5 Year Update and Baby's Hips

It has been a long, long time since I had any content worthy enough to share! I still don't have much but wanted to check in and share a little of what's been going on! I just took a look back and noticed my last post was almost exactly one year ago! WHOOPS! No news is good news, right?

Brandon is now 14 months going on 3 years - the kid is growing before our eyes and turning into such a little man now. This past weekend we made a trip to Boston for our annual vacation/hip check. Brandon is now old enough to have X-rays but I was sure it would be impossible since he doesn't quite like to sit still (or understand what it even means). Thank goodness my Mom was with me so we could each hold him still to get a good picture. He did SO well with everything and I was glad. I got scans next and, of course, we get the technician that is horrible and doesn't understand what she's doing - even after being there for years!! Why? Why does that always happen to me?

Back to the waiting room we go and were called in shortly after. I always request the first appointment of the day so we don't get stuck waiting for hours! Dr. Millis walked us to our exam room and checked Brandon out first. He moved his legs all around and watched him walk and said everything looked fine. We then took a peek at his X-rays which were so tiny and cute. His hips obviously aren't developed yet but the angles all seem to be in line with proper growth and development to form normal hips. He doesn't need to be seen for a few years after things have settled.

                   

It was my turn to jump on the exam table and get moved and prodded and pulled to check hip function. My ROM seems great, strength is fine (they always seem more impressed than I do when it comes to my strength), my hamstring flexibility is a lot to be desired - oops. My right hip pinches every so often (which also kind of prompted this appointment - along with an MRI) so Dr. M wanted to take a look and make sure everything was OK. He said I looked fine, walked fine, standing on one leg was fine (I reminded him that I do wear a 1/2" insert on my left foot for compensate for length). They took a look at my X-rays and MRI and said things looked fine and that my pain was most likely coming from a torn labrum - what else is new?? I think it's been torn for 11+ years when this whole hip journey started. Of course he suggested a scope which I am just against, or getting a cortisone shot to alleviate the pain and to also rule out labrum and be sure the hip itself isn't causing the pain - also not an option I feel strongly about. I plan on giving it time and seeing how things feel as the pain is not constant and is usually only when I am carrying/holding Brandon. He wants to keep in touch and let him know how pain progresses over time.

                                                  

THEN - silly me decided to ass Millis if he could check Brandon out for an ear infection. I know he's NOT a Pediatrician but figured this was something pretty common. Wrong question to ask. He called nurses and assistants into the room to check Brandon's ears and after poking and prodding, he decided to send us to the clinic to get check out. The short of it, we couldn't get into the clinic so he sent us down to the ER (UGH) to get Brandon's ears checked. Since we were going to be away for a few days I didn't want it to get worse without meds...turns out he did NOT have an infection (which was great news) and we could be on our way!

Brandon man did SO well during this chaotic morning and fell asleep in the stroller just minutes before we were out the door. Good reports all around and now we just sit back, wait, and enjoy our lives!

Four years ago today I was on my way to an LPAO recovery (read about that surgery here). I can HAPPILY say that my left hip feels absolutely amazing and I have not had any issues with it since the day I came out of surgery. I can't believe how long it has been and how far I have come since that day. I'm now enjoying my almost three month old! Who would have thought. Spending the days walking back and forth with him has definitely been the true test for these hips and they have held up great. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time or a much to say since it seems like I write the same thing in every post now. That's a good thing, right? If I had a lot to say then that means things aren't going so great.

Happy four year anniversary to my LPAO and I HOPE many, many, many more to come. :-)

May 11, 2015

Wow..sorry for the huge gap since my last post. As you can understand, life with a newborn is definitely busy with hardly any time to shower let alone blog!

Brandon is now 8 weeks old and growing like a champ. He still only likes to be held and sleeps on his belly. The temperature is getting hot so going anywhere or holding him is enough to send me into a sweating hot mess. Wouldn't have it any other way!

If you remember from my last few posts, I had made joint appointments for Brandon and I with Dr. Millis. He likes to see babies when they are 6-8 weeks old and to have them get an Ultrasound as they are safer than X-rays - and X-rays won't show too much yet as the hips are still developing. That appointment was last Thursday...come along for the ride!

I had made our appointments back in December but Brandon's could not be made official until he was born, had a name, birthdate, etc. A couple days after he was born, I sent an email with all of his information and to confirm his appointment. Fast forward to last week. I received a letter in the mail saying I had no insurance in CHB's files and to call to update it. Again, I emailed the scheduler for Dr. Millis and still not reply. I then received a phone call confirming my appointment...not once did I receive one for Brandon. I started to get nervous with all of this, my emails were not getting acknowledged or returned so I decided to call directly. Wouldn't you know it, Brandon had no appointment. I could have screamed, but it was no surprise. If you email someone and they're job duties differ from what you asked, wouldn't you think they would either forward your request to the correct person or reply back to you with the appropriate contact? That takes common sense I guess. Anyway, they were able to schedule Brandon with me and also get him in for his Ultrasound first thing in the morning. I was very happy they had an opening that morning, otherwise it would not have been pretty.

We arrived at the hospital a little late. My Mom took Brandon to Ultrasound to check-in while I checked-in at Ortho for our other appointments. Of course it took FOREVER! The girl also proceeded to tell me I didn't need x-rays. Seriously? That's the whole reason why I was checking in so early, so I could get x-rays done first thing. I asked her to double check. Meanwhile, Brandon is down at Ultrasound. I was getting heated already and we had only been in the hospital about five minutes. I eventually told the girl that my son was having an US and I didn't have time to wait for her shenanigans. Off to his appointment I went. Poor little guy was crying and Mom was holding him when I finally arrived. Kevin found us (after parking the car) and we were called in minutes later. Brandon did so well during his screening, I was so proud of him.

We finished the US and headed back to Ortho to officially check in and THEN the girl gives me all the paperwork (exactly why I checked in earlier...so I could fill it out while we were waiting). She still tells me I don't need x-rays but I tell her to ask AGAIN to confirm. Brandon gets called for his appointment at which time the front desk girl comes up to me telling me I need to get x-rays. Seriously? My little guy just gets called in and NOW you tell me to go get x-rays. Now I trek off back to Radiology...meanwhile my Mom is texting me keeping me updated. His most important appointment thus far and I'm missing it. I get my x-rays, meet Dr. Millis outside the changing room at which point he tells me he can't examine my baby because I wasn't there. I told him how the front desk people are idiots. He grabs me and we walk hand-in-hand to the exam room to meet back up with Kevin, Brandon and my Mom. Brandon's Ultrasound was fine and did not show any signs of dysplasia!! HURRAY! Dr. Millis did an external exam to check his little hips as well. Brandon was not happy.

