I haven't written in a while, I was finishing my lit review and I have been able to start back at university lectures. We are all undertaking the second part of our research project - the research proposal, and I'm looking into whether aquatic therapy helps in the treatment of fibromyalgia. I admit all this talk of research is making me more and more sure that I would love to do research into something DDH related in the future. I feel very strongly about it.
My right hip is doing fantastic, it's getting stronger and stronger. I can do single leg stands for 10 - 20 seconds at a time. I can do very poor attempts at bridging and clams. I have progressed to the red theraband for my exercises at the kitchen counter. I can walk around the flat without my crutch, although there is still a huge waddling limp, it is gradually decreasing.
There is a spanner in the works, though, in the form of my left hip. The symptoms on this side have now started becoming more frequent. I have had a couple of nasty episodes of pain, both after walking a certain distance, because my right hip can cope with that now, but my left hip, it seems, cannot. By 'episodes' I mean I couldn't put weight throught it, and even sitting was hurting. That horrible deep achey pain all through the hip and part way down my leg. One month ago I was able to walk almost a kilometre, but due to my left hip pain, I cannot walk that far now. I daren't even try, because when the pain comes on that severely I am stranded. I had to call a taxi to uni last week because I was unable to walk to the bus stop to get home. The milestone of me being able to start driving has come just at the right time.
I'm scared. Not about the pain, I can cope with that, I've been up and down the pain scale so many times in the last few years I think I might have broken it. It's what it means for me now. I'm having to limit my walking and I find myself worrying that another episode will happen while I'm out and I'll be stranded again, hobbling and humiliated. I know how quickly this can deteriorate from the last time it happened. I am speaking to uni about whether I take an interruption in the course, and I have a follow up at clinic tomorrow to discuss surgery on the left side. As you can see, my stress levels are rising. But the important thing to remember is not to panic!!
