Ta-Da Recovery

Since this was my first surgical experience, I tried to take good notes in hopes of passing along some cool information regarding expectations.  Well, as I mentioned in previous posts, I was pretty nervous about anesthesia (being put under) during surgery.  I still was heading into the surgery.  However, as it turns out, the doctors and nurses are sneaky with that stuff.

Prior to the surgery itself, the hospital called to get all of my health history and to make sure I was ready to go on surgery day.  The phone call lasted about 20 minutes and the woman on the phone was very nice.

On the day of the surgery, I got ready to arrive at the hospital about 2 hours early and then I received a phone call.  I was to arrive at 815a, but they called and said I could go earlier, so already, here we go - heading into the unknown a bit sooner!  Expect the unexpected!

Fine with me. The sooner the surgery, the sooner I get home.  So, we headed in to Duke Raleigh early.

When I arrived, I didn't have to wait long to be admitted since my doctor was ready to go!  Even better. Waiting rooms are not fun - let's be honest.

So I met with the admission person, sat down to be paged and 5 minutes later I was taken to the back to be prepped for surgery. Again, we are moving right along, which meant less time for me to be anxious and to be with my own thoughts of stress.

Kim came back with me to meet with the nurse. This is a good thing. If you can help it, have someone there with you who knows some things and who can listen well. There are a lot of thoughts swirling around and it's hard to listen to pre-op and post-op instructions, let alone remember them later.  For the most part I remember what was said, but the little things can be caught by your loved one or questions asked that maybe you didn't think of for one reason or another - in my case, I was just waiting for them to tell me how I was going to be put to sleep and how I was going to breath during the surgery.

At this time I also found out I was going to get a nerve block and a breathing tube. Alright, it's really happening.

The nurse got my main line started to administer saline and "happy medicine." The happy medicine was the sneaky part.  The anesthesiologist came in to mark my back for the nerve block.  As he was doing that, the nurse snuck that sleepy medicine in and after that, I don't remember anything until I woke up after the surgery and I heard "everything went well."

Apparently the nurse asked me if I had any removable teeth (this was I am sure so that they could get the tracheal breathing tube down my throat for me to breath during surgery).  I replied, "I have all of my teeth because I never played hockey."  Kim told me I was trying to make a joke. I don't remember saying that or having the question asked.  Sneaky, sneaky medicine! At least I didn't say anything off the wall.

Post-op, I waited in the back recovery area for about an hour - this is required. During that time, I slowly woke up and chatted.  I can't remember all of the conversation with the nurses, but they were all very nice.  I didn't speak with the doctor after the surgery. I have an appointment with him on May 6.  Kim and my parents were shown some photos of the surgery and told what he did. I don't think they caught all of what he said.  However, he did have to shave more from the hip bone than he thought, about 6 mm during surgery. He cleaned up the area and talked about some arthritis in there.  I will share more information from what happened when I meet with him.  I was told to schedule the follow-up 10-14 days post-op.

Then I was moved to the other post-op area where Kim and my parents could come and see me.  Here is what I learned... I get very very nauseous when being wheeled around after waking up from anesthesia.  No vomiting, but wow! I was so dizzy and ready to vomit. Never did... but WOW... not cool.  I had the nurses worried for sure.  This occurred after being wheeled from one area to another, then being moved from the bed to the wheelchair and from the wheelchair to the area where the car would pick me up.  Just wow. I don't care to relive that for awhile.

Anyway, the recovery has been going well.  Two days of bed rest.  I was given an ice cooler, stim machine, crutches and some pain meds.  All of them have been put to use.  No major pain, just abdominal discomfort. Partly from the 300 sit-ups I did on Tuesday before the surgery and partly from the pain meds which cause some intestinal back-up if you know what I mean. This issue has somewhat subsided, but is still not awesome.  It's pretty much a given that this will happen - so I was told.

The nerve block stuck for the first two days and is still a little present.  The first night I was awake every hour... no kidding every hour. I think I slept about 3-4 hours total the first two days after surgery. I could only sleep about 15-20 minutes a clip.

Although, the medication I am on, who knew you could feel like you really don't need sleep and that you have to force yourself to close your eyes.  No wonder addicts are addicted.

