By choosing the right doctor I became a US Champion 1 year and 10 months after my surgery.
Bianca: How can we deal with depression when your body does not work in your favor anymore?
Darla: You have to make a plan and stay positive. I studied sports psychology quite a lot and I’ve learned that you can use your mind to overcome negative thoughts. This is exactly what I did during my recovery from surgery.
You have thoughts coming into your head like: “Oh my gosh, look at me now. How am I ever going to get back to dancing like I was before? I had surgery, I can hardly walk”.
I always had little goals – baby steps to move forward each day like little exercises in my hospital bed. I’d look forward to seeing what I can do next and I’d refuse myself to look back.
Bianca: What story inspired you the most in your recovery period?
Darla: Oh, I was looking up all the athletes who’d had hip replacements and got through it or dancers who‘d had things happened to them but made it back to the dance floor.
I was particularly impressed with an ice skater, Rudy Galindo, who had won a national title before he had two hip replacements. He went back to perform, doing his double jumps in shows.
I thought that this is so impressive! If this guy can get two hip replacements and then go back and skate on the ice, jump in the air and land on that skinny little blade, then I can certainly get a hip replacement and dance on a wood floor.