Day 245 - Time Off Pays Off

December 30
Pain 0-1

If I have learned on thing from all of this is to BE PATIENT.  Easy to say now that I am 8 months out but learned non-the-less.  Having taken 2 months off as recommended by Dr. Kaplan I have returned to practice as of today!  While he did not insist the stop completely I knew myself well enough to know either I am all in or all out.  In the meantime I rested, focused on my work, meditated and practiced Reiki.  In spite of all of this at the end of this I found myself doubting myself and my ability to make a difference or accomplish anything significant.  I hurt all over and lost so much strength it was scary.  I had set a date of return for after Christmas and was at my lowest point.

Yesterday everything changed when I went to a massage appointment with Sue Zinter at Soma Cura.  Not only did her massage help but her counsel did as well.  While my hip is no longer painful my scar and the hip flexor is still problematic.  I was reminded that, according to Sue, "my software is still getting used to my hardware".  It will take time for my muscles to get stronger and my scar still needs massaging and vitamin E.  Sleeping at night is still somewhat problematic and I have good and bad nights.  Hopefully yoga and massage will help this.

I was excited to go to Power Yoga Buffalo and take Candice's basic class.  It was slow and deep and challenging but it was the perfect way to get back to my practice.  I was pleased at some of the things I could do that previously bothered me before.  Warrior 1 and 2 where no longer difficult although I still have difficulty moving my right foot from downward facing to in between my hands.  I am able to get closer to the floor when my right foot is in that position and it actually feels good!  I was astounded when I did crow and I had absolutely no pain in the front of my hip.  It had been problematic since before my surgery and compression or impingement hurt so much that it would catch my breath.

During this time I have come across some very helpful articles on yogis and recovery from injury.  One from the Elephant Journal called Ego & Injury: 10 Questions for Yoginis
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/10/ego-injury-10-questions-for-yoginis/
and another one entitled 7 Ways to Get Back On the Yoga Mat from the website  DoYouDoYoga.com.  Both have given me perspective and things to remember as I continue to recover.

I plan to go to see Dr. Kaplan at Osteopathic Wellness Medicine for proto therapy when his office officially opens in February.  I think this is going to help my scar heal more quickly and better. 

I will most likely take it easy tomorrow and save myself for a class that my daughter will be teaching on New Years day. 

I am hoping that the New Year will bring me more healing and greater insight to the process of using yoga to recover from hip replacement.  I have learned to much in the past  months and I am sure to learn a great deal more.  In my future I see training to become a yoga instructor and hope to integrate my Reiki practice into it.  I am also hoping that I might be able to assist others who will be going through a similar experience and provide guidance and assurance as they progress.  Eventually I would like to work with a holistic physician to do this and know I have much to learn before I get there.

I know I will have good days and not so good days but little by little my strength and flexibility will return.  I just need to be patient, determined, and consistent in my practice.

Stay tuned!!

Namaste

Donna

Day 171 - Slowly Slowly

October 17
Pain Level 1-2

It has been 4 weeks since that I was told to slow down my yoga practice.  Since then I have modified my practice considerably.  I am no longer doing any hip openers with the right hip.  I am doing many poses with my knee on the mat.  I have also stopped going to practice on a daily basis.  I now do mostly restorative and yin yoga with an occasional level 2 or 3 class or a modified Power Yoga class.  Since then I have noticed that my hip is beginning to feel better.  Slowly but better.  I am off pain medication including Tylenol which only I take on the rare occasion and ice my hip each night.  That really helps.  I still have difficult nights but there have been times during the day when I am amazed that my hip actually feels good.  Bad weather seems to impact it.  I find that it is becoming more stable but it has less flexibility, which is to be expected.  I often feel that my efforts prior to the directive to back off, have had an affect on the future of my recovery.  I am hopeful it may just have prolonged it rather than created limitations.  I plan on holding off until I see Dr. Kaplan on November 19. 

I am starting to outline an article I am thinking of calling "Confessions and Cautions from a Recovering Hip Replacement Yogi".  I have divided it into Before, During, and After observations and advice.  I will post my work as it develops.

In the meantime I just read an article today that was posted on Elephant Journal (an amazing site).  I have taken the liberty of posting it here.  I wish I had read this before my surgery.  It would have significantly changed things.  Read on...

Stay Tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Elephant Journal

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/10/ego-injury-10-questions-for-yoginis/?utm_source=All&utm_campaign=Daily+Moment+of+Awake+in+the+Inbox+of+Your+Mind&utm_medium=email

Ego & Injury: 10 Questions for Yoginis.

Via Gregory Ormsonon Oct 16, 2014

Sigmund Freud linked ego and id, forever saddling the Western world with a limiting and rigid psychodynamic duality.

Yet I’ve come to see the truth of a related link, ego and injury. Though not always true, I’ve noticed the bigger the ego the more often the injury, and the reason I’ve noticed is that I have found it in myself.

Ego isn’t a bad word, and an ego is necessary, for it means one has an awareness of the self and their place in the world. Even Patanjali spoke of ego’s place in identity formation, using the word ahamkaar as one of the ego’s three aspects.

A healthy ego borders and protects our self-identity and social energy, and along with the energy of id, ego assists us as we aim at our life’s ambitions. But like beans or tomatoes, there are varieties of ego.

A wise mentor once offered me a crucial distinction by saying it’s important to have a strong ego but not a big one.

This gets at the heart of the matter with injury: a big ego wants to push for recognition, praise and an adoring cadre of witnesses. A big ego might push me to go faster, stronger or deeper than my body is built to withstand.

But a strong ego is one of self-strength with an acceptance of limits. A strong ego knows its place in the world and that having a confident identity does not require followers, trophies or recognition. A strong ego will not drive me to push beyond my limits and therefore will help keep me from injury. A big ego will do the opposite. I could elaborate, but think about your story, your ego, and how it might reveal your injury history.

Like many, I’ve suffered from injuries and I understand their unhappy residuals.

In the past, by will and denial, I powered through injuries and was determined they would not keep me down. This was not good or smart, but when I was young, I fought every impulse to slow down. I detested injuries and didn’t want physical therapy, braces, rest or medical treatment. I had one purpose, and that was to return to activity, competition or physical tests.

Over time, I’ve come to value my injuries for they protect me from increased damage by limiting my range of motion. This prevents over extension, which may have been the cause of my original injury. I’ve come to see the pain of injury as a friend because it tells my body to stop. By listening to this pain, I’ve learned to reframe it as a teacher and healer.

Yes, I value my injuries because they have allowed space and time to bring new insights that would normally have taken longer. As injury takes me out of my comfort zone it can become a quickening container for growth and transformation.

I’ve been slow to learn from my injuries, but their enduring lessons have fallen on good soil: I’ve learned how to accept the patient but enduring movement from painful to playful, from morose to merry, from avoidant to accepting, from ignorance to awareness, from disengagement to engagement in a meditative way.

Greater awareness has helped me discover how to meditate on injury, resulting in new questions that only I could answer. In dialoguing with my injuries, I’ve found these questions help me see them as the teachers they are:

1. How is this injury a positive—can I reframe it

2. What does this injury mean for me in the here and now

3. What does this injury help me to avoid, how is it useful for my mental strength or weakness

4. What am I not required to do when injured—how does it get me off the hook

5. Who am I not required to be when I am injured—how does it allow me to break from my usual ego driven requirements

6. How does this injury help me emotionally—who am I manipulating

7. What does my injury do for me when I wear it on my sleeve

8. Who does my injury allow me to blame, avoid, empower, bless or curse

9. How present was I when the injury occurred

10. What is this injury telling me about the way I live my life

In a gut-check, self-loving honest way, it’s possible to open up the meaning of injuries by using—as one example—a Gestalt chair to chair dialog technique. The methodology is simple but requires active imagination.