I forced my eyes closed on several occasions. Sleep is important for recovery.  Since then however, I still have to wake up every 4 hours to take meds. Not a big deal. I am now sleeping between those alarms.

I am very grateful to have Kim with me.  Kim has been awesome.  She has provided any help I have needed and reminded me to not sit forward to allow for less than 90 degrees in my hip. She has gone out to get any drinks, food, etc. I need to feel as best as I can.  There is a lot you can't do when you aren't supposed to lift your leg.  Sounds like a simple statement, but try it.  Additionally, the hip is weak and my hip flexor doesn't quite work as well as it did before. I know this will change as it heals and I do some work with it.  I have been doing leg raises and massage work to keep the blood flowing. No need for blood clots here!

Yesterday I decided it would be good for me to get out and go for a ride. It was, but I realized I still get motion sickness. Ride = good; post-ride = not good.

I will however be at the Tank on Saturday to meet all of the Raleigh CrossFitters heading out for my favorite race of the year - Run For Our Heroes 5k!

Looking forward to seeing everyone and getting back to coaching.

Pre-surgery - before the sleepy drugs.

Dutchess just knew.

To clean up the stitches.

Thank you Rollergirls!

Two incisions for the arthroscopic probe on the left hip.

Thank you Raleigh CrossFit!

Popo stayed with me the entire time I was recovering in bed. Every time I went back to bed, she hopped up there too.

My dad and niece. She wanted to test out my knee brace.

The Time is Now

Well, here we go. Arthroscopic surgery awaits me Wednesday at 10:15a.  The healing will commence immediately after, which is what I am most looking forward to.

After speaking with the doctor/surgeon a few weeks ago, I learned that he will be shaving off approximately 3 mm of my hip bone.  There is a possibility that it could be more, but he won't know for certain until he can dislocate the femur.  Nice right?  Once he shaves the hip bone, he will also clean up the area and reattach the torn labrum.  After those repairs, he will move the leg around (please try not to vomit, because as I type that I am happy I won't be able to feel that dislocated leg moving around - at least until later) to see if the femur bone moves correctly in the joint.  If not, he may need to also trim down the femur.

The surgery is about 45-60 minutes in length depending on how much needs to be repaired.  I should be discharged shortly thereafter and will be home recovering.

I am told I am on bed rest for 2 days and on crutches with no weight bearing on that leg for two weeks. Additionally, I am not supposed to bend the joint beyond 90 degrees for awhile.  Physical therapy will be determined after my post-op appointment with the doctor.

Overall, recovery time is an average of 4-6 months and I should be back to 95%.  I am shooting for better than that of course.

Today, the coaches and I trained together one last time while I am fully (or nearly) mobile.

Here is what we did:

20 cal row
20 Turkish Get-Ups

10x1 Deadlifts until maxed

"Annie" and Backwards "Annie"
50-40-30-20-10, then 10-20-30-40-50
Double Unders
Sit-Ups


It was a good session.  There is a bit of sadness knowing I will miss out on some great sessions with them for awhile.  However, as soon as I am good enough to get around on the crutches I will be back to training and coaching.

I hope to be at the Tank on Saturday to wish you all good luck for the Run For Our Heroes 5k.  It's my favorite race in Raleigh.  I raced with the 94th academy of the Raleigh Police Department in cadence in 2009.  We were the first Raleigh Police Department academy class to run the race and it was an honor to do so in memory of those officers who have sacrificed their lives while serving the City of Raleigh.  I hope you all find as much pride as I do every time I run that route.


Check out this pic from 2009 with Coach Kim!  I know who is in the suit, which is what makes this photo even more enjoyable to see!

Here I am too.  Look to the upper right corner of the pic. You may recognize the guy to my right also :).


I will see you all as soon as possible and know that I will have the coaches and Kim giving me updates on the regular!  Keep training hard.  Seize the opportunity to always give your best.

Acupuncture and Cupping

Needles with electrical stimulation to release pain in my quad.

Yes, I was a skeptic.  I won't pretend that I wasn't.  However, I am always open to listening and trying what some would call "alternative" medicine.

I am happy that I did.  

According to Wikipedia, acupuncture is a collection of procedures, which involves the stimulation of points on the body using a variety of techniques, such as penetrating the skin with needles that are then manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation. 

