We studied weather apps, we mapped out places to go, and weighed up pros and cons of each place, and settled on Barmouth!! To the beach it is…

So alarm clock set, we are off on a road trip. Packed enough stuff for breakfast, dinner and hope to eat tea out, you have to eat fish and chips at the beach!!

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I had #Wytchwood beer, a new beach shelter and a lovely book to keep me occupied while Mr Moon went paddle boarding.

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We managed to get fish and chips for us both, and sneak back to the beach to watch the sun go down and leave us with a dramatic colourful sky. It felt so glorious to bask, and relax in the sunshine, to watch people, dogs and children all enjoy the simplest pleasures in life. Shattered we find a place to sleep, and I fell asleep so quickly. More adventures for another day to come.

Finally got my paperwork exercises come through, and I’m honestly a little downhearted at how basic they are, it feels like I’m at square one at times.

But I do trust his opinion, and I can see why I’ve been out onto these. As surely good form basic ones done alternate days is better than doing none at all, because it keeps flaring up?! I think so..

First off we have the Mini Squat, so stand tall with hip feet width apart. Have support if needed (I will do) Squat down by sitting back, Return to the starting position. Note Keep Hips, Knees and Toes Aligned, Keep weight evenly on your whole foot, Chest up and trunk almost upright. Repeat 5 to 10 reps in 2 to 3 sets. Every other day.

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Standing Hip Extension with support. Transfer your weight slightly forward and using your buttock muscles lift your leg back. Return the leg to starting position. Repeat 5 to 10 reps in 2 to 3 sets. Every other day.

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Sitting Chair Leg Lift, Lift your leg up off the seat keeping the knee bent. Return to the starting position. (So no longer pushing down on it, a simpler version) Repeat 5 to 10 reps in 2 to 3 sets. Every other day.

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Modified Clam with Hips 90 degrees. Start by lying on your side with your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees. Take support with your hand on the floor in front of you. Press your hand against the floor and lift your upper side slightly. Keep your feet together and turn from your hip to lift the knee upwards. Keeping the pelvis still. In a controlled manner, lower the knee back down. Feel the muscles in the side of your buttocks working. Repeat 5 to 10 reps in 2 to 3 sets. Every other day.

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Lying on your Back, Knee to chest stretch. Bend the leg to be stretched towards your chest and hold onto the knee with both arms. Pull your knee towards your chin keeping your head on the floor. You should feel stretching on the back of your thighs and buttock. Hold for approx 20 seconds. Repeat on both sides X 5 reps. Every other day.

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After such a busy week with hospitals and lots of early mornings, we ditched the idea of a big walk, as it requires a lot of planning and driving. So sun shining we head out for just down the road from us.

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Straight away we spot the deers having some lunch, and feeling at ease. We drive slowly to admire them, and then off to park up and go for an amble.

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Lots of landscape changes being made for wildlife, and lots of bushcraft huts that the kids have made over the years.

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The river is crystal clear and the skies are blue, what a beautiful spring day, that shows us the Equinox is nearly here (Sunday 20th March) and tonight is a full moon. It’s been great to get out and clear the cobwebs away.

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We stop for donuts and cider and get catching to the local Robin. We met a lovely couple and got chatting, so nice to come across young couples that are full of beans for the place. It is a stunning place.

We finish off our day with a trip to the chippie, for a mixed meat kebab chips and salad. It’s so big we only buy 1 to share, yet have a plate full each which we never finish, so save it for the next day, so technically we get 4 meals out of 1 Kebab.

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I can’t believe it’s been 5 weeks since I was last here!! That’s crazy, time really does seem to be whizzing by, and other things seem to taking my attention more than the hip. Which is good in a way, as it means I’m naturally moving on from being acutely affected day to day.

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However it’s also bad as it means I’m not truly focusing on healing and improving this nagging psoas issue. But that’s the devil of having more than 1 health issue, going on in your life. Sometimes you have to choose to rest when you don’t want too, and to focus on other joints as they hurt worse. And that’s definitely been me lately.

On demonstrating my ability to hip hitch lying down, it was decided it’s too weak to progress to standing version. I showed my knee to chest, requiring to use my hands to fetch the leg. This is a massive set back, so we’ve discussed hydrotherapy while land physio is causing such pain. But there’s a heck of a wait for that yet. So in the meantime I’m to go back to hip hitching lying down, and knee to chest stretch on the bed.

