Hello Michele and just reading your story for the first time. Wow, it really was a trying test N may still be a trying test for you. I am reminded of the words of George Sheehan he stated that we are all “an experiment of one“ and I can’t help but think that applies here. You were very fit, relatively young for this procedure, and I would assume strong going into this and your results read more like someone who was much older and not as fit. I won’t rub it in 😉 but the reality is for many of the readers here, certainly not all, because many that did not have great results do not post success stories, but my recovery and growth, now 20 months since my surgery was much more successful. I am running as fast as shorter distances as I was in the months leading up To my THR, and have completed one trail marathon, one trail 50 K, and two 22+ mile trail races In the Florida summer heat; so I can safely tell you “marathon efforts”. In reading your story in comments, and again we are all experiments of one, I would disagree with encouragement of pain medication. there is no reason to “suffer“… But Western medicine‘s idea of prescription pain meds is horrific. I took the oxycodone for 24 hours under the strong encouragement of the medical Staff, and it made me feel horrible… Nauseous, foggy headed, and body temperature irregularities… I’ll deal with a little more pain in an operated area than those symptoms. As challenging as it is, be encouraged with how you are thinking this through, using your resources and most importantly… Don’t give up exploring and experimenting with what truly works! Believe! Believe that you will run again… one foot in front of the other; will it into existence! I was doing a decent bit of hiking within a few weeks of my THR and then started “gradually gliding on the down-hills“.
Those got a little faster and then I started running on the flats… Over a period of weeks I just kept adding to it and by six months post – THR, I was covering 25 miles a week and did 15 miles hiking and running on a very mountainous section of the Appalachian trail.
Again-you are doing the right things with your intelligence and planning… Put it in your mind with no option of NOT RUNNING again… And it will be so!