It is one of the key components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and is among the oldest healing practices in the world. According to the traditional Chinese medicine approach, stimulating specific acupuncture points corrects imbalances in the flow of qi through channels known as meridians. Scientific investigation has not found any histological or physiological correlates for traditional Chinese concepts such as qi, meridians and acupuncture points and some contemporary practitioners needle the body foregoing the traditional Chinese approach.

In addition to the needles and electrical stimulation, I have received "cupping."  It is complimentary to acupuncture and is also part of Chinese medicine.  

Additional notes from Acupuncture Today, in a typical cupping session, glass cups are warmed using a cotton ball or other flammable substance, which is soaked in alcohol, let, then placed inside the cup. Burning a substance inside the cup removes all the oxygen, which creates a vacuum.

In my case, the cup was placed over an expired match so that the smoke could heat the glass.  

As the substance burns, the cup is turned upside-down so that the practitioner can place the cup over a specific area. The vacuum created by the lack of oxygen anchors the cup to the skin and pulls it upward on the inside of the glass as the air inside the jar cools. Drawing up the skin is believed to open up the skin’s pores, which helps to stimulate the flow of blood, balances and realigns the flow of qi, breaks up obstructions, and creates an avenue for toxins to be drawn out of the body.

This is actually my favorite part of the treatment with Ginna at The Remedy Clinic in North Raleigh.  I have had multiple cupping treatments, focusing on the upper and lower back, as well as with soreness and tightness related to my hip labral tear. It is awesome.  

If you feel that you have tried enough massage and active release, electric stimulation and just want to see what else is out there, go see a licensed Acupuncturist and ask about acupuncture and cupping.  I have no other recommendations except to see Ginna, as I have only been treated by her.  

To this date I have had five appointments and plan to have two more before my surgery.  It keeps the pain down and alleviates the extreme soreness.  I believe that if I can keep the swelling down, inflammation minimal, then I can best create a healing environment for post-surgery.  Plus, as selfish as it may sound, I can continue to train and help my body heal because of the training.  It's a "catch 22".  I need to be strong for recovery, but training creates mild pain.  Well, I will take minor pain and a faster recovery please.

Read more about Acupuncture.

How's The Hip Holding Up?

So I've been doing a bit of research about hip labral tears.  Turns out A-Rod is out until June with the same issue.  It occurs more frequently in persons/athletes who put a lot of torque in their hips - i.e. baseball, soccer, hockey, golf or tennis.  The article says he is on painkillers... wimp. Haha.  Ok, so I've taken some Aleve.  I was offered something stronger but declined.  No HGH has been offered either. And I would turn it down.

Hip Repair Video/Photos

There are people out there who say you don't need surgery to fix a torn labrum.  They suggest it's related to mobility issues and that massage or active release will correct the problem and there will be no pain.  Cool.  However... I have done those things multiple times and have worked on my mobility.  Yes, I have weakened hip muscles on the left side due to the fact that there is a consistent amount of pain related to flexion of the left hip, or lack thereof.  The massage and active release, along with acupuncture definitely helped release some of the pain.  However, the underlying pain is specifically related to the clicking that occurs when the femur rubs into the labrum, which is torn. Additionally, the pressure placed into the joint and the musculature surrounding it causes additional nerve pain that shoots from the hip down to the left two toes.  It is consistent every night.

As I mentioned before, I am waiting for surgery until April 24 so that I can complete the Open.  I was told to stay away from jarring movements, running, lunges, squats, box jumps.  I have also found that rowing and GHD movements cause pain.

The good news is, I am not likely to cause more damage.  I can keep my pain tolerance in check with foam rolling and listening to my body. I haven't stopped training, even after the awesome news.  Why should I?  I know what causes the pain, so I don't do it.  I work around it. I will definitely be stopping after the surgery, but only for as long as I have to.  If I can move, I am going to train.  I did when I broke my leg in half and twisted my foot nearly 180 degrees.  There are others who didn't stop either.

