"I managed to get down the aisle without crutches just two weeks after my hip replacement operation"

“My journey to a double hip replacement began before I even got engaged to my childhood sweetheart and long term partner, Michael.

Last year, I was causing excruciating pain in my right hip and I felt my life had ground to a halt - I couldn’t horse ride, I couldn’t undertake any policing duties, and I couldn’t even make it to the local shops.

I was referred to Rotherham hospital for my first operation, but months went by with no date set.

When Michael proposed and a date was set for nine months away, in June, I was desperate to get the surgery out of the way.

I found out I had the right to choose where I had the op, so I asked to switch waiting lists to Practice Plus Group Hospital in Barlborough.

I was counting down the days to the surgery, set for 12 weeks down the line in December.

I can’t begin to describe how bad the pain was at that time - I could not go to work and could barely walk. My dream of walking down the aisle on our wedding day seemed impossible.

The team in Barlborough were amazing, and I returned home with crutches two days after the surgery - only to find, in the coming weeks, I was overcompensating for the new hip, damaging by left hip in the process.

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It was February by this point, and the wedding fast approaching.

Seeing how much pain I was in again, Michael asked if I’d be ok to get married in four months’ time, but we’d paid - there was no going back!

That spurred me on, so I went back, got the news I needed the second hip replaced too, and was put back on the waiting list in Barlborough, which was 12 weeks long.

This meant I was operated on just 14 days before the wedding. I was so pleased that the surgery went really well again, but time was ticking.

I’m such an active, determined person that when I left the hospital, I decided I was going to leave without using the crutches! I couldn’t face the thought of being a bride on crutches on my big day – you only marry once, and I wanted to be able to walk down the aisle unaided. I didn’t want pictures to be taken of me with crutches.

In the fortnight that followed, I focused only on that.

I did have to re-think my bridal outfit though, as my leg was swollen and bruised from the operation.

I went for a white linen suit instead, with loose-fitting trouser legs and a pair of white trainers (as there was no way I could wear heels now!).

The big day arrived on June 1, the same day as my birthday - it was amazing! My crutches were tossed aside as I’d hoped, and I was able to walk down the aisle and stand throughout the ceremony.

We’d opted for a small wedding with just our neighbours as witnesses and our son, Harry, as our special guest.

I was delighted to be able to walk to our reception unaided afterwards too. In every photo, I looked like me, and not like I had just been through surgery.

Before the operation it was like someone had pressed pause on my world – not able to work, ride my horse or even begin to think about celebrating a beautiful wedding day.

Since having both my hips done, things have gone back to normal, and I really feel I can start my new chapter as Mrs Hiner pain-free.”