Place yourself in one chair and your injury across from you in another. You may name your injury to make it concrete. You may place a pillow, crutch or some other object in that chair so you can better visualize it.

Prepare by finding a quiet time and place, then talk with your injury. Use a notebook and record its answers. Call it by name. Make it speak to you. Through active imagination, you may find surprising answers that can jolt you to a new awareness, deeper understanding and greater self-acceptance.

And this will be good, because yoga practice (and your injury) is largely about new awareness.

Now…back to that ego.

References: 

Patanjali reference from How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, Swami Prabhavananda & Christopher Isherwood, Vedanta Press, 1953 (pp 15-16).

About Gregory Ormson

Gregory Ormson is the ‘motorcycling yogi.’ He lives in Kona, Hawaii, where he rides Wildfire, his Harley-Davidson, 365 days a year. Greg free-dives, writes and stays warm practicing Bikram yoga. He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from The Chicago Theological Seminary where he studied psychology and theology. You can find his tweets at #GAOrmson and check out his blog.

Day 155 - Let It Go!

October 1, 2014
Pain Level 1-2

On my 12th day of backing off my full-on yoga practice.  It has been hard but I have been modifying my practice for my right hip.  I am actually feeling a bit better...slowly.  I am learning more every day and what to do. what not to do, and how to work through it.  At a yoga class yesterday at Power Yoga Buffalo I got very wise and helpful advice from Candace, the instructor.  Having worked through injury before she recommended that I be careful to keep my practice balanced.  I have to be careful not to advance my left side at the detriment of the right side.  It could impact my gait as well as other ways of moving.  I never considered it.  Now it is right up there with "let your hip capsule stabilize".  Perhaps the most important thing she said was..."Listen your you body, not your ego".  I know I "knew" this but I can see now that I was not doing that.  As hard as it is to let go I have to stay in the present.  When I think about the past and what I could do, I get upset and  depressed.  When I think about the future and where I would like to be or hope to be, I get upset and anxious.  When I stay present...I am at peace.  This is the only way I will heal and be able to "become".

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 153 - FINALLY!! STOP!!!!!

September 29, 2014
Pain Level 2-3 depending

Starting my 6th month and not showing much progress.  Still in pain and night time is especially difficult sleeping.  Even walking fires up anger on the outside of my hip.  I thought by now I would be well on my way...pain free and building strength, stamina, and flexibility.  Not so.  But...after almost 5 months I finally got off the Tramadol and sobered up.  I had been continuing my yoga practice as before varying the kind and frequency.  That was until I attended the Yogafest on September 14 at Canal Side in Buffalo.  It was there that I picked up a local health magazine and opened it to see information on Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine and an article about the yoga rehab therapy have there under the guidance of Dr. Lenard Kaplan DO*  ( that DO makes a difference).  He was the doctor that first advised me to being yoga as a therapy to relieve back pain.  As I mentioned earlier it worked and I was beginning to train to resume rowing when I was rear-ended in the accident and that started the horrible hip problem.  At any rate, I called the next day and as luck would have it an appointment opened up for that Friday.  After a thorough examination checking my hip and other areas of my back and pelvis he determined that the area is still unstable.  Quite interesting since my surgeon did nothing more than look at x-rays, manipulate my leg and pronounce me ready to resume yoga full on.  Not so with Dr. Kaplan.  He said the worse thing I could have been doing was hip openers, something that I worked on shorty after I returned to my practice.  I need to let the capsule stabilize.  He recommended I stop that aspect of my practice for at least 2 months.  I can continue to participate in yoga but I need to be careful to modify for my right hip and leg.  I asked if it would be appropriate for me to work with his yoga program but he felt that I might be at a place that is more demanding than the program they offer. When I asked him why I was told I could return to yoga full on he said the surgeon was probably not aware that the yoga I was returning to was more "Cirque de Soli" rather than meditation.  I am also scheduled for an ultrasound  and possible injection in November. 

So after a week of modifying my practice I feel a bit better.  I am trying to not to get too hopeful and I hope that all I have done has not damaged my prospects of complete healing.  I will continue to be patient as best I can and try to stay positive and hopeful.

Stay tuned!!

Namaste
Donna

* I did ask permission of the doctor to reveal his name and that of his practice.  I can't recommend them highly enough for someone who is facing a hip replacement that is a yogi or for an other rehab.  I hope that others have access to this type of support.  Contact Buffalo Spine and Sports Medicine if you are seeking advice, guidance, or recommendations. 

Day 127 - Big Changes

September 3, 2014

Much has happened since the last entry less than a week ago.  I have seen some improvement.  I am not sure if it is due to the cold laser therapy, my returning to my practice at a higher level, or just the passing of time.  I am feeling more hopeful.  While I still wake up in discomfort during the night it is not as bad as before.  I find that I have more range of motion and can sleep in almost any position.  I took a Power Yoga class yesterday and surprised myself.  Expecting limitations I found my tree to be even better than I had hoped for.  I can get my right foot up above my knee and hold it a long time.  I did dancer's pose with almost the same expression as before and actually managed to do my first crow pose without much pain and actually held it for quite a while.  I was very surprised.

Perhaps the most important thing is that I went off my tramadol cold turkey.  I had been functioning in a fog.  I could not focus, remember anything, stay awake, or be at all productive.  I found myself falling asleep behind the wheel of my car every time I drove it.  I had no initiative.  I swear my dear friend who just passed away in February came to me and told me to "get off that shit".  I went off Saturday morning.  It was rough for about 2 days and I am still trying to detox.  I have been drinking more than usual (not alcohol) and the yoga class really sweat a lot out of me.  I am getting less foggy and the pain I have is less than when I was on it.  It is really more discomfort.  I still get still if I do not move and now that school is starting and I am spending more time at my computer I notice it.  Hopefully this will diminish.  I am keeping up with my meditation, massage, Reiki, and various forms of yoga.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 122 - 4 Months Later

August 29, 2014

I have been off the grid for weeks.  It seemed that my increments of improvements were so small that it was difficult to record them and it became very redundant.  Many ups and downs.  I have had times of great pain and times with I can't believe how good I feel.  Sometimes only a day apart.  Still trying to find the balance between not enough and too much.  I am still having pain especially at night but it seems to be getting better...I think.  I have continued with my yoga practice trying to vary the kinds I am doing.  I take Yin, restorative, level 1-2, level 2-3, Power Yoga, and chair.  All have has their benefits.  Massage continues to make me feel good and meditation, Reiki, and walks in the park with my dog  help me heal and grow in other ways.  I have recently started cold laser therapy and I think it is have some pay off.  It think my hip is better overall but now specific are are of more focus.  I still have pain on either side of the incision, although the tightness in the front seems to be going away.  I am having tightness in what I believe is the ligament on the inside of my leg/hip joint and I am working on stretching it in yoga classes.  I would say that overall I am progressing.  I may be close to the limitations I had before the surgery.  Now the hope is I progress to full range of motion without any pain.

I have no complaints with the surgery itself or the appliance.  I have no restrictions on range of motion except for my own muscles, ligaments, etc.  I have come to realize that the skill of the surgeon is crucial but the rehab is perhaps the most important aspect.  While much depends on ones own body, it is still so helpful to have someone guide you who has gone there before.  I know I would do things somewhat differently if I ever have to have the other hip done...which seems unlikely at this point...thank God.

I have spent a good deal of time with my granddaughter this summer at the pool, on other adventures, reading, and just hanging  out.  She continues to amaze and inspire me. This alone give me a goal and hope.  Oh to move like a 7 year old again.  I marvel at her litheness and strength.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 76 - Nice to Feel Young Again!