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This stretch has been added as my opposite hip is having golf ball sensation issues.

I showed them how the Right hip that’s 3yrs old is also suffering, so I’ve been given the stretch above to try and help ease the pains off.

So it felt a little disappointing, but the plan is for him to devise me a full physio routine and he will post it to me, and do that for 4 weeks, then go back to see if any improvement has been made. And then do the checklist for hydro at that appointment.

Functionally I feel ok, but to do steps, stairs or lift the leg I am struggling a lot, so I will do exactly as I’m told and hope it helps.

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I’ve had such issues and flares lately with my hands, and the only thing keeping me going, was knowing I was seeing Mr Craigen soon at Royal Orthopaedic Hospital.

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And as I was just on the final countdown and a few days away, I got the call that it’s been cancelled, and will be rescheduled soon but with Mr Brewster. Not sure why, or what’s caused the change in specialist either, I just hope it’s not too long a wait.

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Least I have an appointment with occupational therapist later this week, so I’m hoping for maybe new gloves or splints. Maybe this will help me cope while I wait for an new appointment.

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It’s very apt, as we’ve been entertaining ourselves with the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings lately.

Physio just isn’t feeling good or easy right now, but it’s not really a hip replacement issue. More it’s an overall Ehlers Danlos Syndrome issue, as it’s affecting my elbows, shoulders and hands. However the walk I shared previously felt great in the newest hip, but I weirdly overdid the older one??

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I’ve decided to avoid the knee to chest, while it’s so angry, swollen and irritated.

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But lying face down,over a pillow and bending leg and lift is a good flexor stretch. Don’t lift too high and round your back though. 10 reps

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If you rather you could keep leg straight, but it won’t activate the same muscles as much. 10 reps

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Instead of doing many squats, I’m practicing in holding a squat for 15 seconds and doing a few

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Hoping to add the lightest resistance band to my clams 5 reps

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Side leg raises I’m pretty strong in, so they are a feel good move 10 reps

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Probably the hardest move, so slow steady and 5 reps for now

Hopefully little but often will help, but my main focus is on walking and keeping form. I’m only noticing my leg length difference when I’m tired and the Trendelenburg gait comes out. I looked back at my original hip at this stage and whoa they are wildly different. Check it out Here

This last week has been a massive struggle. Flaring up psoas pains all the time, along with hands I’d gladly amputate most days. I’ve not been sleeping well either.

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My hands day and night in gloves, splints, covers and 8oval rings.

As the psoas has flared up again, I have opted for more passive gentle stretches and movements.

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10 sec hold X 10reps Spine Twist

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10 sec hold X 10reps Knee to Chest stretch

I am finding this knee to chest incredibly difficult, and it hurts too. So slow and steady and nursed with ibuprofen gel and hot water bottles

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10reps X each side. Clams. Actually seeing a marked improvement in these.

We’ve not been out for a walk for 2 weeks and I can certainly tell, as it does help us mentally. So I hope we can change that this week, now the weather has improved a bit.

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This walk mentioned here was done a week or so ago. Been resting ever since.

Sometimes things don’t go to plan, and you just never know how or when. We had an epic new place to have a walk around, the weather was good, and I was excited.

But as I was preparing my coat and bag in the car, I hurt my hand merely twisting the wrist, and I burst into tears. My god this hand it getting hard to live with. This hand was already in a compression glove and splint to protect it, yet I still managed to hurt it.

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Village is pretty though, and the location meant there was public toilets too. Bonus.

Getting myself together and forcing the tears away, we set off. Pretty lovely amble at first, until I sank in some mud, thank heavens for boots!

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Moody skies and cold winds but the location is beautiful. Fields were super waterlogged and easy to sink or skate on.

We managed to get to the main destination, but it came with a cost of the hip swelling up quite a lot. Clearly it didn’t like this retrain and the challenges I was putting it through. I took more pain relief and grateful I could sit down and properly rest it.

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We rested and fuelled up on cheese sandwiches and coffee to warm us up. Glorious views.

