Happy 4th!

[4th of July parade rolled right in front of my house]

Six days after my exam with the hip specialist, I'm finally not waking up with a lot of pain. I'm hoping this trend continues.

I posted to some FAI support groups online. I have been asking what tricks people have found to cut down on pain while waiting for surgery, what they wished they knew going in, what was helpful during recovery, etc. I'll compile a good list of tips (and a list of support groups I found) once I feel like I have enough data. For now, this is what I've found:

• Sitting on our comfy couch at a non-90 degree angle is my best bet if I want to sit for a long time. I look like a fool slouching all the time, but it works. Laying down helps too, so I sneak in some naps.

• NSAIDs aren't helping at all any more. I was taking 800mg of Ibprofen three times daily. It upset my stomach and didn't help with pain (big clue to the doc that this had nothing to do with swelling).

•  If I'm not having a lot of pain, walking is something I can do - if I walk slowly. Walking faster means a longer stride for me. And longer stride means more pain.

A friend suggested I try hot baths (and maybe even epsom salts). I'll try whatever, so I'll see how that does over the next few days.

We had some great invitations to celebrate the 4th with friends. Chris and I picked 2 parties with my hip in mind - limited number of people, seating for me, Chris is able to either park very close or drop me off and come back quickly.

I hate picking things with my hip in mind, but it's my best chance to have a fun day if I engineer hip success. Of course, the best way to not have pain would be to stay on my trusty couch. But I refuse to let my hip completely control my life.