This is what I tell people when they ask: "The surgery was a success, I'm recovering very well, but only time will tell if replacing my hip solved the problem." I still walk with a slight limp and some discomfort but Anna, my physical therapist, assures me this will go away. I'm not convinced--knee pain suggests to me that I will need to have that replaced, too, before I'm completely back to normal.
An overweight, much younger colleague at the Health Department, who has had both her hips replaced, observed "the surgery must be less invasive than when I had it." She couldn't believe that I was able to get around without any assistance at all. I held my tongue.
The only bad thing about returning to work today was carrying my hip cushion on the subway. I had planned to stand during the subway ride from 86th Street to Chambers Street because of self consciousness, but as soon as an end seat became available, I put the cushion down and sat on it. I even got a seat going home. Too bad if people thought I had a delicate ass!
Anna told me I should massage the scar on my hip as soon as the bandages fall off so that the tissue doesn't stick to the prosthesis. That sounds a little strange, but the exercises she has been recommending are helping me build strength. Over the weekend I tentatively began climbing stairs normally. Today, I completely abandoned the method I have been using since leaving the hospital.
Anna also eliminated the tingle machine after tonight's therapy visit. "We use it mostly for people who are in pain," she explained. I didn't miss it at all.
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