Thank you so very much for giving me back the gift that enables me to enjoy so many activities without disabling pain.

Dear Dr. Domb: It has now been 10 weeks since you performed a repair to my gluteus medius tendon – reattaching it to the bone. (May 22nd, 2019)

From the day of the surgery I had no pain at all – amazing. Of course I had a dead right leg which felt like a ton of bricks had been placed on my thigh – but as you know, in time things began to work again. As, During the 18 months I suffered with this injury, I had experienced the best relief from laser therapy, this is where I started as soon as I arrived home. I had 6 sessions 2 – 3 days apart bringing about a quick dissipation of inflammation and swelling which enabled me to quickly increase my range of motion with no pain. At 5 weeks, I had this overwhelming urge that I was ready to start walking again. Interestingly enough this has been the most difficult part of all of this. It appeared I had “forgotten” how to walk and was mindfully placing my foot down. My ankle got very sore and swollen and my calf muscles were not happy. I went to physical therapy at 5 ½ weeks just before my husband and I left for a road trip to the Colorado Mountains. Angela watched me walk and pointed out some things as well as gave me some exercises to do while we were gone for 2 weeks. (I was the designated driver for the 2 day trip) At this time I was not using the right leg for leading going up or down stairs. During the 2 weeks in the mountains I got some good walks , with the hip area feeling a little sore and tight, the ankle swelling up, but with rest it would subside.

This was the very first time I took Tylenol 500 mg. overnight to settle discomfort. We had so many stairs at the condo we rented, it was no time until that challenge was conquered. At 7 weeks I actually did a 7.5 mile hike on an easy trail at 9,000 ft altitude, and other than leg fatigue and slight soreness at the hip, I did very well.

Since coming back from vacation I have done a lot of garden work, can go into full squats, climb a ladder, go on my normal walks, and keep up with my exercises. My ankle and calf are not quite back to normal but getting there. I feel the occasional pinching sensation and still a little soreness at the wound sight, but do not need any pain relief for this.

This week I tried Yoga and had a good range of flexibility not feeling anything during the practice. However, that night I had pretty intense pain at the hip and radiating down the front of the shin – akin to what I had experienced before the surgery. I feel I may have done a little “damage” and have laid low now for a couple of days. Thankfully, that pain did not come back the second night. Needless to say, as it is quite clear I don’t get any sense of messages while doing a variety of range of yoga motions, I will not be going back to yoga, and just hope this all works itself out. I do not want to wreck the marvelous repair you have given to me and feel that continued yoga practice will probably little by little tear away at the repair. I certainly don’t need yoga to be happy.

Thank you so very much for giving me back the gift that enables me to enjoy so many activities without disabling pain. Even more, that I can actually get a good night’s sleep. I cannot say how much this has altered my life – not being sleep deprived. It is HUGE. I know all this is early yet and healing is still occurring, but it is already a big success, as I continue with physical therapy and just with my life the way it flows.

- Yvonne B