I debated about writing this entry, but I believe it is important to share this part of Hip Adventures. We all have adventures of some kind, and struggling with maintaining altitude during the challenging times is part of all our life journeys.

I am mostly a positive, sunny person who looks on the bright side of situations, even the really bad ones. This has always helped me through the dark times. And I tend to only want to write about staying in the Light.

But sometimes it is important to share about being in the darkness, the despair, the discouragement, the pain, the sadness, the exhaustion. I am in this place now, where this whole situation feels heavy and I no longer feel strong enough to pick myself up and rise above it. It’s easy to tell myself a story about how this saga will never end and I will never walk and move effortlessly and pain-free again. I am so tired of the pain and the disability.

I recognize a lot of my sense of self has been wrapped around the strength and endurance of my physical body. Now that is slipping away. With the leaving, there is grieving. As much as I want to escape, it is important for me to be with this grief, with all these dark emotions. I have no more strength to run from the pain anymore. So I let it wash over me in waves–crying when I need to, asking for a hug when I need one, taking time for myself, talking to loved ones, petting Theo, and writing, which has always been one of my main outlets.

It’s an odd thing to discover that when I’m with pain, it passes through me like a wave. Then it dissipates and there is peace and calm. Then another wave comes, and goes. Who is it who watches all the comings and goings? The pain and the relief? The sadness and the joy?

As my physical self fades, the Spirit that animates it grows stronger. My awareness of this Spirit  within me grows. It is eternal and always filled with peace and a quiet joy. This is the great discovery of turning to face the darkness, of allowing the altitude to dip beneath the clouds. The great tapestry of Life is woven of both the light and the darkness. Without the contrast, we would not be able to experience it all.

If I allow myself to settle deep within, I can feel myself at One with Everything. Here there is no pain and it is all ok. It seems I must be willing to go down into the clouds and fall into the Sea to be one with Spirit. Here there is boundless love and endless peace, and I can rest and heal. Then, when it is time, I will break the surface and fly up and out again, chasing the sun.

I love to fly near the sun. But, that is only one aspect of Life. No one gets to always fly near the sun, ask Icarus. However, I’m not sure that he really drowned in the ocean when he fell out of the sky. I like to think he found his true depths in the Ocean of Being and then learned to fly free through it all.

Today is the six-month anniversary of my first hip replacement. Two weeks ago I visited with my surgeon to discuss my next hip replacement. I guess this is my year to get a new set of wheels…

Here are the xrays, on the left my hips on March 8th, on the right my hips on October 6th:

The joint space has narrowed in the last 5 months, particularly on the lower, back side. This is what I feel, and hear, when I move and now when I sit and lie down. When I described what’s happening now, the only question Dr. Shukla and Davis (his assistant) had was, “When would you like to schedule surgery?” I picked May 16th, 8 months from my first surgery.

I am still having problems with the muscles in my right hip, mostly in the area that is over the knot on the end of the cable that surrounds my femur. Dr. Shukla says that the irritation could be caused by the cable and we can consider removing it later if the problems continue. He did warn me that if my left femur looks anything like my right, he will have to cable it. We both agree it would be great if he didn’t have to, then there would be a basis of comparison between the two sides. I guess we will see what happens. I trust his judgment.

I am grateful that they told me the second hip could take the fast track after the first one was replaced. Though I was hoping it would last longer, I was at least prepared that it might not. But, I still feel like I’m in shock and trying to wrap myself around this whole unfolding scenario.

I’m in a better place with it all two weeks after the appointment. I can see all the benefits to going ahead with it, though I dread doing this so soon after the last one. The reality is that I am afraid to walk very much now and this is not helpful for my right hip, which really needs to be strengthened. I do what I can in the pool, and with yoga and Tai Chi. But that isn’t getting me any closer to my goal of being able to walk and stand at least enough to live a more normal life.

