Episode 24 – How to Upgrade Your Life After Hip Replacement- Transcript
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 back to The Hip Replacement Podcast. I'm Chris Bystriansky, your host. I'm also more than 10 years out from two hip replacement surgeries. Actually, one is more than 10 years ago, and the other is more than 12 years ago.
I'm here to share my experiences with you because you may find value in this, and I like sharing. If it's helpful to you, that's absolutely wonderful. Mission accomplished.
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In this episode, I'm going to talk about the three paths following a hip replacement surgery briefly, and then how to change the path you're on and upgrade your life after a hip replacement surgery.
Last episode, we talked about the three paths, but I'm just going to touch on them briefly right here.
The first path is what I refer to as the sinker. It's the path where your life after a hip replacement surgery is worse than it was before hip replacement surgery. It has a negative trajectory.
The second path someone could be on following a hip replacement surgery is what I refer to as the swimmer path. It's not a sinker. It's a swimmer. This is where someone's life feels about the same as before surgery. Maybe there's a slight increase in the trajectory, but it's about the same. It's not taking off and it's not decreasing.
The third path is what I refer to as a flyer path. This is where someone's life is actually better after surgery than it was before surgery. It has a positive trajectory. I don't mean just because they're more mobile or not in pain anymore. I mean significantly better, such that they're doing things and living a life well beyond what they would have been living even if they had no hip replacement surgery or pain before.
Something happened at the time of that hip replacement surgery or shortly thereafter, and their life got better.
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So what is the next step after identifying the paths someone can be on? What does each group need to do to improve the path or trajectory they're on?
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that we all want to get better. Whether that's improving from a hip replacement surgery, recovering, or just our lives. I think we all want to be more hopeful, more optimistic. We want things to be better tomorrow than they were today or yesterday.
Some people, for one reason or another, may have lost faith or don't believe that a better life is possible. We need to address that.
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Let's talk about the three paths and what can be done to improve. There may be some overlap in what each group needs, but I would say there's a primary thing each group needs.
Sinkers
What do sinkers need? I think what sinkers need the most is to see progress.
These are folks whose life is on a negative trajectory for one reason or another. Maybe they're not seeing results. Maybe they're in more pain. Maybe they're not recovering the way they thought. Maybe they're dealing with emotional issues. This is a major surgery. A part of the body is taken out. There could be a variety of reasons someone is on this path.
People on this path need to feel progress.
When you don't feel progress, you don't feel control. You don't feel traction. That can push someone down a negative path.
Motivation and hope flow from taking action and seeing progress. Seeing that you have control and can make a difference in your own life.
If you're in this group, do something to create progress. If you know someone in this group, help them make progress. Even small progress bends the trajectory from negative to flat, and eventually to positive.
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Swimmers
Swimmers are on a relatively flat trajectory.
What do swimmers need? They need to realize that there's more available to them. They need to believe that something bigger is possible.
They already feel some control. They already feel some progress. But they aren't envisioning a grander future. They aren't seeing a second opportunity in life.
Once they see that something bigger is possible, they can take action and increase that trajectory.
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Flyers
Flyers are on a path where their life trajectory has increased after surgery. Something happened. They had a second wind. They are doing more, living fuller lives, having more fun, accomplishing more, and feeling better.
What do flyers need?
Flyers need help flying higher.
They already have motivation, vision, and action. But they need help expanding their potential.
Flyers should surround themselves with other successful people. Coaching, mentors, and being around high performers helps them achieve even more.
If you want to do something extraordinary, go spend time with people who are already doing it.
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Final Thoughts
First, know what path you're on.
Second, understand what that path needs.
Finally, when you find someone or something that helps you get what you need, seize the opportunity.
We only live once. We only get one opportunity to do this. Don't let a greater life pass you by because you failed to seize the opportunity.
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I hope this is helpful. I've seen many people on all these paths, whether related to hip replacement surgery or other life challenges. When people get what they need, they can change their trajectory.
Make sure you tune into the next episode. I'll go deeper and share something I think you'll really like and find helpful.
Thanks for listening and thanks so much for tuning into The Hip Replacement Podcast. Until next time, I wish you the best recovery possible.
