Friday, July 26, 2013
It's what all the cool "hippies" ride...
Recumbent bikes are so not cool looking...so how does one get exercise which does not require deep hip flexion AND allows you to power slide? A big wheel of course! I want the Dukes of Hazard model...I wonder if Amazon carries them? Happy Friday everyone!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The 2nd Leg
"Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and a miracle fiber called courage." ~George Patton
First and foremost, 8 weeks post op and I'm feeling great! I mean seriously, even I did not expect to feel as good as I do. I have luckily had only muscle pain, most likely from pushing it so hard in my workouts and hip-specific exercises. I have had minimal to no pain in regards to the actual hip joint, which is great news! My mobility has been great, although I do tire more easily than pre-surgery, which is normal and I was warned about. I have to learn to either pace myself or schedule breaks. I failed to mention that my OS had said I could probably start running at about 12 weeks, which is WAY sooner than I had expected. I am SO tempted to go for it, as I have missed the feel of it so bad...but it has always been my goal to gradually ease back into it, and since we now know that I will be having the other hip done soon, I feel it is best both physically and mentally, to just get through both surgeries before heading back out on the roads. It would just be too much of a tease for me!
The second surgery has been officially scheduled for Thursday, September 5th!!! I know, usually someone is not so excited about surgery, but as I have said before, I see this as my way to get back to full health, and the other hip was inevitably going to be done at some point anyways, so might as well get it over with and move past it all. Luckily my mom has volunteered to come down and help out for the first couple of weeks so that I don't have to annoy the hell out of Sara again! Thanks mom! We are positive and optimistic that the left hip with be less damaged, resulting in a less complicated surgery, and less restrictive recovery, seeing that the MRI shows less damage, and I have not had nearly the same level of pain as I experienced with the right hip.
Throughout this process, I have made a point of doing as much research as I can; reading studies, researching procedures, and learning all I can about FAI from point of pain to full recovery. While there is no substitute for all of the clinical knowledge that is out there, not enough can be said about also reaching out to others like me who are or have gone through this. I have met some amazing people, all around the world, through groups on Facebook and other blogs like mine. Their insight and experiences provide me with additional knowledge that I have found to be priceless, such as questions to ask my healthcare providers and other tips along my road to recovery. It is my hope that my blog is also providing insight and motivation, not just to others with FAI, but to anyone out there looking for a positive source of information for a healthy lifestyle, and life in general.
First and foremost, 8 weeks post op and I'm feeling great! I mean seriously, even I did not expect to feel as good as I do. I have luckily had only muscle pain, most likely from pushing it so hard in my workouts and hip-specific exercises. I have had minimal to no pain in regards to the actual hip joint, which is great news! My mobility has been great, although I do tire more easily than pre-surgery, which is normal and I was warned about. I have to learn to either pace myself or schedule breaks. I failed to mention that my OS had said I could probably start running at about 12 weeks, which is WAY sooner than I had expected. I am SO tempted to go for it, as I have missed the feel of it so bad...but it has always been my goal to gradually ease back into it, and since we now know that I will be having the other hip done soon, I feel it is best both physically and mentally, to just get through both surgeries before heading back out on the roads. It would just be too much of a tease for me!
The second surgery has been officially scheduled for Thursday, September 5th!!! I know, usually someone is not so excited about surgery, but as I have said before, I see this as my way to get back to full health, and the other hip was inevitably going to be done at some point anyways, so might as well get it over with and move past it all. Luckily my mom has volunteered to come down and help out for the first couple of weeks so that I don't have to annoy the hell out of Sara again! Thanks mom! We are positive and optimistic that the left hip with be less damaged, resulting in a less complicated surgery, and less restrictive recovery, seeing that the MRI shows less damage, and I have not had nearly the same level of pain as I experienced with the right hip.
