Blinky’s Original Story is Here:  https://surfacehippy.info/blinky-s-bilateral-hip-resurfacing-with-dr-gross/

Today is my four year anniversary for bilateral hip resurfacing with Dr. Gross. How time flies!

The short update is that everything is going well. I run, I swim, I dance, I climb, I walk, I do everything I want to do. Other body parts are wearing out and giving me trouble, but not my hips. The biggest roadblock to my improving continues to be time to train. Because I feel so good, I am out there working, traveling, studying, living a rich and full life.

The longer update is that I ran three half marathons last year and became a regular at a Boot Camp type class that featured burpees, TRX, and squats. I am still not a fast runner, but am a “normal slow” runner as a opposed to a super slow/just finish runner in the half distance. Best of all, it is not a big deal for me to run that far. I bounce back quickly and my parts feel good afterwards. In those Boot Camp classes, I am the oldest participant, but can keep up with the young folks. I feel like I am still improving and getting stronger.

Set backs? I do tend to overdo things. I had a Zumba period in which I tweaked a knee. I did dance and cheer as a girl, so I was thrilled to be able to jump and kick and undulate again. I did too much and got hurt. Aaargh! I have to build my ability to make lateral movements and to hop on one foot. In the meantime, no more Zumba for me. I also fell for the first time. I think we all fear that first fall and wonder if our hips will hold up. I fell dramatically, trekking across a glacier wearing crampons. My feet got tangled with my laces and with my husband’s too close feet and I went down hard and awkwardly. I had a cut on my leg and a big bruise. It was cold enough I didn’t notice all that until I got home. But I didn’t break! Okay, so I also slammed hard into an ice wall when ice climbing on that same trip. One foot came loose from the wall and so I hit the wall sideways and again awkwardly. There was a crowd watching (of course) and they gasped. The hip survived that, too.

I am delighted that I can keep trying new things and going to new places. I am grateful that some of the old things I enjoyed before arthritis are in my repertoire again. My average run is four to five miles. I take the stairs. I park far away from the entrance rather than circle the parking lot for a good spot. That trip when I fell? I also out hiked my twenty-something sons every single day. Going forward I need to keep working on lateral motion. As I get older, I can’t take for granted my ability to do things without training or staying in shape. (The main benefit of those classes? Consistent ab and glute work. And when I keep those parts strong I feel better and perform better.)

Thanks again to Pat and to everyone who went before me and posted here.