Today is my 3-month anniversary of my right hip replacement. It’s hard to believe I’m finally at the magic 90-day mark. It’s nearing Christmas and the end of 2017. This is a time of reflection for me and I thought today a good time to write an update in my blog.

Well, what can I say? Let’s start with some humor…

While I am very pleased with my hip replacement, I must say the recovery process is something I am not entirely pleased about. In fact, sometimes it downright sucks. It’s slow with lots of ups and downs. I have learned I am not good with slow recoveries. I’ve never had one before. This morning I reminded myself that this is by far the most extensive surgery I’ve ever undergone. And, like Davis told me at 7.5 weeks, “adjust your expectations.” (Probably my next post in Enlightening Practices 🙂 )

The good news is that I can now walk without a limp, most of the time. You can see my 3-month video of my walk at this link to Google Photos: Rhonda’s Hip Adventure Videos. I can also stand on the leg and balance without the pain I had before. I am still struggling to bend the knee into a lunge position and be able to hold it. While I can do this, it hurts. Stairs are the bane of my existence. I keep working at it, figuring it will come eventually. My morning Tai Chi practice has been helpful.

I am still loving the pool! It is the time where I feel most free and the pain is totally gone. I’m sure walking the length of the pool has helped me regain my limp-free walk on land. The whirlpool before and after is a delicious treat, especially during this cold time of year. It helps to warm and loosen my achy muscles and I can stretch out the stiffness more easily in warm water.

I also continue to be very grateful to my skilled massage therapist for her part in breaking down scar tissue and helping my muscles to heal.

So, here is the hard part, my other hip is beginning to ache and spasm, and it’s snapping and cracking a lot when I bend and move. I hate admitting that. It’s been happening over the last two weeks, right along side my improving walk. I feel, to use Deb’s analogy, like they are crossing each other on an escalator. As my right hip rises in strength and function, my left hip declines. I know Dr. Shukla told me this was one of the possibilities. But, I was so hoping for the other: that the left hip would last longer because of the surgery. I wanted some time to be pain free, to be able to hike this summer. I don’t think that’s going to happen.

On Monday, I sat down in my recliner with my teddy bear and sobbed. I railed against how really unfair this is and prayed it would get better and not worse, for more time before I have to face another surgery. Today it is worse. It’s stormy and cold and I ache. I can’t tell which hip hurts worse now. I’m taking ibuprofen during the day and to get through the night. The Bud Rub is going on both hips. It’s weird to me that I can’t tell the difference between the pain, though logically I know one side is muscle pain from the surgery and the other side is arthritic pain in the joint. When it gets like this, I have a new walk, I call it the “Penguin.” I kind of waddle with a very short stride, avoiding extending either hip too far. I think it’s cuter, and probably funnier, than my Geisha Pirate.

I know my body is not ready, nor my psyche, for another surgery right now. My sense is if I lay low and take it easy, maybe I can nurse it along until spring. I’d like to have at least 6 months between surgeries.

I’ve been trying to look at the bright side of this scenario. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

1. I can use the same surgical and physical therapy team who already know me and my body and did such a great job the first time.
2. I don’t have to wonder when this is going to happen in the future. It will be behind me instead of ahead of me.
3. I will spend less time on a wonky pelvis. Right now my legs are not attached to my pelvis in the same way and I can feel the torque in my back, knees, ankles and feet. Balancing this out would be better for the rest of my frame.
4. I can get all the recovery behind me and by this time next year, I should be much better and then I will be able to hike, pain-free (hopefully) in the summer of 2019.
5. Since I already paid my insurance deductible, this one will be covered 100%.

It does help me to think about it this way. What isn’t going to help is feeling sorry for myself. Though, sometimes a good cry is very therapeutic! Well, I will keep you posted on how all this evolves. Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday season and a Blessed, Peaceful, Healthy, Happy New Year!