Discover my journey through hip replacement surgery at age 36. From what to expect to practical recovery tips, this guide offers insights and advice for a successful healing process.
When I tell people that I had a hip replacement at age 36, I often get surprised looks and many questions: “How did you know you needed a new hip?” “Aren’t you a little young for this?” “Was it the right decision?” I never imagined writing a post about total hip replacement surgery at this age, but here we are.
I wanted to document my journey, from dealing with hip pain to recovery, to help others. Whether you’re a hip replacement patient preparing for surgery, a loved one trying to offer support, or just curious about the process, I hope this post is helpful.
Hip Pain Begins (November 2023)
When I tell people that I had a hip replacement, I think they assume I’ve lived with years, or even decades, of hip pain. The crazy thing is, it only started about a year ago. I woke up one day and could barely walk because of severe pain in my right hip.
About six months prior, I started a steady yoga routine, four mornings a week. I felt strong, limber, and really good after having two children. I assumed I pulled a groin muscle at yoga and should just rest and ice.
After weeks of limping around and struggling with daily activities, I knew I needed to see a doctor.
Seeing An Orthopedic Doctor (November 2023)
I saw a local orthopedic surgeon to see what was going on. He did x-rays and saw that I had a mild case of hip dysplasia. He thought I likely aggravated the area with too much use and told me to do physical therapy and return if my pain didn’t go away.
I did PT twice a week for three months, focusing on improving my range of motion and strengthening the surrounding muscles and soft tissue. The pain slightly improved, but it was still there. My gait was wobbly and it was hard for me to walk long distances without being in pain.
Getting An MRI (February 2024)
When I returned to the doctor, he said we should do an MRI to see what was going on in there. When the results came back I was shocked. He said there wasn’t any cartilage left in my joint. The bones were rubbing on each other. I also had hip dysplasia, a hip impingement, and arthritis in the joint. The only solution to relieve my pain for good would be a total hip replacement with an anterior (front) approach.
I couldn’t believe it! I was only 35 years old at that point. How did this happen? He said there was likely a genetic component with the hip dysplasia. Both my mom and dad have had right hip replacements in the last few years. (They were both in their 60s.) And it was also because of overuse both as a child and as an adult.
I was a dancer as a child, adolescent, and throughout college. That meant that I was often kicking, doing the splits, and jumping around for my performances. This likely affected my bones and joints as my body was growing.
I’m also a very active adult – working out, doing DIY projects, and being on my feet a lot. All of these factors played a significant role in the deterioration of my hip.
Cortisone Shots for Relief
To hold off on the surgery a bit, we decided to do a cortisone shot in March 2024. This was done by a radiologist under X-ray to get the cortisone in the exact right spot. It was painful, and I was sore for a few days, but after that, I felt like my old self again! I was working out, walking around, and doing all of my old activities—pain-free!
However, cortisone only lasts about three months. By July, the pain had returned. I got another shot, but this time, the relief lasted only about 6-8 weeks. You can only have a certain number of shots per year, and they become less effective over time.
At that point, I knew I needed to get the surgery on the calendar. I marked it down for November 7th and got to work prepping my body, life, and calendar for this major event.
Prepping My Body For Surgery
After three months of PT earlier in the year, I had become good friends with my physical therapist. I told her about the surgery and we decided to do six weeks of “prehab” to prep for the big day. I mostly worked on strengthening my glutes, quads, and core so that I would be going into surgery feeling good. I visited her weekly for hands-on work, balancing exercises, and other strengthening techniques.
On my own, I started weightlifting three days a week, trying to increase my strength as much as possible. I also upped my protein to 150 grams a day and focused on my diet. I think all of these factors helped me go into the surgery feeling as good and as strong as possible.
Prepping My Life For Surgery
I was happy that I put the surgery on the calendar so far in advance because it gave me a chance to finish large work projects, clear our November calendar of any obligations, and make a gameplan for the kids.
Finn and I discussed lots of options when it came to taking care of both me and our two young children. Would we have the grandparents watch the kids and he would be with me? Should I have my mom take care of me?
In the end, we decided it would be best if I stayed at my mom’s condo for at least the first week where she would take care of me. The kids and Finn would stick with their routine at home, with him running the show.