July 14, 2014
Morning Pain 3
Evening Pain 1

What a Day!!  While I did not do yoga I did try some new things!  Took my granddaughter and dog to the park to see how he felt about swimming and with a lifejacket on.  Hope to take him out on paddleboard soon.  He did quite well and is a natural swimmer but is still unsure about the whole idea.  It will take time.   Before we went to the park we headed to the Dollar Tree to get her some flipflops.  While we were there my granddaughter spied a net that is just perfect for catching insects and minnows.  It will come in handy today.My granddaughter enjoyed exploring the little cove we found and as always showed me what it means to look at the world through the eyes of a child.

After dinner we went to the club to swim.  I had a chance to do a little aqua therapy there.  It felt good to be in the water and to float.  When it got dark we went outside to try to catch fireflies.  Never having done it before it was nice to have that net to help out.  We waited and waited for some to come close but had no luck.  After a while my granddaughter went in to go to the bathroom.  While I waited I recalled the bat that was flying around catching bugs and I figured...why not?  So I started walking around the yard swinging the net back and forth where ever I saw a firefly.  I began "running" around the yard and finally followed some to the edge of the woods.  Before I knew it I had captured 2 of them.  I went inside screaming with excitement.  We managed to get them into her bug box and put them in her bedroom.  There we went to sleep counting flashes.  We got up to over 100.  What a magic evening.  For a brief time I felt like a child again...pain was not even in the picture.

Tomorrow we are going to yoga together.  It should be fun!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 75 - Try Something New!!!

July 13, 2014
Morning Pain 2
Evening Pain 1-

Started the day with Yin Yoga.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...  Just what I needed.  It is wonderful.  Hope more classes will be added now that the new studio is opened.  I stayed for a Bikram class.  Never took one before.  It was interesting.  I am not sure why it appeals to so many so much but I will go back and try another one.  If I got it right it is the same thing over and over again.  I do not see how that would expand your capabilities and I know it would get boring soon.  But it doesn't hurt to mix up your practice so I will be back!

I am still tight and have difficulty moving my knee away form center or across the midline but that is to be expected.  I have good days bad days and terrible days.  I am hopeful one day and feel defeated the next.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 74 -

July 12, 2014

Day 73 -

July 11, 2014

Day 72 -

July 10, 2014
Morning Pain Level - 3
Evening Pain Level -

I had a terrible night.  I work up frequently with significant pain in my hip and generally uncomfortable.  If I had something stronger than Tramadol I would have taken it.  I am not sure if was not using the ice before going to sleep or the change in the weather.

My friends showed up for SUP yoga and it is good that they did.  While I felt better after I got moving, I was still not much better than a pain level of 2.  Once class started and the sun warmed us up things got better.  I managed not to fall in and I actually mastered the pose that dumped me the last time.  I felt great when I got off the water and my pain level was less than 1.

My massage was heaven and just what I needed.  I felt even better after I got of the table.  I headed to home to write.  By the end of the night I was a bit stiff from sitting and writing for a couple of hours.  I had to cancel my PT appointment because I need to do more writing and some grading.  Tomorrow is alternative yoga so that is something to look forward to.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 71 - My Day Off

July 9, 2014
Morning Pain Level - 2
Evening Pain Level - 1

Today was my "day off".  I took it easy and just took my dog for a long and leisurely walk in the park.  I started out only being able to walk a short distance before my hip started to bother me.  Fortunately he likes to stop frequently to sniff and make his territory. 

Today was the last day of the summer class and I worked feverishly to get the content covered.  I felt great when I left class and went to a meeting after that.  I did not get home until after 10 and was exhausted.  While at the meeting I friend suggested I try Biofreeze and gave me a sample that he had.  I applied it before going to bed and my hip felt good.  Tomorrow is SUP yoga and a massage...life it good!!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 70 - Now I Think of It...

July 8, 2014

Today was a wonderful yoga day.  I went to a level 1-2 class and received exactly what I needed.  There were times with I stayed with the class and other times when I took my practice to a more difficult level.  My hip was very cooperative in spite of the rough treatment yesterday. 

I managed to get through my class in the evening but came home exhausted.  I couldn't wait to take a Tramadol and to put ice on it.  We will see what tomorrow brings. 

It occurred to me today that I should have been tracking my pain level.  Perhaps it is a bit late but perhaps not too late to start.  So my pain level before going to bed is about 2.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 69 - Doing More Hurting Less

July 7, 2014

Started the day with PT...ouch!  Worked me hard.  Stretches side planks and forearm and regular planks.  The therapist told me that I am well on my way that that I will be released soon.  I agreed that they have helped to get me started and over the most difficult part.  The rest is up to me now and yoga is the way to go.  Aqua therapy was so relaxing and restorative.  Got the club pool for that if need be.

Teaching went well today and I was fairly pain free.  First time I can say that.  I find I can do more and hurt less.  Still icing at night and elevating but can sleep longer on my good side and starting to sleep a bit on the right side.  Still hurts to put pressure on it but it will come along.

I was exhausted at the end of the day.  I think the low level of pain is still impacting me.  My class ends this week so I plan to focus on rehabbing and writing.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 68 - I Love Yin

July 6, 2014

Today started with yin yoga at the new location of the studio.  I have lost so much strength and flexibility since the surgery and not just in my leg.  I need to get back to my practice!  I am struggling with the flexibility and it quite painful but I need to work through this.  We did a balance of hip and shoulder work.  It was perfect!  The new studio is so serene and beautiful.  I felt great and went back shortly after I got hole to help them with a few projects.  After about an hour I headed home to take it easy for the rest of the day.. Considering my granddaughter was at the house I was still moving most of the day.  At least it is not as problematic as it used to be.

Tomorrow is PT and aqua therapy.  It will be interesting to see how I feel after that. 

Stay tuned!!

Namaste
Donna

Day 67 - Another Busy Day

July 5, 2014

Today was busy and fun!  Had Elizabeth over night as her parents were working.  She slept in after a late evening of celebrating the 4th with a picnic and fireworks at our friend's house.  Our friend is a licensed pryo-technician and put on an amazing show!  We headed to the park so she could go paddle boarding with me and Marie.  Marie was teaching a SUP Yoga class so she rode with Marie up to the class site and played in the water near the shore for a bit.  In about half an hour she got on my board and we slowly paddled back to the dock.  We to out time to watch the wildlife and appreciate the beauty of the water and the scenery.  She is so curious and misses nothing.

When we got back to the dock she noticed that a snail she had found and left on the dock was looking a bit peeked.  As I bent over to pick it up my phone slipped out of my shirt and sank to the bottom of the river.  Thankfully it was only up to my chest so I jumped in and got it in less than a minute.  I quickly took the back off and the battery about.  Fortunately the phone was dry, thanks to the plastic cover it is in.  It is now siting in rice in the hope that it will be ok tomorrow.  My daughter showed me ho to text through my Verizon account so at lest I could stay in touch with everyone.  Glad it was a weekend.

Later in the afternoon we went to another party at a different friend's house/  It was fantastic and Elizabeth had a great time.  So much so that when it was time to go she hi under one of the beds until we found her.  The house is a massive log house with more rooms that I can remember, so finding her took a while.  It was fun to have may daughter and her mother join us.  We don't often get to go somewhere together.

We dropped her mother off at her house to get ready for work.  We intercepted the ice cream truck on the way down her street and then headed home to get to bed after another crazy day.

I have noticed that I am able to do more things without having to think about it.  Although I thought twice about going off the dock.  But I slipped in easily and got out with out a problem.  Thank God for upper body strength.  I did quite a bit of walking at the party which I am realizing that I need to do more of.  The doctor had said walking is one the best things I can do to rehab and I am seeing his point.  Yoga and walking are going to be my rehab program for the rest of the summer.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 66 - Happy 4th!!

