive under the sun was coming out of my mouth every time the pain kicked in.  It would pin me to the spot and then spasm for about 20 to 30 seconds, in which time I was in complete agony.  It was like someone zapping me on the side of my hip with an electric shock.  I called Johan on the Wednesday (busy for the two days before) and he had the radiographers take another look at my MRI.  On Thursday, I got a call from Johan telling me to get back on both crutches – the MRI had shown a stress fracture, although he could only see an area of inflammation indicated by an area of fluid.  So, a stress fracture to the pelvis was the diagnosis.  Then, of course, because this was my second stress fracture, bone density was questioned.  So on the Monday, I returned to the London Clinic for a CT Scan and a bone density scan.  The bone density was fine, the CT Scan showed nothing!  Why does that not surprise me!!!  For now, we are treating it as a stress fracture, I have been toe- touch weight bearing for the last three weeks, and am now down to one crutch.  On Wednesday, I will go for a cortisone injection under x-ray control, so hopefully the stress fracture will be showing itself, as now, at almost 8 weeks, there should be some calcification going on in there!  Here’s hoping!!!

Life seemed so sweet, till I slipped!

Ah, it all looked so good – walked the London Marathon without a glitch, saw Mr Witt for my 6 month review on Rightie and he was very pleased.  Stress fracture looking good, feeling sooooooo much better, no more cricket ball sensation – yay!  Leftie still complaining at the back up into the butt and also still disturbing me at nighttime, but Mr Witt examined me and found a clicky point on my backside, which he said he would cortisone when he took my pins out on 23rd June.  GAVE ME THE GO AHEAD TO RUN AGAIN!!!!!!!  So ecstatic and grinned from ear to ear all the way home.

Next day joined the club for my first run – did some 200m reps – very slow, no surprises there, but felt great to be out there again.  Did a 300 m rep and felt wonderful.  Strides – well can’t stride out for toffee at the moment, and as for increasing pace, well that doesn’t happen either – one pace or nothing! Lol!

Then on the Thursday afternoon, I took our youngest to get her new horse riding hat.  Big mistake.  Got out of the car, stepped on loose gravel which was wet and on a slight downward dip, and whoosh!  Left foot slips about 2 inches maybe 3, and I jar my hip.  No fall, just slip and jar.  Ouch!  Regained composure and carried on it to shop happy to be moving properly again.  Next day though, went to the shops and ended up hobbling back to the car, and when home had to use crutches – could not put weight through it. Screaming pain in the back of my hip.  Nighttime cannot get comfortable.  Every which way I turn, it hurts.  12 days later still hurting like buggery and still on crutches!

Went in yesterday to have my pins out and Mr Witt examined me and was none the wiser!  We decided that whilst I was under if he could find anything under the xray then he would cortisone, if not then I would have an MRI.  Needless to say, it was the MRI!  That showed up nothing as well.  Presumably the anasthetic took any form of pain away because for the afternoon, I was pain free – GREAT.  Not for long though, pain started returning at about 7 p.m. and I was back on the crutches by the time I got home.  Incision from pins by the way is neat, along the top of my original scar, and doesn’t hurt at all!

Today, I awoke with full pain in the butt kicking in again.  I spoke with Mr Witt this afternoon and he has suggested staying on crutches for 10 days, swimming, cycling if possible, stretching and doing my strengthening exercises.  If, after a week, it hasn’t settled then I am to call him and he will arrange a CT Scan.  Soooooo we shall see what happens.  Life is never easy!

