PAO X-Rays and Update

It has been over three months since my second surgery. My scars are symmetrical. I have quite a bit of metal in my body - four screws on each side. At my 2.5 month mark, these X-rays were taken to evaluate things. If you look closely, you can see where they cut into the bone. The right side has completely healed, but if you look at the left side of the X-ray (my right hip), near the base of the iliac crest, the top of the foramen and behind the acetabulum you can see where the bone was cut and is now healing. My hips are healing normally, and I am thankful for that.






I still have some damage to my sciatic nerve, and I am not expecting it to correct itself. People tell me that I am being pessimistic to have this attitude. I maintain that I am not being pessimistic, but realistic. I do not expect that I will ever regain feeling in my thighs, but I am starting to be accepting of that.

I still have a fair amount of pain, and I limp sometimes, but the more time passes the less I limp. I don't have the flexibility of a dancer, but I am regaining the mobility of any functioning person, and that is incredibly refreshing.

I have one surgery left and it is no where near as intense. The surgeon will make two more incisions, one on each hip and remove the screws. (I get to keep them!) If all goes well, I will leave the hospital the same day as the surgery, and be on crutches for two to three weeks. Compared to my past recoveries, this is very exciting for me. I am excited for this surgery. I can feel the screws inside of my body, and it isn't particularly comfortable. But they won't be there much longer, and that is a refreshing thought. I will have the screws removed sometime between April and May.

Most importantly, I think I have learned a lot from this experience. It has been difficult, and I can say without reservation that it is not something that I want to go through again. But I have learned a lot and there have been a few good things that have come from this.