The day after my hip replacement—for the first time in 2 years—I was able to stand up in the kitchen pain-free.
Sure, I had some post-op bruising and swelling around my hip so it wasn’t comfortable, but the arthritic pain (the pain within the joint) was 100% gone.
I am now able to stand up at my desk to read and write. I am able to ride an elevator without leaning against something. I can stand in line at the grocers without support. I am able to go outside, and just stand up straight, breathing deeply and enjoying my connection to the earth. It’s friggin’ wonderful!
Sure, I’ve got a ways to go. Walking one quarter of a mile without a cane and without discomfort Is my next goal, and I right now I still can’t walk without a cane for more than a few steps without moderate discomfort.
But I now know I am going to get there.
(As an aside, I deeply underestimated the effect of living with daily pain for over two years; there is much I need to reflect on, including how my brother lived with much more significant pain for years before he died of multiple myeloma.)