Making Progress With My Hip

After my hip surgery, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs. For the most part, everyone is excited to see the progress I’ve made. I’m ahead of schedule and my hip is recovering nicely. I was ecstatic to get off crutches but it came with a price. I started to have extra pain in my hip when walking, something I didn’t experience with crutches. This brought me to a difficult fork in the road. Suddenly, I had to scale back what I was doing to accommodate this new change. Even with that set back, I’ve started physical therapy and we can see new results everyday.

Choosing to get this surgery was a difficult but clear decision. After “failing” months of physical therapy, the only option left was surgery. Based on the surgeon’s words, I’m lucky I had it when I did. Without it, they estimated I would need a hip replacement around the age of forty. That seems like an easy choice. Even with all the anticipated pitfalls of this surgery it’s FAR easier than the alternative. I feel justified in my decision to let them operate. At two weeks I walked out of the surgeons office, without crutches, feeling proud.

Now, having attended two sessions of physical therapy, I’ve rode five minutes on a bike. This felt like nothing but every step is a step in the right direction (literally). It wasn’t painless but it was close to it. My heart is ready to retrain. The deconditioning that has taken place has not done my heart any favors. That said, five weeks post surgery I have a completely normal gait pattern. This is a huge accomplishment. People will normally have to take several weeks to get themselves off crutches. Even with extra time they have only a relatively normal gait pattern. I acquired mine without issue after only three weeks post surgery and most importantly, I’ve kept it! 

My gait pattern is something that’s extremely important to me. When my heart issues were at their worst, my gait was very wide and unsustainable. I would have trouble walking from my bed to the bathroom. I needed help with everything. After relearning how to walk, I felt free. Starting to run again felt like taking back control in my life. I was going to be fit and healthy once again. Having this hiccup did some damage to my psyche. It was a tough blow to hear that running was no longer an option. Floor exercises, ab exercises, and other “simple” exercises all tweaked my hip. When I made the decision to get surgery, it felt like committing to not being able to walk again. The promise of being able to run during the summer was optimistic. It didn’t take into account my other health issues. Now, I’m back to enjoying walks outside. This is so hopeful. I didn’t know when this would happen or if it would happen any time soon. I was terrified that I would once again have to learn how to walk but now I’m defying the odds of healthy individuals. 

I still struggle with not being able to run. I long for May and the surgeons approval for this next step. Then again, I don’t want to wish away time. As I heal, I come to know my body in different ways. I am learning it’s weakness, it’s strength, and it’s fears. I am so proud of how well my body has recovered. No one expected this. I want to give it time to readjust and relearn. Although this surgery was utilized to fix a problem, it’s still a trauma that my body must overcome. I strive to be patient and kind to my body during this time of healing.