In 2021, at the ripe young age of 63, I joined the bionic club with my first EVER surgery: a right hip replacement. Yep, that’s my titanium implant you’re looking at, now proudly residing in my hip.

I dodged the surgery for three years, enduring the pain like a stubborn warrior. Mostly because I made the big mistake of researching hip replacement surgery like I do everything. Once I found out that they basically rip your leg off, hollow out your hip socket and glue a new socket in, hack off the top of your thigh bone and drive a 6-8 inch spike with the end of a curtain rod down into that thigh, then attach it together to make a new ball and socket joint, I opted for the ZERO!!

I convinced myself, “I can manage,” even as the pain became my constant companion. But as each successive set of x-rays proved that my hip cartilage was slowly wearing away, the pain got to a point where it started to mess with my quality of life. I only checked my mail once a week because that 25 yard trip to the mailbox at the end of the driveway was too uncomfortable. I started having my groceries delivered so I wouldn’t have to limp around the grocery store. I covered it up as best I could when training my clients even though they all knew I was having a problem. Finally, when I couldn’t do my workouts any more, I knew it was time to give in and get that bionic upgrade.

Here’s the kicker: even with all that pain, I didn’t let myself go. Diet and exercise were my saving grace. I kept eating right and exercised as much as I could – including that bad hip! This kept me strong and aided in both my surgery and my recovery. By the time I had the surgery, my doctor said that if it weren’t for my exercise regimen, I wouldn’t even be walking as my hip was one of the worst he’d seen. I treated my body like a car. I kept it fueled it right and kept up the maintenance and it made all the difference.

Because I kept the muscles around that joint so strong, recovery was a walk in the park. I was walking without assistance the next day and got back to training six days later. No doubt, I came out stronger on the other side. And if I can do it, so can you! Here’s how:

1. Diet: Feed your body right. I stuck with my premium fuel of lean proteins, fresh veggies, and whole grains and they kept my engine running smoothly.
2. Exercise: Keep moving! I had to tailor my workouts to accommodate my injury, but strength training, flexibility exercises, and low-impact cardio all worked wonders for me.
3. Stay Positive: My mindset was half the battle. Despite the discomfort, I kept believing in my strength, my resilience and my body’s ability to heal itself.

So, to all my friends facing similar battles, I’m here to tell you that recovery and becoming fully functional again is totally doable. But it’s up to you to stay the course and do the right thing!

LATER! I gotta go kick some ass now!

PEACE.

Rick