This is my week 11 hip surgery recovery update, and it was one I won’t forget.

This week started with the room spinning at 3:00am and me wondering what on earth was happening to my body.

Within a few hours, I went from celebrating my daughter’s birthday… to being stuck in a recliner with intense nausea… to realizing I was dealing with vertigo on top of hip recovery.

But somehow, by the end of the week, I was walking without a crutch, leading worship at a funeral, and feeling stronger than I have in weeks.

It was a strange mix of setbacks, grief, and really meaningful progress.

Monday

I shot up in bed around 3:00am and the room instantly started spinning. I don’t know why I sat up so fast, just a weird, out-of-it moment in the middle of the night. After the spinning stopped, I stumbled to the bathroom, and for the next two hours I felt intense nausea. I thought I had a stomach bug, which was a real bummer because it was my middle daughter’s birthday.

As the morning went on, I started to feel a little better, so I rode the bike and laid on the floor to do my PT stretches. As soon as I tried to get up, the room spun like crazy again. Then came another two hours of nausea. My mom and husband had experienced this before, so I knew what it was. Vertigo.

Most of the day was spent in my recliner. I knew the solution was the Epley maneuver, but I was afraid to do it because I knew it could be intense and make me sick. I cried about it for a minute, then finally did it before bed and felt better almost instantly.

Tuesday

I woke up with some lingering nausea and mild dizziness, which according to ChatGPT is normal even after resolving the main issue with the Epley maneuver. As the day went on, I felt more and more normal.

I spent the morning having coffee with a friend, then worked until it was time to pick up the kids. That evening we had baseball. I used one crutch throughout the day, especially at the field since it was a long walk from the parking lot.

Wednesday

I had my first session with a new physical therapist early in the morning. I loved my previous PT, but changes in payment policies meant I needed to switch to someone who accepts my insurance. By this point, my vertigo was thankfully gone.

My new PT was pleased with my progress and gave me a few new exercises. He said my walking gait looked really good. He seems a bit more conservative, which is probably good for someone like me who tends to push too much. This recovery definitely requires patience.

That evening we had a soccer game. My hip felt great all day, and I didn’t use my crutch at all. I even walked the long distance from the parking lot to the field without any assistance.

Thursday

Another day completely crutch-free. It was a low-key day at home working on projects for my decluttering and organizing business, helping my husband with administrative work for his vending machine business, and doing some continuing education for my blog.

The evening ended with a fun night out with friends to celebrate a birthday. I’m so thankful for my community.

Friday

A longtime friend of mine passed away from pancreatic cancer last week. It was extremely sudden. From her first symptoms to her passing, it was less than two months. She was an amazing woman who radiated the love of Christ wherever she went.

Her calling hours were Friday evening, and I represented the Korosec family. Afterward, we had another baseball game. It was a strange experience to move from grieving right back into everyday life.

I did not use my crutch at all, even while standing in line for calling hours for about an hour.

Saturday

I had the honor of helping lead worship at my friend’s service. It was a beautiful testimony of her life here and her life in eternity with her Heavenly Father.

It was a long day on my feet. At one point, I even accidentally did a deep squat while setting up and had no pain at all. I honestly forgot about my hip for stretches of time as I focused on remembering my friend.

Later that day, I had an in-person quote scheduled for a house cleaning, so I tidied most of the house. We also had family coming over the next evening to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, so I wanted everything picked up.

It was a lot of movement, and I still didn’t use my crutch at all.

Sunday

We had soccer in the morning, and for whatever reason my hip was a bit more sore. It could have been the long drive or the drop in temperature or just the busyness in the days prior. I used my crutch to get to and from the field, but by the time we got home it felt much better and I didn’t use it the rest of the day.

I finished cleaning the house and spent about an hour prepping food for the birthday dinner. It ended up being a really nice evening.

Medicine Use and Mobility

I took four Advil most days toward the evening when soreness set in from being active. I used Tylenol very sparingly. Overall, my medication use is slowly decreasing.

As mentioned, I used my crutch less and less this week. By the second half of the week I barely used it at all! My mobility is improving, and I’m starting to have moments where I forget my hip was operated on just eleven weeks ago.

I still need help lifting heavier items like full laundry baskets. I can use the stairs well and don’t need to hold onto anything, but I’m still careful with my footing.

Sitting for longer periods is much more manageable now. I can sit in a regular chair for hours without issue. I do get a little stiff, but a few minutes of movement usually takes care of it.

Wrapping it Up

This week reminded me that progress isn’t always linear.

Sometimes it looks like setbacks in the middle of the night, unexpected challenges, and emotions you didn’t plan for. But it also looks like quiet wins. Walking a little farther. Needing a little less support. Realizing you didn’t think about your injury for a while.

Eleven weeks ago, my hip was surgically repaired. This week, I caught glimpses of what life will feel like on the other side of recovery.

And that feels really encouraging.

If you’re earlier in your recovery journey or preparing for surgery, you can find more of my weekly updates and resources here.