Hip Replacement One Year After

As we baby boomers age, we are going to be thinking and talking a lot more about things we can do to keep us young or restore mobility we may be losing. A year ago June 9 I had a total hip replacement on my left side. I wrote about it here ("Hip Hip Hooray!") shortly thereafter. Now that it's been a year and a little bit, it's time for an update.

To cut to the chase, I'm thrilled I had it done! Also, it's great, it's good, it's uncomfortable and it's a total pain.

Here's how it's great:
o It doesn't hurt! Ever.
o I can bend down and pick things up again. Without pain.
o My ability to shave my legs got less and less before the surgery. There was a line between where I could reach and where I couldn't, and it kept getting higher and higher. Now I can reach it all, and I can paint my toenails again, too!
o Standing used to be unendurable beyond a handful of minutes. Now I can stand for a long time with no discomfort or pain. Wow!

Here's how it's good:
o The scar isn't very noticeable anymore. And it never hurt past the first few weeks.
o I can almost but not quite cross my left leg over my right as much as before.

Here's how it's uncomfortable:
o Stairs are still not easy for me. My left leg just isn't strong enough for me to go up fairly steep steps without a handrail. That could be solved by doing more strength exercises, I'm sure. Meanwhile, I just avoid stars when I can.
o My left leg feels measurably shorter than my right. My surgeon says he doesn't think it is, my physical therapist says she doesn't think it is, but I've lived with this body a long time and it is, I tell you! Maybe only 1/4" but it's enough to make me feel like I'm tipping to the left when I walk and I find myself limping a bit. My primary care physician thinks I'm not crazy and he's suggested a doctor to go to who will measure and help me with how to handle it.

Here's how it's a total pain:
o The metal sets off airport security systems and I have the (un)pleasure of being hand-searched and patted down. That takes time and is a serious invasion of my personal space. Most of the patter-downers are nice but a couple of them, I swear, have had training in sadism. The good news is that the metal doesn't set it off every time, probably about 75% of the time, and I always feel like it's a gift! Also, the new machines that scan you, the ones that people are complaining about because they "show too much" to whoever is observing them, are great for people like me because they get you through without the pat-down, or the strip-search, as I uncharitably call it sometimes. (Forgive me, Lindsay Lohan, I know it's not like what you endured.)

The surgery was absolutely worth it! And...I really hope I don't have to have anything else replaced.