When you think “double hip replacement,” you probably don’t picture a 30-something mom who can out-squat you and still cracks a Zorro joke about her surgery scar. But that’s exactly who Vanja Medlin is.
Known online as @bionic_hips_fitness, Vanja’s journey is one of resilience, humour, and raw honesty. From surviving war as a child to navigating degenerative arthritis, pregnancy with intense chronic pain, and double hip replacements—this isn’t your average recovery story. It’s a power move, wrapped in sweat, scars, and a whole lot of sass.
In this story, Vanja shares what it really feels like to lose parts of your body and find yourself in the process. Whether you’ve been told you’re “too young” for surgery or you’re struggling to accept what your body now needs—this one’s for you.
But I’ll leave it to Vanja to tell you the rest…
War, Wanderlust & Wrecked Hips
Hi, I’m Vanja—aka @bionic_hips_fitness. And let me tell you, I didn’t plan on becoming the poster girl for hip replacements in your 30s, but here we are.
I was born in Bosnia, and thanks to the war, my family moved to Croatia when I was five. Not long after, we immigrated to the U.S. because my parents were from two different religions, and well… war doesn’t exactly play nice with mixed families.
Fast forward: I’ve always been active—dancing in high school, playing soccer (because duh, I’m European), lifting weights, and then running 5Kms with my husband, who was big into it. I trained hard—like uphill Georgia kind of hard—and thought I was doing great until a 5K in Myrtle Beach took me down. Literally.
I finished the race holding my hip and then immediately started throwing up from the pain. That was the start of the downhill slide.
Double Hip Replacement Diagnosis No 30-Year-Old Wants
I was told I had degenerative arthritis. Turns out I’d inherited it but didn’t know until my hips basically gave me the middle finger during that race. I saw multiple doctors. The first few said we could shave off the bone spurs. But my left hip? It was so engulfed with spurs that I couldn’t move it in any direction. They couldn’t believe I’d been running on it.
I got second, third (and maybe fourth) opinions. One surgeon walked into the room, saw me, and walked right back out. He thought the chart belonged to a 70-year-old woman. When he realised it was me—31 and sitting there in yoga pants—he just said, “Girl, you’ve got the hips of a grandma.”
Charming, right?
Pregnancy + Broken Hips = Chaos
Despite all that, I wasn’t mentally ready to commit to surgery. Then I got pregnant. Pregnancy with busted hips? Oh, it was a joy. Sciatic pain, burning down my legs, sleeping upright, waddling like a penguin who got hit by a bus. My OB took one look at my scans and said, “C-section. No discussion.”
And then my son decided to be breech, so even if I hadn’t agreed, that baby wasn’t coming out the natural way.
After the C-section, things got worse. I couldn’t lie flat. My back was a disaster. My L3 and L4 discs were bulging. I slept in a chair, tried to care for a newborn, and couldn’t even pick him up properly. That broke me.
My husband finally said, “Babe, it’s time.” And he meant it.
The Doctor, HANA, and the Double Hip Replacement
A friend referred me to this top surgeon in Georgia. He was doing anterior hip replacements (way less damage to muscle and nerves) using something called a HANA table—which he actually helped invent. It’s this wild contraption that holds your legs in boots and allows surgeons to move them around like robotic limbs during surgery.
When I met him, he didn’t even give me the option. “We’re doing this,” he said. “One at a time.”
I had the first one in June 2020. The second? On my birthday in November. I said, “Happy birthday to me—here’s the gift of mobility.”
The team even decorated the OR. But here’s the real kicker: my husband, total romantic that he is, asked the surgical team if he could keep my removed hip bone to carve it into a cane for me. I mean… what?! A literal hipster cane made from my hip? Sadly, the hospital said no (somehow, bone souvenirs aren’t policy). But the fact that he asked? Forever iconic.
Healing After My Double Hip Replacement
Recovery wasn’t easy. That second hip took more out of me—uneven legs, swelling, and scars that looked like Zorro started slicing but got distracted. But I found Arena Strength (those resistance bands from Australia) and started rebuilding. They helped me regain my muscle, slowly and safely. I got stronger. Bit by bit.
Now, I jump on trampolines with my son. I run. I squat. I wear shorts with pride. And when strangers ask about my scar at the beach, I say, “That? That’s my Zorro signature. He just never finished the ‘Z’.”
Lesson For My Clicky Hip Sisters
The hardest part wasn’t the physical pain—it was letting go of the idea that something that was once mine, my real hips, were being cut away forever. It felt like a loss. But eventually, I had this moment of clarity:
Our body parts are only good to us if they work. If they’re broken—why hold onto them? It’s the same with trauma, grudges, or anything that drags you down. Let it go. Get new hips. Get a new mindset.
I got both—and they gave me my life back.
Final Thoughts
Vanja’s story is a fierce reminder that healing doesn’t always look graceful—but it sure as hell looks strong.
She didn’t just survive her surgeries—she reclaimed her mobility, rebuilt her strength, and is now helping others feel less alone in their journey. Whether it’s resistance bands, bounce houses, or bionic hips—Vanja is proof that transformation starts when you say, “Enough is enough. I deserve better.”
If you’re holding on to something broken—be it a body part, a belief, or someone else’s timeline for your healing—let this be your sign. You don’t have to carry the weight of pain just to prove your strength. You’re already strong.
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If you wish to remain anonymous but still tell your story, that’s totally ok. 🩷
