I Hurt All Over..

Ugh the past couple of days have been very tiring. Firstly my stomach decided to flareup with all the pain pills I have been taking so I have felt very knackered and exhausted with that. My good old hip has been quite sore - more sore than normal and I don't know why.

Plus I twisted my ankle on my good leg and that's been aching like hell up to my knee.....with my stomach not well it's making my whole body ache too. I was ment to go see my sister's puppies again today but had no energy. Was also planning on settup up a mini studio and take some portrait photos of the kitties but don't even have the energy for that :(

I am so over pain, so over my hip. My next checkup is next week in CHCH but nothing has really changed since 6 weeks ago if anything I have a little more pain. Physio is frustrating as the cupping is not getting easier and doesn't seem to be making huge headway. I am also feeling funny pains which I think are coming from my screws - god I really don't want to get them out!! If they irritate me it's another op and they cut through the previous scar and take them out. After that it's 4-6 weeks on crutches so the holes where the screws were can heal otherwise there is risk of fracture if you don't.

It's just started raining here and is pretty blustery outside. Maybe it will be a nice weekend??

I am also starting to get my photography business up and running, starting the company registration etc so that's exciting.  Ordering one of my new lenses next week - Canon 50mm f1.4 (nifty fifty) and a speedlite flash, yay! My biggest lens I am saving for is the "L" Series 70-200mm f2.8 IS by Canon, it is pro series and is an insanely awesome piece of glass and with IS (built in image stabilization) it's perfect. Comes with a perfect $3,000 price tag though!!! The other lens after the 50mm that I will be getting is the Canon 85mm f1.8 USM which is around $600 so that's not too bad!

Currently watching LA Ink with Kat Von D - so much better now she has her own shop and away from the Miami Ink boys. Her shop is totally awesome, pink with ornate mirrors and this massive carved reception desk.

Sunday Lovely Sunday

Well it bucketed down yesterday afternoon and during the night. Woke up this morning to a brisk spring day, lots of sun with just a little cold easterly blowing. Looked up at the hills (Hunter Hills) and there was a fresh dumping of snow! Made me feel like it was winter again lol. Aparently Lake Tekapo also had snow on the ground and just checked out the webcam up there and yes it's a little white!

It is supposed to be 21oC tomorrow and I think around 16oC today so we might go for a day trip somewhere tomorrow, somewhere scenic so I can take some photos!!

The Pool - we managed to drag ourselves to the pool yesterday and happened to time it with a ground of around 10 boys who look between 8-10. Century is a decent sized indoor pool but when you have that many screeming boys in one place it felt VERY VERY small.  We got in and I went through my exercises (much prefer our spa it's soo much warmer) I think the pool was around 20oC so I got cold quickly and it's not like I was swimming lengths to keep warm!

We got out after around 20mins and as we passed the strange looking lifeguard she commented we wernt in for long - I explained that I was recovering from hip surgery and only here to do physio exercises, she sort of mumbles after that. Plus the air was very heavy with the chlorine smell and I felt quite sick. The only other pool option is Maori Park but that doesn't open till November - it's heated but open air.

I think I will try to do most of the exercises in the spa!!! We do have a pool but it's empty as needed a clean badly and not heated so there is no way I would get into the water - unless thrown in..

So today I am awfully stiff and catchy - about to do my swiss ball exercises to loosen things up, I hope :)

Fingers crossed everyone is having a great long weekend!

Bad Weather Has Arrived

Well it wouldn't be Labour Weekend without rainy cold weather! Hit here about an hour ago but Craig managed to get the lawns mowed and the Spa refilled! 

Recently downloaded Greys Anatomy season 5 episode 1-5, it's going to be a good season I think! we have also gotten up to date with Weeds - I think it first aired on TV 1 in NZ but we were never really interested, but watched the first season and got hooked. Just watching the end of season 4 then that's it till season 5 starts next year in the US.

Off now to the Pool to do my exercises not that I can muster the energy to go out in the cold weather!

Physio

My Physio appointment last Monday was different - as I told her about the "new pain" she came to the conclusion that it was a type of joint pain. She tested again the angle I could bring my leg up to my chest and since I managed 105oC last time i was hopefull........ I got 70oC.

Grrrr so her explanation was she thinks thick scar tissue has developed in the muscles in the groin and deep around the hip capsule it'self which is in turn stiffening everything up - even though I am doing my stretches and exercises. So she decided to put my leg in to various traction positions to try to loosed the scar tissue etc.

For those who have not had this done it basicly involves a seat belt and a towel and the physio wraps the belt around her then also around my leg which was bent up when lying on my back. Once all was clipped into place she the proceeded to lift the leg with pressure and stretch the joint area as well as moving the leg in all different positions. Yes it hurt but it did loosen the joint a little and when I left I could get 90oC. Still not 105oC but at least an improvement on when I went in! Oh and one of the traction positions was to wrap the towel round my foot then attached the belt to my wrapped foot and the physio pulls the leg. - Basicly the position your leg is in if you have the keyhole hip surgery. It felt WEIRD, it was quite a good feeling for a bit but as she stretched I felt lots of fibres/ligaments/muscles go pop & creak then it started to hurt. So I kindly asked her to stop.

I didn't get any manipulations or cupping this time, didn't miss it at all!! :)

Long Weekend Is Here!

Yay - I really don't know why I am so excited as I'm not working anyway lol but I do get to spend quality time with my partner!

Well things have not been too rosy with my hip over the last couple of weeks. It was good to get Pink Ribbon Day done though :)

Last week I increased my strengthening exercises to twice a day plus pool physio then I started to get bad pains deep in the joint when lying on my good side in bed (even with pillow between my legs) and also when switching to lie on my back. This was a different pain again from what I had been getting - was not nerve or muscle pain, felt deep in the joint like "bone pain". So hard to describe to those who haven't experienced anything like us hipsters.

