Giok, I was hoping that your recent surgery cured your ills. (My sister- (much older than you)had/s a real problem with her hip replacement but I was hoping that is quite rare.

I have several friends who had it done and had great results. One of them no longer jogs but he does still 'bushwhack' each summer (He and one or two friends have someone drop them off in a remote spot and then the guys make their 3 or 4 day journey home over the hills and mountains). He's quite happy with it.

Another one had a bad fall on ice a few years ago and broke his hip. Rather than rebuild it, the doctors opted to give him a hip replacement. He was 56, which is young for a replacement, and he may end up having one or more surgeries over time. But he too is doing fine.

Another friend had it done about 10 years ago and he wishes he'd had it done much sooner. No pain, no worries.

I know that you've said that you have arthritis. Is that the main cause of your problem? Arthritis is one of those diseases I hope they get a handle on- and soon.