July 4, 2014

Today was quite calm until the evening.  I tried to take it easy but I am pretty sure that I am going to do one more week of PT and aqua therapy and do just yoga.  I am fining that yoga is a better balanced workout.  While my therapists have been outstanding I feel that I am focusing mostly on the right side...which makes sense.  But I have to be sure to improve my left side as well.  Taking yoga I am doing a balanced workout and I have realized that I have lost strength and flexibility on my left side even though I have relied on it to compensate for my right side.

The 4th was fun with our friends and my granddaughter.  She does everything they say grandchildren do for you.  She also reminds me how much I enjoyed my own kids.  I love bedtime when we end the day with a bath, books, and wonderful conversations.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 65 - What a Day This Has Been...

July 3, 2014

What a rare mood I'm in.  It's almost like...

A.  being in love
B.  taking candy from a baby
C. easy as falling off a paddle board

If you selected C you are correct.  What a crazy day!!!  Woke up feeling good after sleeping in the recliner chair half of the night and icing my hip.  Perhaps the spreading out of the Tramadol helped too.  Got up a bit hesitant but ready for S(tand) U(p) P(addle board) Yoga.  My girlfriends met me at my house first and then we headed to the park to begin class with my daughter.  It was cloudy when we arrived and looking a bit rainy but it was warm.  We were not to be disappointed.  By the time we paddled to the yoga spot and got settled into child pose the rain began to gently fall.  Throughout the class and rained softly of and on.  It was wonderfully refreshing and cleansing.  The wind and the water were still and the sound of the birds and water were so soothing and inspiring.  Class went well even though I had to struggle and modify some poses. I had decided to save a bit of energy for a class that was to come later.  At one point we heard a splash when my friend got a bit out of balance and fell in.  No big deal the water is shallow, only about up to your waist, and not at all cold.  We clapped as is the protocol and welcomed her as an official SUP Yoga practitioner.  One is not official until they fall in unintentionally.  Much like the christening of flipping your single when rowing.  At that moment you have joined the elite club.

We got back to the dock after a beautiful and peaceful paddle though the inlet and made plan to meet again next week for another class.  It appears that Thursdays are now the official senior citizen SUP Yoga day.

But wait...there's more!

About a 2 hours after that class I returned to the park as per my daughter's request.  The Buffalo News was sending a reporter to interview her about SUP yoga and she wanted some people there t demonstrate as class.  Boy did she get a demonstration.  LOL  I guess I was to show that anyone, even a crippled senior citizen, can do it.  The class started out well enough.  The photographer was clicking furiously away as we went thought the class.  Mare had brought her Pomeranian dog, Sophia along with her as she often does when she teaches a class.  Sophia just sat on the board or laid down to enjoy the water and the fresh air.  Plus Sophia's happy place is with Marie so she was in puppy heaven.

As we progressed through different postures I decided it was time for me to challenge myself a bit.  My hip was doing well and I was feeling pretty good.  Many of the postures are modified with one knee on the board for things like Warrior 1 and 2 or what ever will provided the most stability.  I had done the first on with my knee down.  The Warrior 1 on the other side was a different story.  I decided to lift the knee of my surgical leg.  All was going well until I felt a little tweak and as I looked at my feet on the board I could see that I was going off balance.  I had not set my foot in the center of the board before going up...the rest is history and also caught on camera.  In what seemed to be slow motion I begin to tip and next thing I knew I was in the water.  LOL!!! I got back up on my board laughing and sputtering.  As is the custom everyone clapped.  The only difference is that my fall was caught on camera...and not just any camera.  The camera of a news photographer.  I did feel a but better when another member of the class went in doing a handstand.  But that is no big deal and he does it all the time.  The end of the class was even better though.  We all decided to try a headstand.  As I tipped up into it I saw my daughter on her head with her feet in the air and Sophia licking her face  I knew I had to watch.  When Marie split her legs for a more advanced headstand posture Sophia turned around, walked to the front of the board, and sat down as if to guard her as she finished her practice.  It was beyond adorable and wonderfully caught on film.  I only had wished it was on video.  What a YouTube post it would have been.  If any photo makes it into the newspaper I hope it is that one...not me falling in.

After the class the reporter interviewed Marie for about a half an hour.  When I walked over to see how it was going he started to ask me questions about my surgery, my practice, and my recovery.  One question he asked was how I came to yoga in the first place (I LOVE people that are curious and he asked great questions).  I explained that my mother did yoga back in the 60's and Marie had grown up with her watching her do it.  I had done it off and on at home and at the gym, but never as religiously until Marie began her Baptiste training and she encouraged to me take a class at a "real" yoga studio".  When that happened I was hooked.  At the same time I was looking for a way to rehab my back.  I was having pain in my right lower back and had gone to an amazing D.O. who treated it with injections but encouraged me to pursue yoga as a therapy.   After a year or more I was better so much so that I began to train at the rowing club for the upcoming rowing season.  That was when it all ended.  Shortly after that I was rear ended in a car accident and the problem with my hip began.  And, again, the rest is history and I am back to my practice to help me recover.

But wait!  There's even more!  This reporter had recently been in a accident and was scheduled to see a physician for his injury.  The doctor was schedule to see?...the same one I had seen for my back.  How crazy is that??  Believe in syncrodestiney?  I do!!  (see Deepak Chopra for more information).

So that was my amazing day.  I felt really good by the end of it.  My hip felt great!  I guess I need to do more SUP yoga.  Here is another message to change my rehab protocol.

The article on my daughter is supposed to be out next week.  I can't wait to read it!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 64 -Back Off

July 2, 2014

Last night was rough.  Was in a great deal of pain and exhausted.  Decided to take the day off today to just let things settle down.  Perhaps I am bring too aggressive in this attempt to recover.  My friend was telling me that it took her husband 5 months to get back to work after his replacement.  I was back in 3 weeks.  Since the I have been pushing it.  I have good says and bad days though.  I am thinking about doing less PT and more yoga  Taking level 1 and 3 classes might be a better way to come back rather than go full on in level 3 or 4.

Did pretty much nothing today.  Took Tucker for a leisurely walk in the park and taught later in the day.  Managed to get through class but barely.  Decided to take my Tramadol differently too.  Been taking 2 in the morning and to at night.  Gonna spread them out to 1 every 6 hours...as recommended.  Will see if this might make a difference.  Tomorrow is SUP yoga - yoga on paddle board.  Actually 2 classes.  I hope I am up to it.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 63 - Massage Magic

July 1, 2014

What a fantastic day!  Just left one of the best massages ever.  I guess asking the universe for what you need works!    It was exactly what I needed.  The therapist got into exactly where by body was looking for some relief.  I was seeing interesting images.  At one point there was a filed of black with what looked like stars or fireflies all over it!  It was so cool. At another point I did a trip around toe world to some of my favorite places and ended up in New Port on the Cliff Walk.  Now only if I could actually walk.    I feel better physically and mentally.  I have already made an another appointment for massage next week.  I am going to try to take the day off and let her magic seep in.  I have to learn to back off.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 62 - Slow Down!

June 30, 2014

I went to PT and aqua therapy today.  I did the usual bike warm up and then bridges, Supata Baddah Kanassana, and stretches off the side of table for the front and side of my hip.  Nothing too aggressive.  From there I went to the pool and did some work there.  I added a few ballet stretches as well that seemed to help putting my leg out in the front and moving it around to the back then going from back to front.  That was perfect.

I am trying to figure out a less aggressive schedule and would like to try to do to PT and aqua therapy on Monday and Friday, massage and walking on Tuesday, yoga on Wednesday, Tuesday either paddle board yoga or restorative (depending on the weather), Friday PT and aqua therapy, Saturday walk, and Sunday Yin yoga.  Sounds like the perfect plan!!!

Stay tuned!!

Namaste
Donna

Day 61 -

June 29, 2014

Day 60 -

June 28, 2014

Day 59 -

June 27, 2014

Day 58 - Amazing Yoga on Paddle Board Experience!

