Hip replacement surgery can improve the lives of people experiencing significant hip pain that cannot be improved with physical therapy. I had hip replacement surgery about five years ago because I was experiencing a lot of pain, and it was the only way to get out of my pain. Hip replacement surgery is a more major procedure when you have Spina Bifida because many people with Spina Bifida have hip dysplasia, and the surgery has to be done differently. Since having hip replacement surgery, I have lost a lot of mobility that doctors say will come back with regular exercise, but I am not convinced it will because I walk over a mile and a half a day, and there are still no signs of full range of motion. My life has completely changed since having hip replacement surgery, and I am not able to do things in the same way because my mobility loss prevents me from being able to do things like I once could. I have accepted my mobility loss, because it’s something that I can’t change and have to make the most of my new life. I do sometimes grieve the life I had before hip replacement surgery, because it is frustrating to live with less mobility, and everything was easier than it is now. What do I miss before having hip replacement surgery? In this post, I am sharing a few things that I miss before I had hip replacement surgery.
I miss being able to move more easily– I have been physically disabled since the day I was born, and moving around has never been easy because we live in an inaccessible world, and walking with crutches takes twice as much effort, but it was easier when I had mobility. I never realized how much I took mobility for granted until I lost a lot of it, and the most basic tasks became infinitely harder. Walking after hip replacement surgery is hard, and I miss being able to move more effortlessly because it’s frustrating that I can’t walk as much as I used to be able to. Regular exercise has improved my strength, and I can walk a little easier than I could a few years ago, but it’s still not the same experience, and I don’t think it ever will be. Walking with mobility loss takes twice as much effort, and I get tired more quickly, and I miss the days when moving around was easier.
I miss having more independence- As a physically disabled person, I have always needed more help than most people because my physical disability makes many tasks more challenging. I am able to do a lot of everyday tasks for myself because I went through a lot of therapy as a child to learn how to do important life skills, and I would consider myself an independent person. Hip replacement surgery changed that because I lost the ability to do some tasks and became more dependent on others. My loss of independence was one of the most difficult things for me to accept because I like to do things myself if I am able, and it’s frustrating to have to ask for help on things I used to be able to do. I adapted my life to accommodate my mobility loss because that is what you have to do, but it is hard to lose independence. I am more disabled because of my mobility loss, and unless I regain mobility, I will never be able to do tasks the same way again. I am more disabled because of my mobility loss, and it is frustrating that I have to rely more on others, and I miss the days when I had more independence.
I miss having better control over my body– Since losing mobility, I do not have as much control over my body as I used to because I am more restricted in my movement. I can fall more easily because there are some positions that I used to be able to do easily when I had mobility that are no longer possible. I have had to learn different ways to move and miss the days when I wasn’t as restricted and had better control over my body. I get frustrated with my mobility loss every single day, and sometimes I fall because my restricted movement has prevented me from getting into a position that normally would have prevented that fall. Exercise has helped improve my strength, so I have more body control than I would if I didn’t exercise, but there are some things about my disability that exercise cannot fix. I miss having more control over my body because living with restricted movement is stressful and sometimes gives me a lot of anxiety.
I miss being able to push myself harder during exercise- Since losing mobility, I have had to change the way I do a lot of exercise because my mobility loss has made some of the exercises, I used to do impossible. I sometimes have to do beginner strength training moves because my mobility loss has prevented me from doing the more advanced version that I know I am capable of doing. I miss the days when I was able to push myself harder during exercise because it’s frustrating to see how much my mobility loss prevents me from being able to do. I miss being able to do a full-length push-up and hate that I have to do easier versions because it makes building strength so much harder. I know I can do so much more, and it’s hard to see how much I lost and not be able to do anything about it.
When you lose the ability to do things that you once could, it is hard to accept because life is harder than it used to be, and your life is more restrictive. I have been living with less mobility for a few years and have learned new ways to adapt my life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t ever grieve my old life. I get frustrated with my mobility loss every single day, and wish that things were easier, and that is okay because acceptance doesn’t mean you have to love your disability, and it only means you have come to terms with it. If you became disabled, it is okay to grieve the life you once had, and I think that everyone who has lost ability wishes they could have their old life back. I have accepted my mobility loss because it’s no one’s fault, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish life were easier. There is nothing my doctor could have done to completely prevent my mobility loss because you can’t change my disability, and you can only make the best of the situation you are in. Many disabled and chronically ill people grieve the life they once had, and that is okay because there is nothing wrong with wanting a pain-free life. What do you miss about your life before you became disabled? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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