After Brandon, it was time for Momma to get examined. With lots of moving and bending and angle taking, Millis assured me that my hips were still perfectly fine. My x-rays show that the left side is STILL healing - 4 years later! Unreal. He spent almost an hour with us and we had a long talk about helping future PAO'ers and how all babies should have an Ultrasound to catch Hip Dysplasia early enough to fix it. Even though Brandon had a good report, he wants to hear from us at 6 months and he wants to see us again when Brandon is walking. His hips are still developing so the hips could form incorrectly between now and then. But if anything, his sockets are deeper than the average which is nothing to worry about.

All in all, the appointment went well even with all the chaos. Were glad to get a good report and I didn't pass on hip problems to my little guy!! Let's hope any future babies will have this luck as well!

March 24, 2015

Welcome to the world Brandon Paul!

Our little guy came barreling into the world on Monday, March 16 at 6:06pm. He was 7lb 3oz and 21". Here's a link to the birth story on my other blog, I want to share my hip story on this page.

As I have mentioned previously, my hips had held up great through my pregnancy. My last update was around my 30 week mark so I still had a lot of growing to do between then and Baby's birth. I know a lot of women have hip pain towards the end of pregnancy even if they have never had hip issues prior. The added weight and the maneuvering your pelvis does to prepare for birth are enough to encourage some hip pain. I know by the time 40 weeks arrives, most women are at maximum capacity and just want baby OUT. Luckily, I have had a VERY easy pregnancy and even at my biggest I wasn't uncomfortable.

Baby Boy decided to make his arrival at 40 weeks and 2 days - the day before St. Patrick's Day -  HOORAY!

The day seemed to literally fly by and before we knew it, we were at the hospital preparing for (at the time) his or her arrival. We arrived when I was about 6cm and minutes later (literally, minutes) I was 10cm and preparing to push. We were rushed (wheeled) down to Labor and Delivery where I shifted to a new bed which was broken down and stirrups were added. My legs were thrown into stirrups and I was told to push on the next contraction - I had NO idea what I was doing and clearly that first set of pushes were not great. Kevin held my left leg while a nurse held my right. I was having a mini freakout because she pulled my leg out to the side instead of back towards me and I was more or less fighting against her and not focusing on pushing. During the break in contractions they were all telling me I was doing it wrong and I had to focus, hold my legs and push. All I could manage to get out of my mouth was "hips". My husband (in the middle of all this frantic labor) said "oh yeah, she's had hip surgery" the nurse asked which hip to which his reply was "BOTH". On the next set of pushes she pulled my leg back towards my body which felt much better and allowed me to focus on getting the baby out. 

To sum up the day, I would say it was quick, painful and crazy! Everything happened so quickly we were more in shock so no emotions hit us until later. One of my biggest fears was how my hips were going to deal with labor and the birth but I am happy to say they were perfect, I was barely aware of them and once the nurse was on point we were good to go. If I had a long labor and pushed for hours I could see how it would be much more difficult on my body. I was up and out of bed minutes later with no pain in my hips and the days following there was no lingering hip pain.

That's a quick rundown of my birth story as related to my hips. I am now 8 days postpartum and they are perfectly fine. Brandon's Pediatrician has also checked his hips at every appointment and says they seem to be perfect. We go see Dr. Millis in May and hope he gives the same thumbs up. 

I hope this has helped anyone currently pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant after a PAO. I most definitely could not have endured the last 9+ months if I had not had this surgery to make my hips function properly. 

Good luck to all. 

Monday, January 12, 2015 - 4 Years!!

It's totally official, today marks the 4 Year Anniversary of my first RPAO. I can't believe the ride I've been on for the last four years, but I totally wouldn't change a thing about it. As most of you know if you've followed me from the beginning, I had to have more correction done on my right hip two years after the first surgery - but this still marks a huge milestone for my hips because it was really the start of a HUGE journey for me (and for us).

I just did an updated the other day so I don't really need to go into too much detail on the hips. I am 31 weeks (and 2 days) and the hips feel fabulous. Honestly, no pain yet at ALL! I am through the moon about that. Not that I have LOVED being pregnant, but having pain free hips has seriously made this such a smooth ride for me that I couldn't imagine life without PAOs.

As mentioned, I am very concerned to give birth with my hips - I don't want the nurses pulling or stretching my hips in a direction that is not natural for me, that's my biggest worry for sure. We went to the doctor last week and I asked him about this. The main thing is that I have to see everyone in the practice so when I go into labor I will "know" whatever doctor is on duty. However, they also work with another practice and I don't get to see those doctors which is weird. But I asked, since I see whatever doctor is there, how are they going to know about my hips if they don't look at the fine print on my chart. He said that basically it's a valid concern of mine and it's Kevin's job to make sure the nurses are aware of my hips so they don't hurt me and that way they can also notify the doctor when we get to that point. He also made a bold note in my chart so whoever looks at it, will hopefully see it and read it. Just a mini worry of mine and hoping that I can give birth naturally and not need a c-section. Dr. Millis said that I shouldn't have any problem - I trust my life in his hands for sure so why would I not trust him this time around!! I wish he was an OB/GYN too. ha.

So like I said, there isn't much to report since I just did an updated last week on how the hips were feeling. As always, I don't regret anything I have done for my hips. PAO's were the best thing to happen to me in my life and would hands down recommend it to anyone (of course, with the proper doctor) and that it's a bump in the road but honestly is over before you realize it. I do have some friends with PAO's and Consultations coming up so I am wishing them the absolute best and am always here for anyone to talk to, vent to or ask questions to!

Happy and Healthy Hips for 2015!

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Happy New Year New Hips! If you have surgeries coming up this year I wish you well and for anyone currently healing, the end is closer than you think!

