It is Hip to be Hip

It is actually Hip to be Hip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recently had a hip replacement on Aug 7th, 2013. That was an ordeal for me. Knowing that i was going to be out of commission for awhile didn't make me feel to good. In fact, I have been suffering with a bit of depression lately because i haven't been making any forward progress, nor have I been getting enough exercise. I have missed out on a lot in the last 8 months, all because I was either procrastinating or just to scared to go through with the hip replacement.  In July, 2013 when I couldn't walk anymore, I decided to get off my ass and do something about it.

Knitting out in the patio 3 days after surgery.

 I had the surgery through Durango Orthopedic and so far i am glad i got it done but some days are better than others. I am a firefighter and fuels specialist for the BLM and i am expected to give 100 % to my job and that has not been happening. Now I am faced with the decision of changing jobs or reducing the amount of labor I do during our projects. I keep telling myself that this is what i do and that I don't want to reduce anything. I think some of my close friends told me that the hardest thing for me will be recovery. They were right. 

The two week appointment went well enough. My incision looked good and i was getting my mobility back. Everything seemed to be getting better and then all of the sudden, things got tougher for me. I couldn't get my walk back. My leg still felt numb and I started doing physical therapy. I never thought i would say that I was so sore after doing a few exercises for an hour. Heck, I hadn't done any physical exercise for over a month and now I feel like all i want to do is get in best shape of my life.  I actually think i need that challenge though.
I have a long way to go though.

First walk to the garden 4 days after surgery.

Not being able to work in the garden and go hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking, and all the other wonderful outdoor exercises are what is getting me down right now. I did plan this whole thing so I could ski again this fall because that is really what makes me happy. 
If anything makes me tick in life, it is skiing. I don't care if I am skiing in the back country, x-country, or alpine skiing with my family. I love how I feel when I am on skis. I love the tranquil sense you get when you are skiing alone in the woods. Or, skiing down a mountain that you never thought you could ski. 

All I can tell myself now is to keep moving. Never look back. I have a lot of stuff that i want to do and I constantly dream about traveling and seeing the world. I just want to live a life filled with experiences. I want to keep things relevant and focus on what is important. tj

Finally ditched the walker and onto the cane now. Two weeks after surgery