Watching paint dry

have received a few complaints at the lack of medical updates on the blog. The truth is that I am in medical limbo - waiting for my new implanted hip to fuse with the bone is the medical equivalent of watching paint dry -- except there is nothing to see.. I can't tell if its going well or badly -- that has to wait for my consultant. I may be green or I may be amber. The big thing to avoid is re dislocating my hip -- which would be a definite red and I think I have avoided that as I am sure I would have noticed.

However six weeks (ie tomorrow!!!!) is a key milestone... I can start sleeping on my side which will be the biggest improvement in my quality of life since I ended the self-injection saga... I might even be able to start driving... (as long as I remember not ti run over my crutches which we nearly did the other week); I could start coming off crutches BUT that needs an X-ray -- and I have managed to hit consultant holiday time -- so that is delayed until 19 March and trip up to big city. In the meantime I have to stick to my partial weight bearing physio regime where within limitations I seem to be gradually getting more flexible. Toughest questions are when the physio asks whether I am better than before and I have to admit I did not spend my life in awe at how much or how little I could elevate my left leg while lying on my side.

The big discovery is swimming with the pensioners. I am now pretty confident swimming on my back and I also seem to do better front crawl that ever before - which is very gratifying (the big no-no is breaststroke as the frog style leg action risks undoing all the good of the op by making my hip pop out). What is really good for me is striding around the pool -- but that still feels a bit wobbly. But for half an hour I am liberated from crutchdom. Next update post consultant visit and hopefully can start the long process of retraining my muscles to support a straight leg....