2020 – Bilateral Adhesive Capsulitis, Bilateral Hip Scopes, Pubic Debridement
I felt like the Tin Man, tighter, slower, less ROM with each movement I made. What was going on? A January MRI revealed bilateral adhesive capsulitis so we decided on another bilateral hip scope surgery to release the capsules. A typical capsule is about 3mm thick and mine were well over 1cm. My doctor was going to make parallel cuts through the capsules all the way around to provide movement and new space for healing to occur.
March 2020 – Bilateral hip scopes round 2
I don’t remember a ton from this day (they start to blend together with this many surgeries) BUT for sure will never forget that this was the last one I was able to have my BFF with me afterwards. This was right before COVID lockdowns began, so friends and family were no longer allowed to come into the hospital after this point. The power of the BFF is important!
Recovery from this one was very different. Lots of immediate movement and stretching, and a lot of PT. No time out. It provided improved ROM, but not perfect. Something was holding the hips back from letting go. The pubic joint was still a huge source of pain and difficulty for me. I had a feeling that this would be the key. We had to address that.
April 2020 – A diagnostic injection into the pubic joint…
…and I was running! Literally RUNNING! In a dress and retro Saucony Jazz sneakers at Chautuaqua Park in Boulder, giggling like a fool! Until the injection wore off, but still! I was so excited I wrote the note you see at the top of this post to www.thiswebsitewillselfdestruct.com. It seemed like the most ridiculously perfect place to keep the positive energy going. Don’t kill the website, and don’t kill my amazing moment!
This opened the door to conversations about how to fix it. There were three options:
- PRP injections
- Debridement of the joint but leave the joint space open to fill with scar tissue
- Fusion
We decided to start with number 2 since it is less invasive and I had a good chance of success with it.
June 2020 – Osteitis Pubis surgery – Debridement
This surgery was cake, my best one yet. It lasted 5-6 hours but I woke up fast, got dressed, and walked out of the recovery room and to the car. I was sore, of course, but feeling hopeful that this might do the trick…
…or not.
October 2020 – PRP
A pair of PRP injections into the joint space, hoping to boost the healing and get this thing to work. My pain wasn’t resolving.
December 2020
An X-ray showed that the pelvis was collapsing in on itself. We decided that we would have to fuse it. Now, one might think that such a decision after fighting so hard would leave me feeling defeated, but that was not my reality at all! I felt settled, empowered, like we were finally going to get this right, and that everything, EVERYTHING would finally come together. This was the keystone and we were going to fix it!
Be Here Now
This entire trip might be taking awhile, but my focus at this point had shifted more heavily than ever into the now, living in the present. It would be overwhelming and disheartening to look back, count how many surgeries, detours, scenic routes, appointments, injections, tests, etc. But that is a micro view and the past cannot be changed, it is what it is and it is all part of my unique, interesting path. So, there is only now. Be here now and focus on the large picture.
For entertainment, here is a montage video of photos and video clips that cover the span of 2018-2020. It is not well done, just a video my iPhone photo app put together for me. Super lazy version, no labels, but it is chronological (except for one X-ray that should be at the beginning). I plan on making a much better version later, but for now I’m letting go of perfection and going with it.
If you have landed on this page from an external link, please go HERE to read from the beginning. Otherwise, click on the next title below to continue.
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