So, now I am doing my best to psych myself up for this. Trying to stay focused on all the positives is helpful, and knowing I have such a wonderful community of friends, family and neighbors who are here for me. I am confident it will go well, though I am prepared for a long rehabilitation. Now I will be rehabbing two hips, but at least they will be strong, balanced and correctly attached to my body. Finally having a solid foundation under me is something I look forward to! I’m curious about how that will feel and how the rehab may be different when I’m no longer wonky.

Lately, I’ve reflected on the bigger picture surrounding the events of this year. I know that I am in the midst of a major transformation of my life, not just my butt… I am entering a new phase, hopefully with more compassion, patience, tolerance and wisdom. I am realigning the deeper parts of myself, creating a firm foundation within and without. I guess what I’m trying to say is I know it isn’t just about my hips, but about my whole being, my whole life. I will never be the same after this year. And that is not a bad thing.

I can already feel the softening, the slowing down, taking hold of me. I don’t want it to let go as I heal physically. I won’t let it go. For me, life has always been a race to get things done, to reach goals, to make plans for the future, to run away from the pain of the past or the anxiety of the present. This experience has literally sat me down, forced me to get and stay quiet. I’m finding that I love the peace of stillness and silence. There is no place to go out there, nothing to do, just be here and now in this moment. Though I have understood this intellectually and pursued it in meditation for the last 27 years, it’s only now that I am experiencing it more and more. And I want more! More of less. These old hips have been a godsend.

I had a good couple of weeks after my last entry. I made it up to a mile on my walks. Scott went with me once and I was able to keep up with him, something I hadn’t been able to do in a long time. My yoga practice got stronger. Pain levels stayed down and my hope soared for a good summer with some hiking in the mountains.

And then it changed again. I started having more pain in the left hip. It would be two good days, one bad day, a good day, two bad days. Very up and down, unpredictable. The pain in Lefty is different–sharper, more insistent and more resistant to pain relief. I started to have some nights when, even after 2 doses of ibuprofen, I was still aching and unable to sleep. The left hip began to give out on occasion, which didn’t happen until later in the process with Righty. Lefty continues to get noisier–lots of clicking and clacking when the joint moves in certain ways. Righty was always silent, never letting on about the severe damage inside the joint, which was why none of us ever suspected severe arthritis.

During my last massage, my therapist noticed that the right hip was much better than the left for the first time. The joint and surrounding muscles on the left were all tight and painful, very similar to how they had been with my right hip prior to surgery.

I decided that I would see how our February 20-23 trip to Las Vegas went, with all the walking. If it went badly, I’d call my surgeon. I just returned from this trip (fun adventure with all our elders along for the experience).

On the first day, Scott and I walked from the Bellagio to New York New York and back, about 2 miles. It was the longest trek I’d made since the surgery, and I wanted to see how I would do. Turns out the 2 mile jaunt after walking in the airports and in the Bellagio (where we stayed) was way too much. The muscles in my right hip got tight and fatigued and I kept having to stop, stretch them out and rest (thank goodness for all the chairs in front of slot machines in Vegas!). And my left hip was very unhappy. Once we got back to the Bellagio and I could rest, my right hip released and the pain went away. But the left hip just kept aching, all the way through the night and into the next day, despite two doses of ibuprofen.

After that, I didn’t walk as much, often opting to hang out with my 92-year-old father-in-law who is more my speed! Now that I’m home, the right hip feels like it is getting better and stronger all the time. But, my left hip remains achy. I’m beginning not to trust it to hold me up, and my stride is again shrinking. So, I’m penguin waddling a lot. This is not helpful for rehabbing my right hip, which really needs to be walking more now.

I had to laugh when I found this cartoon in the senior magazine I was reading this morning, advising walking like a penguin in order to stop winter falls! Well, at least I’m reducing my fall risk…

I’ve got to say this little face captures how I feel, only I’d add some tears rolling down the cheeks. I took another spin on the “releasing expectations” wheel and am trying to wrap my head around this. Yesterday, I called my surgeon and made an appointment to see him in March to discuss the replacement of my left hip. It is hard to even write that sentence, but I did promise that I wouldn’t sink into denial and let this one go so long, and I intend to keep that promise. I’m hoping the recovery will be better as a result.

