Hamstring Avulsion (complete tear from pelvis)

[tricializ]

Thanks Jamie:
Can I just say that this will be one interesting anthropological study. Dear husband just called me to ask me when my surgery was. I told him and he said, Yeah, but what time?" I asked why and his answer was that he was trying to plan a conference call for that morning. Oh, this should be fun to sit and watch. My poor poor kids. haha
Tricia

[mlfoster1]

ouch Tricia......I hope things go well for you....wish you had more support. Time to call your friends!

I haven't been on the site in a while. It sounds like everyone is doing really well. For those that haven't been to the O. R., I wish you lots of luck and speedy recovery.
I was 12 weeks on Friday. I've started curls on the hamstrings. quad work on the machine, I'm biking, walking fast on the treadmill, and have started the eliptical, all in addition to the core work I had been doing. It's very exciting to think that I'm supposed to be hitting tennis balls by the end of April, but I'm going VERY slowly.

Every thing is going quite well, but we worked on my back and hip flexors today which raised a bit of a red flag. My physical therapist said that my hip flexors are dreadfully tight and it's no wonder I'm had such chronic problems with my hamstrings. SOOOOOOOOOOOO, something else I have to pay attention to in my warm ups. The hamstring is doing well, but my scar is STILL problematic. I feel as though every time I extend, I'm taking a little scar tissue with it. That incision line was tight then, and still is. Oh well, it will take time!

I hope all continue to do well with each day and that they enjoy great new health with their procedures!

Michelle

[merrybaker]

Went to see mu surgeon today. It's been 11 weeks since my surgery. Cried through half of the visit, which lasted for an hour and 15 minutes. The beginning of the discussion was on my increased pain levels at the injury site. At one point he said "I could take it all back out." All started because I wanted to change my working from 8 hours a day three days a week sitting doing paper work to doing my nursing job 4 hours a day three days a week. He went on about how I could find numerous ways to adapt my sitting such as kneeling, ergonomic chairs, standing, etc. The ironic thing is my last work restrictions from 3 weeks ago were- no lifting, no kneeling, no squatting, etc. He wrote that I could sit and then stand for 10-15 minutes at a time for a max of 2 hours standing a day. The way he made it sound today, was I could and should have been doing all those things.

The other point of contention was the pain meds. I take a half of percocet once a day when the pain gets bad-so far the only drug that I can take that seems to help. He didn't want me to have the percocet becuase I am almost 3 months post op. He suggested I tried neurontin, lyrica or cymbalta for the nerve pain. So, I agreed to take the lyrica, and he said I had to go to the doctor I went to before who is a physiatrist and if I can't get into see him, then a pain clinic. He finally said the ankle pain was referred pain from the sciatic nerve, and the butt pain can be too.

So, that is how the whole hour went. Back and for the about a whole lot of junk. He said I was lucky to be not back working full time this long, as most of his patients are on light duty right after the staples come out and working light duty full time six weeks after. I guess in his eyes I'm lucky he would not let me sit for the first five weeks!

The most amazing part was after an hour into this back and forth stuff he finally said "You were working as a floor nurse before surgery with a completely avulsed hamstring?" When I told him I had been working for the past year like that, with the ankle and butt pain, he finally agreed to let me do the 4 hours three days a week! He also did finally give me more pain meds also.

As most on this forum will attest to, sitting can be very painful when you first have the surgery. Many people I have spoken with cannot believe he had me do a job that required sitting for 8 hours a day three days a week, even if I did take breaks and move around. Anyway, all that is over now. All my restrictions have been lifted. He agreed I can lift up to 50 pounds so I can go back to work. I took vacation this week, so I can get a handle on all this discomfort. Now that the restrictions are lifted, this is a new start for me. The injury is fixed, which is what I wanted. Somehow I will learn to deal with the pain issues. The other weird thing about all this is, he stated that it would take a long time for this to heal, because I had a major surgery, and it will be another six months before we can tell how this has all worked.