Throughout this process, I have made a point of doing as much research as I can; reading studies, researching procedures, and learning all I can about FAI from point of pain to full recovery. While there is no substitute for all of the clinical knowledge that is out there, not enough can be said about also reaching out to others like me who are or have gone through this. I have met some amazing people, all around the world, through groups on Facebook and other blogs like mine. Their insight and experiences provide me with additional knowledge that I have found to be priceless, such as questions to ask my healthcare providers and other tips along my road to recovery. It is my hope that my blog is also providing insight and motivation, not just to others with FAI, but to anyone out there looking for a positive source of information for a healthy lifestyle, and life in general.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
The Details
My doctor gave me the official operation notes from surgery, and I must say it is a pretty cool read if you are into that stuff as I am. I thought I would post some of the details here for anyone interested.
Preoperative Diagnosis:
- Right hip labral tear
- Cam impingement
Postoperative Diagnosis:
- Right hip labral tear
- Cam impingement
- Focal grade 4 articular cartilage defect, superior acetabulum
- Synovitis
Operative procedure:
- Right hip arthroscopy
- Labral debridement
- Microfracture acetabulum
- Femoral plasty, right femoral head
- Synovectomy
- There was an attempt to "salvage the anterior superior labrum; however, this was extremely attenuated, degenerative and frayed and did not hold suture."
No wonder it took 3 hours rather than the 1.5 they thought originally! So that is the nuts and bolts of it...if anyone has any questions or comments to share, feel free!
7 Weeks Post-Op = Awesome week!
"There may be people that have more talent than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you." ~Derek Jeter
Seven weeks post-op and quite an eventful week. The most important happening was the ditching of the crutches, FINALLY. I cannot believe how much better I feel mentally not being attached to those things anymore! It is very odd at first, as if my muscles forgot how to fire in unison to allow me to walk normally. There was definitely some apprehension as you are worried if the hip is ready for this, if you will be able to walk as normally as possible. The biggest thing to overcome for me, however, was remembering to hold back and take it slow. It's easy to forget you are still recovering and healing is still taking place when you don't have the constant reminder of the crutches. Walking too fast or striding out too far definitely brings on soreness, so short and easy is the key! Overall though, it just feels amazing mentally to pass yet another important milestone. As I have said previously, these mini-victories are what keep me motivated week to week.
I saw my PT, Charlie, on Wednesday. I told him about some soreness that had been bothering me since Sunday in the front of my hip. He was able to quickly determine that it was my rectus femoris muscle in my quad, and that it was likely due to the increased activity level and reduced reliance on the crutches over the previous week. Luckily it was nothing to be concerned about and he considered it completely normal. He was able to do some amazing massaging to work it out and loosen it up, and showed me a nifty stretch to do at home. He also had me walk on the treadmill for 6 minutes at a blazing 1.3 mph, to make sure I was walking symmetrically. He tested the strength in my leg by applying pressure to it as it was elevated and straight while lying on my back, side and stomach and seemed pleased with the results. He advised me to add walking 10 minutes per day to my routine, as well as some extension and abduction exercises with added ankle weight three times per week. Overall it was a great visit, and a relief to know the pain was not out of the ordinary. Charlie is highly optimistic that I will be running a marathon by fall of 2014, and said he's going to have me at sub 2:58:00...my goal was February 2015, so that definitely felt good to hear.
Friday was my follow-up with my OS, Dr. Brown, to evaluate my progress. He was very pleased and said I was doing great and was very happy with my range of motion and all of the activities/exercises I was able to do. He even took time to write a note to Charlie to thank him for his great work with getting me back to this point so quickly. The conversation then turned to the moment I had been waiting for...fixing the left hip. He asked how I felt about it, and I reiterated the feelings I had with the first one, and that I felt have been validated by all the research that I have done. Wait too long, and risk doing more damage, complicating the procedure and prolonging the recovery and possibly even removing the scope as a treatment option. Then I would be left with the prospect of a total hip replacement, which I already know is a likelihood in my future as it is. Then there is the mental and emotional aspect of it...do I want to be fully recovered and active again and then have to start all over again? The way I see it, I'm in recovery mode right now, and I plan on not only recovering but improving my running form and training after this is all done, so why not start with TWO fresh hips, rather than one, leaving the remaining one to be done somewhere down the road? He agreed that he felt this was a good option and the right type of mentality to have to endure two of them only months apart. In fact, he said we can only wonder how much better off I'd be had we caught the first hip one or two years ago...could we have salvaged parts of my labrum and also prevented so much damage? So taking all of this into consideration, I will be having the left hip done sometime in September.
