Have you ever heard the phrase “don’t wait until your house is on fire to meet your neighbors?” I was lucky in this regard. I had already built deep friendships in Austin, and this experience reminded me how essential it is to nurture those relationships long before you need them.
When I went down, my people stepped up.
10. Ask for Help
Before surgery, I sent a text message to all my local friends, asking for post-op support with some specific requests. People want to help, but they often don’t know how unless we tell them. That one text led to more visits, meals and laughs than I can count.
Harley the Hip!
Silver Linings
Arthritis broke me in ways I’d never expect. But I’m healing and not just because I have a new hip. This experience taught me how lonely pain can be, how powerful it is to feel seen and heard and how much hope a clear path forward can bring. This experience taught me that I am loved. I’m infinitely grateful to my partner, my mom, my physical therapist, my surgical team and my community for holding me up when I couldn’t do it myself.
Also, my new hip’s name is Harley.
Samantha C. Shapiro, MD, is a clinician educator who is passionate about the care and education of rheumatology patients. She writes for both medical and lay audiences and practices telerheumatology.
