Progress continues to be slow and indifferent. On some days I don't feel too bad , on others it's a struggle to get out of bed.
In general, the bulk of the pain is in and around the hip area - predominately on the left hip. Based on my Physical Therapists judgement, it appears to be muscular. The sensation is hard to describe, but it feels achy and tight. When I experience the discomfort and try to bend forward from the hips, the tension or pressure or whatever it is, inhibits my mobility to do so.
An average day is as follows:-
1) Wake up in the morning, after a good night's sleep, and feel discomfort in the left hip
2) The first hour or two after waking up are the most difficult. It's hard to stand up-right and bend forward
3) Around lunchtime, the mobility starts getting a little better and I can quite easily seat in comfort for an hour or two
4) Either walk twice a day, swim once and walk once or gentle bike and walk once: Note: After my 25min walk, it's always difficult to bend forward for an initial period , however the walk itself is pain-free.
5) Do my 15minute set of stretching exercises
6) Go to bed
Having said all that, I'm not helping the cause by over-exerting myself at times (especially on the weekend with my two boys). Also, the last few trips to the Physical Therapist have been very beneficial. He's essentially doing some deep tissue treatment on the muscles around the hip that loosens everything up almost immediately, before the symptoms return the next morning.
The general concensus still seems to be that the back is re-adjusting to the new posture and trying to stretch muscles that have tightened incorrectly for over a year and a half.
While it's fustrating to see a lack of progress, my general posture is still much better than before surgery and while I still have adjust to bend forward, the deviation is much less than before surgery.
I have another Physical Therapy appointment tomorrow (still twice a week), although there are some issues with my insurance continuing to allow me treatment.
Additionally, I have a meeting with the surgeon's assistant on Friday and another set of X-Rays - more to follow.
