Might have overdone it

So after 30 mins on the bike with resistance and then 500 metres of swimming without using the legs I've pulled up sore today. I tried rolling around on my back on a tennis ball to massage it and have taken Norufen 50mg tablets but they've not helped.

I really think this back related stuff in the pelvis is just something I'll have to live with. Years and years of physio and treatment and now hip surgery hasn't resolved it and I don't think it ever will.

Hopefully my hips will be ok in the long run. That's something to hang my hat on.

If you are reading this blog and have any thoughts or comments, good or bad, I would really appreciate it if you could add your comments after any of my posts. I feel like I am on my own with this and would love to hear from people in the same boat.

Some more exercise and that old ache in the pelvis/hips - 61 dayspost-op

I've been very quiet on the rehab front this week. I've continued with the quadratus exercises and been on my feet a lot and have felt quite reasonable. Sleeping is still relatively difficult with that ache in the hip/pelvis area on both sides but I'm soldiering on.

I had a ride on the exercise bike this morning for half an hour with the seat high but some reasonably high resistance. I'm buggered if I know how pro riders can be in the saddle every day of their lives! After half an hour I got off with a numb backside and undercarriage. That's right, folks. My doodle was numb!

I've felt very achy in the left upper hip/pelvis all day today and I'm about to go for a swim, minus using the legs, to try and free up the back. To be honest it is disappointing that the surgery hasn't relieved that pain as it was assumed it would. Back to the drawing board there.

I'm playing golf tomorrow with the use of a golf cart so that should be very interesting. I'm not really too confident that the hip twisting involved in the swing will be pain free. We'll see I suppose.

If you are reading this blog and have any thoughts or comments, good or bad, I would really appreciate it if you could add your comments after any of my posts. I feel like I am on my own with this and would love to hear from people in the same boat.

Well I'll be..... - 56 days post-op

Well I'm quite amazed. I had no idea what to expect driving down to Ivanhoe to see Amir the Physio.

He asked how my aches and pains were going and how my sleep was travelling then got me up on the massage table to check my range of movement in my hips. According to Amir, all my aches and pains are normal. Wow!

Incredibly he was very pleased with my progress and said in 4 weeks I'd be the sort of patient he'd want to be photographing for his Melbourne Uni study to show how good recovery can be. Amir said I'm a textbook case and I'm a good 4 weeks ahead of schedule. Just to hear that was a great relief and certainly worth the drive to Melbourne.

Amir is certainly passionate about FAI recovery and seems to be an expert in his field. He is a bloke who displays the confidence of someone who has seem 100s of hips like mine and that is very reassuring as a patient.

He wants me to start loosening up my lower back through swimming without using my legs and cycling 4 or 5 times a week for half an hour. He said that I didn't need to continue with Physio back at home and that the light exercise regime will do the trick for the next 4 weeks.

Amir said my back will get tighter in the coming weeks before it gets better as it gets used to my hips having more range of movement than when I was born. His words. I just hope my upper pelvis improves so I can get a consistent good night's sleep. He assured me any twinges I felt walking across muddy footy grounds or riding the bike or putting socks on, etc were normal and nothing to be concerned about as long as I am not loading up the hips.

He wanted to see me at 12 weeks for the final time to outline a full rehab schedule but when I said I wasn't keen on driving down again he said I should see Michael or Simon at Lake Physio back in Ballarat. He has trained them and they will give me a schedule of work to do. Great result.

Today was a good day in regards to my recovery and I know I really just have to be patient and keep the faith.

Oh.....and he said golf will be fine as long as I use a cart to drive around the fairways. Sounds good to me!!

If you are reading this blog and have any thoughts or comments, good or bad, I would really appreciate it if you could add your comments after any of my posts. I feel like I am on my own with this and would love to hear from people in the same boat.

A great day and hoping for good news tomorrow - 55 days post-op

I had a great day today with the kids down at our family farm teaching them how to drive out in the paddocks. It was a beautiful, sunny winter's day and Lucy, Tom and I drove around in the paddocks with our Golden Retriever, Murray, loping along behind us.

