The Healthy Twirler

It has been 9 weeks since my left hip surgery and 19 weeks since my right hip surgery. A few days ago I went to Nashville and had a check up with Dr. Byrd. He said that everything is progressing very well. Dr. Byrd also said that I will be able to do all of my twirling and ballet moves and that 98% of patients never have hip problems again.  He said that continuing to do hip and leg exercises is the key to staying well. When I am fully healed, I am definitely going to integrate a full cross training program into my normal training to keep my legs very strong. I am now able to do many aspects of a ballet barre including plie, tondu, degage, rond de jombe, and frappe. I have to wait a few more weeks to try things with legs higher in the air like developpe, grand battement, and grand rond de jambe. I'm so excited to start doing all of these things again, and I am going to be very careful to avoid developing any bad habits. :)

So close!

 I created a Facebook page to promote twirler wellness. The page is called The Healthy Twirler. My hip surgeries have made me very aware of the importance of health and wellness in a twirler's life. Cross training and good nutrition can help keep twirlers injury free and performing at their best. I hope that this page will provide useful resources to inform twirlers about cross training, nutrition, and injury recovery. Check it out! :)

Getting There!

My left hip is progressing much quicker than my right hip did! My physical therapist says that it is doing so well because I am not being overly cautious with it like I was with my right hip. She said that being too careful allows scar tissue to build up. I was surprised to hear this! I had thought that I wasn't being careful enough with my left. At times I almost felt guilty for not being extra careful with it. I guess my lack of cautiousness was actually to my benefit!

First day back!

 I have been able to do some twirling! I got a blister on my hand on the first day back. I guess my skin isn't used to twirling a baton anymore :). As I am able to slowly begin doing some baton movements, I am being very careful to avoid falling back into any bad habits.  It is so nice to have a fresh start at everything, and to be able to break habits that were seemingly impossible to break because they were so deeply ingrained in my muscles. For the first time since my surgeries, I really feel like the end of the recovery process is near! I am very pleased with how well both hips are doing and I have full confidence that they will return to 100%. I still have a ways to go before I'm able to attempt illusions and other moves that are very hard on the hip joint, but I am definitely getting there.     

Almost there :)

Making Progress

I am done with crutches! This is the point in the rehabilitation process where I start to feel like I am making real progress. I can now do a wider variety of cardio exercises. I can also do more advanced abdominal and arm exercises, and add new full weight bearing exercises for the lower body. My right hip feels quite a bit stronger than my left hip, but my physical therapist says that in the weeks to come the two will start to even out with each other. If my left hip feels weak or sore, instead of feeling discouraged, I tell myself that in just 10 weeks it will feel as great as my right hip does now. I really worked to try to keep my right hip progressing while my left hip was still in the early phases of healing.
  

Making progress :)

I have had a lot of fun doing full ballet barres at home with just my arms. It has allowed me to focus in on some aspects of port de bras that I may have neglected when I was also focusing on my legs. This has been a great opportunity to break bad habits that I had because the movements are not so deeply ingrained in my muscles. I have also enjoyed going to ballet class once a week to observe and take notes. Watching ballet classes has really given me a new perspective on technique. It is interesting to see what the teacher is talking about on other dancers rather than just trying to envision and apply the corrections to myself. Below are a couple photos that my friend and I took a few days before I got off of my crutches.

The Injured Dancer

Our version of the famous pose from the ballet Apollo :)



I am very grateful for all of the amazing support that I have received from the twirling and dance worlds and from my friends and family. Thank you so much everyone. You have made this whole experience much easier and more enjoyable.

12 Weeks and 2 Weeks Post Op

My flexibility is improving! :)

It has been 12 weeks since my right hip surgery and 2 weeks since my left hip surgery. It has been interesting to work on rehabilitating both hips at the same time. I have had to back off a little bit on the strengthening exercises on my right hip so that I do not put any unnecessary strain on my left hip. But, I have been able to really work on regaining my flexibility in my right hip. The initial weeks of recovery on my left hip have been much easier than they were for my right hip. I think that this is partially because I know what to expect. It is also very relieving to not be worrying about when the FAI in my other hip is going to become a major problem, because I don't have FAI in my other hip anymore! When this recovery period is over, I won't have to worry about another surgery any time soon!

My right hip really feels great, and I am sure that the surgery was the right decision. When I stretch and exercise my hip, it feels normal; not like there is something grinding inside of my joint. I still have a little ways to go on gaining full external rotation, but when I work on it, it doesn't feel like there is something on the inside that is blocking the movement.

I have enjoyed making ballet skirts in my free time. Below are pictures of a pink cheetah print skirt that I made. I also had fun trying a few ballet poses to model them :). I still have two more weeks until I can turn out my left leg, flex my hip past 90 degrees, and walk without crutches. But, I know from experience that the time will go by quickly, and the outcome will be well worth it.         