I remember being so hopeful at the four-month mark that I would get a reprieve from another surgery for the summer. I am so bummed about losing another summer of camping and hiking. I was really looking forward to that. But, I have had the joy of many summers in the high country and I believe there will be many more once this ordeal is behind me. I continue to be thankful this is all fixable, and there are definite benefits to doing it sooner vs. later.

So now it’s time to face reality, dig deep and fan the flames of my positive attitude.

Yesterday marked the 4-month anniversary of my right hip replacement. My Physical Therapist had told me that I would probably see a big difference at 4 months, and I’m happy to say she was right!

In the last couple of weeks, I have experienced a big shift. I am stronger and my muscles have less pain after I use them for walking or standing, unless I over do it. I’m hardly using ibuprofen anymore. The scar is looking really good, so I’ve decided to change my daily massages with vitamin E oil to weekly. It feels like the internal scar tissue is also softening and healing, so my range of motion is better and there is less grinding around in there. My massage therapist says it feels much better to her too, and that is validating.

I was able to take a few 3/4-mile walks this week with no ill effects. It’s been 8 months since I’ve been able to do that. I can do side leg lifts, including the clam now, which I was unable to do at 3 months. Stairs are getting better all the time, but remain my biggest challenge. Tai Chi and Yoga are easier and less painful. I can do balance poses like Tree more easily and hold them for longer. Dancer is slowly coming back, but I can’t lean forward very far just yet. I’m stronger in my lunges and bent-knee poses, and the pain is less. I’m still loving my time in the pool the most and I suspect that will continue.

To celebrate my new level of healing, I went out and bought really good hiking poles at REI. I am hopeful that I’ll be able to do some hiking in the warmer months this year.

Leftie is still trying to decide what she thinks about all this. She is sore after too much walking or standing, but she is stable, maybe even a little better than last month. I am hoping she will hang on for me at least through the summer. I am so not ready to do this again.

I realize how much it’s taken out of me. My energy levels are still lower than my normal and I can only do so much in one day. I am getting better at accepting and surrendering to this reality and pacing myself accordingly. I believe this is the biggest part of my healing-honoring where I am and not pushing it. It’s good for me to learn this, though sometimes it is a hard teacher.

I sit and relax more than I ever have. I am better at asking for, and graciously receiving, help from others. And I am very grateful for all the kindness and support that surrounds me.

Today I moved out of my studio where I used to teach Yoga and Tai Chi. I haven’t done that since last spring and I still don’t feel ready to teach again. I also realized that the desire to have a studio and teach on any kind of schedule has left me. It feels like I am entering a new, more spontaneous stage. I can see doing these practices in the park behind our home when I am so inspired and inviting others to join in. But that feels like it may be a ways off yet. Teaching helped me both to deepen my own practice and to help others with theirs. I’m grateful for the time I was able to teach over the last 8 years. I’m enjoying my yoga room in our back bedroom and I do Tai Chi to wake my body up every morning.

Now we will see how my life unfolds from here. I’m enjoying more reading and writing time, and time to just be with Scott, family, friends, and myself. Perhaps, that is really what this whole Hip Adventure is all about…

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!

I graduated from the Reno Orthopaedic Clinic (ROC) this week. Unless I have a problem before, I will go back in a year for my annual checkup and xrays. This clinic has been my home away from home for the past two months. Fortunately it is just 5 minutes down the street, and ironically, catty-corner from St. Mary’s Hospital where I was born.