For me, 2015 will be the most exciting year yet - in just 10 short weeks (I hope) will be the arrival of our little bundle of ::cringe:: joy. We are definitely looking forward to it, mostly wishing it would hurry up and get here already,

I am now 30 weeks invested with about a 20lb weight gain (I go to the doctor in a few days so I'll have the official number then). I wanted to do a little hip update since we are much further along than the last post and have much more weight to carry around. Overall, I am still feeling great. I seriously dreaded being pregnant and being THAT miserable pregnant woman. And even though this pregnancy thing isn't REALLY icing on the cake for me, it has definitely been easier than I had imagined. I've had, quite literally, a perfect pregnancy this far with no issues or aches and pains. My back hasn't started to hurt, my hands and feet are not yet swollen, my hips feel amazing, no acid reflux - seriously like the perfect pregnancy. I really do feel lucky. Besides the difficult time getting comfortable in bed, not peeing so much and my ribs not being stretched when I slouch - it's been a fun time...but I'm ready for it to be over. Why can't we be like cats and only be pregnant for like a month?

Like most things I've read and most video I've seen, this last trimester will be the most uncomfortable one for sure. Baby packs on basically all of it's weight/fat in the last 13 weeks which means this belly will grow more and bigger and take over more of my body - of which there isn't much of to begin with. I guess someone that is a bit overweight has a one-up on a thinner person as there's more room for the baby already - my body is trying to create the room and it's just driving me batty.

Hips. These babies feel AMAZING - I can't say it enough. I think about and thank my doctor everyday that I'm fixed and able to enjoy this time. I think back to my pain, and my limp and how every inch of my body hurt from favoring one side over the other. I couldn't carry groceries from the car to my house without being in the worst pain, every, single, step. How would I be able to carry 20-30+ pounds of a baby eventually? There's no way I would be able to. I am so grateful to have found the right doctors and the right procedure to fix me up and give me the life a 25-30 year old should have. It's been a crazy 5 years of ups and downs...but it got me where I am today and I am ever so thankful. In another 4-6 weeks I'm sure my hips will start to feel some discomfort as the baby drops into my pelvis and prepares for evacuation - not really looking forward to that. But then I'll know it's almost over!

I've been going to the gym just to get some cardio - and by cardio I mean literally walking. It's cold out now so there's no way I'm actually going to walk around outside. I'll do about 20 minutes on the treadmill just to get my heart rate elevated and give me some stamina to last through labor - eek! I have been stretching a little after my workout as well and I am actually a little freaked out about delivering the baby - I'm worried (more than anything) about my legs/hips not being able to open wide enough to deliver a baby...Millis told me I shouldn't have any issue...but I'm still concerned. I mean, that's normal right? I also am concerned that my hips will be very sore afterward from being pushed and pulled and stretched further than they're actually supposed to go - I really hope everyone reads my chart before it's time to push so we're all on the same page.

Anyway...that was my mini hip/labor/rant/freakout...I also promised some pregnant scar pictures so here they are along with my 30 week belly!

 LPAO - scar looks a little better because it was only cut back into once for screw removal. We're about 3.5 years post and it looks so good and not stretched.

 RPAO - this scar - overall- looks a little crappier since I had it cut back open 3 extra times. I have a little dimple at the top. The top of the scar looks good but the bottom (hard to see on camera) is a little darker and does look like it has stretched a little more. But overall, this one looks good as well.

 Here I am...30 weeks down and 10 to go. That is all belly and all baby! :-)

I hope everyone has happy, healthy healing and as always, absolutely feel free to contact me! I am always willing to help.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

We are now at 22.5 weeks and going strong, growing more than ever! Still can't say it's the worst thing ever. Although I can compare the horrible sleep to PAO recovery - except this one lasts about 6 months longer than!

Overall I am still doing well and don't really have too much to complain about. As I said, sleeping isn't the greatest but I'm making it work. Huge lifesaver for sleeping when pregnant (and honestly would probably help immensely post PAO too) is my Snoogle. It "holds" me in many positions to keep my knees, hips and back comfy for all the rolling I do in the course of a night. I'm sure a body pillow would do similar, but this one is definitely shaped for pregnant sleeping. Other than the sleeping and the occasion rant about my clothes not fitting, things are swell. I do find myself getting winded VERY easily without even doing much of anything. I couldn't untangle the duvet cover the other night without having to sit down and take a breather...then have Kevin do it for me. I feel like such a loaf already and I still have another 4+ months to go. YIKES.

This past weekend I did go bowling with Kevin's family which I was a little skeptical about. Bowling in the recent years has not been a friend of mine...I would always wake up the next morning with sore hips and broken nails and this time was more of the same. I bowled pretty darn good for my shape at the moment but woke up in the morning sore as hell. My inner thighs are getting a little better but the outside/upper part of my right hip is still pretty sore and I can't tell if it's bowling related, muscle related, hip related or pregnancy related! Horrible timing there. Since it did start Sunday morning I'm pretty much guessing it's because of bowling and the fact that 1-I didn't have my insert in my ever so stylish bowling shoes and 2-my right leg is the push off leg to bowl so that probably didn't help my cause.

 I'm seriously not smuggling a bowling ball, I swear.

I've been saying it and I'll keep saying it, my hips are seriously holding strong (not that I didn't think they would). Becoming pregnant one day was a huge scare for me before my PAO's when I was in horrible pain. I'm 5 months right now and couldn't imagine going through this in daily pain, I really couldn't imagine. I ALSO couldn't imagine having to go through a PAO recovery with small kids! These hips set life back a few years, but I'm glad it did and gave Kevin and I time to form a stronger relationship and go through things before bringing kids into it and having the stress compounded. I hoped to be done with the family planning by the time I was 30 but now I'll be 30 when the first little one pops out...things could be worse.

I also wanted to touch on something I just emailed Millis about to maybe help someone else having the same question(s). Since my PAO diagnosis (I won't say my dysplasia diagnosis since that happened at birth pretty much) I have read a lot and heard a lot about babies one day and proper holding, swaddling, etc. I had PAO girls tell me "wear your babies!" and I had girlfriends tell me "don't wear babies, it's not good for their hips/legs". WELL...I was so confused at this point. I always heard that wearing the babies in some sort of wrap (like Solly) was the best thing to keep the hips at the appropriate angles while the bones are still soft and forming. But now I hear that things like the Baby Bjorn are not a good idea at all as the legs just dangle and are not kept in any form whatsoever. I'm sure my OB/GYN would be the typical go-to for a question like this - for a normal person. However, I knew that the only opinion I would trust was one from Dr. Millis and Erin - especially since he specializes in Young/Adult Hips. I sent an email over to him asking about Wraps, the Baby Bjorn, something else or neither. He confirmed that Baby Bjorn is fine. I DID notice that there are different types - some have a wider butt area and some are narrow. I could see how the narrow one would make the legs dangle more than the wider ones. But it was good to hear from him there's no real issue. I also sent a long a recent belly pic with the caption "I put on weight just like you requested".  :-)

So, a good update all around...may not be so positive as the second trimester ends and third one starts but just take it as it comes and worry about it then! I have my next check-up next week and another Ultrasound in December. The New Year will bring me right into week 30 and then it's a quick nap until my due date!! AH! I can officially start freaking out then.

