I thought I’d start this post off with the lovely Gloria Gaynor! Her I Will Survive song has helped me on so many levels of my journey of healing from domestic abuse. It was also very APT today! Today is a victory for me personally!
I went over a year needing a hip replacement. I went through surgery at an amazing surgical center (that looked like a coffee shop, TBH) with an equally amazing doctor. I feel relief instantly and am doing my utmost to take care of myself — in fact fancying myself as the Bionic Woman. That will REALLY be the case when I get my left hip done a few months down the road. I have amazing support and care (and insurance), and am setting myself up for successful healing! Also, ironically, my boyfriend has had so many medical procedures, I consider him the Six Million Dollar Man, so we are perfect together! LOL! If you don’t know who those people I referenced are, do some Googling. I’m a Gen Xer, so those references fit us, I feel!
In January 2024, I slipped on ice on my front porch, thinking I sprained something in my leg. It never quite quit hurting, with the pain continuing to worsen combined with having trouble picking up my foot. I was also having issues with walking for exercise, so I signed up to be seen by a Chiropractor. He informed me that I had slight hip dysplasia, which was no surprise to me AT ALL, as my Mom had it slightly too. She had informed me, in the past, that it only bothered her when she was pregnant, so I had that knowledge tucked. My ortho doctor, however told me that that was a small contributing factor to the fact that I now, no longer, had cartilage in my hip socket and it was bone on bone. He also told me my left hip was nearly shot too, for compensating for my right hip. So, apparently, at age 51, my warranty was up and all of the “check engine” lights were coming on. He told me that I could be refurbished!
He and I also surmised that my twenty-three plus years of physical trauma, with the help of my misshapen hip, wore away the cartilage and caused arthritis, which probably kept me stiff and from feeling it fully, until I slipped last January. I also want to point out, yet again, that I am a Gen Xer and my generation did all kinds of sketchy things, outside the house, because we were all unsupervised. Thankfully, this was pre-Internet, so nothing was documented. Whew! I cannot recount how many trees I climbed and fell out of, jumped my bike over ramps, swung on iffy rope suspended from random trees in the woods…the list is endless really and I’m not trying to worry my family at this point — even though I’m a grown-up now…who still probably needs supervision, but that is beside the point…
So, today I had the surgery and my hip pain feels amazingly better, but I still have the surgical pain to contend with. I get to stay home and be doped up, wearing compression socks and a t-shirt, and stretchy pants. The compression socks need to stay on for 24 hours. I have to walk and move around for a few minutes every hour with my walker. I have to take tons of vitamin D for healing. I have these pulsing things that I have to put on my leg calves and do six to eight hours [total] every day to keep me from getting blood clots. I start physical therapy locally next week. My hip and thigh are swollen, so I must keep ice on it constantly. The incision on my hip from the laparoscopic surgery looks like a zipper and I must keep it dry. The instructions said I couldn’t bathe for three days, which isn’t an option, so the nurse said I could saran wrap it. I have to wait two weeks for my follow-up visit to discuss with my doctor his statement that he made today: “It was SO much worse that I originally thought…but you did good, girl!” He’s going to x-ray it again to see how it is doing.
At this visit is where he also decides how much more time off of work I will need to have, or if I can go back via teleworking. We shall see. I have a TBR pile of books call ing my name. I also have a few writing competitions to enter. God wants me to slow down and heal, so I shall! I will survive!
SIDE NOTE: Personally, with all the pain that I endured during DV and when I had my last child via C-Section (and my then-husband taking ALL of my pain meds), I have a high pain tolerance, but pain also triggers my anxiety — I am relieved that today was so positive and pain free. The staff knew my history of trauma, because I told them before and reminded them today, and they were amazing! My boyfriend has been super supportive and sweet, something my Ex would have never done. The Ex would’ve tortured me, had we been together and he let me live to this point. Today has been amazing! I hope my healing journey continues to be! He also texted my family and friends…I LOVE this man!
Love and light and I will update you all soon! Going to continue to write while I’m off work…I hope these posts are coherent! <3
Here is a YouTube video of Gloria Gaynor singing. Enjoy!
