One unexpected benefit of my left hip replacement (done last week) is it forced me to focus completely on my body.

I had to think about every step I took, where I was going to sit, how I was going to stand, the food I was eating, drinking enough water, the clothes I had on, skin care, foot care, home exercises, taking my medications at the right time, upper body strength, and, most importantly of all, going potty.

The last time I had this level of body awareness (and subsequently lost—to my health detriment) was over a decade ago when I was consistently mountain climbing. A successful climb required focus on all of these same elements.

My hip is healing quickly now. That’s great. But I hope I can maintain some level of this re-found body awareness.