We figured this would be ideal because I could focus on healing, Finn wouldn’t have a third kid to take care of, and Rory and Ellis wouldn’t be disrupted from their regular activities and schedule. Not to mention, my mom’s condo has an elevator, which was incredibly helpful when moving around on crutches!
Surgery Day
On the day of surgery, I woke up early, took a shower (they give you an antiseptic wash to use for a week prior to surgery), and my mom picked me up to take me to the hospital.
I got an epidural (which I was familiar with from having kids), so my legs were numb from the waist down. They then brought me into the surgical room and that’s the last thing I remember.
My orthopedic surgeon performed the procedure using the anterior approach on the front of my body. I woke up in the recovery room with a new hip joint and specific instructions from my healthcare team. By the end of the day, I was up on crutches, walking short distances before they discharged me.
I thought it was pretty wild that I got a brand-new joint and was sent home less than 12 hours later!
The First 24 Hours
I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, the first 24 hours were really rough for me. It was difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position and I struggled to get a good night of sleep. Even with painkillers, the pain was still really bad and I was definitely second-guessing my decision to have this major surgery.
Thankfully, things slowly got better and better.
My Week At My Mom’s
The time spent at my mom’s place was pretty magical. I know that probably sounds strange. I mean, I did leave the hospital with a new body part, but we had a great time together. She was the ultimate nurse…helping me in and out of bed, giving me a shower, making me every meal, and more. I am so grateful for her care during this time because I certainly couldn’t have done it alone!
We watched TV shows and movies together; she decorated her place for Christmas; and we ate ice cream on the couch together every night. I also slept constantly, getting about 10-12 hours a night with 1-2 naps per day. I felt like a newborn!
My Recovery Process
I had a home nurse come and check on me every other day during that first week. She monitored my stitches for signs of infection and made sure I was compliant with all of my meds.
I also had an in-home physical therapist come every few days. He taught me how to use crutches, start building strength in my legs, and learn to walk stairs. I was determined to get up and moving and back to normal as soon as possible.
If you’re having this same surgery, you may be curious about timing, so here’s how things worked for me.
- Days 1-5: Got around on two crutches.
- Day 5-7: Got around on one crutch. And learned how to walk stairs!
- Days 7-14: Got around with a cane.
- Day 16: Ditched the cane and walked on my own!
Again, this is just my personal recovery time. Everyone heals differently. Just listen to your doctor and physical therapist and you’ll likely have a successful recovery.
Tips If You’re Having A Hip Replacement
I learned a lot along this journey and wanted to share some tidbits that made my healing process a bit better.
- Stay on top of your pain medication: I’ve always had an aversion to painkillers (they make me nauseous), so I wasn’t looking forward to taking them with this surgery. Luckily, my doctor prescribed anti-nausea meds. I needed the painkillers the first few days but I was able to wean down to taking them only at night after that. Stay on top of your pain management, even if it’s just with Tylenol, so you can continue moving around.
- Organize your meds: On top of the pain medicine, I also had a boatload of other meds to take including stool softeners, blood thinners, and more. My mom kept us organized with a tracking sheet for this. I’m also a big fan of my pill organizer.
- Sleep as much as possible: As mentioned, I slept a lot that first week. Rest is incredibly important and my body needed it.
- Try the Game Ready machine: Holy smokes, if you take one thing away from this post, it’s to ice as much as possible. A friend told me about something called Game Ready. It’s a machine that ices and compresses your injury. I had my doctor prescribe it for me and rented it for two weeks. I used it at least four times a day to keep my inflammation and swelling down.
- Get lots of loose pants: Putting pants on is tough, so make sure you have comfortable pants with loose ankles.
- Have someone help with socks and shoes: Ugh, this part was the hardest for me. It’s very tough to reach your foot for that first month, which means it’s virtually impossible to put your socks and shoes on by yourself. I had my mom and then my husband help me for the first few weeks until I eventually bought this sock helper and shoehorn.
- Week one, relax as much as possible: My doctor said your number one focus should be on relaxing. I did just that.
- After week one, start moving: I went back home to “real life” after a week at my mom’s and started moving more and more each day. You want to bear weight on the joint immediately, so this helps with the healing process. Just don’t go too crazy.
