I am hoping for a little perspective. I am 50 and have been diagnosed with arthritis in one hip. I am told that whenever I can no longer cope with the pain I can get a hip replacement. I have never been a great runner but I do try to stay active and exercise 5-6 days per week. It has been a goal of mine to do one more marathon before, or at, the age of 50. I have only ever run one marathon, so this would be my second, and last. Running is already too painful so I am planning to walk it with a friend. The marathon is June 21, 2015.
I have been trying to build a base of walking, and walking quickly (my friend walks quite fast). If I am careful and control my movements well I can get through my workout with an acceptable level of pain. However, by the evening I have severe pain which radiates down my leg. This is becoming unbearable.
I am wondering, if I were able to get a hip replacement this month, or in January, is there any way that I could have recovered sufficiently to complete my marathon in June? I am struggling with whether to just keep going with the hopes that I can last long enough to complete the marathon (walking) on my bad hip, or whether to schedule surgery as soon as possible.