Holiday running

The groins feel sore. Ran a flat and hot 3.91km in 21.43min up at Deniliquin. Time for a beer. Happy New Year!!

Preparing the body for surgery

My theory is I want to be reasonably fit for the impending surgery. It should allow me to recover quicker I hope.

Not feeling too bad. Did a hilly 3.15km run in 21.39min around home. Left hip sore but feeling relatively fit.

Second surgeon appointment

I drove down to Melbourne today to have a consultation with John O'Donnell. John is "the man" when it comes to hips. I have discovered he has been performing hip arthroscopy since 1990 and is one of the most experienced hip arthroscopy surgeons in the world having done over 5000 of them. This certainly put me at ease.

John is a very easy-going bloke and has a terrific personable way about him. Many specialists have an "air" about them and seem to look down their nose at you but John was far from it.

He looked at my scans, including my MRI, and pointed out what everyone had been telling me was wrong with my hips. John was in no doubt he could correct my problems and get me enjoying an active lifestyle without pain. He explained the surgery in layman's terms and told me he'd expect I'd be on my feet the day after the procedures but probably using crutches.

Even though I have always had more pain in my left hip, John was sure my right side had more damage and wanted to go in there first. I went with the left side. But as it is I'm having both hips done one week apart.

The most daunting part about that is not the surgery itself. That sort of thing has never bothered me. The great unknown is the rehab and recovery and getting a good result. That's what has me nervous. This has been a long road and I don't want to be doing it for nothing.

Anyhoo, I'm booked in at St Vincent's & Mercy Private Hospital for April 22 (left) and April 29 (right). I could have had it done when my private insurance cover ticked over on February 17 but I'll wait until after the last week of the BCA cricket Grand Final and during the school holidays. Hopefully we make it and win back to back. Then they can do what they like with my hips. Most folks think I'm a bloody idiot playing with these bad hips as it is.

Bring it!!

Not a great return to cricket

Monday October 8, 2012

My hips felt tight today with tingling and soreness, especially in the left side. I had karate in the evening. I started off feeling very tight but loosened up and felt quite ok by the end of the session. However I got sore as I cooled down. It kept me awake through the night.

Tuesday October 9, 2012

I spent the morning working at the computer with very uncomfortable hips. I drove 160km to Maryborough and back in the afternoon and felt very tight. Back at the computer in the afternoon and I was very uncomfortable. At night I was sore in my recliner chair watching TV but wasn't too bad sleeping compared to the night before.

Wednesday October 10, 2012

The top of my left hip is aching and the left groin is burning. This is all while I'm sitting at work watching the kids do an exam for 1.5 hours. I am concerned that the minimal exercise I have done has caused this flare up.

What now? It aches above the joint in the pelvis, and into the groin and below the pelvis.

I went to karate and felt good once I warmed up at karate but I'm very sore tonight.

Resuming cricket

I bowled 16 overs in 3 spells in the first game of cricket for the year. I only bowl medium pace but bowling involves a lot of twisting in the hips, knees and ankles. A very unusual and unnatural action really.

I felt tight throughout the day having felt quite good in the weeks prior – the boy who cried wolf! I was quite sore in the upper left hip that night.

Leading up to resumption of activity

I'd been feeling quite good and wondered if I was going too far seeing surgeons regarding my hips. Other than karate and some golf, I'd not done alot of exercise. Walking the dog was fine but long driving could make them ache.

Changing surgeons through necessity

When I saw Michael Pritchard last week his secretary mentioned he was booked out for the remainder of the year and she wasn't sure what was happening next year about where he'd be operating from. My Bupa private health coverage doesn't tick over until Feb 17 too so there is alot to think about.

I would be quite happy to have the procedure done by John O'Donnell if possible. I have heard great things regarding John from a friend at Collingwood FC. I am covered now for surgery for my choice of surgeon in a public hospital with a shared room, but I assume John does not do arthroscopy in the public system either.

It is a shame that Michael will not be operating in Melbourne in 2013 as, had I known that that was the case, I would not have organised a consultation with him. Ideally I would prefer not to have to go to Hobart with the added travel, expense and putting my family out. Obviously if there is no other option then I will have to head to Hobart.

Mr Pritchard has specific days for interstate patients to travel to Hobart, and as such they can be seen and have their surgery more quickly than in Melbourne.  With only one operating session a month in Melbourne, surgery was booked out months in advance.  

Travelling to Hobart for surgery means I can fly to Hobart on a Monday or Wednesday morning, have surgery in the afternoon, stay overnight in the hospital and return to Melbourne the following  afternoon.

Therefore............I have decided to see John O'Donnell and have made an appointment on November 1 with surgery likely in Feb/Mar/Apr in Melbourne.

Mr Pritchard's office will get Michael to write me a referral and forward my MRI report to John's office. They offered friendly and helpful service during this experience. Stuffing around with upgrading my insurance and trying to sort out surgery can be a painful process but their lovely attitude to clients like me made it all a hell of a lot easier and I appreciated that and told them.