Man Tor Ridge Walk

This one walk has haunted me for a long time, I’ve always settled that it’s too much and it’s not for me.

Well this looming date made us think maybe we should try it before I’m back to square one mobility again, and I’m so glad we did it!!

The start did not look good, not only was visibility bad but my nemesis of steps loomed. So we opted to stop and rest as many times as needed.

As we reached the top, we saw snatches of clearing air, and views coming our way, worth the climb. We ate half way up, to help with the resting period.

Once up it’s a lovely wide ridge walk, we met some amazing people along the way. So nice to stop and chat and soak in the countryside.

Instead of coming straight down we opted to go to Back Tor as well. Mindful that in a few weeks I’ll be back on crutches.

So many cairns built, we built our own below too.

Mr Moon stood on deadly rocks with huge drops, the photo dies not do it justice.

We ended the entire Ridgeway by going onto Lose hill. Probably painwise I shouldn’t of done, but ego spurred me on!!

A huge rest and picnic here was thoroughly enjoyed. Again surrounded by like minded happy friendly people, makes it all worth while. What an epic day.

Scared Myself

I’ve had to stop some physio, in fear that the replaced hip isn’t liking it.

Had an awful Friday 14th May, where my hands and elbows and shoulders were in a world of pain, and I was sat contemplating actually how many body parts I need!!

But the following morning I got my 1st Replaced hip incident. I hinged at the hips and bent to put rubbish in the bin, felt a shift (But no noise or pain) and then suddenly it felt like giving way.

Now I have visions that it’s loosening or has moved.

I can’t walk, it feels like lightening like sciatica so gives way. I’m nursing it for now with rest rest rest and hot water bottles, with a view to ringing the Hospital if it doesn’t improve.

Hippie Woes

Still having untold issues with the left hip, I’m forever trying to keep it in decent condition while finely balancing it with not doing too much.

As it’s so easy to aggravate it and I can barely move. Seem to do more damage just pottering around the house, probably because it involves more bending and twisting.

Some basics I like to do, to keep legs moving are.

Ankle Pumps

Sit or lie with legs supported,Pedal your ankles up and down. Keep the knee as straight as possible, do for 1min

Thigh Squeezes, push down

Lie on your back, with legs as straight as possible. Pull toes and foot up towards you, while pushing the thigh muscle down, feel the stretch at the front of hip. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat for 10 reps.

Heel raises in lying

Lying down with supported legs, place a rolled up towel under one knee. Pull the foot towards you and straighten the knee as much as possible. Hold for 3 seconds and repeat for 10 reps.

Heel slides (use a bag or magazine)

Legs fully supported while lying down, keep the heel in full contact with the bed. Slide the foot up towards the buttocks, bending the hip and knee. Hold for 3 seconds and go down slowly. Use Some thing to reduce friction and use of glide under foot.

Buttock (Butt) Squeeze

Lying or standing up, gently squeeze the bum cheeks together, Hold for 3 seconds and repeat for 10 reps.

Bridging

Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the bed. Squeeze your buttock muscles together, and gently lift yourself upwards, off the bed and as high as you can. Hold for 3 seconds and slowly lower, repeat for 10 reps. (Still my most hated)

Thors Cave

Off on more rambling adventures, we’ve decided to try and do it once a week, that way I have a couple of days to plan ahead, ie route, food, clothes prep, the walk day itself which is a whole day out, then a few days of complete rest afterwards.

This time we faced my nemesis walk, the first and only time we’d done it I felt like I was dying!!

Here I am at Freyas cave first, I’m not attempting to climb in, as I need to preserve energy.

Met a bullish sheep, he really intimidated me. I ran off ( well waddled as fast as I could)

Lovely weather though, some moody skies but overall cool enough to not over heat. Only got cold when we sat for food.

more friendly faces, we even saw a few walkers, lots of smiles and chats.

Some things are clearly off limits to me, and rightly so too. But to see others out and about enjoying the countryside was lovely.

Some bonkers folk on the top, I’m glad I’m safe and sound down here.

Me taking photos of the stream, I do love a babbling brook to cleanse my soul. Too cold to dip toes in though.

Glad I did it, but boy it wasn’t easy, loads of mud and so tiring. But it’s no longer my nemesis and I can tick it off my list.

Replaced hip had a golf ball sensation after this, but thankfully eases off with complete rest and hot water bottles. The other hip is just so grinding and white hot pain, it’s hating me and life right now.

Phone Consultation Hip News

I’ve managed to finally get a phone consultation with my surgeon to see what the results are of the MRI on the left hip, and hoping to get a ball park time frame of surgery date.

Could be asking far too much though, as I know they are swamped from a huge back log of those cancelled and not just those desperate for now. It will be a huge undertaking to get this back to how it was pre covid.

First I had to write down my questions, so I know exactly what to tell him or ask him while I can.

First off epic wait for the call….

Nearly 4 hours later than planned. I get the call. And it’s NOT good news. It’s grade 4 osteoarthritis no cartilage left, but the real kicker is probably 1 year wait!!

Silver lining my steroid injections in the hands can freely go ahead, and I can hope to ease them up, and I can’t possibly do anymore damage to hip, as it’s trashed.

And though I’m custom hip and they usually have to do them quick in case anatomy changes, mine is overall static so only have to redo 3d CT scan in Dec 2021.