Sam Briggs - Broken patella

Miranda Oldroyd - broken neck

Kate Rawlings - torn achilles

Don't get me wrong, I know I am not a professional baseball player or elite CrossFitter.  However, I do have a strong sense of self and what I know I can and can't do.  I am not stupid either.  I know my limits with this injury.  I know where it limits me right now, where I will be limited later.  What I don't know is what my hip will be like once the surgery is finished and the recovery begins. I do know that I will be whatever it takes to not wallow in self-pity.  Get back after it.  There are others who have endured much worse and who rise to the top.


For example, today while my fellow coaches did 8x500m row on the 3 minutes, I did 250m row and 50 double unders.  By the fourth round within the 24 minutes, I could feel my hip start to ache, so I tried to limit my extension and flexion. This helped me to finish the workout and I did so in pretty much the same time frame as they did.  Cardiovascularly, I was challenged, likely as much as they were, it was just due to a different stimulus.

So back to the surgery, it will be my first surgery. I've had broken bones, sprains, strains, etc., but this is my first surgery.  I am not nervous about the hip being dislocated, the skin being pierced by the arthroscopic tools, the shaving of the hip bone or the implantation of dissolvable screws into my labrum/hip.  Nope, I don't want to be put under.  Who knows what kind of stuff I will say when I wake up!  Haha.

I will find a way to modify.  I will find a way to train.

The Introduction

Thanks to one of your fellow athletes, Cristina, I have decided to share my experience as a means to educate and help you all become better and stronger athletes.  Plus, it helps me deal with the issue as well.  The issue I am referring to is a recent diagnosis of a torn left hip labrum.

This is the right hip, but you can see where the femur would roll within the labrum.

What this means right now is that I have been in pain for a good reason.

As it turns out, my left hip bone is a bit too long along the top and therefore my hip labrum is being hit by my femur every time I bend my leg and it is worsened through heavy lifting and explosive movements.  Over time, this incorrect positioning has added improper joint movement, which eventually led to the tear.  The labrum allows for my joint to move freely. There is also fluid in there to keep it nice and loose.  At this point, due to the tear, fluid now fills up behind the labrum and into my hip.  Needless to say, the pain was real. I didn't imagine it and thankfully ... it has nothing at all to do with my training.

Here is the bottom line: Torn left hip labrum, extra long hip joint along the top, fluid in the joint, minor arthritis.

Lessons learned: Injuries may not always be related to activity. Don't ignore pain.

One of my biggest fears was that I was doing something wrong. As a coach, I pride myself on helping my athletes become stronger through proper motion in mechanics, aided by mobility.  In my case, the tear was anatomical.  This was discovered via some tests and a visit to the hip specialist doctor.  They also discovered I have some minor arthritis in the joint, but this was not the issue.

MRI Report

I noticed the pain back in October, but thought it was just weak hip flexors and adductor.  So, I worked on those things and saw Dr. Molly and even had acupuncture. All of these things helped alleviate the soreness, but they weren't correcting the issue.  Little did I know at the time, there was nothing either method could do to help. Surgery was going to be the best option.

The bummer news is that I will have to arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn labrum and shave down the bone so that the joint moves properly again.  However, the upside is that I will return to 95%. I am shooting for better than that of course.  The surgery is about an hour long and is in and out.  They will dislocate my hip, repair the labrum and shave the bone. I will be on crutches for around 2 weeks, then start physical therapy.  Recovery time is expected to be 4-6 months.  If I don't have surgery, the tear could worsen and of course then if there is no labrum, the bones just rub onto one another and eventually I would need a hip replacement altogether.

As soon as I am able to return to training I will.  Meaning, when I can stand to move myself to the bar, dumbbells, rower, whatever, I will.  I will be modifying everything.  So, yes, Raleigh CrossFitters, for those of you who always say, I'm sorry that I have to ask you to modify, and I say, I don't mind at all ... I really don't.  Now you can help me to modify :).

Anyway, I scheduled the surgery so that I could continue to do the open. The doctor said it's pain tolerant, but to not to do movements that are jarring to the joint. Hmmm... box jumps, running, those of course all jar the joint.  I am not one to complain, so I won't. There are no excuses. I will carry on until I have surgery and then I will carry on from there. Surgery is scheduled for Wed., April 24.

I just have to "pain manage."  Not a problem. I've done it since October.

As things progress I will keep posting on this blog.  Feel free to follow.