SIGNS

Have you ever come up against a place you wanted to go or something you wanted to do and you ran smack into a sign—RESTRICTED! That kind of reminds me of that old song, Do this, Don’t do that; can’t you read the signs? (Signs).

We don’t really like a whole lot of that; that’s the point of the song. But we are restricted from numerous things and it’s usually for a good reason. The gorilla cadge at a zoo is an example of a place you probably wouldn’t want to play. Dynamite wouldn’t make a very constructive toy. If you play with fire you will probably get burned. Each case is an example of something that should be met with restrictions.

At this point my right hip has left me with all kinds of restrictions. The type surgery I had was quite serious in nature and what follows surgery is even more interesting. There can be no hip abduction or crossing of the legs. I am only 50% weight-bearing on my hip. There can be only 80% hip inflection. Finally, interior and exterior rotation of the hip can be only 10%. Wow!
How long will all this last? I thought it would be 2 or 3 months and then on bigger and better things. Not so , according to the surgeon. He was quite emphatic, I think, when he said, not once, but two times, For life! This is now my third hip surgery on the same hip. This surgery was a complete hip reconstruction, complete with removal of all but a quarter of the bone and the introduction of a huge prosthesis. Muscle and tendon was cut out as well—but not all, thank goodness.

After my second hip surgery, the surgeon said I should probably stay on a cane for the rest of my life. I didn’t! Someone said, Boy you showed him! My passed life could be summed up with If! If! If only! If I had. . . If I had not. . . It could on and on..> or, what if?

How will I live with my new lifestyle? I’ve thought, Why didn’t he just whack it off? He told a friend of mine that’s exactly what he would do after he put the ball back in the socket three times. So, let’s do the math. Wouldn’t it be much better to read the signs and do what I must do to create a better lifestyle? I was instructed that to follow the rules is just good health procedures. I can believe that.

But, how can I live that way? That’s a relatively huge issue to confront me with right here in the prime of my life. how will I go fishing? Will I ever be able to hunt again? More importantly, what can I do with my grandkids in the park?

I think it will all work out. some of it will surely come in time if I am patient. Wendy the PT in Dallas said, You need to learn a little patience now so you won’t be an inpatient later.

Can I do it? I think so. I have not been without pain for five years, through all the surgeries. Right now there is no pain. Wow! But, readjusting life? That’s radical.

Restrictions that benefit us are good for us. That’s been time ever since the Garden of Eden. Barb is certainly no Eve in this matter. I had better not follow Adam either!