May 26, 2019. By Alison Pignolet

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Mother’s Day, two family birthdays, and my youngest child graduated from college. The demands of life forced me to ramp up my activity level on a daily basis. Things had to get done. Somewhere in there I had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon’s PA. Everything looks good from their perspective.

I started outpatient PT with Kelly Fieseler. I’ve been working with Kelly weekly for years to keep me strong and able. She helped me go into the surgery in good shape. It was great to start back up with her. First order of business was addressing the scar tissue that made me feel like I had a fat wallet in my front pocket. What a relief! I wasn’t sure if it was ok to massage at it. She was and it helped me get so much more movement and comfort. We are now working on range of motion and strength.

My daughter, Isabel, is working as a wrangler on a guest ranch in Wyoming this summer. On Wednesday, she packed her car and the two of us set out for the west. We drove 1900 miles in 2 ½ days. I was pleased that I could get comfortable in the car. At every stop I walked until the stiffness was worked out and did some exercises. We saw some beautiful country. And the best part is, I was able to get out and do some easy hiking in Grand Teton National Park – woo hoo!

So, I’m back to being able to live my day-to-day life (almost – still no hot tub). I still fatigue easily and when I’m tired, I limp (kind of like before the surgery – lol). I’ll start thinking it’s all good and then I’ll try to do something where the right leg needs to be strong or move in a certain way and it JUST DOESN”T HAPPEN! But one day soon, it will. Patience is still the watchword. I’ve been able to do a few easy yoga poses and sequences and am looking forward to getting back to teaching. I miss you guys!