Other good news to come out of the appointment:
Seven weeks post-op and quite an eventful week. The most important happening was the ditching of the crutches, FINALLY. I cannot believe how much better I feel mentally not being attached to those things anymore! It is very odd at first, as if my muscles forgot how to fire in unison to allow me to walk normally. There was definitely some apprehension as you are worried if the hip is ready for this, if you will be able to walk as normally as possible. The biggest thing to overcome for me, however, was remembering to hold back and take it slow. It's easy to forget you are still recovering and healing is still taking place when you don't have the constant reminder of the crutches. Walking too fast or striding out too far definitely brings on soreness, so short and easy is the key! Overall though, it just feels amazing mentally to pass yet another important milestone. As I have said previously, these mini-victories are what keep me motivated week to week.
I saw my PT, Charlie, on Wednesday. I told him about some soreness that had been bothering me since Sunday in the front of my hip. He was able to quickly determine that it was my rectus femoris muscle in my quad, and that it was likely due to the increased activity level and reduced reliance on the crutches over the previous week. Luckily it was nothing to be concerned about and he considered it completely normal. He was able to do some amazing massaging to work it out and loosen it up, and showed me a nifty stretch to do at home. He also had me walk on the treadmill for 6 minutes at a blazing 1.3 mph, to make sure I was walking symmetrically. He tested the strength in my leg by applying pressure to it as it was elevated and straight while lying on my back, side and stomach and seemed pleased with the results. He advised me to add walking 10 minutes per day to my routine, as well as some extension and abduction exercises with added ankle weight three times per week. Overall it was a great visit, and a relief to know the pain was not out of the ordinary. Charlie is highly optimistic that I will be running a marathon by fall of 2014, and said he's going to have me at sub 2:58:00...my goal was February 2015, so that definitely felt good to hear.
Friday was my follow-up with my OS, Dr. Brown, to evaluate my progress. He was very pleased and said I was doing great and was very happy with my range of motion and all of the activities/exercises I was able to do. He even took time to write a note to Charlie to thank him for his great work with getting me back to this point so quickly. The conversation then turned to the moment I had been waiting for...fixing the left hip. He asked how I felt about it, and I reiterated the feelings I had with the first one, and that I felt have been validated by all the research that I have done. Wait too long, and risk doing more damage, complicating the procedure and prolonging the recovery and possibly even removing the scope as a treatment option. Then I would be left with the prospect of a total hip replacement, which I already know is a likelihood in my future as it is. Then there is the mental and emotional aspect of it...do I want to be fully recovered and active again and then have to start all over again? The way I see it, I'm in recovery mode right now, and I plan on not only recovering but improving my running form and training after this is all done, so why not start with TWO fresh hips, rather than one, leaving the remaining one to be done somewhere down the road? He agreed that he felt this was a good option and the right type of mentality to have to endure two of them only months apart. In fact, he said we can only wonder how much better off I'd be had we caught the first hip one or two years ago...could we have salvaged parts of my labrum and also prevented so much damage? So taking all of this into consideration, I will be having the left hip done sometime in September.