I saw my surgeon’s assistant, Davis on Thursday. I told him I was still walking with a limp and having trouble strengthening my gluteus medius (muscle on side of the hip that stabilizes you when you walk), also some pain around the incision and in the muscles. Davis looked at me quizzically, and said, “You are at 7 weeks, not 7 months.  We had to part your gluteus medius and then stretch it longer to fit over the implant and accommodate your new, longer leg length. It is going to have a big adjustment for awhile. Give it 7 – 12 months. Adjust your expectations and keep a positive attitude. Keep working on it. It will come.”

Just to give you a mental picture, Davis is a no-nonsense man with a handlebar mustache. He was dressed in a purple suit with bright red socks (he is always in something I’ve never seen before that is both snazzy & whimsical). I often think he dresses this way to take a little edge off his no-nonsense communication style and help you feel a little more comfortable with the fact that he is going help out with “cutting open your hip, sawing off the worn out parts and throwing them in the trash, drilling a new socket in your pelvis and then screwing and hammering metal implants into the socket and your femur.” (Yes, he actually said something a lot like this at my 2nd consultation in August. I remember asking what they would do if my femur cracked while they were hammering in the implant. He told me they would wire it together and it would be fine. Though it didn’t crack, they did end up wiring it together just like he said, and it seems to be fine.) By the way, Davis also did a lot of the stitching on my nicely healing incision. He is very skilled at what he does and I, for one, and Scott for two, very much appreciate his candid approach to communication and his unique fashion sense!

I showed him some of my flexibility like being able to touch my toes and bring foot up to my thigh cross-legged. I said, “This is really coming back faster than I expected.” He told me this was very unusual. Probably has to do with my yoga. He looked at my incision and was pleased with how it is healing. He then announced I no longer had any restrictions and they would see me in a year. I gave him the first draft of Rhonda’s Hip Tips (see the Resources page). I told him they could give it to other patients if they thought it would help them.

On the way out, I saw Dr. Shukla and shook his hand, thanking him and Davis both for their great work on my new hip. I touched my toes for him and told him I was just having some trouble with my gluteus medius and still limping. He said, “Yep, that’s going to fight you for awhile.” He gave me one of his shy, cherub smiles, the ones that make the nurses exclaim, “Isn’t he adorable?” You gotta love Dr. Shukla.

Then I went out for my final PT session with Lori. While I was standing in line to check in, Dr. Shukla came out calling my name. He rushed up to me with the Hip Tips in his hand and said, “This is great, can we use this?” Yes, that is what it is for, I told him. He said, “We could use something like this from the patient’s perspective. There is good information in here. Thank you for doing this.” I thought, “How sweet.” I really am lucky to have such a good doctor and team. Everyone here has been so good at what they do and wonderful to work with. I will definitely return to this clinic and hopefully, be able to have the same great surgical team, work on my left hip when its time comes.

Then I went in for my last PT session and Lori and her intern, James did my final range of motion and strength assessments for my discharge. My range of motion is pretty much even now in both of my hips, which they also remarked is unheard of. Lori said, “I’ve got to start practicing yoga.” My strength was good except on the side of my right leg where that gluteus medius is just not there yet. We went over all the exercises I can do at home to continue strengthening it. I am grateful to the PT team, including my assistant Jessie, who helped me get where I am at 7.5 weeks. My setbacks were always my own doing. Remember to listen to your body and tell your PT’s if an exercise is too much! They cannot know that if you don’t tell them.

So, I am officially graduated from the ROC and on my own. I know it is time and I’m confident I’ll find my way from here. I also know they are right down the street if I have a problem.

To celebrate, I bought a year membership at St. Mary’s Fitness Center across the street from the ROC. They have an amazing pool, jacuzzi and hot water therapy area which I intend to use regularly. I’m thinking my fitness routine is likely to become more water oriented now… I did go once last week and wow!!! I remember a fellow hip lady saying in her blog, “Get thee to a pool!” She was so right. I can still swim like a dolphin and I can walk in water (on water is still beyond me ;-). I haven’t done laps in 25 years and it was awesome to see that I can still do all my strokes and kicks. The PT’s told me that walking in the water can help to restore my normal gait because all the weight is lifted off the joint. I found this is true. It felt so good to walk with a complete stride, though I’m still pretty unsteady and need to hold the hand rail.

