When I started writing this series, I wanted to document what recovery from a total hip replacement really looked like for me—not as a medical professional, but as a 51-year-old CrossFit coach, gym owner, and athlete who wasn't quite ready to give up the things I loved doing.
I started with the decision to have surgery. Then I took you through surgery day, sleeping in a recliner, walkers and canes, physical therapy, frustrating nights without sleep, trying to return to coaching too soon, my first workouts, 30,000 steps through New York City, and finally hearing those wonderful words at my six-week appointment:
Restrictions lifted.
Now, as August comes to an end, I'm more than three months out from surgery.
And thankfully, there isn't nearly as much to report.
That's actually a really good thing.
When Recovery Became Life Again
July and August were pretty uneventful as far as my hip was concerned.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking about my hip every minute of every day.
Instead of focusing on recovery, I started focusing on rebuilding.
My goal with squatting has been simple: form and range of motion before weight.
I'm keeping the weight lighter and working on getting comfortable with depth again. I'd rather squat a lighter weight through a better range of motion than load up the bar and sacrifice the movement.
The strength will come.
Right now, I'm rebuilding the movement.
And Yes...I Ran
Running was something I knew I wanted to try again.
I started small.
100 meters.
200 meters.
Eventually, I ran 600 meters at one time.
Was it fast?
Absolutely not.
But I ran.
My agreement with myself was simple: if my hip started hurting, I'd stop and get on the bike.
During August, I think I ran a total of three times.
And I'm completely okay with that.
Three runs are three more than I was doing a few months ago.
What Does the Future Look Like?
At my final post-op appointment, I wanted some clarification.
Could I hurt my new hip by doing these things?
We talked about impact and the fact that more impact may contribute to the hip wearing faster over time. But we also talked about quality of life.
Running brings me joy.
CrossFit brings me joy.
Lifting weights brings me joy.
Movement brings me joy.
That doesn't mean I need to run long distances or chase the weights I lifted years ago.
Maybe my runs will be shorter.
Maybe my weights will be lighter.
And you know what?
I'm okay with that.
My goal isn't to prove what I can still do.
My goal is to stay active and continue doing the things I love for as long as possible.
Taking the New Hip to Sedona
In August, we took a trip to Sedona, Arizona, for my husband's birthday.
That gave me another opportunity to test the hip—but this time on rocks, hills, and uneven terrain.
We hiked through the Red Rocks and explored the area.
I wasn't the fastest person on the trail.
I didn't need to be.
I was hiking.
A few months earlier, I was struggling to get myself out of a recliner.
Now I was hiking through Sedona.
That's perspective.
So...Am I Glad I Did It?
Throughout the early weeks of my recovery, people constantly asked me:
"Are you glad you had it done?"
For quite a while, my answer was:
"The jury is still out."
Recovery was harder than I expected.
The lack of sleep was probably the most frustrating part. Losing my independence was difficult. Not being able to coach or work out the way I wanted was mentally challenging.
There were absolutely days when I wondered if I'd made the right decision.
Now?
Yes.
I'm glad I did it.
Not because everything is perfect.
It's not.
I'm still rebuilding strength and mobility. I'm still figuring out what my new normal will look like.
But I'm walking without the arthritic pain that changed the way I moved for years.
I'm coaching.
I'm lifting.
I'm squatting.
I'm hiking.
I'm even running a little.
Most importantly, I'm back to living without constantly planning around my hip.
What This Recovery Taught Me
If I could go back and talk to myself before May 13th, I'd tell her a few things.
Recovery will take longer than you think.
You won't sleep well for a while.
Some ridiculously simple movements will humble you.
You'll get frustrated.
You'll try to do too much because your mind will be ready before your body is.
But...
It's going to get better.
That became my mantra throughout this entire recovery.
Not necessarily tomorrow.
Maybe not even next week.
But little by little, it gets better.
And eventually you realize you're no longer thinking about recovering.
You're just living again.
Is There Another Hip in My Future?
Maybe.
My left hip isn't perfect either, and I'm currently deciding whether another hip replacement is in my future. If I do move forward, it will likely be in December.
Would I be excited to start this process all over again?
Absolutely not.
But I'd go into it knowing so much more.
I'd understand that those first frustrating weeks are temporary.
I'd be more prepared for the sleep challenges.
I'd have more realistic expectations about returning to coaching and working out.
And most importantly, I'd know where the road eventually leads.
If surgery number two happens, I'll definitely keep you posted.
Thank You
To everyone who followed this series from Part 1 until now—thank you.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for asking how I was doing.
Thank you to my family, coaches, members, friends, physical therapists, and everyone who helped me when I couldn't do things for myself.
I started sharing this journey because I thought it might help someone considering a hip replacement.
But I hope it speaks to anyone dealing with an injury, surgery, setback, or body that isn't cooperating the way you'd like it to.
Recovery is hard.
And sometimes accepting where you are today is harder than doing the work itself.
Keep moving.
Keep adapting.
Keep celebrating the small wins.
And remember:
It's going to get better.
Coach's Take
If there's one thing this experience reinforced for me as a coach, it's that fitness isn't about doing everything you used to do.
It's about maintaining the ability to keep doing the things that make your life better.
Sometimes that means heavier weights and faster times.
Sometimes it means scaling the workout, walking instead of running, or celebrating a 100-meter jog.
The goal changes.
But we keep moving.
Thank you for following my journey.
This may be the end of my weekly hip replacement series—but something tells me the story isn't quite over yet.
— Amy
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