June 26, 2014

Today was so wonderful!!  I took my first yoga class on paddle board from my daughter.  She is remarkable!  I am so honored to be her mother!  I took it with my 2 friends who share the same birthday (tomorrow) and my goddaughter.  The day was beautiful.  The water was perfect.  The air was warm.  The sun was shining and the sky was the perfect blue with puffy white clouds.  As we launched I was sure I would fall in.  By the end of the class I was pretty sure I wouldn't.  I managed to do full wheel and the beginning of crow.  It is still too painful to put full weight on my right side.  Side crow is fine but not ready for on the paddle board. It was challenging to do some things as I still have difficulty when I am crouching and my hip is closed but I managed to get into all the poses including camel.

After class my 2 friends and I went to the club to swim and for lunch by the pool.  Doesn't get much better than that.  We hope to take a class again next week and if I ever get enough money I would love to get a board for myself and my friends.  We could do yoga in Sue's pool!!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 57 - Still Taking It Easy

June 25, 2014

I woke up planning on taking a level 3 yoga class this morning but thought better of it.  My hip is still a bit tweaky and I am planning on taking my first yoga on paddle board class tomorrow from my daughter.  I had other errands to run anyway and had to meet my friend for lunch before she presented in my class.  I took the time to do the stretches that Mike showed me on Monday.  Just warming up on the "bike" and doing Supta Baddah Konasana, bridges, and laying on my side with my leg hanging off the table behind me is helping my immensely.

Went to bed icing my hip and that always helps.  Looking forward to tomorrow!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 56 - Backing Off

June 24, 2014

Today was a slow day.  I am reluctant to do anything too aggressive this week since Mike suggested I back off a bit.  Had to teach so did my stretches from yesterday.  They really felt good and I am hoping that taking it easy will help.  I took a hot bath to try to get my hip moving and listened to a meditation from Depak Chopra.  Went early to my office to catch up on work and then taught.  I love this class.  My students are exceptional people!

Ended the day with ice on my hip and it felt great.  I am still having pain in my hip joint and the outside of my leg still get tight and painful when I walk for any distance. I wake up repeatedly at night due to pain but at least I can get comfortable and fall back asleep.  I continue to take 2 Tramadol in the morning at 2 before bed. I am becoming a bit disillusioned about ever having a fill recovery.  It seems I should be a lot better by now.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 55 - Change of Plans

June 23, 2014

Started the day with PT.  Arrived in pain and pretty defeated.  Mike is a amazing therapist!  He noticed right away and he said he had been thinking about me and decided that it might be best if I backed of a bit.  I agree that I might be doing more harm by pushing through and that backing off a bit might be a better way to go.  I have strength and I need to give it more time to heal and work on stretching and flexibility.  I did short work out warming up on the bike for 10 minutes and then did bridges (no full wheel) and Supta Baddah Konasana.  He also had me do a stretch laying on my side and having meg leg hanging off the table behind me.  It was great and got to the root of my tightness.  Gonna keep on this plan for a while.  The following pool workout was so helpful.  Between the 91 degree water and the wonderful therapists there I did walking forward and backward, squats, side lunges, tree poses that I help for 30 seconds on each side, and scissors floating in the deep end.

Went to class and felt pretty good by the end of the day.  But ice always helps.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 54 - Nothing Better Than Yin Yoga!

June 22, 2015

Started the day with Yin Yoga.  Hahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Worked mostly on shoulders and upper body.  It was jt what AI needed. I hadn't realized how tight I was but it makes sense.  I survived on my upper body strength to compensate for my right leg and the inability to move well.  Between the walker and the cane and getting up and down I kept in shape!

The rest of the day was spent at the pool just enjoying the day,my granddaughter and daughter-in-law.  Three of my husband's friend's wives joined us for some time on the sun and later dinner on the patio.  All in all it was a wonderful day.

My granddaughter stayed over night and after we read our bedtime books she informed me that her hip really hurt.  I checked it to see if perhaps she had gotten sun burned but saw nothing.  I suggested that perhaps an ice pack like the one I had would help.  So we cuddled up with our ice packs on our hips and fell asleep.  I think she is feeling my pain.  I LOVE that girls to pieces!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 53

June 22, 2014

Day 53

June 21, 2014

Day 52

June 20, 2014

Day 51

June 19, 2014

Day 50

June 18, 2014

Day 49

June 17, 2014

Day 48

June 16, 2014

Day 47

June 15, 2014

Day 46

June 14, 2014

Day 45 - Bring It On!!

June 13, 2014

What a fantastic day!  The day began PT.  On top of the other exercises they added side leg lifts, which I have to say was challenging.  While I was doing my bridge pose I thought, "What the heck" and decided to try full wheel since I was told I have no restrictions.  While it was not pretty (not that it ever was) I was back to my practice!  I was not able to get to full expression but I had my head off the table!  I am sooooooooooooooooooo excited.  After that I was directed to do forearm balance.  It felt really good.  After a few sequences of that I went for plank.  It was wonderful to engage my muscles again.  At the end of my land work I asked about doing upward facing dog and downward facing dog.  I was given the "all clear" to do that so now I have added it to my routine.

After that I went into the pool  92 degrees!  Just my speed!  It was heaven.  Walking in the water was very beneficial both forward and backward.  Did side steps, tree pose, and then straddle leg movements in the deep end.  I also did an exercise with one foot on a noodle and balancing on the other.  I had to push it down and lift it up slowly.  It was challenging on both sides.  By the end of the session I was ready for ice!

I think I had better plan to take it easy tomorrow!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 44 - Slowly But Surely

May 12, 2014

Started the day using the exercise peddles to warm up before I did my stretches.  It made a big difference.  After that I headed to my office to work on my last class for the first session.  I was tired by the end of class and went home to ice my hip.  Tomorrow I go back to PT and start aqua therapy.  Looking forward to it!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 43 - One Day Closer to Being Better

May 11, 2014

Today was good.  Started with exercises and some meditation.  Ended with an amazing concert by Il Volo.  Went with my friend who let me borrow the exercise equipment her mother had for rehab.  Noting new just getting closer to being better.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 42 - On my way

May 10, 2014

I started the day with my exercises.  When I woke up my hip and knee bothered me when I tried to walk but after I was finished with my therapy it felt much better.  I a good meditation session and then went to my office to work and teach.  Class went well but by the end of the day my hip was tired and begging for ice.  I think my therapy would have gone better if I had a recumbent bike to warm up.  I recall my friend's mother had an apparatus that she used for her therapy.  It was a simple stand with pedals.  I am going to ask her where they got it from.  It would do the same thing as a bike but take up less room.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 41 - Just What I Needed

May 9, 2014

Today was wonderful!!!!  I love the therapist!  He appears to be very knowledgeable and up on his profession.  All of what he said resonated with what I know and have experienced.  I was very interested in his comment about ultrasound therapy to break up adhesions.  According to his research on the subject he does not use it.  Some studies have indicated that it can cause a problem with the tissues between the implant and the bone. I started out using a recumbent bike.  I felt soooooooooo wonderful to get some movement in my hips and other joints.  I only did 10 minutes but could have gone for hours.  I only did three exercises two of which were right form yoga.  One was bridge pose which I feared would be weeks away.  My focus in full wheel in a week or two.  The other was Supta Baddah Konasana.  I was not sure I could let my knee drop out to the side.  While it did not go far and I was painful I supported it and found, as you would expect I had more expression as I did the exercise.  The other was much like Warrior 1 on my back.  I let my leg drop off the table to open up my hip and used a strap to pull my foot closer to my butt.  It wasn't pretty but over time it will get better.  I was sent home with drawings of each exercise and plan to be back Friday for more therapy and to start aqua therapy.  The pool is about 90 degrees...just my kind of pool!