It feels like I have come to a completion now, at least of the most intensive first part of this adventure in hip replacement. I suspect I will post something about once a month at this point so my fellow hip people can see how it evolves from here. One thing I really want to stress, is that we are all unique. This is my journey. Yours will be different. While it is good to hear about other people’s experiences, and you can learn a lot of helpful information from that, remember to be true to yourself and your body.

I made it to my 6-week anniversary this week and that is when all my restrictions were lifted-yay! This means the implant should be set in my bone (secure) and I can play with my yoga poses, and get into the hot springs and pool again.

I discovered I can sit in my meditation pose again, which was really cool! Here I am in my spot in front of the gas stove. This is where I have my morning coffee and meditate. Theo is happy to have me back at his level again, mostly so I can pet him.

I continued to work on strengthening my gluteus medius muscle to help me walk without a limp and do stairs. The PT’s gave me more ideas, I tried them all, probably shouldn’t have. Set myself back again, but not as far this week as last week. Now, I’m backing off again and accepting where I am. I can only do so much before my hip muscles fatigue and then it goes straight into the side of my leg and knee, and it hurts. There are some things I just can’t do, like stand on my leg for very long (though this is getting better) or climb stairs.

I think I had this picture in my mind that at 6 weeks I’d be able to walk without a limp or pain. And I can’t. And I’m bummed and frustrated. But, I also realize this is not unusual and I’m being impatient and unreasonable.

I did just walk around the block with out a cane, though! Granted it was slow and the limp was pretty bad, but I did it and it didn’t hurt as badly as it has before. I just need to keep at it, slowly and gently. Why is that so hard?

I did have Scott take another video of me walking, as promised last week. I can’t load videos directly into the blog, so I’ve loaded them on my Google Photos site in an album titled Rhonda’s Hip Adventure Videos. I put all of them in from the beginning, in order. If you are wondering which one you are looking at, click on the little “i” in the circle (for information) and it will tell you. Here’s the link: Rhonda’s Hip Adventure Videos.

Looking back on the week, I’d say it was about accepting where I am without judging where I think I should be (see my entry on that in Enlightening Practices). That doesn’t mean I don’t keep focused on my dream of walking pain-free without a limp. It means I hold that intention, I do the exercises I can to the point of the muscles fatiguing, keep walking and trying new things, and let go of when and how the outcome happens. Well, that’s the idea anyhow… The execution comes in fits and starts–I have a fit, then I start over! But I’m getting there.

Next week I see my surgeon again for the first time since I was in the hospital and I have my last two PT sessions. So, tune in next week and I’ll let you know how it goes…

It’s been an interesting week. I continue to have challenges standing on my right leg and I still limp when I walk, though it is better than it was last week. I expressed my frustration to my Physical Therapist and we added new strengthening exercises, which I probably overdid (no I would NEVER do that, would I?). This led to a sharp pain in the side of my right leg, which made my problem worse, especially the motion of stepping up (stairs, for example).

So, I decided to try something novel and accept where I was at and stop pushing. Well, it wasn’t actually that rational. What really happened is I tried stepping up stairs until I was in utter agony, at which point, I collapsed and cried for awhile. My thoughts went something like this: I’ll never be able to walk normally again. I’m in the same place I was before the surgery and everything I tried then only made it worse, just like now. I am a master of catastrophizing.

In the midst of my tears and despair, a calm voice within that I’ve come to call my Witness, suggested that I STOP. Breathe and let go, let it be, stop pushing, do what you can that doesn’t hurt. 

Since then, I’ve made the fun discovery that I am way more flexible this week and can do yoga poses that I’m technically not supposed to be doing, like standing forward bends and touching the floor.

