Dearly Beloved,

I can’t believe it’s been 5 days since my last update! It’s been a challenging several days of dealing with reactions to the narcotic medication (terrible headaches), then deciding to stop it, and then dealing with the withdrawal symptoms! I haven’t felt normal or had decent energy until today. I can understand how people get hooked on drugs and cannot get off them. Then you take other drugs to deal with the withdrawal symptoms! For example, I take Valium to sleep now that I don’t have the narcotic at night. Fortunately, Valium doesn’t have bad side effects, but it is highly addictive. I try to use only one pill every other night or less. I will be very glad when I don’t have to take medications anymore! Right now, I control the pain with an alternating mix of Tylenol and ibuprofen. It works most of the time and the rest of the time I use ice and pain meditations until it calms down.

I had my second PT appointment yesterday and paced myself much better. It’s amazing what a difference that makes! Still a little sore in my butt and this causes pain and restriction when I try to lift, extend, shift weight onto, and kick back my right leg.  My PT works on stretching and massaging the leg to release and break down scar tissue in the traumatized muscles. I can tell that is helping and I’m getting better.

I am now walking with a cane, see 3rd video at this link: Rhonda’s Hip Adventure Videos. Here’s one of me doing the cup obstacle course, created by my sweet Scott, see 2nd video at this link: Rhonda’s Hip Adventure Videos.  In it, you can hear Theo cheering me on in the background and Scott chuckling at him. I continue to do my home PT and then collapse on ice in my recliner:

This recliner is a life saver. It really helps to elevate my legs and take pressure off the hip. I also use this Princess Pillow Pile in bed to get my feet above my heart, which helps with reducing bruising and possible clotting.

I feel like I’m over the biggest hump of my recovery now and am thrilled to be off the pain meds. They really do a number on both my body and my head. I took copious notes on how to do this whole process better next time. Though, honestly, it is hard to even think about having to do this again right now… I hope it’s like child birth—I’ll be so excited about the result, I’ll forget about the hard parts and be ready when Leftie says it’s time. Tomorrow is the two-week mark! They will remove my bandage on Friday. I’m excited to see what the incision looks like.

I continue to be grateful and moved by all of your support, both physical and virtual. We can hardly keep up with the food and the flowers are filling the coffee table…

The cards and care packages are inspirational, thoughtful and comforting. Thank you and bless you all. I hope this finds you and yours well and happy.

I wanted to share one of my insights of the last few days: When the pain or discomfort gets bad, I’ve discovered it never lasts long before it shifts into another state. If I relax, breathe, and watch it, without resistance or unnecessary holding, it is constantly shifting, moving, changing. This gentle acknowledgement and allowing seems to facilitate it moving through me and releasing. And then I can feel pain free and relaxed in a shorter time. If I resist or become afraid or think I shouldn’t feel the way I do, it will persist longer and become more intense. Fascinating! I am grateful to my dear friend, Theresa, who taught me this way of being with pain. Now I understand what she was talking about!

Remember all hard and painful things pass like clouds in the sky if we simply allow them to move through us.

My love and big hugs to you all,

Rhonda