The evening after the jab was a bit sore, improved by laying down in bed (any excuse ;-)). the following day we went off to Brecon with some friends, so it was a busy morning packing and sorting out the house. I was a bit sore and stiff, but not too bad, although sitting still in the car for the journey began to get quite uncomfortable quite quickly, so I took some painkillers when we stopped for lunch on the way. Generally though, being on my feet meant being pain-free, and going up stairs seemed less painful than it had before = massive result!!
On Friday we decided to go for a walk as the weather was beautiful - one of the hottest Halloweens on record I believe. I cannot even put into words how good it felt to get out walking in the hills without constant pain! I couldn't stop grinning all the way up to Corn Dhu! The descent was a little harder, and the last ten minutes of the walk did involve quite an ache in my hip (and a little in my knee and ankle also), however it was a pretty stern test for two days after the injection so I wasn't expecting miracles! I also need to take into account that I am generally not very fit anymore, so am likely to find things harder for a little while. The evening and the following morning brought more stiffness and pain, however it felt ok because it felt like pain caused by exercise, which is a nice sort of pain! I may have looked like an old lady when getting in and out of chairs/cars, but I felt good!
On Friday we decided to go for a walk as the weather was beautiful - one of the hottest Halloweens on record I believe. I cannot even put into words how good it felt to get out walking in the hills without constant pain! I couldn't stop grinning all the way up to Corn Dhu! The descent was a little harder, and the last ten minutes of the walk did involve quite an ache in my hip (and a little in my knee and ankle also), however it was a pretty stern test for two days after the injection so I wasn't expecting miracles! I also need to take into account that I am generally not very fit anymore, so am likely to find things harder for a little while. The evening and the following morning brought more stiffness and pain, however it felt ok because it felt like pain caused by exercise, which is a nice sort of pain! I may have looked like an old lady when getting in and out of chairs/cars, but I felt good!
The following day we went for a walk around Talybont reservoir, which was nice and flat. Bizarrely, I found this a bit harder than the day before. I think it must be the repetition of the same movement over and over as my body re-learns how everything is aligned. For example, I found I got backache low down in my back and side. I think I just need to walk lots to let my body settle down and work out where everything fits now.
On the journey home from Wales I didn't get the same pain from sitting in the car, in fact I barely noticed any pain in my hip at all. And as the days have gone by, the improvement has been exponential. I barely notice any hip pain at all now, and certainly not from moving around like before. I occasionally get a deep aching sensation for a few minutes when I am sitting down, but that is about it. I can get into a car without problems, I can sit down and stand up without problems, and I can get out of bed without problems. I can do all of those things like a 34 year old instead of an 84 year old, and that makes me very happy indeed!
My plan from here is to take things slow and steady - I have learnt from last time that immediately jumping on the treadmill and running a mile is NOT a good way to get back into things! Instead I am booked into some pilates classes, and intend to get back on the exercise bike at home. My aim is to attempt a run/walk by the end of the month, on the proviso that if it hurts, I will stop straight away!
I met with my pilates teacher for a 1:1 session yesterday, and she was absolutely lovely. We had a chat beforehand about injuries which was funny - sometimes I can't believe I have had seven operations since 2011.....saying it all out loud to someone like that makes me realise how much my body has been through in that time! Not only seven operations but also completing a marathon in the middle, wow! I loved the session, and feel like this is the right thing for me to be doing. I need to get strength back, and I also find pilates really relaxing in its own way, which is another thing I know I really need.
So in summary, finally, I feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel!