It was a very frustrating appointment, I'm lucky my husband was with me, as he can vouch for all the craziness. My case manage who was with me also, asked him if he wanted to leave the working situation up to my other doctor, and he said "No" he wants to be in the loop. I go back to see him in six weeks, hope all is better and I don't cry through most of it again.

Thanks for listening to me. I know some others of you have also been through all this kind of craziness, so I know you'll understand.

[mlfoster1]

merrybaker,
I am so sorry that you're going through this. Honestly, I don't know how you went back to work so soon and even attempted to sit for the length of time that you did. I'm not a doctor, but sitting on the incision line and the scar tissue that accumulates around it is REALLY painful. I guess a lot has to do with the post op procedure that the doctor uses, but it seems like you are doing so much more than your body can tolerate while healing. Are you still in PT? Are you getting enough stretching in for the lower back and hips? Remember, all that time that you were working with a torn hamstring, there was a lot of compensatory functioning going on, along with atrophy of other muscles. It would seem that you have to give yourself a chance to balance out in functioning. I can't imagine that ANYONE could initially sit after this type of surgery for at least 6 weeks. When I went to my check up in order to have the splint taken away I had to ride in the back of my Siena on the floor...I just couldn't apply pressure yet. At 12 weeks, I'm driving kids to school, to PT, and all other errands and activiities. BUT, I still can't drive for a very long period of time. In closing, I COULD NEVER HAVE DONE WHAT YOU DID. I may get in trouble for saying this, but I think too much was expected of you.
Michelle

[Heleen]

Merry Baker,

I feel sorry for you. I agree the vision of Michelle: too much was expected of you and too soon. Keep telling us how you are doing/ feeling. Good luck.

Heleen

[sunluver]

I must say, we all certainly have different doctors instructions for the same surgery! I will be 3 weeks from having had the surgery this coming Thursday. My doctor called today to tell me I can be free of my crutches as of now. Not even 3 weeks!! I think to myself how some of you have been in a brace and crutches for 6 weeks and I wonder why in the world there are such massive differences in post op procedures?! I just took a 2 block walk very slowly of course because I still hurt quite a bit but it did wonders for my psyche. I had to stop often just to give it a rest. I'm being careful of course and the pain actually makes it self limiting. I feel bad for everyone that had a brace and long period on crutches, I do hope he didn't tell me I didn't have to use them because I told him I actually wasn't using them in the house since last week. But the same injury and surgery should have the same postop I would think. Any way it got me wondering Wishing you all a fast recovery like me
Jamie p.s. the surgery site hurts like Hell.

[mlfoster1]

And it still does, at times, even after 12 weeks!

[sunluver]

Michelle, Wouldn't be nice to hear from someone who had this done maybe 8- 12 months ago and see how it is for them? Sitting on your surgey site isn't fun. I only weigh 118 lbs and wonder what it must be like for some one much heavier. Ouch.

[mlfoster1]

It certainly would. I believe Hannah is 9 months out. She skied at least twice this winter. I don't know how to contact her by email, unless she checks in here now and then

[I Fell]

Glad to hear most of you are doing weel. Sorry to hear some of you are having problems. I had my surgery 17 months ago. I was operated on 2 weeks after my injury and have had no problems at the surgery site. Incision at the base of the cheek, Scar healed flat without any massage or special attention. I had butterfly closures rather than stitches. Maybe I have had less problems because of the speed in having the surgey. It seems that some of you that are having problems had some time between injury and repair causing other issues. My doctor was good. Being in a brace for 6 weeks certainly kept me from sitting normally to start. Being retired I didn't have to worry about sitting at a job. I really feel the protection of the brace allowed me to heal better than I would have without one. I have no problems doing anything I ever did before the accident and really don't give it any thought except when I visit here.

Hang in there. You are better off having it done. Just think about all the things that could happen or have happened to some without the repair. It is a major surgery and dose need time. Things will get better.

Heal well, Ned