Other good news to come out of the appointment:
- cleared to begin short-arc lunges and squats
- cleared to cycle on the road, and I can clip in so long as they are neutral or angled slightly out
- I can golf when vacation in a couple of weeks, so long as I don't take a full back swing, keep a smooth, easy cadence to my swing, and don't bring out the driver
So needless to say, I am very happy about the progress and happenings of this week! I am so grateful to have the strong support around me; my family, my friends, the people I have met who share this condition, and my OS and PT. I am truly blessed and looking forward to the challenge. There is no way I can possibly show my appreciation to the extent that is deserved by all...but my promise to them is to make a full recovery, make them proud of my accomplishments and the role they each played in getting there, and possibly inspire or motivate others in their challenges. THANK YOU ALL!!!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Big Week Ahead and Random Thoughts
“People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they'll go to any length to live longer. But don't think that's the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you're going to while away the years, it's far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive then in a fog, and I believe running helps you to do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that's the essence of running, and a metaphor for life."
~Haruki Murakami
Lots of stuff happening this week! I will be going off crutches at some point, and therefore be able to begin strengthening exercises on the surgical leg! I also have a follow up with Dr. Brown at the end of the week, hopefully getting good news on my recovery, as well as possibly planning the second leg. All the while, I am busy rehabbing, getting readjusted to a "normal" work schedule, and preparing for a trip back to the great midwest to see all the fam.
I find that these milestones, however small, keep me motivated, and satisfied. I am an impatient and intense person by nature, always on the go...so I knew that this long recovery, mentally, would be my greatest challenge. I try to break it down into smaller goals and milestones, so that I have something to look forward to with each week ahead. This keeps me focused on short-term, easily attainable goals, without feeling overwhelmed by the "grand scheme" and distant horizon. I have even planned to do the same once I finally get the clearance to begin running again sometime early next year. I am not going to just jump right back to marathon distance training, with the only goal being that distance, but rather, break down my journey back by trying to obtain PRs in each distance as I go along. As I am building myself back up, I will challenge myself to be faster in 5K's, 10K's, half-marathons, and finally, the full. I think this will benefit me two-fold, by allowing me to focus on short-term goals, and to hold me back and not go too far/hard to early without a significant base built up.
Thinking forward also has me thinking back, and although I have covered my decision at length previously here, I feel it is worth mentioning again. As my wife and I sat around relaxing last night, she asked me how I felt about everything. I took a deep breath, and my answer was at peace. I truly feel, that I did not only make the best decision I could have, but the ONLY decision I could have. It almost surprises even me, how confident I am that this will all work out just the way I hope. I have no doubts, no fears, no regrets...and I really think having that frame of mind...one that this WAS the ONLY choice, has made everything else so easy to accept and take on.
I see many other "hippies" grappling with the decision to go on with the surgery, or to maintain focus, or see the light at the end. It was and is my hope, that with writing about my experiences, that others will perhaps find clarity, or motivation or inspiration.
~Haruki Murakami
Lots of stuff happening this week! I will be going off crutches at some point, and therefore be able to begin strengthening exercises on the surgical leg! I also have a follow up with Dr. Brown at the end of the week, hopefully getting good news on my recovery, as well as possibly planning the second leg. All the while, I am busy rehabbing, getting readjusted to a "normal" work schedule, and preparing for a trip back to the great midwest to see all the fam.
I find that these milestones, however small, keep me motivated, and satisfied. I am an impatient and intense person by nature, always on the go...so I knew that this long recovery, mentally, would be my greatest challenge. I try to break it down into smaller goals and milestones, so that I have something to look forward to with each week ahead. This keeps me focused on short-term, easily attainable goals, without feeling overwhelmed by the "grand scheme" and distant horizon. I have even planned to do the same once I finally get the clearance to begin running again sometime early next year. I am not going to just jump right back to marathon distance training, with the only goal being that distance, but rather, break down my journey back by trying to obtain PRs in each distance as I go along. As I am building myself back up, I will challenge myself to be faster in 5K's, 10K's, half-marathons, and finally, the full. I think this will benefit me two-fold, by allowing me to focus on short-term goals, and to hold me back and not go too far/hard to early without a significant base built up.