Update:
22.5 Weeks
~15lb weight gain - all in the belly.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

I am at the halfway point, 20 weeks down and 20 weeks to go! I am happy to report that the hips are still holding strong. After talking to friends and relatives, I'm not sure how great my hips will feel when I'm around 35 weeks since many people I talk to had pain and they didn't have hip issues!

This week I got back on track with my fitness, I really don't want to carry any unnecessary weight than the  20+lb of uterus and baby which I have no choice but to gain. I'm sure these hips will be perfectly fine, but if it's not needed, I don't want it! I have been going very light at the gym so I don't hurt anything - me or the baby. I know some women run right up until they deliver but for some reason, the idea of running and possibly scrambling my baby to a pulp just makes me a little uneasy. Plus, I'm no fitness freak and do not feel the need to run right now! That definitely can't be good for my hips.

Sunday started my routine all over again and I am going to really try for 3 days a week with 20-30 minutes of cardio and light weight training. That morning, I did 20 minutes on the treadmill around a 3.2-3.5 pace between a 0.5-1.5 incline. I didn't work up much of a sweat but felt my heart working more than normal. Since it was my first day back, I thought easing back into it would be the smarter move. After that, I did some squats, deadlifts and tricep kickbacks all with dumbbells.

Clearly, I only look pregnant from the side!

Last night I went to the gym again (yeah, go me!). I opted for the treadmill again for 20 minutes at 3.3-3.5 pace with 1.0-2.0 incline. I thought jumping into the elliptical was still a little too soon. I got a little more of a sweat going and then went over to free weights again with bent over one-arm rows, dead lifts and oblique dips. 

I always end my workout with stretching - my hips and hamstrings are definitely super tight lately! I guess overall my hips are holding strong! After I did the squats, my hips felt a little sore and stiff but I only blame that on the fact I haven't really workout in a couple weeks so they have to get back into the swing of things. I feel good with how things are progressing, I'm officially 10 pounds heavier than I was 5 months ago which is something my pre-PAO body would not be able to cope with. 

Hope this helps anyone looking into family planning and PAO fun. 

I've also added some new items to my side toolbar - I never had a spot to subscribe to my blog so you get updates when I update...so please check that out and follow me. I also added the "search" tool which will allow you to find blog entries based on any criteria you are interested in, such as "screw removal", "exercise" etc. 

Thanks for reading!

Friday, October 3, 2014

Just a quick little update as we are now a few more weeks into the second trimester and progressing (I think (right on track). My next baby appointment isn't until October 20 which puts me at 19 weeks - that is the "BIG" appointment where they check all the limbs and organs and make sure everything looks normal and also find out the sex, if we wanted to, which we aren't!

Almost halfway through this journey and really happy how my hips are holding up. I know it's still early before my body starts retaining water, and the ankles swell, and my back starts to hurt...so let's just enjoy the spot I'm currently at! I know my hips have a some more opening/widening to do and I told Dr. Millis if I have one bit of pain I'm coming after him! After three PAO's I would only hope pain is in the past for at least a few more years. HA!

Speaking of the Doc, at my last follow-up in July I had scheduled my next 6 month appointment for the end of December - hoping I wouldn't make it if I got pregnant in the meantime. Well we all know that happened - so I emailed Alaina the other day and I asked her to cancel that appointment since there's not really a reason for me to go - can't get X-rays! But I did ask her to reschedule for later in the year and that I would have a little munchkin accompanying me to this appointment for its OWN hip checkup - gosh that makes me cringe. They like to see the baby at 6 weeks old which puts us ABOUT mid-April so I made a tentative date of April 9. Since baby has no official information, she only scheduled it as "Baby Laroche" HAhA! Cute. I have to call back after it has a DOB, SSN and an actual name. So that's all exciting and really scary all at the same time. My biggest fear with having kids is that I have a super high chance of passing Hip Dysplasia onto them. And the only reason I'm hoping for a boy is to make that chance even smaller - even though I secretly want a girl! But I know whatever the outcome, we will all be in the best hands possible and 'it' will have a better outcome from early diagnosis than I did. Last time I asked Millis what the procedure is on infants, he told me they still do the harness - great. <--yuck

So, here I sit, just packing on the ol' pounds and letting this little creature take over my body. Boy (girl!), it better be cute!

Side note, I received yet another message from a fellow PAO'er last night who has stumbled onto my blog. She is 13 years post-RPAO and now has pain in the other hip...which I guess is better than it being in the same hip. Back then there was really no information out there to help someone through this surgery whereas now I feel like blogs are popping up left and right. My goal when writing this was to (1)-document my experience and (2)-hopefully be able to help even one person who has been diagnosed with this surgery. I feel like I have hit my goal time and time again and it truly makes me so happy. Sure I have negative times and depressing times, but I feel other people really focus on those bad times and not the good parts. Half of this recovery is mental! You have to be mentally ready to take on a PAO and be accepting of help from others who have been through it. I know there are people out there freaking out over this diagnosis and surgery, but that's why I am here and that's why I write this blog, to help you and to be there to tell you it's NOT that bad. Isn't a pain free life something to be happy about? I won't go on a rant since we all know where I stand on that, but I just hope people reading this - as scared as they are, can really absorb what I have written over the last four years and realize it really is doable and you really do have a quality of life you never expected could be possible.

Words of Wisdom - take them as you wish. Happy Friday Everyone!!!

A New Journey - Tuesday, September 16, 2014

I have taken a small hiatus from the blog but that doesn't necessarily mean bad things! I actually DID have a followup appointment back in July with Dr. Millis and sadly forgot to update the blog then! There really wasn't too much to report from that appointment. I had a couple questions for him which we didn't really address directly but basically everything looks fine. I was given a script for a shoe insert to help with my leg length difference which is leading to slight discomfort on my right leg (the longer one). Because that leg is longer, when I step on my left leg it's putting "sideways" pressure on my right hip causing it to not be overly comfy. I do wear an insert on the daily but it's not high enough so I got one for 3/4" to help a little more. Not much else CHB or Millis can do for me. Except, the one last "rule" Millis sent me away with was "babies". My new goal was to get pregnant and have babies. Well....Dr. Millis, your wish is my command!

