Funny how I am so special all the time. The Dr. asked if I would mind if he did some more tests on me after he had decided that I am all done. I asked what kind of tests.
"Just some joint stability and firmness tests along with some flexibility measurements." He said that despite the hard start I had, I am a kind of amazing success story for hip replacement and he would be appreciative if I could further his education by allowing a few simple measurements.
I agreed.
He invited me back to his table for the first time in over two years, then told me he needed to shift my leg around and measure flexibility and called for his assistant.
HE produced a rather large protractor type device from a drawer and told me to stop him before it hurts. He took my leg up over his shoulder, with his assistant using the measuring device and recording the results, he twisted me in every direction that my joints could possibly move.
It took half an hour to complete his "tests," measuring every damn angle of flexion I could imagine, but he told me that he was very impressed with my progress. He even had me expose my surgery scar so that he could take measurements of it. He shook his head, said how often it is that the scar is three or four times as deep.
I asked if he did this testing with all his patients, he told me that it is quite obvious that I keep myself in great physical shape and almost none of his other patients even try. He said that his typical surgical patient finds out there is something wrong, they just fold and give up, get through the procedure and just call it quits.
He applauded my efforts to regain use of my lower body (did mention that my core - belly needed some attention) and asked if I was doing other exercises than what he had suggested. LOL! I said, "A few." Honestly, he had stretched me out fairly well and he DID ask.
Then I took my "replaced hip" leg up to within a couple inches of his top coat rack hook (about six feet high) on the wall, tapped it with my foot and held there for about a second, spun around and almost reached the same height with other side.
Told him that I have always worked out on a bag since I was in high school, and that I missed being able to kick well for almost four years. Thanked him for helping me get a bit of my confidence back. Then jokingly said that my bionic hip is better than my old one.
Very strange day, indeed.