Thinking forward also has me thinking back, and although I have covered my decision at length previously here, I feel it is worth mentioning again. As my wife and I sat around relaxing last night, she asked me how I felt about everything. I took a deep breath, and my answer was at peace. I truly feel, that I did not only make the best decision I could have, but the ONLY decision I could have. It almost surprises even me, how confident I am that this will all work out just the way I hope. I have no doubts, no fears, no regrets...and I really think having that frame of mind...one that this WAS the ONLY choice, has made everything else so easy to accept and take on.
I see many other "hippies" grappling with the decision to go on with the surgery, or to maintain focus, or see the light at the end. It was and is my hope, that with writing about my experiences, that others will perhaps find clarity, or motivation or inspiration.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Milestones, Milestones, Milestones
For what would normally be quite an uneventful Thursday, I happened to hit three significant milestones today. First, today is my six-week "hip-iversary". It's hard to believe that it has been six weeks already, and it feels good to hit this point, because it meant reaching another milestone, using only one crutch. As weird as it feels to only use one crutch, what a pure sign of progress! It is taking some getting used to, and my right, surgical, leg definitely feels a little "loose". The key will be to pay attention these first few days in making sure I plant my foot properly and take my time to ensure stability. The major side bonus is the ability to more easily carry things around!! And it is a good thing that I was able to do that today, as my third milestone today was my return to work! It felt good to be back in the "real world" and felt like a small return to normalcy. I did find that the drive in traffic was more tiring than usual, moving my foot back and forth from gas to brake more than I had to since starting to drive again. Also, sitting all day in a chair that does not easily lean back to allow me to extend out my hip caused me to feel a little tight at times and uncomfortable. I figure that I will become accustomed to that fairly quickly though. At least it is just a short two day work week for me, a nice way to ease back into things.
That's it, short and sweet. Hopefully I will get around to posting another training tip post sometime this weekend!
That's it, short and sweet. Hopefully I will get around to posting another training tip post sometime this weekend!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
The Decision
I figured I might as well take a little time to go more in depth as to how and why I decided to go forward with this surgery. As I surf the web and read about others' experiences with this surgery or hear about people grappling with the decision to go forth with it themselves, I figured I could shed some light on how I made my decision and my reasoning behind it.
After being told that I had FAI, I proceeded to do a TON of research. I read medical studies and reports, I read blogs...anything that I could do to gain more information to assist with forming my decision. The one recurring theme among all of it was that this is a structural condition...the bones, in my case my femur, had either been born with excess bone mass (genetic), or it was developed as I grew (acquired). This is the basis for FAI, the symptoms or pain or damage is then unique to each individual diagnosed based on many factors such as age, prior activity level, etc. I used this info, in addition to other factors, to make the decision to go forward with surgery. I believe there are four main factors that weighed on my decision, and could be used by others to help in deciding which path to pursue: age, current health, future goals and psychological/mental strength or "desire".
Age
Age is a pretty straight-forward and easy one, in my opinion. I was 34 when diagnosed. In my mind, I had plenty of "active" years ahead of me. I also have two young and very active kids, active in the same endeavors as I am. I wanted to be a part of this, as well as other activities that I personally wanted to partake in still. Enough said.
Current health
I was in the middle of training for the Rock N Roll marathon in San Diego, with my eyes on a Boston Qualifying time when diagnosed. Training had been going extremely well and I had incorporated some amazing cross training into my routine in the form of CrossFit. That being the case, I was in just about top notch shape. I was at a very healthy weight and I was strong, both important factors going into any surgery. If I waited to have surgery I could risk losing some of those health benefits. I would not be able to continue running and performing other activities with the current pain I was in, therefore possibly going into surgery at less than optimal health. Also, and I feel this is a huge point, if I waited, there is a risk at doing MORE damage than already existed. The fact that there was already pain means that there is already damage. Doing further damage while waiting it out could have resulted in consequences such as more invasive and extensive surgery or repair, which could then prolong rehab and recovery. The fact that I was in such good health meant that the surgery would hopefully go smoother, and I would be better able to hit rehab with full strength.