I felt so much better that I came home and cleaned out a closed and emptied some book boxes form the garage.  By the end of the day I needed to ice my hip.  Probably over did it again.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 40 - Just What I Needed!

May 8, 2014

Happy birthday to me!  This getting old crap is getting old.  Felt terrible today.  Hip and knee are bothering me.  Took my granddaughter to the "Fairy Festival" at Art Park.   We loved it!  Walked all over on the grass but hip was not very happy.  By the end of the day I was back to using the cane to walk any long distance.  I am hoping that PT will help tomorrow.  Can't wait!!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 39 - More of the Same

June 7, 2014

No real news today.  Did my meditation in the park at my special spot.  Sitting on my heels with a pillow and my yoga block to sit on between my butt and my heels felt good.  Stretching out those muscles was wonderful.  My hip socket still hurts.  I have sharp pains that radiate down in to the inside of my knee.  I am hoping that PT will help with this.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 38 - Moving is Gonna Hurt

June 6, 2014

Started the day with chair yoga.  It was a perfect beginning.  I took it slow and modified some poses a bit for a more aggressive workout.  On others I backed off.  I am listening to my body and being thoughtful about how things feel.  What I love about taking basic classes is they point out the little details of a pose that we have often forgot or take for granted.  In Warrior 1 we were made aware of the need to have our butt cheeks tight.  When I checked I noticed that naturally occurred on the left side but not on my right side.  It made me aware that I am not using the muscles in my leg and buttocks correctly.  This reminded me that my "software is still getting use to my hardware". 

After yoga I went to the park to meditate and then back to the studio for a restorative massage.  What a perfect day!

By the end of the day I was tired and ready to ice my hip.  Tomorrow I plan to take it easy with meditation and some simple stretching.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 37 - Nothing New

June 5, 2014

Had a good night.  Slept well for the first time in days.  Took the day easy.  Did not have much energy after straightening up the house.  The walking that I did was slow and I had to stop every so often to let my hip settle down.  It hurts on the outside today but my knee is ok.  Did not make it to the park so meditated at home and took it easy until class in the evening.

Uneventful day, which is not a bad thing.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 36 - Moving Ahead

June 4, 2014

Had a horrible night.  Hurt all over and arms felt weird. Hard to describe but at one point I had to get up and do push-ups against the sink.  I felt sick and just awful.  Could not get to sleep and when I did I kept waking up.  No matter what side I tried to sleep on it didn't work.  I feel like my body needs to get moving and detox.

The morning showed promise.  Went to the doctor and picked up a script for Tramadol.  I have been trying to get by without it but I don't think I am ready yet.  Once I took some and rested a bit I began to feel better.  Bu late morning I was ready to get moving.  I did a bit of yoga on the back porch.  I did modified warrior 1 and 2 and humble warrior.  My downward facing dog was modified using the back of a chair and I did chair pose and modified tree.  It seemed to work and felt better almost immediately.  I been paying attention to my gait and try to walk with my knees closer together.  It seems to be working.  By the afternoon I went to the park with my dog to meditate.  I found the perfect secluded sheltered spot by the river.  I took the rest of the day easy and monitored my walking.

I am feeling much more positive.  I was quite disheartened last night and thought I would never get back.  I was hoping to make a chair yoga class today but missed it.  I am glad I took the time today to build up to it and plan to take it on Friday,  I can't wait until next week to start.  I need to get moving,  I will do a some yoga tomorrow and continue to take it slow.  I have an appointment to start PT on Monday but hopefully getting back to my yoga practice will make it unnecessary.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 35 - Five Weeks Today - Set Back!

June 3, 2014

Last night was terrible.  I was in pain all night but did not want to take may medication, hoping that ice would help.  It di but it was not enough.  I could not get comfortable and by the morning I was close to tears.  I called the surgeon's office and left a message for a request for an appointment and for PT.  I think that I am making things worse by walking incorrectly.  I think I need assistance in correcting my gait and I would be better off with shorter quality walks rather than longer walks.  Not only does my hip hurt but now my knee.

I am planning on staying home today to rest and recover and await a call from the doctor.  Fortunately I have summers off.  I am so glad I scheduled it for the beginning of summer.  I can't imagine how people would do this if they had to go back to work right now.

I heard from the doctor's PA.  They are sending me a script for PT.  My symptoms suggest just what I had figured.  I need to strengthen my leg and get my gait straightened out.  I will also be having aqua therapy but not until after the sixth week.

I rested most of the day and went to teach in the evening.  I am sure that the damp rainy weather is not helping either.  Hope tomorrow will be better.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 34 - Doing Too Much?

June 2, 2014

Today I started with meditation and reflection.  Then I was off to a day of walking to get some things done.  I am not using a cane in the hope that I will begin to use both legs equally and trying to walk longer distances.  I can only walk a short while until I have to stop and rest as my hip area becomes cramped, then continue on my way.  It was along day and my hip and leg were not happy.

I met a friend for dinner and barley got though it.  I was extremely uncomfortable and exhausted.  By the time I got home I wanted to do nothing but ice.  Hopefully a good night's rest will help.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 33 - A Bit Too Much

June 1, 2014

I started the day with a yoga class that my daughter taught.  It was held at the new Lululemon store that recently opened.  It was nice to be back in a class even though I couldn't practice.  I did try a few postures with a great deal of modification.  Chair pose was fine.  I was able to do Warrior 1 on both sides but not a all deeply.  I managed to do half moon with the my surgical leg lifted and tree on both sides but not with full expression.  I have difficulty putting weight on my right leg unless I hold on to a wall to steady myself.  Even then it hurts.  I was tempted to try full plank and even upward facing dog but I thought better of it.  I am sure Savasana would have been fine.  I just have to keep in mind that I am not supposed to go back to yoga for another week and stay patient.

Fro there I went to my massage.  It was so wonderful.  It was just what I needed to end a hectic weekend.  From there I went to the park to watch my daughter teach yoga on paddle boards.  I can't wait until I am able to try it.  The day ended with everyone at the house but we ordered dinner.  I was too exhausted to cook, let alone stand up.  My leg and hip are not happy.  I am sure I did too much.  Fortunately I have tomorrow to recover.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 32 - Moving In More Ways Than One

May 31, 2014

Today was exhausting!  I was back at the house to help move some final items.  The movers did not come until late in the day so I did not get home until after midnight.  I spent much of the evening taking care of my granddaughter and getting her ready for bed. 

I went to bed with ice on my hip and having taken 2 Tramadol.  I am looking forward to my massage tomorrow.  I need it.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 31 - You Never Know!

May 30, 2014

My leg really bothered me last night.  It seemed to ach all over.  It makes me wonder of I am really going to get better.  I called the doctor's office and left a message to see if I could get a script for massage.  They called me back shortly to say one has been written.  I am very impressed at their quick response.  I have an appointment for the end of the day to see if massage might help release my muscles.  I have a feeling that that might be a big part of my pain problem.

Well, things did not go quite as planned.  I had planned to get  a restorative massage but the therapist had to change it to Sunday.  It is probably might be just as well since I wound up going to help my daughter-in-law move into her new house.  It started out easy enough until I got to the house and realized just how nasty the carpets were.  At that point we decided that they needed to be ripped out before the movers arrived.  I was able to cut them into strips and rolled them up on my hands and knees.  In no time we had the rugs and mats out by the curb.  It turns out that the movers can't come until Saturday now.  I am hoping I won't pay for this tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 30 - Ah Ha!

May 29, 2014

The day started well.  Had a wonderful meditation session.  Managed to get up and down some stairs to do some laundry.  Took it one step at a time.  Still relying on my left leg but getting stronger, more confident and a bit more flexible on the right.  I am trying to walk longer distances without the assistance of the cane but still use it when I have longer distances or uneven terrain just for security.

