Janet
My mother (then 80) took a fall in 1993 that required a hip replacement. Even though she was in considerable pain, when the paramedics arrived she looked at them and said "I've fallen and can't get up!" (This was the time when TV ads used the statement in commercials.) The surgery and rehabilitation went extremely well. With the use of a walker she was able to be more mobile than she had been for several years. She quickly graduated to using a footed cane which really increased her ability to move around. Unfortunately after she came home from the hospital, she refused to continue to do the exercises she had been given. It didn't take long before you could see a marked decline in her mobility. Now at age 87 it is difficult for her to move around and must use a walker at all times. Of course, she now encounters significant pain in her hip. Bottom line, please make sure to continue all exercises to maintain the increased mobility that is possible after successful replacement surgery and rehabilitation.