Kevin and I found out we were expecting a little bundle of joy over Fourth of July Weekend - which was actually 3 days after my appointment, so I guess technically I was already pregnant at my appointment - no messing around here! Today, I am 14 weeks 3 days and the above ultrasound picture was taken two weeks ago.

I hope you'll all come along with me for this joyous ride and see how pregnancy puts these healthy hips to test. I am currently 3+ years post LPAO and 1+ year post RPAO. I got pregnant at (almost) exactly 3 and 1 year dates and I can say it's been a good ride so far. Around the 4-6 or 7 week mark my right hip was absolutely giving me a pinching sensation. Being that early, I'm not sure I can really say it was pregnancy related or just coincidence with some tissue issue that was already going on within my socket. But since then I have felt great. We went on a beautiful family vacation to California mid-July, did a lot of walking and the hips felt fine. Now being into my second trimester they are holding up very well. I haven't had a problem since. I'm not living my days on high alert of my hips waiting for something to happen at all. I AM sleeping at night with my Snoogle - typically with it between my knees/legs and it is amazing. As I lay on my back in bed, I can put my legs out (think Indian style) to the side while laying down and it doesn't bother me one bit - I believe this, now, is a result of the Relaxin which is a pregnancy protein hormone which causes your joints to loosen up to make way for baby. This is also something to be aware of so we don't hurt ourselves.

I am still working out, trying for 2-3 times a week with light cardio and weight training. Working out while pregnant is more of "maintaining" versus "losing" or getting in shape. You just want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, stay strong and keep the stamina up to boost the breathing for later in pregnancy when we carry more weight. However, working out can also be dangerous. The Relaxin I mentioned earlier causes the joints to loosen so while running/jogging it could cause you to lose balance or the legs could give out and cause you to fall which is not something you want to happen with a belly. Aside from falling, while stretching is very important when pregnant and working out, it's easy to over-stretch and hurt those joints. My advice is just go easy. You aren't here to break any records or try new things. Always remember something you could do 3 months ago is something that is not a good idea at this point moving forward.

13 Weeks

If requested, I can post my workouts and what is helping me, my hips and my belly! I hope you will all enjoy this new 'hip' journey and if you want to know more about our personal life and other aspects of pregnancy such as meal plans, nursery ideas and motherhood must-haves, please visit my other blog Living Laroche Life and join me on the non-hip related journey. If you subscribe to my blogs you'll get automatic updates when I have a new post. As previously stated, I want this blog to stay strictly HIP related. I want you all to see what things you can do post-op, how life changes (for the good) and how we get on with life and family - and hope that my pregnancy is as natural and normal as possible having been through 3 PAOs within a short period of time.

Please leave comments with anything you want to know or specific topics you want me to touch on related to hips, doctors, pregnancy or anything else. Wishing you all happy recoveries, positive thoughts leading up into surgery and a HUGE thumbs up to ones who have been newly diagnosed with hip dysplasia. This is why we go through with surgery, for the better things in life!

14 Weeks

What to Pack

Here it is, finally after months and months of promising it, the list of what to pack for the hospital. After having three PAO's and two screw removals, I have narrowed down what worked best for me and my needs. All three of my surgeries/recoveries were COMPLETELY different so my needs were also quite different. My first PAO I lost 10lbs, was tired and weak for my entire hospital stay and fluctuated constantly with fevers. My second surgery (5 months later) I was wide awake and had the biggest appetite during my hospital stay and my third I was in a little more pain, more awake and ran no fevers. Even when I thought I was prepared, I wasn't!

I posted this back in June before my PAO, but it is also very helpful for this post. Here are (what I think) are the necessities to have at home. A lot of people rent hospital beds, walkers, mobilegs and a zillion other things they think are needed. They aren't. You need a commode (or raised toilet seat with handles), a shower stool or chair (I bought this one and just left the back off) of some kind and crutches (which were given to me at the hospital). My doctor also REQUIRED me to come home with a wheel chair which was a complete waste of my time as I didn't use it once. All stores, malls and grocery stores have motorized scooters or wheelchairs that you can use. Not to mention, the hassle of lugging that thing in and out of the car which is impossible for most women, let alone ones on crutches or their mother's staying with them. But, you may want to use one just in case if you are unsure of yourself walking distances with crutches. Luckily (or not luckily) we had most of these already as my Mom has had multiple hip surgeries and needed everything!

Next. My necessities were two-size-too-big underwear (you will be swollen, have a bulky bandage and definitely will not want anything tight to be around you. My first surgery was in January so I packed a Snuggie - yes, I had one. My brother bought it for me as a gag-gift for Christmas but it ended up being the BEST thing ever. Hospital blankets suck. The snuggie was perfect - even for my June surgeries. A neck pillow and eye mask. Nurses come in every hour to check vitals...you don't need to talk to them or open your eyes so the eye mask is great to block out the lights from the hallway or god forbid, your roommate.

And just to prove I really did use these things...here I am with my Snuggie (in June) and neck pillow.

Night before surgery packing all of my goodies. Shower won't happen for a couple days so I always throw in a hat for those not-so-nice hair days!

Some other good things, face wash wipes that come in the package, showers and sponge baths are less than fabulous so these will help you feel a little fresher all over until you can go to town in the shower. Large/comfy PJ pants/shorts, slipper socks are provided by the hospital, grabber (more for when you're home alone and need to reach something), Pillow Pet - call it strange, call it whatever but it was a lifesaver. A fellow hipster came to visit me after my third PAO and brought me a bag of goodies which included a Pillow Pet. I thought this is cute, but I'm 28 years old. She's like no, this is great in the car to put on your hip where the seat belt crosses the incision, or to sleep on, as well as hold tight when you have to cough or sneeze. I don't know why I didn't know about this sooner. It was amazing and I send these to all my hip friends during recovery. Also a must is some kind of mindless magazine. You won't want a book because you'll most likely be tired and groggy and won't want to pay attention or focus on anything. Get some kind of crappy gossip magazines, they're a great attention stealer when things get rough. Last but not least, an iPod. I know iPhone's are an extension of our hands now a days but it's most likely going to be one thing you don't want to pay attention to right out of surgery. I had my iPod fully charged with some new tunes. Put my headphones in, throw on my eye mask and I was good for hours without being interrupted too badly.