Some Things That I've Learned

Below are a few things that I have learned through my injury and surgeries. I hope that other athletes dealing with an injury are able to learn something through my experience.


1. See a specialist and get a second opinion.
One local doctor that I went to for my hip felt that it would be unlikely that I would ever twirl or dance at a high level again. He found my labral tear but did not diagnose the FAI (the cause of the labral tear). We had heard very good reviews of Thomas Byrd, MD, in Nashville, who specializes in hip arthroscopy in athletes, so we decided to get his opinion. He found the source of my problems, and offered a treatment regimen that is intended to get me back to where I want to be.


2. Don't be scared of surgery if it is the best option for you.
Many athletes, including myself at first, seem to think that all surgeries are career ending. The purpose of surgery is to heal and protect your body, not to end your ability to perform. Talk to your doctor and ask very specific questions. If he or she thinks that a surgery is the best course of treatment, trust the doctor. If you follow your protocol, and fully trust your surgeon, you should have nothing to worry about.


3. Treat your physical therapy as your training.
You go to physical therapy for the same reason that you go to practice-to get better! I know that doing hundreds of bridges and heel raises isn't as fun as flying across the floor in grande allegro or reaching out to catch a triple illusion, but for right now, it is what you need. Make a schedule for your exercises, just like you would for your practices. I am even guilty of occasionally wearing a leotard and tights to do my at home exercises, but hey, whatever works :).


4. Don't compare yourself to how you were before you were injured.
A few days before my recent left hip surgery but about 10 weeks after my right hip surgery, I decided to try to do the splits. Panic set in when I was not able to go all the way down. I had been able to do the splits since I was 6 years old! That is when I realized that my splits were a lot better than they would have been if I had tried them immediately after my surgery. Now, if I find myself struggling with something that used to come easy, I think, "Well, I still have a ways to go, but it is a lot better than it was when I tried it a few weeks ago." It is not fair to compare yourself to how you were in full health.


5. Try new things.
How many twirlers with a full training schedule have time to make scrapbooks? Not very many I would guess! Use this opportunity to explore your other interests and make time for things that may have been overlooked when you had a full training schedule. For example, before I got hurt I always intended to spend a set amount of time every day doing Theraband foot exercises, but I never seemed to be able to make time. Now I am able to do all the foot exercises I want and really work to fill in that gap in my training.


6. Know that you are not alone.
Do your research! I have found many websites about dancers with hip injuries. There is even a series of videos on Youtube where a person with my same surgery posts about his progress nearly everyday! I enjoy going to physical therapy in Nashville because most of the other people there are athletic and also had a hip arthroscopy. It is nice to know that many other people have had the exact same thing that I have and that I am right on track with my recovery.

Twins! :)

The Other Side

I went to my orthopedic surgeon to get a check up on my right hip. He said that it looks great and is progressing perfectly. I informed the doctor that my left hip had been bothering me more for the past few weeks. I had left hip pain prior to my right hip surgery, but the right hip was worse. The doctor ordered an MRI on my left hip. It was found that my left hip has a labral tear in addition to the FAI. The doctor said that it will need surgery and will continue to worsen. The doctor and nurse asked when I would like to get the surgery and I jokingly said "Tomorrow!" They left the room for a while. When they returned they said that the person in the room next to us had just cancelled his surgery for tomorrow and that we could have the time slot. I will be getting an arthroscopy on my left hip tomorrow morning. I am glad that I am able to get this surgery right away. I am also glad that the recovery time of my two hips will overlap by about six weeks, which reduces my overall recovery time.

7 Weeks Post Op

I am now able to be very active and I have very few restrictions. I am allowed full passive range of motion. Next week, I will start the advanced exercises of my physical therapy protocol. My left hip also has FAI, but it is unknown whether or not it has a labral tear. As I continue to swim, run, and do other more advanced exercises, I am being very careful to preserve my left hip. When I first saw my surgeon in Nashville he told me that my left hip will probably eventually need surgery, but he doesn't recommend it until my hip becomes a major problem. Hopefully that will be quite a ways down the road.


I'm able to twirl again!

I am very excited to begin returning to my activities. I plan to slowly return to dance classes, starting in January. I am able to do some twirling moves now, but because of all the loaded twisting movements in baton twirling, my physical therapist says it will still be a while until I can fully return to twirling.


A room I designed

It was very difficult to adjust to a less active lifestyle at first. Now, I realize that this experience gives me the opportunity to do things that I would never be able to do with a heavy training schedule. I have tried out some new, less physically demanding methods of artistic expression. I have found that I love to scrapbook and design rooms. I also have had a lot of fun learning how to do all different kinds of hair braids. I can't wait to see how some fun braid styles look when combined with a ballet bun. I've also enjoyed volunteering at a local holiday festival.

Thanks for your support! I hope everyone has a great holiday season!