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.