Taking a bath is my relaxation therapy.  I have been dying to get back into the tub and especially since I was so cold yesterday after the yoga event.  After going it much thought I figured out how to take a bath without soaking my incision!  I used a yoga block to sit on!  It got my hips high enough out of the water yet allowed me to recline and relax. Haaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  It worked perfectly but any block or even plastic ware would work.

Went to teach later in the day but for some reason was so exhausted.  I don't know why.  Barely made it through class.  I do know I did not have time to take a "power" nap.  Perhaps this is why I could not go the distance.

I wonder what awaits me tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 29 - Up and Down

May 28, 2014

My legs hurts differently today than other days.  Every day seems to be a bit different.  The plan is to take a slow walk in the park after some meditation this morning.  Tonight I am hoping to be able to attend a yoga event with my daughter this evening.  While I can't participate at least I can be there and get my "head" back in the game.

The event was wonderful but a bit too cold to be to be practicing outside.  The food afterward was exceptional and it was so nice to see friends form the studio.  It just reminded me how much I miss yoga.

I have to realize that not every day will be an "ah ha" day but every day has something to offer.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 28 - 4 Weeks Ago Today

May 27, 2014

It has been 4 weeks today that I had my surgery.  It has been an interesting ride and more to come.  Today started well.  Had a good night's rest and was in my bed the whole night.  Woke up this morning to find my meditation website was down.  Should have known it was not a good sign.  As the day wore on my hip hurt more and more.  By the end of my five hour class and the day my whole leg hurt.  Right now my hip is especially painful with rather sharp pains.  My knee is also bothering me and my plantar fasciitis.  I am back in the recliner icing and hope a slow day tomorrow will help me get back on track.  At least I have a massage waiting for me on Friday.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 27 - Taking It Easy

May 26, 2014

Took it easy today after yesterday.  Spent most of the night with ice on my hip in the lounger.  Walked a bit today trying not to use the cane very much.  Managed to get on and off a friend's boat.  The outside of my right hip and my right buttocks hurt.  Maybe because I am using the muscles more.  The areas around my incision is not as swollen but I took it easier today.  I found when I wake up it is hardly swollen as much but as the day goes on it gets worse.  At least it is getting better.  I think I am going to schedule a massage this week to try to get more circulation around that area.

Missed my morning meditation.  Plan to get to the water tomorrow to catch up.  Yoga in 2 more weeks!!  Yea!!!

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 26 - An Active Day

May 25, 2014

Started the day with Reiki and meditation.  It was a great start to a long day.  Spent all day at the club.  Walked everywhere.  Back and forth between the docks, my car and the pool.  I think I over did it but it was a great day.  It was nice to be up and out.  It still hurts in the hip joint.  Around the incision it is numb and becomes swollen by the end of the day.  I am still on Tramadol.  I do have better range of motion and can lift my leg but it still hurts in the front of the joint.  I plan to take it easy tomorrow.  We will see how that goes.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 25 - Out and About

May 24, 2014

What a long day!  Started with taking my granddaughter to gymnastics.  Rode with a good friend and her little boy and had time to catch up.  After that it was on to the club.  The pool opened today and of course the kids wanted to swim even thought the water was cold.  Lounging there was helpful and then drove to the store for some things for dinner.  By the end of the day I was beat and my hip was not terribly happy.

I am walking more without the cane although I still need it when I do not have a wall or something else to steady myself if need be.  Took 1 Tramadol this morning and one this afternoon.  Tonight is going to require 2 Tramadol and some ice.  Hopefully I will sleep through the night.  I am going to need it.  Tomorrow is the children's party at the club.  The fishing derby starts as 9 and there are nonstop activities for them the rest of the day.  I know I won't be there all day.  Fortunately between friends and family I will get some breaks.

Off to meditate and ice.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 24 - Better Than I Expected

May 23, 2014

I remember posting my messages just after my surgery and going from being awake to dozing off in the middle of a sentence.  Being in that twilight zone was the safest place to be following the insult to my body (an ego).  Today I feel better than I expected I would after my day yesterday.  I am finding that my pain level remains fairly constant around a 1 or a 2 on my pain scale.  I am not having the spikes like I was before but still taking 1 or 2 Tramadol, depending on how I feel.  I am going longer with each dosage to help get me off of them.

During meditation today I kept of the contemplating that "I am a soul in a body" This perspective completely changes my view of my life's journey.  Always thinking body first with a soul made me focus more on the physical experience.  Focusing on soul first helps me be a bit more forgiving of the physical aspects of my journey and think if it as a vehicle to allow me to explore and experience the world.  Made me think of the movie "Men in Black" and the "aliens" that were traveling in other bodies. 

I finished physical therapy today.  It was truly helpful  I still have exercises to do and with the weather improving I am looking forward to getting back to the park and walking my dog.  Until then I am thinking of a trip to Home Depot.  They have carts that I can use to aid my walking and I have projects to do around here for which I need to shop.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 23 - Up and Out

May 22, 2014

Today I am headed out to take a class and to teach.  It is going to be a long day.  I woke up with only a little pain, say...level 1+ but I will see how I am when I have to leave.  Taking Tramadol will at least keep my from going over the edge.

Last night was pretty good.  Very little discomfort.  Managed to walk to the bathroom without the use of my cane but utilized walls and furniture to get there.  Not quite ready to go caneless yet.

I managed to make it through a 2 hour class and had enough to teach a class following.  Ran on 2 Tramadol and got home in time to ice and take 2 more.  Been trying to walk more without relying on the cane but still need it for longer distances.  I am surprised how good I do feel but I am waiting to see how I feel tomorrow.

Meditation was helpful to help me focus the today,  I am planning on adding a Reiki session tomorrow to get me back on track.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 22 - How Normal is This?

May 21, 2014

Today I am struggling again.  Had a bit of a rough night.  Having pain in the joint.  Still on pain medications going between 1 and 2 Tramadol.  Not sure of this is OK at this point to have it get better only to get worse.  I am torn between working too hard and not working hard enough.  I am still trying to find the balance.  Hopefully in a year I will look back at this and understand what is/has happening(ed).  As I once read after my mother passed away,  "Life has to be lived forward but can only be understood backward."

I need to be well enough tomorrow to get back to work.  The plan is to drive to take a class and then teach.  Seeing as I haven't been behind the wheel let alone out for an extended time and have to able to move from my car to a classroom on my own.  My concern is getting there but having difficulty getting back.  I will find out tomorrow.

I called the doctor's office today to see if the pain I am having is within the range of normal.  I was assured that it was and that I will have good days and not so good days.  While I can start moving more normally in 6 weeks I should not be surprised if it takes 3 months to become comfortable.  One year out will be the real mark.  I had PT today.  The therapist said she is seeing good progress and reminded me that when they take power tools to your body your should expect some pain.  Put that way...I guess that does make sense.

Meditation today was helpful.  I am looking forward to being able to practice by the water.  Since I start driving tomorrow I hope to be there in a day or two.

I managed to get some exercise food shopping with my husband.  I found walking with the cart allowed me to walk naturally and loosen up hip with support if I needed it.  I think it is a good option for getting some exercise.

The day ended with icing and 2 Tramadol.  I am sure tomorrow will be...different.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

meditation

Day 21 - One Step Back

May 20, 2014

Seem to be having a bit of a struggle today.  Slept part of the night in the recliner chair icing my hip and part of the night in bed.  I woke up feeling very stiff with pain in the hip joint and into my low back.  Perhaps this is due to new PT exercises that I got yesterday that require me to be standing and putting more weight into that hip.  The weather is also changing and rain is coming in.  I am wondering if this might be causing me to notice my hip more.  I do hope that this pain will go away regardless.  I do feel the incision site is improving and the swelling is going down.  Ice still makes it feel better.