I can do more Tai Chi than I’ve been able to do, but I can’t push any repetitive motion that involves bending the right knee and putting weight on it. I am not using the cane as much and walking around the block is easier, though I do bring the cane along for support. I’m not lurching to the right side as badly as I was before. (I’ll try to figure out how to add video to this blog next week, so you can see how I’m moving after the critical 6-week mark.)

My other exciting news is that now that I can touch my toes again, I was able to trim my gnarly toenails and shave my furry legs. Yay! The things we take for granted…

This week, I was able to return to my wonderful massage therapist, Stephanie. I had been massaging vitamin E oil into the incision and rubbing the muscles with salve twice a day since about 3.5 weeks. I told her to try working on the scar tissue and see what she could do. She was able to go deeper than she’d expected and I felt a release afterwards in a ball of tissue I’d been feeling under the incision that was affecting my muscles. The incision site and the muscles underneath are less tender to the touch. So, I was able to sleep on my right side this week for the first time! (This is exciting for me–a side sleeper.)

Today, the muscles on the side of my leg are less sore and I can spend more time on my right leg without pain. I even made it through the 24-posture, short form, Yang-style Tai Chi sequence this morning, with a lot of modifications. I’m sure you have seen 80 and 90-year-old people do this traditional sequence on some video or another over the years–I look a lot like them, but I can do it!

I’m encouraged on this end of the week with my recovery process. I am just having lessons in patience and surrender to my own unique healing path.

Moral of this week: Accept where you really are and go from there. Don’t push to be somewhere you are not.

Fun Story of the week: On Sunday afternoon, I walked in the Arboretum in the park behind our house. The fall colors were still beautiful and it was in the 70’s. Families were out enjoying the day and taking pictures. I saw a family playing in the leaves under a large tree. As I approached, the little boy started running towards me, “Nana!  Nana!” His mother said, “Honey, that isn’t your Grandma.” I bet she walks with a cane too. Later it struck me that it was the first public acknowledgment of my entrance into the Elder stage of my life, and who better to notice than a little tyke!

——————————————————————————————————————————————I am very excited to have finally figured out how to create this blog. (I actually started this blog this weekend, but will back fill it with previous events, so the timeline makes sense to new readers.) This is my first whole blog entry! It is amazing how far the blogging/website design software has come since I did my last one 10-20 years ago. I have lots to learn, but at least I’ve begun. For those of you who began with me emailing updates, I’ll add an archive of those as previous posts when I have time. Then, if you missed anything, it will be here.

Dearly Beloved,

It’s the end of a busy, back-in-the-world kind of week and I must say it’s good to be back! Went to two awesome theater performances this week: Piaf and Beautiful (the Carole King story). Both were wonderful and the singers they chose to play the parts were spot on and had amazing voices and stage presences. I was happy to be able to sit through them and actually took the stairs out of Beautiful on Wednesday!

Yesterday, our neighbors, Bill and Marybeth King hosted the annual Oktoberfest party and we had over 30 people come to share good food, beer, wine and conversation. It was a wonderful gathering. Big thanks to the Kings for hosting so we could have this special event this year! Thanks to all of you who were present for being there and your tasty contributions. We missed those of you who couldn’t make it, but you know, there is always next year!

It felt like a “coming out” party for my hip. Everyone was curious about how I was doing. It was so great to hear everyone say they were surprised by how well I was doing at 4 ½ weeks after surgery. Especially because this week has been one of my hardest. My progress on my walk slowed considerably and I am still using a cane and limping due to a lack of strength in my gluteal muscles on my right side. I’m working hard to strengthen them, but it is slow and painful. I also know that it is getting better, just in slower increments and this is pushing my impatience buttons! I also think that I’m subconsciously afraid of hitting a wall like I have in the past. I remind myself that this is new territory and to just keep patiently and steadily doing my rehab exercises.

I did see some improvement in my flexibility that was encouraging, like I can now touch my toes again both when standing and sitting! Next week I should be able to trim my gnarly toenails-yay! (The simple joys of life I used to take for granted.) Maybe I’ll get really crazy and shave my legs…

I didn’t get my website/blog set up, but maybe by next week.