We stopped at a few dams and threw sticks in for Murray to retrieve while the kids shared driving duties. Tom was on my lap and just steered while Lucy can do everything except operate the handbrake. We also had our Nikon DSLR and the kids enjoyed taking loads of photos.

We explored an old small underground goldmine on the property which was a spooky treat for the kids.

After heading back into town and enjoying some meat pies and milkshakes at the bakery, we collected our swimming gear and headed into the YMCA pool where we met my wife, Caroline. After a play with the kids I tried some more hydrotherapy.

Once again I walked the length of the pool forwards 10 times up and back, backwards 5 times up and back, and sideways 5 times up and back while facing the same direction. I felt quite good however I did feel a few uncomfortable twinges in the groins/hips at times whilst completing the sideways laps when I opened the legs too far.

I finished off with 20 gentle knee to chest stretches on each side and 20 heel to bum quad stretches on each side. The left side had an excellent, free range of movement however I found that I couldn't touch my arse with the right heel unless I really pulled on the leg. I had almost a cramping feeling in the lower right hamstring. I've pulled up ok tonight though.

Sleeping has still been a problem that I hoped would be resolved with surgery. Tomorrow I catch up with Amir Takla, the Melbourne physio, who I hope will give me some advice regarding the aches and pains I have in the upper pelvis during the night on both sides. He should be providing me with a program of exercises for the ramped up rehab I expect to be undertaking.

I want to know:

• Are these upper pelvis aches related to the FAI?
• Why do I have the deep pain in the right buttock after sitting or limited exercise?
• Why do I have more aches and pains now than pre-op?
• Why do I experience restriction, tightness and pain in the groins when riding the stationary bike?
• What would he expect me to feel like in terms of aches/pains and movement after 8 weeks?
• Why am I sore after being on my feet at work or walking around on a muddy footy ground?

I'm sure there are loads more things I'd like to know and I'm certain I'll forget to ask him anything. Amir talks fast and I reckon I'll be out the door with my head spinning before I know it.

If you are reading this blog and have any thoughts or comments, good or bad, I would really appreciate it if you could add your comments after any of my posts. I feel like I am on my own with this and would love to hear from people in the same boat.

We was hitchhikin' down a long and lonesome road.....

All of a sudden, there shined a shiny demon... in the middle... of the road.
 

And he said.....

It is difficult for many people to look at you after a hip op and see that there is much wrong with you, especially if you don't have a limp. And if you aren't much of a whinger they'll never know about the aches, pains and burning going on inside your groins, hips, pelvis, lower back and legs along with the poor sleeping and inability to get comfortable in bed or sitting or standing for any length of time.

If you are reading this blog and have any thoughts or comments, good or bad, I would really appreciate it if you could add your comments after any of my posts. I feel like I am on my own with this and would love to hear from people in the same boat.

Suck it up and get on with it - 50 days post-op

I just had a 15 minute ride on the stationary bike. I had felt sore through my right hip and pelvis as I sat working at the computer and thought a ride would do me good.

5 minutes in I was stiff and feeling very uncomfortable in both groins. I had a physio appointment today where Matt both of my groins and it felt as if it did loosen them up somewhat.

I think I need someone to definitively tell me if where my hips are in terms of aches and pains and range of movement are normal for 50 days post-op.


If you are reading this blog and have any thoughts or comments, good or bad, I would really appreciate it if you could add your comments after any of my posts. I feel like I am on my own with this and would love to hear from people in the same boat.

Where I am is where I was - 49 days post-op

It's been 7 weeks since my second surgery and I can honestly say I am running out of patience. I have all of the symptoms I had prior to the ops along with a few new ones.

The nerve pain down the left leg persists, the groins are as temperamental as before, sitting gives me pain at the top of the outer hip/pelvis and I have welcomed back the pain in the upper hip/pelvis on both sides that wakes me at around 4am every night and keeps me awake tossing and turning from side to side. This is identical to how I felt prior to surgery however at that stage I was putting up with the pain and enjoying an active lifestyle.

