Seven Weeks Post-Op

Yesterday Baby Girl was seven weeks old.  I am having aching pain in my rear, both the piriformis and gluteus medius, as usual.  My groin on the right side has a sharp pain from time to time, indicating hip involvement.  And the PT decided that my SI "flares" that I was feeling was referred pain from my low back.

That last assumption is likely correct.  The last three times I've gone in, they have put me in traction for my low back and it is oooooohhhh so nice!  And the SI "flares" have dramatically decreased. 

She has me doing one-legged bridges and side-stepping squats, the latter using a blue band around my ankles.  Actually that blue band stays with me for my clamshells and leg lifts too. This week she added in ball squats (against the wall).  Those are killer and irritate my left knee, which I strained recently, I don't know how.  I'm also doing neural flossing and some other stretches like the figure 4, pigeon stretch, and hamstring stretch.

I get discouraged because I'm so weak, and I still take so much pain medication (compared to the general population, not compared to SI victims).  However, I reminded myself today that I am only seven weeks from major surgery where I lost a great deal of blood, and I already walk 1/3 of a mile, partly uphill, as well as doing all these PT exercises.  In reality, I'm doing awesome.  Even with the new low back disc issues and new hip pain, I'm doing things now I could never have done before my surgery two years ago.

As far as medication, I'm taking naproxen every night, 800 mg ibuprofen at least once a day (sometimes twice), and an occasional Percocet for breakthrough pain (maybe twice a week). I would love it if some day I could get off the NSAIDS.  I would love to be able to get to dinnertime without pain.  I would love to be able to sit and/or stand long enough to hold a full time job again (right now the max is around 20-30 minutes without meds, maybe an hour with).  Maybe I will and maybe I won't.  But I'm taking it day by day, and today... I'm hopeful.

Better, Bit by Bit

With extensive rest, and alternating heat and ice, I am better.  Not great - I'm still dealing with SI flares and those related muscles spasming, but the abs aren't aching so much.  The hyper-sensitivity is also much better.  I start PT again on Tuesday and CAN.NOT. WAIT.  I am itching to get moving again, but have to wait until I know how to do it without hurting myself again. 

My 6-yr-old son is also starting PT for a shortened achilles, among other related things, and we'll be going together.  He's excited, so it should be fun to do together!  It may also help him understand Mommy a little more -- seeing me like that.

Sarah is growing and doing so well.  She sleeps about 8 hours at night with just one feeding half-way through.  30 minutes, typically, and we're back down for the night.  It's not as good as 8 straight hours, to be sure, but I'm so thankful that this is usually our current pattern.  She is just at one month old now.