Neon Sign

[chuckm]

Hi everyone. I'm just over 7 months post op by Gregorian calendar - 8 months post op for those who use 4 weeks is a month method.

I had several years with pain from hip arthritis and it really brought me down. It was so tiring to try to explain osteoarthritis of the hip to anyone and how it doesn't get better. That it was a lonely battle of pain that consumed my thoughts throughout the day every day.

Well, that's all changed now since resurfacing and I stand taller, look thinner, back pain is gone (of course hip pain is gone too) and I have gone back to playing soccer.

I'm having a great recovery, but strangely, it is still lonely explaining things to people just like before surgery. One day my wife asked how my new hip was and I told her it was "a miracle surgery". It sounded corny to her. I could tell it was the same trying to explain the pain before surgery. Only us hippies know what I am talking about!

But now I want to talk about this new incredible hip device (in my case a BHR) so much that I wish there was a large neon sign above my head so people could say "Wow! That is amazing". And then they might ask me about it and more people could learn first hand about how great hip resurfacing is. When I play soccer, no one knows about my hip. 

It has been quite a ride to spend years going down and then now experience constantly going up. How long does this honeymoon last I wonder?

Chuckm

[hernanu]

It's a funny kind of thing.

No matter how you explain it, try to describe the increasing pain and constriction of life under OA, there really is no connection to someone who hasn't had it.

The recovery, to me was miraculous. To take steps (eventually) without the dread of the impact, to walk up stairs without leaning on the rail... or worse yet walking down the stairs. Playing sports with a light heart was a long gone memory.

To have that leave, in one morning (my first) or afternoon (my second) is a miracle to me. The way it used to be defined, to be healed at once and step forward without reservation, to fully commit to life in all its colors.

It is probably something they'll never understand. But to me that's ok. They know enough, the people who cared. My daughters don't have that look on their face when I winced as I walked. My parents don't look behind when we're walking to see if I'm ok. Those horrible little inflections on the stream of our lives are gone now, and I can be where I want and need to be.

It is wonderful to be better this way. I think the best thing is to just enjoy the new hips and go. Jump back in and really live that life.