FYI--I had my first hip replacement 17 years ago. I just had x-rays and it shows no wear at all...yay! I am very active (go to the gym regularly) and I have no pain although sometimes the muscles tighten up and I have a few sessions of PT to put me back on track. You might find this funny...a few weeks ago I saw a friend I hadn't seen in a long while. She asked me how my hip was and for a minute there I didn't know what she was talking about! I FORGOT I'd had a hip replacement. Thought that was pretty cool because before I had my surgery, I was wondering how my life would change afterwards. For me, my life is much better "after" the hip replacement. I know it's scary and everyone is different but for me, having my hip replaced was the best thing I've done. Good luck to you!