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FAI Surgery ONE YEAR Recovery Update: Into Unknown Territory!

November 18, 2014 by Amiee

Cloudy View from Mt. Wire

“Always in the big woods when you leave familiar ground and step off alone into a new place there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the Unknown, and it is your first bond with the wilderness you are going into.” ~Wendell Berry

When I was realizing that Kangaroo the Dog was turning 3 months old this past week, I thought, “Hey, didn’t I have my last hip surgery around this time last year?”

Turns out the very next day was my one year anniversary so I headed up into the mountains to celebrate by finally running my friend El’s patented Humpty Hump run stringing together two peaks behind the University of Utah – VanCott and Mt. Wire – for a total of 10 miles and over 3,600 feet of gain.

My last three winters have been consumed by hip surgeries, crutching, and nearly endless rehabilitation that I almost don’t know what to do with myself now that the evenings are getting darker and the snow is beginning to fall. Heck I just did squats, lunges, and crabwalks around my living room listening to audiobooks just for old times’ sake.

The Rut Descending from Lone Peak

By 1-year post-FAI surgrey recovery I have…
  • *Returned to running, skiing, climbing, cycling, and yoga with no restrictions or hip pain whatsoever
  • *Spent more time this summer running in the mountains than any year ever before
  • *Completed the supposed most difficult 50K trail race in the country – The Rut 50K
  • *Ran several short trail races and took 3rd place in the inaugural Burn 10K road run
  • *Did a few backpacking trips including 40 miles through Utah’s Grand Gulch

Although I am excited for winter and my seemingly mobile future, it is almost like I have gotten into a comfortable routine with surgeries and rehab that I, GASP, don’t know what to do with myself right now. I feel restless and a little uncertain.

Maybe I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop (although I don’t really have any shoes left) or maybe it is a little hard to accept that all this hip drama is behind me or perhaps this is just my first bond with the new life I am going into as Mr. Berry suggests above. All I know it has been one long haul.

The Long Haul…
  1. FAI Surgery #1 – December 9, 2011: Left hip femoroplasty, acetabuloplasty, labral repair, and iliopsoas tendon release.
  2. Capsular Repair – January 17, 2013: Left hip capsular repair (tightening of iliofemoral ligament) along with some cartilage debridement and scar tissue removal.
  3. FAI Surgery #2 – November 14, 2013: Right hip femoroplasty and capsular repair (tightening of iliofemoral ligament).

For so long I defined myself as “bad hip” girl so it is a little bit of a switch to define myself as something else. They call crutches a crutch for a reason – “anything that serves as a temporary and often inappropriate support, supplement, or substitute; prop.” And I would say my winters of crutching were a totally inappropriate substitute for the life I’ve wanted to live!

FAI Surgery Crutch Bahhh!

Without crutches, I have no excuse for not being awesome. There is really no limit to what I can do right now. I am making BIG plans for 2015 and heading into some previously uncharted territory which is equally exciting as it is frightening – like all good change usually is!

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Filed Under: FAI Surgery, The Life Tagged With: FAI, FAI Hip Surgery Recovery, FAI Surgery, FAI Surgery Recovery, Trail Running

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amieemaxwell

☕️⛰🐶🍺Salt Lake City, Utah 🇺🇸

I still don’t quite understand how one can “ow I still don’t quite understand how one can “own” a bazillion years of geological time 🤔
New obsession, desert ice! New obsession, desert ice!
Not sure if either one of us is ever going to get Not sure if either one of us is ever going to get used to these average Monday morning run views (not a fan of how close he gets to the edge though).
Was worried I’d miss the snow living in the dese Was worried I’d miss the snow living in the desert this winter. Guess I don’t have to 🤷🏼‍♀️
Took my mom on her first slot canyon adventure the Took my mom on her first slot canyon adventure the other week. She said she learned those moves watching Ninja Warriors 😂 We then ticked off another of her bucket list items and had dinner at @hellsbackbonegrill (holy moly carrot cupcake desert, no photos cuz we enjoyed every second!). Now she just needs to buy a horse or at least find one to borrow and her winter in the desert will be complete (although she still has four more months here)!
Day 41 in a tent. Temps never got above freezing t Day 41 in a tent. Temps never got above freezing today. Hotel tomorrow 😜
A few bits of fall in the desert now that I live h A few bits of fall in the desert now that I live here 🌵🍂 💛
When your dog and hubby are sporting matching @sto When your dog and hubby are sporting matching @stormykromerofficial masks and only one of them is wearing it appropriately...
Last night we played bananagrams and I only used f Last night we played bananagrams and I only used flower words. I did not win 🤷🏼‍♀️, yet I did 🎨 💐!
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