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After getting to our main part, it was all downhill and through countless more fields, but we stumbled upon a new situation, one that we always have at the back of our minds, Stiles. If you’re lucky you get gates, or tiny passing places, or a well built stile. However I reached one that made me cry, I was terrified of it, it felt too high, too hard, and too unsteady. I was convinced I was going to fall, and we had to shove the leg over. And it meant one hip needed to internally rotate, so I could get a toe hold while bringing other leg over. Now if you have a hip replacement you may know this is a huge No No. I had to trust my 3yr old hip replacement to do this, and it felt boggy, thankfully I got over but the whole experience tipped me over the emotional edge.

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Internally rotating hip is not a good idea for hip replacement patients as you run the risk of dislocation.

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Knowing we could have many many Stiles, and me already in a state with a swollen hip and emotional nervous wreck, we stopped to have coffee and eat more sandwiches while Mr Moon reassessed the route and changed it for a road instead. We ended the walk much earlier than planned, but I was grateful. It was definitely the right call.

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As soon as we got home it was pizza and relaxing, with hot water bottles and ibuprofen gel for the swollen hip.

I have recently learnt of another family member that has recently passed, and it’s fair to say it’s taking an emotional toll on both me and my Mr Moon. While the loss was expected, doesn’t make it necessarily easier.

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This time it’s my Uncle, the husband to my auntie who we lost very recently. So following this news I knew I needed to get out of the house and breathe in some fresh air, and feel the energies of nature, and it’s Imbolc what better time to focus on death, rebirth and life.

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When it was cold and windy the energies here felt bleak and stark, and we called it Quarry Cleaves from Stonewylde (Check out the Stonewylde series by my late friend Kit Berry (sadly passed in October ) Here

As we felt the bite of the wind, a glimmer of sun shone out and we were blessed with a rainbow, something I never expected.

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Faint but just about there, and it touched my soul and made us feel happier.

Walking is so good for meditation, your sole focus is one foot in front of the other, so it helps you be present in that moment. And when the weather is so changeable you get to really feel alive. Sounds crazy I know, but there is something life affirming to feel a bitter chill, or the glow of sunshine, and even the hydration of rain on your face. I guess it’s feeling lucky to be able to feel these things.

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The area is steeped in history, we’ve been here before, but we revisited the lead mines, found old caves and pump houses. It’s nice to explore and learn history. We stopped to speak to an old gentleman, who was talking about how lucky we are to have this beautiful countryside, and he’s absolutely right!! I’m forever grateful for the hills, the fields, and rivers. It was nice to talk to him.

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It was an amazing day and so good for the soul, But I wish I had a different body, and pain levels though. My back was absolutely crippled, and my 3yr old hip replacement decided to throw up a lot of groin pain too.

For some reason I’ve been booked into a different Physio, it’s at the local GPs. Now I confess I don’t hold out much, as I’ve had experience with them before. But I will give this appointment my all, to try and improve leg length and psoas pain.

But isn’t it funny, nothing for 13 weeks and boom 2 appointments in a week?! And my 4th Hospital visit in 7 days, I’m feeling like I’m over them. But health and chasing pain away is a full-time job!!

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First off he measures my legs, ankle bone to hip bone. But he wants my leggings down, good job I had boy shorts on!! Surely you can feel the same through leggings??

The right leg is 87cm and left leg is 85cm. Yet outwardly the left leg is looking the longest. This is purely from the pelvis dropping lower on the right side.

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As you can see the left side is a lot lower than the right side.

I explained the surgeon does NOT want me to wear a shoe lift, but ignored me and has booked me in with a podiatrist. And then he’s given me some exercises to try out.

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Starting with 5 reps

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Not sure why I was given both of these, but with my hands and wrists I’ll be doing the forearm ones 5 reps

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These I find ok so I will do 10 reps

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Not sure I have a table for this.

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Hip pelvis tilts 10 reps

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These I do often anyways 10 reps

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In all my years of physio I’ve never tried these before 5 reps

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Not tried without support 5 reps

So if they want me to do them, I will definitely give it my best shot. I guess it can’t hurt to be measured for a shoe lift, but I won’t wear it full time until I speak to the surgeon again in 6mths time. At least this way it will cut down waiting times, and it will be ready to be worn as soon as surgeon says so.