So all I have now is to try and live with it, accept it hurts and do what I can when I can.

Gentle Physio?

I’ve struggled, really struggled with movement lately. So I’ve opted for a different approach. It seems standing on 1 bad leg isn’t really an optiom at times, so I decided to readjust the exercises, but do it from the safety of lying down.

That way no unnecessary loading going through the one painful hip, and I can control the speed of the movement more, making it just as effective.

So Hip Flexion I did single knee hugs, bring up slowly, hold the knee to chest and hold for 20 seconds. My left does not come up far, so don’t push it beyond it’s range.

And then did both legs together, just bring them up and hold for 20 seconds.

Some knee pivots, which were way way harder than I ever imagined. I just about got 10 reps each side. You can do heel pivots too, starting with knee in the air, and lower from knee to heel down, to touch both heels together 10 reps.

External Hip Flexion my Left leg does not really come out at all, there is no degrees!! 20 second hold.

Internal Hip Flexion, I have a lot more success at, so again 20 second hold.

Bridging my least favourite, Up and hold for 5seconds and down, I just about managed 10 reps.

With doing these, my hips have had the same range of movement while safeguarding the joints. I need to limit the pain as much as I can while I wait for hospitals to be available.

Bone Cracking?

Everytime I bend and lean forwards to reach for something my hip cracks, and then I struggle to stand straight again.

From this I know it’s arthritis making the bones grind together, better known as: Crepitus
sometimes called crepitation (krep-i-tay-shen), describes any grinding, creaking, cracking, grating, crunching, or popping that occurs when moving a joint. People can experience crepitus at any age, but it becomes more common as people get older.

So life is getting pretty hard and miserable. And I’ll be counting down time til I can get onto the list.

I fear it could be a long long time, so I need to find something else to distract myself in the meantime, and focus on other things. Otherwise I will fall into a vicious cycle of misery and pain.

I rang the hospital out of sheer desperation and honestly I felt worse, found out that all services have stopped, consultants redeployed elsewhere and to ring back in March, and hopefully then they can reschedule me.

Just knowing there’s no one to see, no one to guide or give hope to me is immensely soul crushing. It’s going to feel like a long long 6 weeks til I can ring again.

Phone Consulation?

All week or so it’s been a game of will I get my call or not? Seeing many surgeries getting cancelled all over again, hits home hard.

The crushing blow of that glimmer of hope extinguishing, is cruel especially at the last minute.

So this week I’ve busied myself each day to distract from that dreaded call to cancel me. As the days ticked on, my spark of hope was igniting again, could it be still going ahead??

So for this week I’ve been trying to distract myself with the new physio exercises and all important anterior pelvic tilt ones too.

And at the last evening before the Call, a letter is posted at 6.20pm and its the NHS it’s what I feared, it’s cancelled.

No clue how long for, no rescheduled date, No Hope!!!!

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

Mine is back and it’s horrific.

What is it you ask? it’s what I could say is Instagram bum.

Where your lower back throws out your bum, while the whole pelvis tilts forward.

I believe it’s where your Hip Flexors are too tight and short these then pull the pelvis down. While the hip extensors are too loose and long and allow the short flexor the range to pull.

Clearly it’s not by choice to stand like this, and after years of work I had corrected it. But it’s back and it’s time to get to work again.

Dead Bugs are good at helping this out, it’s important to go slowly, and under control. Alternative arm and leg slowly into outstretched, while pulling in the stomach and keeping pelvis in neutral .

Much hated Bridges, but they do help immensely. I too use a band to stop knees from falling outwards. You can add a single leg if you like to make it harder, but for now I’m doing basic.

Just a simple pelvic tilt to help find neutral, can work wonders. Especially to then learn it while standing upright too. I do a few rocks and then settle into neutral for a few breaths.

These Supermen exercises help, but like dead bug but on your knees. Do alternative arm and leg the same, keeping gut sucked in and in a straight line. I find these too hard as my knees hurt.

Let’s hope I can get the results back again, just goes to show physio is really for life and problems soon arise when I stop doing it as regular.

Hip Failure

Now I know I need another hip replacement surgery, and New Year is here, I decided to set a goal of getting into a routine of Physio again.

I’d really let it slide as I was walking more, but since the hip crack I’ve simply existed and barely moved at all.

Time to change this, as last pre hip surgery I was in a good routine, and although basic and simple it actually was highly affective in helping me recover.

Starting with the Bosu Ball

I do 10 step ups x 2 (left foot first)

10 step ups x 2 (right foot first)

10 lunges x 2 (left foot first)

10 lunges x 2 (right foot first)

Hip flexion 10 reps x 2 (left foot first)

Hip flexion 10 reps x 2 (right foot first)

Hip abduction 10 reps x 2 (left foot first)

Hip abduction 10 reps x 2 (right foot first)

Hip extension 10 reps x 2 (left foot first)

Hip extension 10 reps x 2 (right foot first)

Left Hip is awful, needed a crutch to keep me steady, zero balance on board and in abduction exercises. Thankfully Right Hip is fairing better, though does fatigue rather quickly so will benefit greatly from regular physio exercises.

And so starts our 3rd Lockdown can only hope my Mri isn’t cancelled.