List:
Commode (or raised toilet seat)
Shower Stool
Large Underwear
Snuggie or Blanket
Neck Pillow
Eye Mask
Cough Pillow (compliments of my Doctor)
Pillow Pet (can take the place of the cough pillow)
Face Wash Wipes
Large/Comfy Clothes/PJ Pants/Shorts
Slipper Socks/Rubber sold slippers/Sneakers
Grabber
Magazine
iPod
Pillow to sit on

I originally packed other things, but didn't really get to use anything else. Brought other clothes and some makeup in case I felt so inclined but that was not happening. Brought my laptop one time and that was just a waste. I did end up "permanently borrowing" some towels and pillows from the hospital so perhaps bringing something like that for when you get discharged. I am 5'8" and so my my legs were bent more than 90 degrees when in the car or wheelchair so I sat on a hospital pillow for the first few weeks of my recovery and time I sat in a chair other than my recliner.

This is MY list of hospital must-haves. Everyone is different and everyone's surgeries are different. These are the basics...and basically everything that was in my suitcase for the hospital. Even for my first surgery I packed very light not knowing what to expect.

I hope this list helps! If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments below or email me directly, DRemond1@gmail.com

Happy Packing!


~*~ Also, see my "what do I ask my doctor" questions added to the tabs at the top of this page. ~*~

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Yeah...I pretty much suck at the whole updating thing after the 6 month mark and I do apologize! However, that also means GOOD things. That life has taken the best of me and the hips are coming along for the journey without causing too much issue.

I guess I've been doing a lot since I last posted. I was kind of at the end of the screw removal recovery at that point and healing from that. I am fully healed and the scar is looking fine - will post pictures later when I get home and have some assistance. I also decided it was time to kick start my fitness again and get back into the gym! I went hard for about 2-3 weeks and the weather stopped me dead in my tracks and I lost motivation! Picked it up again and lost it again. The cold weather just makes me want to go home and jump in my sweats and not leave the couch. However, this week started some serious fitness training and I'm getting my 'rear in gear' for good! Bathing suit season is totally upon us now.

I feel completely healed at this point so any weird feelings are things I am just going to have to deal with. Monday started my 30-day Brazil Butt Lift Challenge. I want to stay motivated and get into shape. This workout has been great (but tiring) as the butt and hip are so closely related. Some of the exercises are difficult and some I cannot attempt at all because I simply do not have the muscle. I am getting up early before work to my my routine and trying to go to the gym at night to do abs, arms or cardio. It has been kicking my butt for sure. But my hips are feeling great. That's what this blog is really about! But I had to give some background to the program before I can talk about my hippies. I am sore beyond belief this week, but it's a good sore! The hips are good and getting stronger and hope to slim down a bit in the process. 

Other than me being a complete fitness freak lately, things have been feeling great. Besides the length difference which I may never come to terms with completely, I do have some clicking/snapping/popping in my right leg since my PAO. Originally, I thought it was something hitting on the screws but it is still happening. It doesn't hurt when that happens, it's just loud and pretty annoying in general. Second weird thing, which I haven't felt before, is some (what I thought) was muscle pain above my hip bone, mostly in my love handle area. I kind of first noticed it after doing literally a DAY of walking around. The next day I woke up and that spot was SO sore. I figured it was because I hadn't really 'moved' that much since surgery so the muscles are waking up and realizing they're needed. However, that was three months ago and it still happens on a daily basis. It's clearly hip related but I'm not sure if it's just that the muscle needs a lot of work to get back to tiptop shape, or what's going on.

We are going to Boston next week and I scheduled my "final" MRI for Friday morning. Unfortunately, it's basically impossible to get in to see Dr. Millis Thursday or Friday so IDK what I'm going to do. Maybe get the MRI done so he has it and then figure out a time to see him in the near future. I just always like trying to see him the same time we're in the area. Not sure how all of that is going to workout just yet.

That's what's going on in my hip life. I have two hip-friends that are 7/7.5 weeks post first PAO and doing amazing! SO happy they turned the corner and are in the home stretch. I told you once the turn comes you'll be begging for the other hip to be done pronto, you forget all about the early recovery pains and you focus on pain free, healthy hips!

Scar pictures coming soon!

Sunday, January, 12, 2014

Happy Anniversary to ME! I'm not sure if I should even really celebrate today being my 3 year Anniversary for my RPAO since it had to be redone. GAH, I hate saying re-done! But, I guess I do still count this because it needed to be done before I could get it fixed the rest of the way. SO...here we are.

I definitely want to do a "what to pack" post for newbies as well as a post on things I had at home that helped me and just general things I learned after having 3 surgeries. The will come soon.

To recap the last three years - Roller Coaster. Period. It has been ups and downs in every aspect of my being. I've been Happy, I've been Sad. I've been Excited, I've been Depressed. I've Felt Great, I've Felt Pain. I hit super highs, super lows and everything in between. No one said this was easy. No one told me what to expect. I wasn't on forums, or Facebook groups. I relied on TWO blogs and the real life recovery of one girl that was a few weeks post-op (with my doctor) at the time. I was ready for this. I had to be, my pain was causing me to be someone else, someone that had to say 'no' to plans because I knew it would hurt and no one would understand.

January 2012, one year post RPAO and 6 months post LPAO  - and a few weeks post screw removal. There I was, pain free, feeling great...couldn't have been happier. 2011 sucked, but it was only a year, boom, and done! 2012 was going great. Working out. Going on vacation. We were cruising right along until I slowly got some pain in my right hip. Maybe once, twice a month and only for a short while. This is normal, I thought. But I also remember my doctor asking me how my right hip felt at every appointment. "Fine," I replied. Now, I wasn't feeling so calm. 2013 came along and the pain was getting a little worse and lasting a little longer...and a little longer. Come April, I was close to pre-PAO discomfort and I wanted to die. I had an annual checkup with Millis and finally the answer to his common question "how does the right feel" was finally, "it hurts". He knew for me to talk about pain means it was bad. My level 3 pain is everyone else's level 9. I couldn't believe we were really tossing around the word PAO again...not even 2 1/2 years later and I'm in the same spot. But I didn't crumble. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't going to let this get the best of me...even though it was going to suck. I took this surgery on full force, head on. I had to. What choice did I have? I have been through it, I know how amazing the results are...unfortunately, I had horrible hips and they wanted me to know once and for all just how stubborn they were going to be. They won.

Here I am 3 years ago.