- Lean on your community: My friends and family really stepped it up during this time. Yes, I got cards and flowers and beautiful gifts, but I also had friends help Finn and the kids while I was out of commission. Restaurant gift cards, home-cooked meals, and even help watching the kids were all so very welcome during this time.
What To Buy For Your Hip Replacement Recovery
So about a week before my surgery, I started freaking out that I didn’t have everything I needed. I started researching like crazy and came upon lots of random items to buy if you’re having hip surgery.
These items may help you in your recovery, but I ended up not needing much at all. Here’s what I bought and my thoughts on if I really needed them or not.
- Crutches/Cane: You don’t need to buy these items. You will leave the hospital with crutches. I ended up getting a cane from my dad. Your healthcare provider will likely provide these, but ask just in case!
- Loose Pants: Make sure you have lots of loose and cozy pants to wear. It’s hard to put pants on, so you don’t want anything with tight ankles. My mom had a few pairs of these pants left over from her surgery and they were amazing!
- Grabber Tool: I bought this and didn’t use it much. I’m not sure it’s worth the purchase.
- Raised Toilet Seat: Everyone told me to buy a raised toilet seat or safety rail and I didn’t want to spend the money. I was able to get up and off the toilet using the vanity next to me, so this was unnecessary.
- Leg Strap: Getting in and out of bed can be tricky at first, especially to lift your injured leg. My mom helped lift my leg into bed each night. If you don’t have someone, you could use a leg strap to help. After about a week, I could get my leg in bed solo, so I never purchased one.
- Game Ready: As mentioned before, this was the MVP of my recovery. Even though it was about $250 to rent for two weeks, it was well worth it for me. And here’s a tip from a follower – buy a pack of small frozen water bottles to place into the ice compartment of the machine. That way you don’t have to go through tons of ice every time you use it! This was key. If you don’t rent one, just make sure you have lots of ice packs on hand.
- Shower Chair: I didn’t buy one of these because my mom’s shower has a bench in it. If you don’t have a bench, you might want a shower chair.
- Scar Gel: My mom’s scar from her hip replacement is about 6 inches long and vertical. I figured mine would be the same. Somehow, my surgeon gave me a much smaller incision (about three inches) horizontally. He said he tried to position it where it would be hidden under a bathing suit, which I appreciate. I picked up this scar gel from my dermatologist to use once it heals.
- Sock & Shoe Help: I quickly got sick of having to ask for help with my socks and my shoes, so I got this sock tool and this shoehorn. Now I can fully get dressed on my own!
- Compression Socks: For the first week, I wore these compression socks and I think they really helped with swelling in my legs.
FAQs About My Hip Replacement
Here are some recurring questions I’ve gotten throughout the process.
How Long Does The New Hip Last?
Forever! I was a little worried that I would need to do this surgery every 15-20 years, but my doctor said that the parts have come a long way in just the last few years. My hip will outlast me. Ha!
Will I Need To Do My Left Hip Eventually?
As of now, no. My left hip looks fine. I’m not sure why my right one was so terrible compared to my left, but my guess is it’s from dance. My fellow dancers know that most kicks, leaps, turns, etc. are done on the right side, so my guess is this contributed to the deterioration of the joint.
Will My Kids Have Hip Problems?
If you remember this blog post, my son Ellis was born with hip dysplasia and was in a harness for the first few months of his life. However, his dysplasia was due to him being breech. Perhaps there was a genetic component as well. Either way, he is now dysplasia free. He gets x-rays every year and his hips look great.
My daughter has no known hip issues, but we will stay on top of it!
Are You Happy You Did It?
Yes! My quality of life was really suffering before. I wasn’t able to walk my kids to school without limping all the way home. That’s not the active life I want to live. My quality of life and general health will be much better for decades because of this surgical procedure. To me, that is well worth it!
I’m also relieved I didn’t wait much longer. When my orthopaedic surgeon visited me after the surgery he said that it was only bone on bone in there and I likely couldn’t have made it another year in my current state. That sealed the deal for me!
How I’m Feeling Now
I’m almost one month from my surgery and I’m amazed at how good I feel. I’m walking around without pain and back to most of my everyday activities and daily tasks. I still have a few more weeks before I can workout and drive again and I cannot wait to make a full recovery!
Overall, I’m so pleased with my new hip. I’m officially a bionic woman! Please reach out if you have any questions. I am happy to help in any way that I can.