Future Goals
This factor is kind of tied into age. I have a lot of "young" years left in me and had some pretty lofty goals I still wanted to attain: qualify for Boston, run a sub 3:00 marathon, complete a Full Ironman, run the Ragnar Relay, and complete Tough Mudder, among other things. I just couldn't see myself hanging it all up, at my age, and "giving up". I had to give myself the best chance possible to achieve these goals. But more than anything, I think, was that I wanted to be active for my kids. My kids LOVE doing triathlons and running. They have the most pure passion for these sports, and I wanted to be a part of it. I know they looked up to me for what I was accomplishing prior to the diagnosis, and I wanted to continue to show them what they could do. I wanted to be a part of it with them, to run with them, to do triathlons with them. My son constantly asked me when I thought he would beat me in a 5K, or when he could run his first 10K...I want to give him the chance to beat me head-to-head, and I want to run that first 10K with him, and his first half-marathon, and hopefully his first full-marathon. As an Amish Proverb states: "What children don't learn by hearing, they learn by seeing." The best way I can help my kids reach their goals and to guide them is to be actively doing it with them. Plus, some of my most memorable moments growing up were spent going to races with my father, or running the last few miles of his training runs with him. As I have now experienced those same moments with my kids, there is no way I was ready to give that up.
Desire
Surgery is not easy. Recovery is not easy. Recovery for FAI surgery is long and slow, depending on what all is done in the process. Combine this with my prior activity level and it seems even longer. It is a huge mental hurdle to get over and accept. I feel I have been given a gift to see the positive in tough situations, and to somehow stay motivated. In fact, I think I get even stronger when confronting difficult obstacles in my way. This, I feel, was my greatest asset and the reason I felt so comfortable taking this on. To me, it was just another challenge, another bump in the road called life. I immediately looked at it as an opportunity to actually come out the other side stronger and faster. Imagine it, I will have an anatomically "perfect" hip! Perhaps the FAI was holding me back previously, even before the pain started? Think of all the things I will be able to accomplish when not hindered with this anymore! Those are the thoughts that entered my mind, and that I continue to keep at the forefront to keep me motivated. I will be able to build strength in other areas of my body as part of my rehab, my swimming and cycling will get stronger. I will be able to start running again, but from square one...able to work on my mechanics and have proper form. Combine that with the corrected anatomical issue, and just think of all the heights I can reach! It is this type of desire and determination that makes the process easier to handle. These thoughts and feelings were there from the beginning, almost as if I had accepted it and that this was the only path for me.
Ultimately, these four factors are all intertwined and related to each other. It almost seemed like perfect timing in so many ways. Had this happened a few years earlier or later, I can't say whether my decision would be the same...but the way I saw it, there was no other choice, based on what I have shared above. Not to over-simplify this extremely important decision, but in summary, I knew that doing nothing would result in pain and no activity or a cycle of visits to pain doctors and PTs, while moving forward with surgery would at least give me a chance at accomplishing the goals I noted above. I just hope that sharing this will help, inspire or reassure others that are going through the same process.
'Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today?'" --Peter Maher
Sidenote: Check out the link below for a perspective from an OS that now performs this procedure as well as having gone through it himself...another great perspective. And also, an article with great info from Dr. Philippon, which basically outlines what occurred with me and validated my decision.
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/jun08/clinical2.asp
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/apr12/clinical16.asp
After being told that I had FAI, I proceeded to do a TON of research. I read medical studies and reports, I read blogs...anything that I could do to gain more information to assist with forming my decision. The one recurring theme among all of it was that this is a structural condition...the bones, in my case my femur, had either been born with excess bone mass (genetic), or it was developed as I grew (acquired). This is the basis for FAI, the symptoms or pain or damage is then unique to each individual diagnosed based on many factors such as age, prior activity level, etc. I used this info, in addition to other factors, to make the decision to go forward with surgery. I believe there are four main factors that weighed on my decision, and could be used by others to help in deciding which path to pursue: age, current health, future goals and psychological/mental strength or "desire".
