proximal hamstring avulsion Surgery

Meant to say falling off ladder.
Once again, thank you for your comments and support!

It looks like your new brace allows for weight bearing with both feet on the ground. The hip range of motion will take some time to get used to. My PT did a better job adjusting my brace than the surgeons office.
The goal is to not put any pressure on yiur hamstrings at all.
You will get through the recovery process and will be surprise how strong mentally and physically you are.
Keep resting, icing and taking care of yourself.

At what point in time were you able to sit comfortably? I can’t seem to find any sitting position that is comfortable. I have been laying in bed or propped up with pillows in bed, or laying in a lounge chair on the deck. I eat propped up on pillows or standing on one leg at the kitchen counter.
Not being able to sit up has been my biggest frustration. I am now managing pain with Tylenol & Advil, so feel I am making progress.

It took at least three weeks for me to be able to sit with both cheeks on a chair. I sat with my surgical side propped up on a pillow or on a rolled towel for many weeks. I was pretty much chair(recliner) or bed bound for the first month. Once my daughters left, I ate quite a few meals standing at the counter. Eating at the dining room table was painful and took too much effort. I am glad to hear that you able to get outside and your pain is subsiding. Extra strength Tylenol works well for me.

@upgirl2013

@tamb

@tamb
Just wondering how your progress is going at this point. Have you increased walking time and distance?
I had my 2 week post op appointment last Friday. The doctor gave me approval to start PT, but there wasn’t much I could start doing.
I still have swelling on my surgery leg thigh. This Friday will be 3 weeks after surgery. Does that sound normal? How long did it take for the swelling to disappear for you?
I still can’t sit properly, and have not even attempted stairs.
Just wanting to connect and hopefully hear you
Walking more comfortably.
TAB

@tamb Hi, It is good to hear from you.
The swelling is normal and will continue for a bit. I am 12 weeks today and still have swelling when I do too much. I made the mistake of not icing twice a day for a few weeks. My PT orders mention icing 2ce a day for sixteen weeks. Sitting properly will not be available to you until week 10. I still carry a small hand towel when I go out. I never know what type of chair I will be sitting in. I staring using an heating pad at night before bed and rub Palmers Cocoa Butter on the scar after my first check up. It worked well on my knee replacement scar. The heat helps me get comfortable so I could fall asleep.
I did not even attempt stairs until week 7 when my brace was fully straight and I could figure out how to use crutches going up. I started using every other leg last week and when my leg is tired I go back to using one leg at a time.
I am back to walking, cooking and baking, but still get waves of exhaustion. Bending, squatting are both very painful and I am too stubborn to wait for someone to assist me to get things out of the dryer, lower cabinet, dishwasher rack or oven, etc… I just adjust my leg in a position where I do not feel the pull. The pain from the pull is real and you need to listen to it.
I am able to walk for a few miles on flat roads. My pace is very slow. Hills are tortuous and I try to go very slow up them. I also say the “heel toe, heel toe, eyes 5 feet a head” mantra in my head when I start getting tired.
Three weeks is way too early to walk any farther than 10 mins. I would set my timer for 5 mins and then turn around.
PT seems fruitless, but it is a way to have someone look at the scar, massage the muscles and track your progress. I try to do the exercises three to four times a day. My PT constantly reminds me that this rehab is all about progression and getting all the leg muscles strong again. You will get on the exercise bike at PT around 6 weeks and you will feel like that is one major victory. I have been away from home for the past two weeks and am anxious to get back to therapy.

Embrace the good moments and give into the frustrating ones. I still have low moments and feel better once they are over.
When the brain fog from the trauma lifts, you will know it and have an “ah ha moment”. I woke one morning, at about 5 weeks, and all the little things that bug me were back. I knew then that I was on the road to recovery.
Going from being very active and independent to a sudden halt is one of the hardest things that I have ever experienced.
How much longer will you need your hip brace? Are you still sleeping with it on?
Keep in touch.