New Hip for Christmas

This post is for all the Boomers and GenXers who have hip or knee issues but are putting off surgery due to fear or the false belief that those joints will heal themselves. I am in the former category with a gimpy hip showing itself about 2 years ago. At first it wasn’t bad, just achy at night if I slept on that side too long. Like a frog that will allow itself to be cooked if put in water with the temperature raised very gradually, the hip turned incrementally painful during activities for quite a while before I picked up on the changes.

There comes a time when the fear of surgery gives way to the need to get back to life. While my hip deteriorated slowly at first, it accelerated over the last year, making it painful and difficult to do the things I enjoy. No skating, no disc golf, and reduced bike riding – which actually helps by working the muscles without impact. I finally got to the point where the negative effects were greater than my fear of surgery and went back to the orthopedist to schedule hip replacement.

       Fear of the unknown kept me from acting earlier despite hearing from everyone who had gone through a hip or knee replacement that it was the best thing they ever did. Fear is a powerful foe but don’t let it keep you from addressing a health issue – or any issue. I did, and now I am anxiously awaiting my new hip. Though I am still terrified of the surgery, I am more afraid of what my hip would be like a year from now if I don’t do it. Ironically one fear pushed me to overcome the other – or to at least face it.  

       Helping me to feel comfortable with what’s coming are friends who have had joint replacement surgeries as recently as October. They have all been very encouraging, sharing how right out of surgery they were better off than before. Our friend who had her hip done in October used the same surgeon and facility that I will be using so I am following her recovery carefully and am amazed at how quickly she bounced back after the operation.

Another friend welcomed me to the wonderful world of “joints made from bicycle parts”. Still another chimed in, referencing the timing by parodying a popular Christmas song as “All I Want for Christmas is My New Left Hip”. Two funny ways to look at being re-built one piece at a time.

       I am also encouraged by a softball teammate who had both knees replaced two years ago. He played that season, with limited mobility, but he was back on the field only a couple of months after surgery. Seeing that and hearing from so many others, I am looking forward to successful surgery and getting my life back. I will be able to run and skate again after being hobbled for the past 2 years. In fact, I should be able to run faster than in the last 2 seasons now that both legs will work. Full disclosure, I was pretty slow before my hip issue, so there’s not much speed to re-gain (and my teammates will gleefully confirm that) but at least I won’t look like a peg-legged pirate on my way to first base anymore.

       To all of you reading this who have knee, hip or other issues, or who know someone who does, I encourage you to overcome your fears and address the issues before they take too big of a bite out of your life. Like I said, I am still scared of the surgery, but I am more scared of losing more of my life by not getting it done. I’ll include updates on my progress in posts early next year and I hope this post and those updates provide a push to those of you holding off.

May the peace and joy of the holidays you are celebrating stay with you throughout the year.

I’ll be taking the next few weeks off for Christmas, New Year’s, and to get my new hip.

Next post will be early January.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  12-18-2023