My Pins - double PAO

London Marathon 2010

Well, the day dawned overcast (I had said it would rain – so far each year the weather has alternated and it wasn’t going to let me down!).  We set off from the hotel, Phil not feeling great – bit of a tum, but still up for the challenge.  We had to say our farewells at Charing Cross as I was starting from the Blue start and Phil was at the Red.  The train was packed – not surprising – with everybody heading for the same thing – Greenwich.  Nerves started kicking in as we got off the train and walked the 15 minute walk to the park.  And there it was – the Blue start – my favourite!  Knowing where everything was, I headed for the loos’ as my first port of call! Then having been, made my way over to the changing tent, just as it started to rain – see, I told you!  It then tipped it down.  Phil called me to discuss what we were going to wear.  I said that I was going to put on my wet weather gear, as I had no intention of getting wet, and showers had been forecast for later (but those didn’t happen, luckily).  He did the same.  I then went, with Tesco’s bags tied round my trainers – didn’t want wet feet either! – to deposit my bag on the baggage truck.  That done, I then headed back to the loo’s near to the start line.  With numerous marathons under my belt, I have learnt that the last thing you do is listen to the tannoy telling you to get to your allocated start pen – DER that’s when the queue for the loo’s goes to a big fat ‘O’ and you can go as many times as you want.  You then trot down to the thousands of people surging forward to the start gantry – someone has always opened up the barrier somewhere – and join the throng!  I took off my Tesco’s bags and walked up to the start gantry whilst on the phone to Phil.  He then called me back to say that he had just gone over the start, so I commenced walking!  Easy!  Yes, that was the easy bit – there was 26.2 miles ahead of me!  Not daunted, I set off at a good pace, walking with another lady, Jude.  Whilst we chatted, Phil and I kept in contact via phone to let each other know at what point we were.  I reached our agreed 4 mile water station meeting point first, said goodbye to Jude, and waited for Phil, plus our friend Julie, to meet me, which they did very shortly afterwards.  We then headed off – only 22 miles now!  We kept a good pace, picked up strangers along the route who by the end had become firm friends – Julie and Phil had acquired Liz from their start, and then we collected ‘The Pink Lady’ – also known as Kirsten, who works for Parliament and walks London each year in a bright pink lycra leotard and leggings.  She is a grandmother (although you would never believe it) and both she and Liz kept us highly entertained throughout.  En route, I saw Russell Howard running at about 22 miles (we were on the other side of the ‘East West Highway’, then I saw Dave Bateman (very smiley), from our running club, then came Peter Morgan who was also raising money for STEPS – he actually leapt in the air when he saw me, as he had been working out that he would possibly see us on that particular stretch – and there we were!  Phil then saw a very good friend of ours, Martin Perry, at 16 miles – we hadn’t thought we would see him as we presumed he would probably have gone home by then (his charity runners being much faster than us, obviously!).  Trundling on, keeping our pace - didn’t even stop to pee (most unusual as on our training walks I was peeing every three miles or so!).   Phil then started, around the 22 mile marker, to feel a bit sick.  It had got quite warm by this point, and obviously we were in our wet weather gear – jackets tied round waists, but still too hot!  He was really struggling to keep going – really having to focus.  I started to think that it could be dehydration, but knew that there was no point saying anything about stopping as we were so close to the end – I knew he wouldn’t give up unless he just collapsed.  It was a case of just watching and making sure he was still talking (albeit one word answers) and getting him to the finish line.  At 24 miles I saw a great friend of mine who was supporting the Chase charity runners – that was a real boost and spurred me on to the finish.  Our children, Jenna, James and Karinna had positioned themselves just as you turn to come into The Mall – it was just so wonderful to see them there – beaming faces – I think proud faces too, that we had just about done it.  And then we were there – THE FINISH – such a wonderful feeling, we had made it.  Phil was able to then do what he had wanted to do for the last four miles, which was stop – he was seen to by the St John’s Ambulance guys who were wonderful.  Dehydration – and an hour and a half later he was back in the land of the living.  It meant so much to me to have him by my side throughout the whole thing – I don’t think he will ever realise what it meant to me, and I don’t think he will ever know how worried I was when he collapsed at the end.  But HE AND I BOTH DID IT and we have managed to raise, so far, £2, 193.00 for STEPS Charity, which I am delighted about.

Goals are achieveable – there were times when I thought that the hips wouldn’t keep it up, but they did.  Right hip just 3 days shy of 6 months post-0p was brilliant.  Left hip just over 11 months post-op is having problems – could just be muscle from having taken on rather a lot over the last few months, but could be joint – brain says joint at the moment, but time will tell. 

Phil and I visited Mr Witt on the morning after the marathon, and he was delighted with our achievement.  I will be seeing him for my check-up on 4th June, so will discuss left hip with him then.  Meantime, I have started to go for little runs – jog a minute, walk a minute for about half an hour, so far so good.  Left hip is fine with that, it’s just like now, when I am sitting I have pain – weird!  Ah well, time will tell.

But if you have a goal, reach for it, you might not get it but you will get close and that’s got to be worth reaching for!  Reach for the stars, and you might get the moon!  So true!  I never give up once I have set my mind to something, life is too short not to try!

A week and a half to go till the MARATHON!!!!!

Yikes – is that all!!!

Glad to say that, so far, so good!  Hubby’s left hip is plaguing him! Lol!  (No, not funny really, cos it’s quite sore, but just funny when it’s my hips that should be hurting really!).  We are on the ‘taper’ and enjoying not having to walk so far, and for so long!  I must admit to almost having burnt out at doing soooooo many miles – I will be very glad to get to the finishing line along the Mall.  As for the hips, well both of them are holding up well.  I am getting some pain in my left hip at night time – when I lie on my right side, it starts to hurt, and then turning over is quite painful, but once turned, it doesn’t hurt!  Very weird.  I just hope it is nothing sinister.  My right hip, on the inferior ramus stress fracture is very sore alot of the time, but considering how far we have been walking it is not surprising.  I have found in the last couple of weeks that the twanging and pinging in my left hip is subsiding, as is the discomfort around the stress fracture.  The discomfort is still there but not quite so much.  Well, I think anyway, so I am hoping that once the marathon is out of the way that everything will, indeed, settle.

Exciting news went to my PT and lying on my right side with left leg bent, I could JUST lift my right leg off the bed – all of the depth of a piece of paper, but there was movement.  I was so excited!  And so was she!  I had put off going back to see her, because I was scared that she would say that there was no improvement, but I was wrong.  Yay!

There have been alot of ladies on the Hip Women site either having their ops and about to have them, and I do so feel for them.  I am so glad, despite the problems with my second PAO, that I have got them both out of the way.  I, mentally, feel I am almost back – there is still a little part of ‘me’ that is focused on the stress fracture and healing, but the rest of ’me’ is here.   My heart goes out to each and every one of them, because I know their fears, and I know for some there is still a long road ahead, but the group is just so supportive, and helpful, there will always be someone there to listen and to give words of help, wisdom and love.   I send my best wishes to them all and hope for a good recovery whatever stage they are at.  They are just Hipfantastic!

Anyway, bed beckons – actually, that’s a lie – a glass of wine beckons, and then bed!