I am just shy of 7 months post op, and as some of you have been reading, about 3 weeks post screw removal. I'm not 100%. I never was and I never will be and I'm ok with that. I'm not in pain, or at least 99% pain free. I'm back at the gym, I'm walking around the mall and don't mind parking far away from things and having to walk. Yes, my muscles and hamstrings are like tight as steel. Yes, my thigh is still numb. Yes, my legs are different lengths. But who cares? I'm not in daily pain. Wasn't that the goal? No one can promise a body better than the one you were born with. But now I have a new outlook, a new quality of life.

I'm glad this happened to me. Yea, that's kind of sick to say but it's true. I can handle it. I didn't shy away from the news, the diagnosis, the recovery - even the news I needed a "redo". I said from day one that this surgery is amazing and I would do it all over again - and I still feel that way. I would recommend this to anyone that needed it. I know some people would not recommend it or wish it on someone, and that's exactly why I said I'm glad this happened to me because I don't think that way. I fought through. My friends and family were my #1 fans, they didn't exactly understand it as much as someone going through it, but they pushed me and kicked me up off the couch. I feel like they helped me, help myself.

If you don't take anything away from this post, just take away positive thoughts. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Don't feel guilty or feel bad people are doing things for you. Accept it. Be grateful. Then, focus on you. It's the only way you'll get out alive!

So, this is NOT the way I intended this post to go but my fingers started and my brain started spinning and I didn't want to stop. In closing arguments, here's a current incision pic! Happy Sunday and remember, get up, get out and get active!

Here I am today!

I promised different pants and here they are. You're welcome.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Today makes something like day 17 post-hardware removal and I am basically normal now! An ache here, a pain there, a click or two here and there - but overall well worth the experience.

Last night, the remaining 10 steristrips fell off. haha I must say, the incision looks pretty fabulous. My guess is that after the PAO they basically botch stitch you up and then when the hardware comes out is when they apply the plastic surgery sewing techniques. That and the fact there's a lot less pulling and tugging during the PAO than the hardware. But it looks almost completely healed up!

I'm super happy with the results vs the way it looked 6 months ago - red and gross for weeks! And wow, I apologize for the same pajama pants in every scar picture. I took the tape off after my shower so I wasn't able to wash off the marker or anything which is why I look like Frankenstein.

This week has been my official start back to the gym for a New Year, New You fitness plan! Last night I decided to try something new - I wanted to start back easy as I didn't want my scar to open up or anything but looks as though that won't be an issue now. I actually attempted running! My new sneakers are amazing...but the running was less than exciting. My leg length difference is a real bummer and I look like a special needs person trying to run, it's pretty depressing as I felt running really gave me a great full body workout. But aside from the legs, I had this pretty awful clicking in my hip! I had originally thought it was the screws and something rubbing over those which is also what my Doc suggested (after being yelled at for running), so now I am not sure what it is but it does not feel good! I ran for 3 minutes, it felt pretty good, but I feel like I look super awkward. Why can't I just be normal in that regard! Anyway, after a 10 minute treadmill warm up I moved over to the Stairmaster to try some new things and BOY do I feel it today. I did 10 minutes of alternating every other step with a kick back, sideways walk and a normal walk at a fast pace. WOW. Love that new routine.

So posts will definitely get less and less and I apologize ahead of time for that. I do need a final MRI and a followup in a few months but I'll push that off as long as possible. And I promise new PJ pants in future photo shoots!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Quick update. I promised incision and steri-strip pics which is basically all this post will be. I was supposed to keep my bandage on and the area dry for 10 days which was Thursday. I ended up leaving it on until Friday morning before jumping the shower. The tegaderm came off very easily and did not cause ANY pain! WINNING! So, Kev helped me rip it off (he enjoys it), I showered and then took pics after. There is one of just the incision and one straight on so you can see how it's situated on my body.

Enjoy!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

~Happy New Year Y'all~

I totally can't believe we're into 2014 already! Let's talk about it. 

We were looking forward to a year without surgery; however, it seems as though someone got a little jealous and wants to go under the knife as well. More on that a little later. In other news, I am around day 10-11 post screw removal and finally feel good. Monday was a week and I was still pretty sore! Now I am feeling much better and the area is only sore to the touch. It doesn't bother me when I stand up anymore and sleeping on my side is much better. This must also be why they want the bandage on and the area dry for 10 days. Man, these doctors really know their stuff!

Christmas Day I had Kevin help change my bandage. Some of the clear Tegaderm had pulled up and I didn't want water to get underneath and cause issues. I also emailed Erin to see if I should leave the bandage off or put a fresh one on. Being through (how many of these?) surgeries you would THINK I knew what I was doing. We removed the bandage and bloody gauze and put on fresh stuff so now it's not so gross to look at. The steri-strips were looking fine - can't wait to pull those babies off! Today I should be able to pull off my bandage so I will do that just before getting into the shower, then it's a waiting game - kind of eager to see what the scar looks like - although I am bracing for the worst.

I also wanted to report that my stride has gotten better. Since now I am not sure and the screws are gone, I can finally see if the aches and "catching" are here for good or temporary. It looks as though that feeling like something was rubbing/clicking/catching has vanished and I feel pretty normal when I walk! The hip is very tight still but with proper stretching and exercise this should loosen up and I will be well on my way! I'm partially looking forward to my first attempt at running on the treadmill and see how that goes. 

About all for now, pictures will arrive soon (most likely at my 3 year post!).

How are those resolutions coming?

Christmas Day!! 2013

Merry Christmas DAY!

So I'm at Day 2 of screw removal - and OW!

It has been a pretty sore couple of days. I took one 5mg Oxy at the hospital, took one before bed Monday night and another Tuesday morning - I have not taken one since. However, today I did take two Tylenol because it was feeling pretty sore. The bone/hip itself feeling but the incision is where most pain lies. When I stand up from sitting, it feels like the incision is ripping open. That's the worst feeling of all. Standing up, rolling over in bed all take a little more effort to try not to hurt myself too bad.

So the thicker outside diaper I took off last night, and the bandage I think stays on for like 7-10 days or something. It's already peeling up in one area though. If water gets in there it may get like wet and soggy and we don't want that because I don't want bacteria to start growing. I may take it off and put a new one on or wait it out.

Yeah, it definitely does not look appealing in the least. Sorry about that one. It feels as bad as it looks too!

