9 months is a long-ass time...

...longer, even, than I've known I have this condition. What the hell was I thinking I would DO for the next 9 months?! Geez. Saturday I worked my 8-hour shift at the store for the first time in 3 weeks (following Jim & Liz's wonderful wedding and the aforementioned Boston-based extravaganza) and for the first time thought "I don't know if I can do this." It'd been a tough week for both hips (I feel like I should come up with names for each of them) and, even in Earth shoes, 8 hours of nearly-uninterrupted standing is less than ideal. I got home and slept for 2 hours.

Given that I can see a light at the end of this (albeit lengthy) tunnel, I'm considering exploring my pain-relief options above-and-beyond ibuprofen. Apparently because the bursae (plurar of bursa, like bursitis) in your hip are so close to the surface they can treat them with topical cortisone instead of an injection. They caution against it, as I think I mentioned before, because of the degenerative nature of the condition. I'm hoping, though, that now that I'm on surgery countdown maybe I can get some short-term relief.

The question of medication has been weighing heavy on my mind of late. I've never even broken a bone before, so the prospect of being on high-caliber painkillers for upwards of 2-3 months is a little daunting. The only surgical experience I've had was having my wisdom teeth out, and the meds I got for that (Flintstones vitamins compared to what I'll be getting for this business) just slayed me - I was non-functional. It's going to be hard enough giving up my summer to crutches - I can't fathom losing it completely to a weepy drug-induced haze. I gather much of the pain regulation is going to be at my own discretion, though. I'm going to make myself a big "Pain is weakness leaving the body" sign. :)



^Fantastic product shout-out of the day^ - this thing has completely changed my sleeping life!