Now, any cycling on the stationary bike gives me tightness and pain in the right groin, walking across a muddy footy field at AusKick makes the groins ache, being on my feet all day at work leaves me very sore and sitting for any length of time causes a deep ache in the right arse cheek. Even night time "activities" cause pain in the hips. As I sit here now on the couch I feel a dull burning ache in the outer left buttock and upper right hip/pelvis.

Next week I see the Melbourne physio at 8 weeks post-op. I really hope this is par for the course but I am certain it won't be. I am almost convinced that FAI surgery has been a waste of time and money.

While it has been a cathartic experience to write down how I am travelling in this blog, as I look at my comments now there is nothing positive coming and that's depressing.

All I want to do is kick the footy and jump on the trampoline with my kids.


If you are reading this blog and have any thoughts or comments, good or bad, I would really appreciate it if you could add your comments after any of my posts. I feel like I am on my own with this and would love to hear from people in the same boat.

Deep dull ache in the right bum cheek - 44 days post-op

I've been on my feet and sitting driving alot in the past 3 days and have been feeling quite ok, all things considered.

Since my Sunday impromptu hydrotherapy session I have had a busy Monday morning driving around to do soil test fieldwork, then I raced home to collect the kids and drove to Melbourne to see the footy at the MCG. I probably spent a good 3 or more hours driving for the day.

Tuesday was spent driving around soil testing from 10 am to 4pm. I was happy with how everything felt when I had to use the hand-held power auger. It can be quite physically demanding on the lower back, hips, knees and thighs but I felt ok. I also had a physio appointment where Matt gave my lower back and upper gluten a good seeing to. I mentioned I was experiencing numbness and tingling down my left leg. He believed that would be back related.

I mentioned how I don't remember a time when I wasn't taking something to try to dull the aches I have had, be they aspirin, Panadol, ibuprofen, anti-inflammatories, etc. I think that surprised him. I remember as a kid my Dad taking tablets all the time for his back and headaches and thinking to myself I'd never do that, yet here I am popping pain relief like lollies.

Today l was on my feet teaching all day and I noticed a deep dull ache in my right arse cheek that developed early in the day and has persisted still until now (late afternoon). I am only guessing but I wouldn't be surprised if it is the quadratus muscle, which is apparently prone to wasting away after hip arthroscopy/ostectomy.

I wonder where I go from here. Will I need to start more strengthening exercises for my arse and core muscles soon? I'm sure I'll find out on June 24 when I see Amir, the Melbourne physio, who will outline the program I need to follow over the next year.


If you are reading this blog and have any thoughts or comments, good or bad, I would really appreciate it if you could add your comments after any of my posts. I feel like I am on my own with this and would love to hear from people in the same boat.

Baby steps and hydrotherapy (or walking around in a pool) - 42 dayspost-op

Took the kids to the local YMCA pool today for some fun. There is a relatively new 20m hydrotherapy pool there and I thought, well, when in Rome.... I know I have been told I'm not to swim or kick but I thought walking laps of the hydro pool MIT be the go.

I shot Matt my physio a text to ask if he thought it was suitable. He said it was and suggested a few things to try. He's a good man, that fella.

So i walked up the length of the pool forwards 10 times up and back, backwards 4 times up and back, and sideways 4 times up and back while facing the same direction. The straight ahead and backwards  stuff was fine but I felt very tight and found I couldn't open up the legs very much moving sideways. By the end of the side to side laps I was noticeably sore with the burning groin and outer hip/pelvis.

As suggested I finished off with 20 gentle knee to chest stretches on each side, calf stretch and 20 heel to arse quad stretches on each side. While I stood there stretching I had the ridiculous thought of running a marathon down the track, maybe even as an excuse to travel overseas with the family. But the words of OPSM sports doctor Andrew Jowett still ring in my head. "Your running days are over, mate."

Then I had an hour of shooting hoops and playing "keepings off" with the kids in the pool. I very much enjoyed the activity and playing with my favourite peeps.

I didn't feel self-conscious about wandering around the hydrotherapy pool like a clapped out old fart, especially with my daughter Lucy floating along talking to me as I went. But I feel like the 15-20 over spells and long periods spent batting last cricket season are a lifetime ago. I couldn't possibly do that as I am now. And I can't help but wonder if I would be able to again.

