Ohh joy!!!

What the bloody hell is happening to me???

Still waiting for results of bloods - pain hasn't got worse but then again, has only got a smidge better...gggrrrrr

Hair is falling out - been noticing it in the shower for a couple of weeks but now my hairdresser has confirmed that my hair is thinning, particularly at the front, and the texture has changed. She said it's all down to the anaesthetic I've had in 12 months (3 lots) and the meds - can take up to 6 months for it all to get out of your system! Zinc and other levels have been shot! She's recommended some specialist Redken products (shampoo / conditioner / vitamin tabs) which have produced great results with her other ill clients, so I'm giving them a go. Gutted really - I have been letting it grow for nearly two years now and it is just starting to take a nice shape, hey ho...

Nails are going the same way, peeling & splitting, already taking Multibionta, may need a nail supplement too!

Falling apart I am - me and Vic will look like baldicoot twins soon, haha :-)

The 'no picnic' part....

Some of you may remember my surgeon saying way back that recovery from this op would be no picnic. Well folks, I'm understanding his words explicitly now!!! Past two days have been a nightmare - pain up, meds up, exercise down, sleep down. So worried that I have a call out for my surgeon to ring me today. I just want a bit of reassurance that it's normal process - I'm hoping he will confirm pain is up due to the effect of long-term med injections in the spine (during ops) wearing off and my increase in hydrotherapy... bum, bum, bum!

Stop Press 15:45 hrs - surgeon concerned - has arranged for blood tests at my GP surgery tomorrow morning - testing for inflammation / infection! Please, please, please don't let it be either of these...

All going south...

Well I managed to get to the pool 3x again this week - OK so the exercising is a bummer but floating around (and feeling weightless) is great plus I'm spending a lot of time in the sauna... funny really, because I've historically been a steam person really, but the heat in the sauna is doing it for me now!

Since I haven't been swimming or pilates (proper) for 3 months I have really noticed a lack of tone in my upper arms, legs, thighs and hips. Although I have always been a bit chunky I have never been flabby (once I hit 30 going to the gym became a way of life for me not a luxury) and so I have managed to remain fairly toned, mainly by swimming. NOT NOW!!! It's horrible - all that flabby, flapping skin and bingo wings eeeeyuckkkkk... The skin around my hips and lower back is like a big flabby tyre - to me if feels like the weight and pain associated with this whole operation malarky is resting right there! I know it sounds weird, but that's how it feels to me. Dr. Vic says yes things are flapping a bit of late :-( but no, he can't see what I'm saying about the jelly flabby tyre thingummy :-).

Sooooo SWIM-MITTS are go!!! Yep have started to use them and they are working like a dream, after just 2 weeks. What are they, you might ask? Well they are colourful neoprene mitts with webbed fingers that catch the water as you move. Soooo when I'm walking up and down the pool I wade with my arms - my goodness, it doesn't take long to realise that those mitts are doing something in the bingo wing area! SPINEYS: if you find the wading puts added pressure on your back, STOP!

I'm also using the woggles to add in some light arm exercises like pull and push downs which also strengthen the core too. SPINEYS: if you do these make sure that you are bent out at the knees otherwise you will find yourself bending and putting pressure on your back which is a no-no.

Oh and through all this, even when I'm sporting bright orange woggles, lurid green gloves, squinting (coz I can't see without my gogs) and wobbling around in the shallow end surrounded by kids in nappysuits, Dr. Vic continues to love me dearly. God bless him...

3 months post op...

Not much to report this week...

Still in "Hip-Hell" gggrrrr, particularly on the left and having to pop a few more pills during the day to cope with the increased pain. Also very stiff in the mornings and late at night. I'm thinking that the hip pain may be the result of my increased mobility and hydro sessions. I'm remembering that my surgeon said that I will have set-backs on/off during the first 12 months - so I'm guessing this is one of them... Managed to get in the pool 3x last week - just doing simple exercises, floating around and getting some heat (sauna, especially) in my bones certainly helps. Seeing physio later today with regards getting into a specialist back class - not quite sure what the class entails, will report back next week.

Still absolutely wiped out mid-afternoon but at least I'm managing to get a decent sleep these days - the full body pillow really has made all the difference in correctly aligning my body when I sleep on my side. Dr. Vic calls it "The Borg Barrier", work that one out!!! ;-)
Note: for one week - w/c 26 January - Lidl are selling full body pillows for £9.77 each

Some of you bloggers out there may have read Angela's blog comments throughout my recovery - well, she is having her Dynesis op this Thursday. GOOD LUCK ANGELA, my thoughts and prayers are with you...

Relapse recovery...

Can you believe how quickly time flies? It seems like only yesterday that I was wondering just how I was going to get through it.

The past 7-10 days have been challenging - there's no doubt that I had a serious relapse (all my own fault). Meds went up in line with pain which was not good but I think I am now back on track. How did I get back on track you might ask? Bedrest and not a lot else I'm afraid. Returned to hydro last Friday - it was painful especially the exercises that put my back into extension, which has always been a problem for me. But I was chuffed when the physio said she was impressed by my 'core' fitness - which was appraised by my ability to sit floating on 2 woggles whilst moving my arms around windmill-like!!

I'm hoping to get to the pool under my own steam from this week on, in addition to my weekly hydro... just for light exercises e.g. walking, leg raises, woggle twists & side bends.

Hip and groin pain just won't SHUT UP!!!

Had a bit of a relapse. Been in bed 3 days - hips and groin hurt bad when I walk. Have had to up my meds which I really didn't want to do. Now wondering whether coming off the diclofenic (for better screw bonding) is causing me some problems. Plus marcaine and steroids injected in my spine during 2nd op will be wearing off now too (3 months relief judging by my 2 previous spinal probe outcomes). All could be impacting my pain I guess...

Upset with myself because I have overdone it with too many visitors. I loved the visitors but my back didn't. I feel I've really let Dr Vic (who's been telling me to slow down for days) and myself down badly :-(

Will be chatting with my physio at hydro on Friday.

2009 Bring it On!

To all our dear friends and family, Happy New Year and all the very best for 2009, may it bring us all good health, love and happiness (and a bit of wealth wouldn't be bad either!).

Vic, Kelly & Millie x