Welcome to The Hip Replacement Podcast, where recovery meets motivation and healing leads to a whole new lifestyle. I’m Chris Bystriansky, your host. I’m an author, athlete, and double hip replacement patient.
I’ve been through the surgeries, the setbacks, and the comebacks, and I’m here to help you do the same. Each week, I’ll bring you tips, tools, expert advice, and inspiring stories to help you take back your life one step at a time.
Thanks for joining The Hip Replacement Podcast. New hips, new you. Let’s go.
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Welcome to the Hip Replacement Podcast. I’m very excited because this is the first episode — the inaugural episode — and I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.
I’ve always wanted to share my experiences going through hip replacements, and this podcast is a great opportunity to do that. I’ll get into more detail on that later, but for now, I want to introduce myself properly.
I’m Chris Bystriansky, your host. I’m a two-time hip replacement patient. I had both of my hips replaced more than ten years ago — one about twelve years ago and the other a little over ten years ago. So I’ve had some time and experience living with this.
I’ve always loved talking about hip replacements after I had mine done and after things started to turn around for me. Initially, it felt like a very negative experience. But over time, it became something incredibly positive in my life.
After two hip replacement surgeries, I’ve gone on to live what I’d consider a pretty normal life — at least from my perspective. In fact, I’d argue I’m living a more exciting life because of my hip replacement surgeries.
Let me give you an example.
I’ve completed a couple of IRONMAN triathlons. I’ve also done a couple of 29029 Everesting events. I wouldn’t have done those things if it weren’t for my hip replacement surgeries. I wanted to prove something to myself. I wanted to feel normal again — and then push beyond that.
That’s why I want to share these experiences with you.
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I’m launching this podcast because I believe it’s important for people who are going through this experience to know that, even though it may feel traumatic or overwhelming at the time, there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.
It can become something very positive — and it certainly has been for me.
I also just want to say thank you for being here. I appreciate the opportunity to share my stories. I love getting this message out, and I hope these stories — and this podcast — bring a little sunshine into your life.
Maybe they put you in a better mood. Maybe they inspire you to try something you didn’t think you could do. That’s the goal.
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So who is this podcast for?
This podcast is for anyone who is facing a hip replacement surgery, recently had surgery, or is even years down the road after having surgery.
It’s also for family members and friends of someone who has had a hip replacement, because this process affects more than just the patient. My wife was by my side the entire way, and I’d love to share her perspective as well — what she experienced while I was going through surgery and recovery, even years later. I’m sure she has a great perspective, and I’ll bring her on the show.
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What are we going to talk about on this podcast?
The title — The Hip Replacement Podcast — could mean a very broad topic or a very narrow one. From my perspective, we’re going to talk about anything related to hip replacement surgery.
That includes recovery, sleeping, dealing with aches and pains, stretches and exercises, and even some biohacks to help you feel better. There are things I still do today — ten or twelve years after surgery — that help me manage aches and pains that pop up.
Even though I’m still relatively young and had my first surgery in my 30s, I still deal with some physical issues. But I’ve learned things that help, and I want to share those with you so you can benefit as well and live a more normal — or maybe even more exciting — life.
Anything related to hip replacement surgery is fair game here.
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I also want to hear from you.
We’ll bring on guests. I want to hear your stories — your successes, your challenges, how you overcame obstacles, what you’re still working through, and how your mindset has changed.
I find it fascinating how people deal with major life events like this and how they can completely change the course of someone’s life — sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better.
That definitely happened to me.
After my surgery and recovery, I wanted to do more exciting things than I ever wanted to do before. Before surgery, I was comfortable. The surgeries were a real kick in the pants — the push I needed to explore what I was truly capable of.
Endurance events aren’t something most people associate with hip replacement surgery, but I found that challenge incredibly appealing.
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As for the length of these episodes, I’m going to try to keep them under 30 minutes. I know you have other things to do — and so do I — so let’s get to the point, apply what we learn, and come back next week.
The plan is to release one episode per week. I’ve found that when podcasts come out too frequently, it’s hard to keep up. Once a week feels right.
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A few years after my surgeries, I started participating in patient orientation sessions at the hospital system in Houston where I had my procedures done. These orientations were held once a month for new patients and lasted two to three hours.
I attended twice as a patient — once before each surgery — and I remember thinking that if I had a good recovery, I’d love to come back one day as a speaker.
Years later, I did exactly that.
I volunteered and spoke at these sessions every month for about a year. I was always scheduled for about 15 minutes, and I almost always ended up talking for 30 minutes or more. The conversations often spilled out into the hallway once we lost access to the conference room.
Each session included 10 to 25 patients, all asking questions of nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and hospital staff. Many of them were absolutely terrified — just like I had been years earlier.
Being able to share my experience and reassure them that there is life after hip replacement surgery was incredibly meaningful to me. I loved being able to give back.
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That’s one of the reasons I know I’m going to enjoy this podcast. I’ve wanted to do it for a long time, and now the time feels right.
I hope you find these episodes informative, educational, helpful, entertaining, and uplifting. Whether you’re one day post-surgery or five years out, I believe there’s something here that can help you.
I’ve learned a lot. I’ve dealt with setbacks, aches, and pains — and I’ve learned how to manage them. If that helps you even a little, it’s worth it.
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Thank you for being here for this inaugural episode.
If you haven’t already, I’ve put together a list of my Top 12 Tips for Hip Replacement Patients. There’s a link in the show notes below where you can download it for free.
Please also subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any episodes, leave a review if you can, and share it with someone who might benefit. The more people who participate, the better the conversations, guests, and stories will be.
Eventually, I’ll run out of things to say — or you’ll get tired of hearing just from me — so we’ll bring on guests and learn from others as well.
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That’s it for this inaugural episode — short and sweet.
Next week, I’ll share how and when I knew I was truly turning a corner in my recovery. For months after surgery, I didn’t know if I’d ever feel normal again. But there was a moment when I realized my outcome would be far better than I ever expected.
My original goal was simple: to play with my kids, get on the floor with them, and help my wife. What I achieved went far beyond that — and I’ll tell you how I knew.
Until then, I hope you have a great rest of your day. I look forward to sharing more with you.
Take care — and thank you so much for listening to The Hip Replacement Podcast.
