How Hip Surgery Changed My Life—and Probably Saved It

Today January 30th marks a full year since my left hip replacement surgery. Life has a funny way of throwing curveballs when you least expect it. For me, that curveball came in the form of hip surgery —and I’ll be honest, I never thought it would lead to the life-changing moment it did.

For years, I’d been living with chronic hip pain stemming from a football injury I had in high school. I had severe problems walking long distance , standing, and I couldn't ride a bike at all. I had family members constantly telling me to have hip surgery ASAP. I was reluctant but knew it was the right thing to do.

What I didn’t expect was what would happen next.

The Surprise Diagnosis

As part of the pre-surgery tests, my doctor checked my blood pressure—and it came back over 200. If anyone knows about blood pressure at 200 I could potential stroke out at anytime. I had no idea, but it made sense after I heard the news. I suffered from chronic headaches for years and always felt sluggish when waking up. I always put it off as stress related.

If left unchecked, it could have led to heart disease, stroke, or kidney failure down the line. Without that surgery, I might never have known, and my life would have taken a very different path.

New Hip and a Wake-Up Call

The hip surgery itself went well—thankfully, I was able to walk again without constant pain immediately. But that’s not where the real change happened. The real shift came when I started paying attention to my blood pressure.

With medication and a commitment to lifestyle changes—eating healthier, exercising more regularly, and reducing stress—I watched my numbers go down. My energy improved. My outlook on life shifted from just “getting by” to really living again.

After a few months of rehab I was cleared to start riding a bike again. I was nervous since I haven't been able to ride a bike in 20 years. I thought I was going to die those first 10 mins riding but when I finished I cried tears of joy for something I missed for so long.

That one ride has turned into 600 miles and counting. I'm in better shape and understand that my "health is wealth" and to continue to be here for my family.

How Can You Take Care of Others, If You Don't Take Care of Yourself

Here’s what I learned: health isn’t always obvious. You might feel fine, but there could be something lurking beneath the surface. In my case, I didn’t know I had high blood pressure until it almost caught up with me. It's a strong possibility I might of not made it out of surgery without finding this out and getting this corrected.

I’m so grateful for that hip surgery. It wasn’t just about fixing my hip—it was the catalyst that led me to discover something far more dangerous that I could have easily ignored.

Make sure to take care of yourself and don't ignore the signs. I hope I can encourage someone else to take control of their health before it becomes a bigger issue. Life is too short to take our health for granted.