Age
Age is a pretty straight-forward and easy one, in my opinion. I was 34 when diagnosed. In my mind, I had plenty of "active" years ahead of me. I also have two young and very active kids, active in the same endeavors as I am. I wanted to be a part of this, as well as other activities that I personally wanted to partake in still. Enough said.
Current health
I was in the middle of training for the Rock N Roll marathon in San Diego, with my eyes on a Boston Qualifying time when diagnosed. Training had been going extremely well and I had incorporated some amazing cross training into my routine in the form of CrossFit. That being the case, I was in just about top notch shape. I was at a very healthy weight and I was strong, both important factors going into any surgery. If I waited to have surgery I could risk losing some of those health benefits. I would not be able to continue running and performing other activities with the current pain I was in, therefore possibly going into surgery at less than optimal health. Also, and I feel this is a huge point, if I waited, there is a risk at doing MORE damage than already existed. The fact that there was already pain means that there is already damage. Doing further damage while waiting it out could have resulted in consequences such as more invasive and extensive surgery or repair, which could then prolong rehab and recovery. The fact that I was in such good health meant that the surgery would hopefully go smoother, and I would be better able to hit rehab with full strength.
Future Goals
This factor is kind of tied into age. I have a lot of "young" years left in me and had some pretty lofty goals I still wanted to attain: qualify for Boston, run a sub 3:00 marathon, complete a Full Ironman, run the Ragnar Relay, and complete Tough Mudder, among other things. I just couldn't see myself hanging it all up, at my age, and "giving up". I had to give myself the best chance possible to achieve these goals. But more than anything, I think, was that I wanted to be active for my kids. My kids LOVE doing triathlons and running. They have the most pure passion for these sports, and I wanted to be a part of it. I know they looked up to me for what I was accomplishing prior to the diagnosis, and I wanted to continue to show them what they could do. I wanted to be a part of it with them, to run with them, to do triathlons with them. My son constantly asked me when I thought he would beat me in a 5K, or when he could run his first 10K...I want to give him the chance to beat me head-to-head, and I want to run that first 10K with him, and his first half-marathon, and hopefully his first full-marathon. As an Amish Proverb states: "What children don't learn by hearing, they learn by seeing." The best way I can help my kids reach their goals and to guide them is to be actively doing it with them. Plus, some of my most memorable moments growing up were spent going to races with my father, or running the last few miles of his training runs with him. As I have now experienced those same moments with my kids, there is no way I was ready to give that up.
Desire
Surgery is not easy. Recovery is not easy. Recovery for FAI surgery is long and slow, depending on what all is done in the process. Combine this with my prior activity level and it seems even longer. It is a huge mental hurdle to get over and accept. I feel I have been given a gift to see the positive in tough situations, and to somehow stay motivated. In fact, I think I get even stronger when confronting difficult obstacles in my way. This, I feel, was my greatest asset and the reason I felt so comfortable taking this on. To me, it was just another challenge, another bump in the road called life. I immediately looked at it as an opportunity to actually come out the other side stronger and faster. Imagine it, I will have an anatomically "perfect" hip! Perhaps the FAI was holding me back previously, even before the pain started? Think of all the things I will be able to accomplish when not hindered with this anymore! Those are the thoughts that entered my mind, and that I continue to keep at the forefront to keep me motivated. I will be able to build strength in other areas of my body as part of my rehab, my swimming and cycling will get stronger. I will be able to start running again, but from square one...able to work on my mechanics and have proper form. Combine that with the corrected anatomical issue, and just think of all the heights I can reach! It is this type of desire and determination that makes the process easier to handle. These thoughts and feelings were there from the beginning, almost as if I had accepted it and that this was the only path for me.
