Yes, she could still walk during the spacer, it is actually a form of cement! Yes, the wire is still in there and only way to remove it would be another surgery, hopefully not! And her hips are no issue now, although they did compress some nerve’s throughout the various surgeries, therefore there is a little numbness and one leg is shorter then the other which gives her a limp but she has placed a spacer in her shorter legs shoe, which helps unless she gets tired.
Overall she is doing well, honestly, between you and me, she has gained some weight which slows her down some, warmers weather coming, hopefully she can get outside and walk some. Last summer she rode riding lawn mower and helped me mow, outside activities!