I am wondering if the two screws are starting to irritate the bone.... if that happens and it gets bad it's up to CHCH again for another op to cut me open and remove them. Then it's on crutches again for 4-6 weeks while the holes where the screws were knit over. Ugh I don't want to think of that. My scar and op area is still insanely sore as it is, I think I can feel it cringing at the thought of more surgery!

Off to the pool 7.30am Sat - if I can get out of bed, apparently the weather is supposed to turn crappy for the long weekend (surprise surprise) so if it gets as cold as they say my op hip is going to tell me about it, cold weather aggrivates it chronicly.

This post has turned into a bit of a rant :) We have been very lucky with the weather though and over the last week we have had beautiful spring days. On Sunday Craig and I went for a drive out to Cave via the scenic route and went to the lovely stone church there. It's open to the public and can be hired for weddings. Managed to get some lovely photos, here are a couple;

Yes I have been SLACK....

I had intended to write in this blog every day but that kind of went out the window over the past few weeks!

So here is a little run down on what's been happening... I turned another year older at the start of Oct and am now the ripe old age of ..... 27! I though I would feel different at this age, strangely I don't but I know I have changed since I was 21... 3 years till I am 30 - in the olden days I would be married, have had all my children and look after the house and children all day whilst my husband brings home the bacon.

Career-wise since my hip has enabled me time to breath/think I am at least certain  that once I get my Dip in Photography that will be my main career choice with my Massage Therapy complementing it.

I also attended my niece's 4th Birthday in late Sept - which was a lot of fun, I was the queen of fairy bread lol. I got her lots of girly things & it was fun shopping for them!

Physiowise it has been prett painful - we are down to once a week for hands-on manipulations with cupping/accupuncture and I wish I could say each week the muscles around the hip/butt were slightly improving but they aren't as yet. The other week the cups got put on around the glute muscles and "Migratory Cupping" was done - which is when the cup is suctioned onto the skin and moved up and down in strokes along the muscle.

Now unless you have had this done I do not think you can comprehend the pain - the first 3-4 sweeps are pure insane agony, it basicly feels like the muscle fibres are ripping and separating (which the sort of are) them after those passes it does ease as the muscles loosen. At one point it was so sore I could not muster myself to say anything and as a reflex ended up bursting into tears and flapping my arms.... not pretty!!

Yesterday's appointment only involved deep tissue massage and normal cupping - that was bad enough as I had not been for a week & a half and everything was very tight. For my recovery I am now supposed to go to the pool 3 times a week & complete my 20 strengthening exercises on the swiss ball twice a day...... any one got spare energies for me :)

One good thing was my flexibility has improved & I can now bring my knee up to my chest to 105oC - considering my first visit was 680C then it went to 75oC so there is improvement there, yay.

Joint pain is still there.... but I don't want to go into that today.

PINK RIBBON DAY - For the last 5 years I have organised the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal for Timaru, Temuka, Fairlie & Geraldine & this year no one else came forward to organise it & I didn't want to let everyone down so with the help of great friends & family we pulled it off for the 6th year.

What first got me interested in making a difference was seeing my grandmother go through Breast Cancer when I was in 7th form. She knew she had a lump but waited far too long to tell anyone about it & when she did it was in an advanced stage. So she had the double mastectomy followed up with radiation therapy & jumbles of cancer fighting drugs. However

complications from the radiation therapy caused numerous blood clots which in turn caused her to have two large strokes

with the second one leaving her unable to speak & function.

I remember visiting her is hospital and holding her hand looking into her eyes - you could see there was light there and

her brain was still active but she was unable to communicate. Her eyes sparkled and that was enough. I spent time

with her and later that night she passed. She was only 65.

So I decided I wanted to do something to make a difference and to increase awareness as if she had told people earlier

the outcome would have been a lot different. SAVE BREASTS SAVE LIVES is one of the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation's

motos. So to all that are reading this - do regular breast checks - it doesn't matter if your 15 or 50, male or female!

Breast Cancer does not only effect the older generation - however most of the public think this. Also MEN CAN GET

BREAST CANCER TOO - every year around 20 MEN are diagnosed with breast cancer - so get checking boys, you have

breast tissue too.

This year for the appeal we were so lucky with the weather - it was on Friday 10th October & that was the National Street Appeal

Day. We had a beautiful sunny spring day with light norwesters in the afternoon bringing the temp to around 20oC.

Everywhere was busy & people were so generous - thank you to all that donated! This year there was a increase in

men donating - even teenage boy & they put their pink wristbands on or their pink ribbon without a second thought.

At the end of the day everywhere you went someone was wearing a band or a ribbon & to me that means we

did our job. Business men in flash suits looked very smart with their pink ribbon or wristband on :) So far we have raised

around $6,500 with more to come in before the end of October, so I anyone want a Pink Wristband or Pink Ribbon

let me know!!

You might be wondering how my hip coped with all this running around - little things called PAIN KILLERS got me through it!

I have managed to get myself off the Morphine and am now relying on Codine in highish doses and hoping my tum handles

it ok. Friday night I was wrecked, Saturday we were at Pak & Save collecting & I did 3 hours and crashed in the afternoon.

Sunday - well I am not sure where Sunday went lol.

But I managed it through everything that was going on and that makes me proud as I know the money raised will

help in the fight against Breast Cancer.

My new Goal it to be fit enough to do the RELAY FOR LIFE in March 09. So I have something to work towards! Off to get

some lunch now & will post again this afternoon - promise!!