Here I am, staring at my third week of recovery from my total hip replacement. I joined nearly 2.5 million people in the United States who are walking around with artificial hips. In the next 12 months, another 300,000 individuals will join our club.
I’m not very good at recovering from anything. I don’t like it. I have this irrational opinion I should be way in front of average timelines for returning to normal states of activity. My body does not agree with me and lets me know by providing sharp reality checks when I step out of line.
Driving my car was a great example. After the first week, I thought I should be able to navigate through Carson City. I didn’t want to run over any pedestrians I like, so I decided to practice going around my driveway, starting and stopping. My neighbor, Dave, who always has thought I’m a little bit nuts, happened to see my circular route and quickly called my wife to report my strange behavior.
Thanks, neighbor Dave. My wife hid my car keys for another week, perhaps saving the lives of fellow Americans while reminding me to focus on walking in a straight line.