This Week's Hip Update: March of The Penguin

Last week through this Monday could have been titled: Citizen Cane.

Getting around using the cane for almost 100% of the time that week, only using toe walker for extra support in the shower and in crowded public places to avoid the hip getting bumped.

Per the doc and the PT person - in crowded spots I should still use the walker as people avoid it. Most people in crowded areas apparently ignore or just don't see canes, making the risk of getting your hip bumped pretty high.

This week since my Physio session on Monday late afternoon is more properly titled the March of The Penguin.

About 60% of the time indoors I'm walking without using any cane or walker at all as long as I'm not holding things or the leg doesn't get too sore. 

Mind you, It's more like hobbling than walking but I'll take it.  Looks kinda like this:

Are the kids mercilessly teasing me about this and calling me a penguin? Of course they are! 

I now have a major craving for some herring, dammit.

This morning I unconsciously penguin walked down the two stairs to the kitchen without a cane.  First time doing that.  Made a bit of shock when I realized I had done that and had to get back up the steps without a cane to get to where the cane was, but I did it no problem. Progress!

Certainly better mobility. Using Tylenol instead of the lighter pain control drug 66% of the time and almost done with the lighter pain control drug. Plan is it will be Tylenol only starting Monday. Pain is about a 2+ or so typically.  Heavy PT sessions make it a 3+ sometimes but that's the price of improvement.

Thankfully, the toes have stopped swelling up at night. The ankle seems to be getting better too, so only direct hip pain wakes me up in the middle of the night now. At least it makes sense.

Physio is going well.  Doing good walking around unassisted and doing the exercises.  Some still hurt quite a bit and are hard to do.  Still cannot bring my knee to my chest at all, it locks up well short and is my worst PT exercise right now.

Major swelling and tightness is still around the upper leg hip area as the muscles are still pretty angry about being moved around during the surgery and are making their displeasure still known.  Lying on my side, even my left side for PT treatments hurts like heck, and I'm not about to even try lying on my right side.

Overall, it's steady progress, I can do stuff this week I could not have even tried two weeks ago.

Still no bending at the waist past 80 degrees, or crossing legs or ankles for the next couple months, but may be cleared for driving and going up and down actual flights of stairs next week.