Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Back to work....

I knew that I would be returning to teaching after being home with Brady and Reilly. I have resigned my position with the public school district and got a job at a wonderful, small private school. Brady will come with me to the all day pre-k 4 program. Reilly will go to the daycare owned by the same people - down the road. He will go 3-4 days a week, and have the grandparents watching him the other days. I will be teaching middle school Reading and English. I am very excited about this new position!
I am having the screws removed July 7th - but will first have 9 days of vacation at the Cape! We are looking forward to the trip - especially Brady who LOVES Cape Cod!! We will be there on our 7th anniversary and maybe have dinner where our wedding reception was! We will also try to get to CT to see family and friends.
I am also going on a much needed vacation - without the kids! TJ and I will spend a weekend in Key Biscayne doing nothing but sitting in the sun, drinking pina coladas, reading and relaxing.
I am feeling wonderful, happy, pain-free (walked today AND did 25 minutes on the elliptical!) and "normal". I will be happy when the screws are out - I always seem to bump the shopping carts right where they are - OUCH!! Also, when I hold Reilly, his feet sometimes hit them. I am so ready to be "screw-less"!!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Was PAO the right decision???

The answer is YES!!! I am 3 and 1/2 months out and feeling wonderful! I am walking fine - no limp. I am not getting the sharp groin pains, the dull ache deep in the hip, or the butt pain - like I did before. I still get occasional stiffness, or the need to "pop" it. Shortly after PAO, my hip was popping all the time. It has gotten less now - I feel as though it needs to pop, but sometimes can't shift the right way to pop it. I still have not gotten the OK to use the elliptical - but feel as though I could do it no problem. I am back to my fast 3 mile walks - and sometimes feel like jogging - that's how good I feel!!! (although I know Dr Millis would KILL me!) I am hoping that within the next year - I will be able to jog again.
Some of my "hipsister" and "hipbloggers" have talked about how PAO has changed their life - and I agree 100%! I finally feel like a normal 33 year old - without hip pain. Deciding to have PAO was a difficult decision - because of my small children and recovery time. I am POSITIVE I made the right decision. Dr Millis has been an amazing doctor. I was leaning towards PAO before I met him, and had decided that once I had my consult with him - I would do what he said. As he told me - "PAO is a no-brainer" - to save my own hip was better than replacing it, especially at 33. The recovery wasn't nearly as bad as I expected and the results have been great so far. Yes, I am glad I had PAO!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Screw Removal!!

It looks like July 7th will be my day to have these wonderful 4 inch screws removed! It is the day before we fly back to FL - so I am a little nervous about flying. I have been told that the procedure takes one hour - and I will be given a local. I thought I would be knocked out - and am HOPING they give me something to make me "happy" so I don't freak when he cuts me open and uses a powerdrill on me!! I am also hoping that I won't need crutches afterwards - because I really don't want to fly on crutches with 2 kids! Thankfully, we ended up getting Reilly a seat on the plane - because there was NO WAY I was going to be able to hold him for 3 hours!! He will go in the travel car seat on the plane - which will make my life SOOOOO much easier! He is walking now - and does not want to be held.