This update is for the wonderful Hippies who helped me through both of my hip resurfacing journeys. Those journeys, frightening and dark at times, are distant memories to me now. But I have never forgotten the kindness of the people who inhabit this special place. I am doing fantastic, and wanted to share that with you, because you were with me the whole way. I also have to remember Vicki Marlow at this time, since she spent quite a bit of time on the telephone helping me get the process moving when I was so scared I was frozen in place. She was a special person.
I had my two year check up with Dr. Rector a few weeks ago. He was quite pleased with the x -rays and told me the angles are great, and the bone growth is proceeding as expected. I don't have the range of motion Dr. Rector thought I should have, but he wasn't too concerned. My IT bands are tight, so I need to be more conscientious about working on them with the foams rollers that are collecting dust in my house. No question that my range of motion improves when I work on it. Imagine that!
Surprisingly, I still experience noticeable improvements in cetain areas even after almost two years of healing. I regained my strength pretty quickly, but flexibility has taken a long time and is still returning.
I live in Colorado and am able to enjoy hiking in the mountains again without limits. That may not sound like a big deal, but at my low point two years ago, my family was hiking the Rockies without me, which was heartbreaking for all of us. I haven't been skiing yet, but plan to give it a try this Spring. I'm a bit nervous about that, but know it will come. Like everything else about my recovery, I am taking things slowly. "Slowly" has worked out really well for me so far.
There is a serious downside to successful resurfacing however. Ballroom dancing lessons! Yes, as soon as my lovely wife realized my recovery was progressing, she signed me up for weekly lessons. I couldn't dance before, and despite a huge investment in dancing lessions, I still can't dance. But I show up for the lessons every week. My wife remains hopeful.
I consider myself very lucky. I have no limitations on my life at this point, and have been enjoying life more than anyone has a right to expect. I don't play any impact sports now, but I can't say that I miss them, because there is so much else to do here in Colorado. I travel the world a great deal, and have no issues with that once I get through security at the airports. I had some trouble in Frankfurt, Germany last Spring with airport security who insisted that I was carrying a knife. I explained several times that it was my metal hips that were setting off the alarm, but they weren't buying my explanation. After a brief, but tense standoff, they took a Swiss Army knife out of my camera bag. My daughter had placed it there without my knowledge. Fortunately the Germans were in good humor and just laughed at my embarassment.
My outlook on life, the way I relate to family and friends, and how I go about planning my future all changed drammatically for the better once my hips were repaired. It is hard to overstate how much we lose during the decline, or how much we regain when we have recovered. I have been given a second chance.
So that's my update. Raise a glass for me. And, if I can help anyone along with this process, please let me know. I learned about paying it forward on this website.
Boomer
Topic: Another Happy Two Year Update/Dr. Rector (Read 2465 times)
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