THR Becki's Both Hips Done in 2019 Recovery Thread

[Hip4life]

So good to hear, Beckianne! Love that pic and what it means for you!

 

[Layla]

Hello Beckianne,
Its so nice to hear from you and to read how well you’re doing. Thanks for sharing a photo of the view from the summit of your walk. Wonderful accomplishment, I can imagine how satisfying that was. At not even five months post op, it will get even better. I’ll bet the Summer of 2020 will be a good one!
@Beckianne

 

[Beckianne]

Five Years Later...how is it going?

I had me left and right hip THR in 2019. I hesitated to leave an update here at the end of 2024. I thought, "who cares" but then I thought of how much the stories of other long term recoveries helped me decide THR on both hips was the thing for me to do. So here I am.

So what happened?

Well nearly 5 years in and I can enthusiastically say that having both my hips replaced was among the best things that has ever happened to me. 5 years later here is what I can do:

-Hike
-Walk
-Strength Train
-Sit on the floor
-Rise from the floor
-Ride a bike
-Go dancing
-Drive in my car for long distances
-Garden
-Sleep peacefully and without pain
-And much, much more.

In short, nearly anything I used to do I can do once again and can continue to keep doing.

Some things I learned about my hips and body along the way to 5 years:
-Sticking to rehab, or at least to gradually building your walking time & distance, is key to a great, long term recovery.
-Motion is Lotion. At one point when I was post op and "healed" I thought I didn't have to be very active. I started sitting for longer periods of time at work. But I learned that I had to continue to be active to keep my body and my new hips healthy. I had to learn to continue self-advocating for my own health, even at work, so I could do a little 5 or 10 minute walk every hour or two.
-Even though I was "cleared" for any activity, I learned that some activities hurt or cause discomfort for my hips and that resting them didn't mean I was taking a step back, but that I was learning to listen to my body's needs. For example, over the course of one week, I did long back to back hikes up some very high and steep hills. By the second day my hips were sore. So I learned that I needed to rest a bit more or alternate the intensity of hiking.
-Losing a little weight helped my hips. It took some stress off my hips. I learned I was loving myself in taking that step.

I hope that anyone wondering what 5 years post op is like sees that THR can be a life giver, though it may seem scary, its worth doing. In many ways, you get a new lease on life!

 

[djklaugh]

@Beckianne Thanks for the wonderful and uplifting update! you are right -- it does help others to see long term positive outcomes like yours. And I agree with you that getting deteriorated hips replaced is the best thing one can do for one's self

 

[benne68]

Thanks for coming back and posting your 5-year update, @Beckianne.

It's so valuable to have long-term success stories like yours shared on the forum -- it gives hope to those who are wrestling with the decision on whether or not to have the surgery.

Happy holidays

 

[daisyduck0801]

Thank you so much for that! Right now, at 9 days out from a left THR it is just what I needed to hear. For the last few days I've more than once questioned whether or not I did the right thing. Yea, I know. It's early to be second guessing myself, but it's hard not to with all the pain, swelling, bruising, etc, etc. And I see that a lot of the things that you can do now are things that I miss doing. So glad you decided to drop by and give an update on how things are going for you now.

 

[Debru4]

Great update! I had mine done in August of 2018 and I still check in here on Bone Smart periodically. It's nice to know people are here to support me should I need it again, and also nice to be able to stay in touch with some of the folks I met after I'd had my hip replaced, as well as to offer encouragement to others who may need it. I feel exactly the same way as you do about having my hip replaced----life changing in such a wonderful way!

 

[myglasshalffull]

Great update & don't ever think that people don't care about how you are doing. I'm almost 3 years post op & still check in just about every AM.
Anyone who has had this surgery knows the struggles. So when we can share our recovery with others that are at the beginning of this journey it's a win-win for all of us.