The annual boys golf trip is in 40 days. I'd like to be right to walk and play 2 rounds of golf in 2 days by then at the latest. That's my current aim. Baby steps......

Out of pocket expenses

So I have received my rebates back from both Medicare and my private health insurance and after two surgeries I am out of pocket thus:

Surgeon $3881.60

Anaesthetist $200

Surgery assistant $200

Hospital pharmacist $95.22

TOTAL $4376.82


Probably not a bad result. I was really surprised by how little the private health insurance picks up. I have top end coverage and expected to be looked after better than that, but really I am pretty satisfied.

We are extremely lucky to have the public health care system that we do in Australia.

Bloody groins!! - 37 days post-op

As instructed by the Melbourne physio, I've been the doing the simple quadratus muscle exercises each day but I admit I have only been doing them once or twice a day instead of the four he recommended. I am busy like anyone else and once the kids are in bed I just want to sit and relax. I really should be doing more of them.

I've continued to see my local physio each Tuesday too. This week he worked on my groins after I mentioned I'd been sore after riding the stationary bike that morning. I admit I really don't have a handle on the genuine benefits of physiotherapy. I have always had the belief that they are important in the recovery of soft tissue injuries, such as hammies and calves, but I am really unsure about how what is essentially massage can help me overcome structural damage, such as my hips. In the past I've been treated for bad ankle sprains and shoulder problems, but I reckon rest and taking it easy has sorted them out.

Anyway, I know Matt reads this and should he still be speaking to me next Tuesday I'm sure he'll be able to extol the benefits of his craft to me.

I've been on the stationary bike 3 times a week for 15 minutes with the high seat and minimal resistance as advised but, just like yesterday, I was bloody sore in the groins during and after tonight's session. It is bloody annoying. Disheartening really. The feeling in the groins/hips is unnatural. It is not a real sharp pain but a dull ache that bites every now and then. I can't tell if it is the joint itself or the associated muscles. Either way I haven't really felt this sort of discomfort before the surgeries. I get a sharp reminder of my hips whenever I turn laterally to walk or to step over something like the rim of the bath or my trailer's tow bar.

Bloody bike!! It mocks me with its f**king ridiculously uncomfortable seat.

I know I should be more patient but I only seem to have the same discomfort, aches and pains that I have carried for as long as I can remember prior to the surgeries with a few brand new ones thrown in.  For every one good day I'd have three uncomfortable ones. I've put all my eggs in one basket here with going ahead with specialists and the x-rays, ultrasounds, CT and MRI scans and the expense of comprehensive insurance and taking time off work and two surgeries in 8 days and the out-of-pocket expenses and the many long drives to Melbourne and Geelong and the rehabilitation and the associated mental and emotional hoo-haa.

I've been determined to not whinge as it's unfair on the people around me. My wife and kids don't need this shit but I don't know how I'll keep the Black Dog at bay if it doesn't work out for the best. Might need to just take a mouthful of concrete and harden the f**k up.

Medicare and private insurance

A couple of days ago I learnt a valuable time-saving lesson when it came to claiming rebates from Medicare and my private health insurance, Bupa.

I took my pile of receipts from the surgeon, hospital, anaesthetists, hospital pharmacist, surgeon assistant and physio into Bupa but unfortunately could only claim the physio invoice there. Because the cheeky buggers at the hospital pharmacy itemise every item (Meloxicam, Panadol, Endone, etc) and each individual medicine is under $36, the Bupa girl said I couldn't claim any as they don't fall under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Even though my total take-home medicine show bag came to $96. Cheeky bastards.

Anyway, the Bupa girl sent me up to Medicare with the remaining receipts where I queued for a little while then handed over my pile. I received a nice refund back from Medicare which was to be paid directly into my nominated account.

I expected to have to go back down to Bupa to have the refunds from my private insurance sorted out, but instead the Medicare lady gave me a "Two Way" form to fill out and assured me that they'd sort out my Bupa payments. Excellent!

A very nice surprise as long as they can pull it off! As Hannibal from the A-Team used to say, "I love it when a plan comes together."