Ultimately, these four factors are all intertwined and related to each other. It almost seemed like perfect timing in so many ways. Had this happened a few years earlier or later, I can't say whether my decision would be the same...but the way I saw it, there was no other choice, based on what I have shared above. Not to over-simplify this extremely important decision, but in summary, I knew that doing nothing would result in pain and no activity or a cycle of visits to pain doctors and PTs, while moving forward with surgery would at least give me a chance at accomplishing the goals I noted above. I just hope that sharing this will help, inspire or reassure others that are going through the same process.
'Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today?'" --Peter Maher
Sidenote: Check out the link below for a perspective from an OS that now performs this procedure as well as having gone through it himself...another great perspective. And also, an article with great info from Dr. Philippon, which basically outlines what occurred with me and validated my decision.
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/jun08/clinical2.asp
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/apr12/clinical16.asp
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Happy 4th of July and 5 Weeks Post-Op!!
"Those who reap the blessings of freedom, must undergo the fatigue of supporting it." ~Thomas Paine
Today is a special day for me as being a Veteran, I feel that today takes on a special meaning for me. I have always loved celebrating the 4th of July and fondly remember heading down to the river and watching what in my opinion is still the best fireworks display I have ever seen anywhere. Dubuque puts on such a great show with the fireworks being set off to patriotic music played on the local radio stations and for it being a small town, the length and quantity of fireworks puts other shows I've seen to shame. Ten years ago today, I celebrated the birth of our great nation in a sandbox thousands of miles away from my family and friends. Being with my comrades and battle buddies on this day, however, strengthened our resolve and reassured us that we were there, doing the right thing, doing our part. It is hard to believe it has been so long, and I truly believe that the experiences I had being so far away from home, has helped me tackle the challenges I am currently taking on, and have shaped the man I have become. Anyways, on to the post.
So today also marks my 5 week post op point. Overall I feel great, albeit a bit antsy being around the house by myself many days. I had another appointment with my PT Charlie yesterday to review my progress and plan out the next couple of weeks. I had been experiencing some tightness and soreness in my abductor and iliotibial band area, which started earlier in the week. He massaged it out a bit and provided me with a stretch to start doing to alleviate the tightness. He also suggested cutting back the cycling to once per day as he felt I was doing plenty of exercises and possibly overdoing it a bit. Overall it was a great appointment as he said I can begin to increase weight-bearing over the next week in preparation of going to 80% next Thursday and starting Monday I can begin working on balance on the surgical leg while chest-deep in the pool and standing solely on that leg. He even was optimistic enough to suggest I would be ready to tackle a marathon in the fall of 2014!! That is sooner than I was thinking/planning as I was aiming for the The IMS Arizona Marathon in February of 2015. While this is encouraging, I will continue to be patient and take things as they come, knowing that I will eventually get back to better than before!
So today also marks my 5 week post op point. Overall I feel great, albeit a bit antsy being around the house by myself many days. I had another appointment with my PT Charlie yesterday to review my progress and plan out the next couple of weeks. I had been experiencing some tightness and soreness in my abductor and iliotibial band area, which started earlier in the week. He massaged it out a bit and provided me with a stretch to start doing to alleviate the tightness. He also suggested cutting back the cycling to once per day as he felt I was doing plenty of exercises and possibly overdoing it a bit. Overall it was a great appointment as he said I can begin to increase weight-bearing over the next week in preparation of going to 80% next Thursday and starting Monday I can begin working on balance on the surgical leg while chest-deep in the pool and standing solely on that leg. He even was optimistic enough to suggest I would be ready to tackle a marathon in the fall of 2014!! That is sooner than I was thinking/planning as I was aiming for the The IMS Arizona Marathon in February of 2015. While this is encouraging, I will continue to be patient and take things as they come, knowing that I will eventually get back to better than before!
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