FAI Surgery Recovery Week 6: Goodbye Crutches, Hello SI Joint

“I often lose motivation, but it’s something I accept as normal.” ~Bill Rodgers

Six weeks down from FAI hip surgery number two – hallelujah.

Okay so after my first FAI surgery, I started weaning off the crutches after five weeks and this time they had me start weaning at four weeks, which felt way too soon. I try not to compare, but after the first surgery I completely ditched the crutches after a few days of weaning and this time it took me a full two weeks to ditch the suckers.

They don’t call them a crutch for nothing. When I started putting more weight on the op side it felt like my hip was honestly going to fall off, I needed my crutches, I didn’t want to let them go. My physical therapist assured me that my hip won’t actually fall off, but you do lose a lot of muscle mass and proprioception while being on crutches and that is why it feels like it is going to pop out, not work, fall off. But eventually on Christmas Day, please hold the Tiny Tim jokes, I left the crutches at home never to be used again although I am still hobbling pretty horribly.

Things I Will Miss About Crutches (only half of them are sarcastic):

1. My armpits smelling like rubber.
2. My crazy strong new triceps.
3. People asking me why I don’t use one of those knee scooter things. Those are for ankles dumb @ss!
4. My temporary disabled parking permit at the U.
5. Eating standing up in the kitchen.
6. Repeatedly falling up stairs.
7. Having strangers at the gym tell me how bad @ss I am while working out (on crutches).
8. Feeling absolutely no guilt watching 10 Parks and Rec episodes in a row.
9. When I tell people I had hip surgery and they ask, “a hip replacement?” and then feeling awful about myself because I must look like I am 55.
10. All the money I save at work by not frequenting the Starbucks because I can’t carry my own d@mn coffee.

I think my failure to walk normally has little to do with my actual hip and more to do with my wonky SI joint, which has been bugging me ever since my last surgery (not FAI surgery, but a capsular repair). My surgeon says although he wouldn’t advocate getting FAI surgery to fix SI issues, he often sees patient’s SI problems resolve with FAI surgery. It makes sense mechanically, since I had good clearance in one hip I had to hike my other hip up to make up for the lack of clearance when doing certain activities like cycling thus completely jacking my low back and SI joint.

I am happy to say that SI joint feels alright stationary biking and that I can already notice the increased hip flexion and clearance while cycling. I am feeling a little more even and balanced, which is exciting. But I have to admit that the SI feels terrible sitting and walking and hopefully this will resolve over time. Now that I am six weeks out of surgery and off the crutches I can start working on the SI joint in physical therapy and hopefully get some relief and stop walking like I have a stick up my butt.

At six weeks out from FAI surgery, I am not entirely happy with the amount of discomfort I still have, but again I think this has more to do with the SI joint than my actual hip. This week was complicated by holidays and travel and I got a little out of my hip rehab routine. Although I vowed never to fly on crutches, I did so again and it caused a pretty gnarly flare-up. As much as I abhor routine, I am excited to get back to my physical therapist and stationary cycling routine this next week.