Meditation this morning was healing and empowering.  One day at a time I feel I am making progress in one area or another.  I do have questions about my physical limitations and about what I can and cannot do when I get back to my yoga practice but right now I am not ready to ask them.  I am still willing to take it easy and listen to my body.

I have been trying to move around the kitchen without using a cane.  This way I have the support of the counter if I need it.  Today was a bit better than yesterday and I am using by legs more evenly when I walk or just stand. 

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 20 - Getting Better All the Time

May 19, 2014

Looks like I paid for yesterday.  Back to 2 Tramadol this morning.  I am still working on how much is too much.  Now that I am on my way to my physical healing I am back to my psychological healing.  Today's Day 2 meditation from Depok Chopra's "Finding your Flow" focused on "you" as the source of your happiness.  During this I revisited the awareness that happiness is wherever you are, not a destination or a place.  While a place can be a sanctuary for this healing it is not always possible to be there.  Therefore it is imperative that I take the time to look inward for this happiness or peace and stay in the moment.  I am the only one that can create this.  I cannot look to others.  If I seek a sanctuary, if I seek healing, if I seek peace, if I seek happiness I have to work it find it.   I keep revisiting Lao Tze's
  If you are depressed you are living in the past
  If you are anxious you re living in the future
  If you are content you are living in the present

While I know this I have to keep reminding myself.

One of the things I realize is that while I know much I have not really internalized or masters it yet.  I thought that all of this would have been applied throughout this journey.  Only now I am coming back to it.  My physical distractions clouded this knowledge.  Rather than being disappointed in myself, I am learning from it.  I find this realization interesting because it intersects with Beattie's reading for today..."Don't be Afraid of Making Mistakes".  This is an important reminder that everything happens for a reason and we learn the most form our struggles and failures rather than our successes.  We just need to be aware and open to the lesson that is offering itself. 

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 19 - I Am Ready

May 18, 2014

Today is the beginning of next journey.  I have released my family to pursue their own lives and passions.  As I said, "My work here is done".  I began the day with meditation and happy to be back on track.  The reading I "Love All of Yourself".  Words that are perfect for today.  I need to revisit and celebrate what I have been, what I have done, and how I have done it.

I slept in my bed for part of the night.  While I am still quite comfortable in the recliner, I was happy to find that the bed was equally as comfortable and I am able to get in and out of it myself.  I am down to 1 Tramadol in the morning and 1 at night. 

My friend surprised me up by picking me up and took me out for lunch and got me out in the sun for a while.  It was nice to spend some time out and away without family.  Comparing notes is always nice and an unbiased opinion is always helpful.

Had a busy and physically demanding day.  We will see how I hold up.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 18 - Out in Public

May 17, 2014

Today I managed to sit through a 3 hour graduation ceremony.    During that time I had a chance to look at my family all together for the first time in years and realize how far we have all come.  This was a day to celebrate accomplishments and to look ahead to new ones.  What made this so significant was that I felt for the first time in 30+ years, I am ready to let everyone stand on their own.  It is time for me to focus on me.  Perhaps my surgery was meant to get me headed on this journey.  It has given me time to revisit my personal, professional, and physical self.

I am down to taking 2 Tramadol in the morning and 2 before bedtime.  I used the walker to navigate the crowd at the graqduation but spend the rest of the day using my cane and trying to walk in a more balanced way.  I am sleeping through the night for the first time in years.  I have no longer have pain that wakes me up multiple times a night.  Even though I still have some healing pain, the pain that prompted the hip replacement seems to be gone.  I am hoping that over the next days and weeks I will be back to where I was before the accident and maybe even better!

Today's reading from Journey to the Heart, was titled "Happiness Is Within Reach".  I am beginning believe that not only is this possible, but I am even deserving of it.  It is just up to me for find it.

Stay Tuned!

Day 17 - Waking Up

May 16, 2014

Went to the doctor today.  He was very positive about my progress.  He told me to stop being so cautious and to trust my hip.  He said that I could go start back to yoga in another 3 weeks.  H wants me to start moving more and slow stretching in the meantime.  That sounds good to me!  I am planning on starting back with chair yoga.   I can sleep in my bed and on my side if I want or even on my stomach.  Neither of those options sound like a good idea yet.

I the physical therapist came today and is still helping me with my mobility and strengthening.  I practiced getting in and out of bed and walking.  I need to focus on distributing my weight equally on both feet and to regain an normal balanced gait.  She plans on coming next week to help me work on this.

So that is working on my body, but what about my head.  I found that was a problematic as my hip.  I realize that I was very disappointed about my first 2 weeks.  I "trained" for this and thought I would be better, stronger, faster.  Guess that is my competitive nature.  While I was sitting in the office today, I took some time to check in with one of my favorite books Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie.  As I went through the readings for the dates for the past weeks, I was amazed how helpful reading these entries would have been to get me through them.  This is one of my go-to books to help me center and reflect.  Why I did not have presence of mind to do daily readings is beyond me, but better late than never.  Today's title is "What You Believe, Is What You Will See.  Boy I needed to reminded that.  I plan to make reading this part of my morning ritual.  I also realize I need to get back to daily meditation.

I find it interesting how my physical condition impacted my mental condition.  I know this is nothing new, but I  am now more aware of the importance of keeping myself in good physical condition.  As I began to feel better my mind began to clear.  Getting off pain meds is certainly helping as well.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 16 - Still Hangin in There

May 15, 2014

Today was another day of taking it easy and trying to get my body and brain to begin working together.  Still on Tramadol but cutting back to taking it in the morning and before bed. I am still going between the walker and the cane.  I just don't trust my hip yet.  I don't want to screw this up.  It really is my last chance.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 15 - Slowly but Surely

May 14, 2014

No big revelations today.  Had PT and practiced walking with a cane. It is going to take some getting use to.  Trying to get up every our to move and I am setting my alarm to remind me.  I have realized that I do not like depending on others to help me.  I hope I never get in a situation where I have to do this.  Guess I just better be sure I keep in shape.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna

Day 14 - Support on the Journey

May 13, 2014

Today was another day of getting use to the "new" me.  I am waking up feeling better than the day before and sleeping better as well.  I am still in a recliner chair but hope to transition to my bed in a day or two.  I am still taking pain meds but not as frequently and I am beginning to trust my hip a bit more to bear weight.  Walking every hour is helpful and I think it is what I need most now.  Distance is not the essence.  Frequency is.  Setting a timer to remind me would be a good idea.  Tomorrow I tackle using a cane.  I need to get mobile as summer sessions start next week.

I have been thinking about how much a support group would have helped, or would help me in this process.  I am not sure if there any locally or online.  I will have to research this.  I am thinking of calling the hospital where I had my surgery to see if they know of any.  They had a very helpful 2 hours class that I took to prepare me for my surgery.  This might be a logical extension.  I would be glad to volunteer my time and experience with others and I am sure there are more people out there who would do the same.  Either by phone or online, either would have helped me.  I would be most interested in working with others who are in fairly good shape before the surgery.  I am not sure what I might have to offer to someone who comes in with different issues, but who knows...maybe they are all similar.  I know that it would be only for support and encouragement.  I am sure there are liability issues.  Leave the medical side to the experts.

Logical goals are another part of recovery.  It has taken me some time to get used to the idea that even though I was in shape before this surgery, my progress has not been as expected or hoped for.  I am sure there are/were some ego issues involved.  Comparing myself to others does me no good.  My PT therapist has been quite helpful in setting short term goals.  I only see her every other day now but it gives me something to work for.  I need(ed) to set long term and short term goals to help keep me positive and on track.  Writing them down is most helpful.

I need to keep in mind this is an unknown journey for me.  If I look at it as exploring the Amazon, it helps give me perspective.  Every day and every turn reveals something else to me.  I need to keep my eyes and mind open to discover what there is to be learned along the way.

Stay tuned!

Namaste
Donna