Lastly, here are ALL my screws. RPAO, LPAO and RPAO - glasses for reference for size. The last screw is the most recent and actually the longest screw in my collection measuring in at just over 5 1/4". It's literally longer than my glasses - which are fairly wide. It's SO crazy. I really need to find something to do with these beauties. Ideas? Let me know.

Am I done yet? I think SO!! Merry Christmas to my and my hips!! Happy healing to all of you out there in the middle of recovery or just beginning the adventure. It really isn't THAT bad. HAHA

New iPad and Iced Coffee. <3

Monday, December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas Eve's Eve!

The day has finally, finally, come when my screws are removed and I'm done with hip issues and being cut open. 

We hit the road around 11:00am this morning from Kevin's house which should only take about an hour to get to Boston. Wrong. It's raining so naturally there are accidents beyond accidents and we got stuck in accident traffic that was really bad. The hour trip took 2 hrs and 15 minutes. Of course I had to pee since the only thing I can ingest is water. Which takes me to my next point. Fasting wasn't terrible. 

I ate three, yes, three meals last night before bed and fell asleep around 9pm. We woke up around 8am and my stomach was growling already. I was going to try one piece of toast but I figured it would probably be better if I just didn't have anything rather than confusing my poor belly. It actually hasn't been bad! Eating and then getting hungry is worse than just not eating. 

As I write this, I'm all checked in with my "pee in a cup" right beside me. Don't I look happy. . . 

As the picture was uploading, I was called into the holding area. 

My updates will continue after surgey!

It is now about 4 hours post surgery and we are almost home. I sat in the holding area for quite some time as I was called in a bit early - plus they couldn't get the damn catheter into my vein. Story of my life. Supposedly the anesthesiologist works on brain patients, but he couldn't insert my dumb little IV. He tried twice in my hand and it hurt so badly!! This is a children's hospital, my veins can't be that small. He then tried the side of my hand, he stuck me with the lidocaine and hit my friggin thumb nerve so that was numb for a while. I have a record of being numb in the strangest places! Finally, another anesthesiologist came and she tried in the inner part of my elbow and that was a winning stick. 

I got my med cocktail and they wheeled me off around 4-415 or so. I did not feel very sedated at all which was pretty neat. I slid over to the operating table, got hooked up with monitors and oxygen sensors and everything else. Coolest part? The camera so I could watxh everything live. I think that was the most awesome thing I've ever seen. But, that was not the best feeling in the world.  They can numb skin and everything but there's no way to numb the bone so needless to say I felt the screws being removed which was so not a good feeling. Plus one was missing for quite some time. They called in a mobile X-ray but found the screw head before it arrived. All three screws were manually backed out with a screw driver about one centimeter or so and once that was done, the drill took them the rest of the way. OW!!! I said a few profanities and that was that. Sewed me up in three different layers. Patched me up and to recovery I went, bright eyed. 

I literally felt completely normal and wide awake it was nuts. Different than last time. I was pretty loopy and sedated for my other hardware removal and I was much more numb. This one was was less wimpy. On a side note, the anesthesiologist (longest word ever) originally almost had me sign the waiver to be put out completely. He said something about drifting off to sleep and I said oh no I think I'm going to be awake. He's like oh. Plus Millis keeps his patients awake normally. Thank goodness, I definitely would not want to be knocked out. That makes recovery that much more difficult. Right now I feel normal and like nothing happened. I was given 5mg of Oxycodone and that took the edge off. I feel pretty good, teeny tiny bit sore but not bad yet. 

Here's my signed hip, me outside the hospital waiting for Kev to bring the car up and me in recovery. Yeah! DONE!

Yes, my underwear says "Eye Candy" and is def not surgery appropriate. I wasn't thinking!

Incision and bandage updates coming in a few days. Best Christmas present of all. 

Saturday, December 21, 2013

We have arrived at Screw Removal Eve's Eve (unless Millis cancels on me AGAIN)! But he took my number and put me on speed dial so if he has to change, he can call me. I hope not.  The crap part - my surgery isn't scheduled until 3:30pm!!! COME ON! It's a 45 minute procedure. I had to postpone from yesterday because he had another case to do, so now I have to literally wait ALL day Monday - on top of fasting after midnight. I literally hate this PAO and everything associated with it. For. REELZ.

Anyway, today we are in Rhode Island to celebrate Christmas with Kevin's family, exchange gifts, have a cookie swap and eat! YUM. But it is the start to a chaotic week for us - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We'll head to Boston Monday morning, and Millis actually took mu number incase he can cut me open earlier in which case he will then call me. So we will plan to get to Boston at a decent hour and hang out - not sure doing what - but we will. Haven't been in Boston around Christmas time so it'll be a new experience - unless I'm fainting from lack of food consumption. bah-humbug.

Just quick update - with a scar picture which I haven't showed in a while. Not that it matters since in two day it'll be cut open for the fourth and final time!

Final product will be up in a few days - not sure if I will have an x-ray or not, but I will be sporting the Millis diaper along with the dreaded Tegaderm. ARGH!

Happy Merry Christmas Week!

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Let's talk about the 0-Saturday record I have going on today!

Morning started out swell, slept until 8, had a nice breakfast and the snow started falling. First snow of the season and I end up having the worst day! Kevin and I went out to do some errands - first stop, the grocery store. So, I am extremely nervous of falling - I was over that and now being only 6 months out from my last surgery the fear has returned. ARGH! Walking around the store and...I freaking slip and FALL! So stupid. The floors were wet all over the place and my dumb Uggs have no tread - my arms were full and BAM..I slipped and tried to catch myself and boom right onto my knees (after slipping twice walking into the store - both times with my right leg giving out). EXACTLY what I didn't want to do. I am so mad. My knees are sore now but my hip(s) feel fine so I guess I didn't do anything to them luckily.

Moving along, next stop Starbucks then onto the Liquor Store. I was walking so carefully...in the vodka aisle on the phone with my Mom and BOOM, dropped my FULL Grande Iced Coffee!! argh again. Cleanup on aisle 3. What a nightmare. Kevin wasn't even around (for my fall either)...I had to go find him and confess my clumsiness. At least he was an A+ husband and let me go back to Starbucks to get another drink, he even went in for me so I wouldn't bust my ass walking in.

Couple more errands...home...did laundry ALL day and then went out to dinner. Got back into the truck after dinner and went to kick off my boots on the running board..miss the sole completely and hit my foot on the truck - it's instantly bruised and still hurts!!

I quit. First snow and I have already done 3 stupid things. Is it Spring yet?