I hope this finds all of you well and enjoying a great weekend.

Love to you all!

Rhonda

Dearly Beloved,

Wow, has a lot changed this week! I hope all of you had a wonderful week. Here the colors continue to change and the leaves are falling more rapidly. Scott harvested the last of the tomatoes and the plants are withering with frost now. Old man winter is knocking on the door.

My hip is improving daily now, which is really exciting! I seem to require less and less down time to recover and can stand and walk and exercise for longer periods. They really pushed me in PT this week and my therapist said it was time for me to start testing some limits and see what my body could do. So, I did…

I figured out how to get back on my yoga mat on the floor and do part of my salutation sequence! I am so unbelievably excited by this! I didn’t think I’d be able to do this until the 6-week mark, but I did it on my 3-week anniversary! I included a video my friend Marta took when she first saw me do it. It’s the one with me on the yoga mat. I’m also walking more and more without a cane and my walk improves continuously now. I included a video Scott took yesterday, after the yoga mat video. I can put more weight on the leg, but I can only hold it about 1-2 seconds. I’m still working on strengthening it. I’m happy to say I made it all the way around the block a couple of days ago! A feat I have not managed in a couple of months.

Rhonda’s Hip Adventure Videos  You can always click on the “i” in the circle to find out what a video is about and when it was taken.

I’m also resuming my Qigong when I get up in the morning. Great way to loosen everything up and get moving. I’m going to try some easy Tai Chi this afternoon. Tai Chi is an awesome way to work with weight shifting and balance without too much strain.

I had my first outing—dinner at Scott’s dad’s place with my mom and Scott and Jim’s old neighbor, Kitty. It was great to get out and be able to sit through a whole meal!

Tonight, we are going to see an Edith Piaf performance at the theater downtown. I’m really looking forward to it. It will be the first time I experience the elevator.

I tested out driving around the block yesterday and it was a cinch, so I’m back in the saddle again and Scott is done “Driving Miss Daisy” on her Princess Pillow. Thank you, Scott for all your patient chauffeuring and errand running these last few weeks!

The pain is now minimal and I’m only taking a couple of ibuprofen at bedtime and a Benadryl. Sleep is much better and more restful.

Oh, other big exciting event of the week was being able to put on socks and underwear without having to use tongs or my grabber tool! The flexibility in my hip is greatly improved and that makes life so much easier.

It feels like I am rejoining life and the world now after a more reclusive, introspective time. I’m happy to be back! I look forward to connecting with each of you when the time is right.

As part of my rejoining the world, I’ve decided to reinvent rhondaashurst.com. I’d like to use it as a blogging platform, and also a repository of my writing and favorite resources. I was inspired by the many bloggers who helped me with their stories about their own hip surgeries and recovery. I’d like to add to the growing database out there by posting my own Hip Adventures. But, I also have a lot of other topics I’d like to explore and this feels like a good way to do it.

I’m hopeful I’ll be able to get it up and running within the next couple of weeks and then I’ll shift my updates to that platform and email out a link to all of you. I think it is amazing what we can do on the Internet! It is a great way to share information and learn about how others have come through similar challenges. Like my dear friend Mary says, “When we tell each other our stories, we help each other heal.”

So, I don’t know if I will be sending out another group email update. We will see how it goes.

I want to express my gratitude to my amazing partner, Scott, who has attended lovingly to my every need with patience, steadiness, and lots of positive energy. I could never have done this without you and I am continually amazed by you. Thank you for loving me and for teaching me to be a better person, every day.

Thanks also to all of you who have held me in your thoughts and prayers, sent me your good wishes and gifted me sweet comforts, delicious food and beautiful flowers along the way. You are the treasures of my life.

Special thanks to my mom, who provided so many delicious meals these last few weeks!

My blessings to you all!

With much love and a big hug,

Rhonda