Actor Alec Baldwin is opening up about his challenging recovery journey following a recent hip replacement surgery.
On Sunday, June 4, Baldwin used Instagram as a platform to express his experiences, stating, "Last Tuesday, I underwent hip replacement surgery. This was the second time I've had to do this, the first being in 2018 when I had my left hip replaced. Now, five days post-surgery, the pain is lessening, but it has been an excruciating experience."
Wearing a casual t-shirt and seated in a bedroom, Baldwin added, "We often say in our household that 'It’s the pain that’s going to end the pain.' The process is slow and incredibly painful, but it's necessary."
The former "30 Rock" star revealed that the surgery was overdue by two years. Nonetheless, he had continually postponed it due to professional commitments and health issues, specifically failing the glucose test.
Baldwin explained, "I needed this operation at least two years ago. Living and walking around with this condition, limping, did me no favors. The resulting strain on my back, neck, feet, and knees caused more harm than good."
Struggling to fit the surgery into his busy schedule, Baldwin said, "I didn’t have the luxury of taking four to six weeks off for recovery. Add to that my glucose issues that interfered with the surgery preparation. We had scheduled the surgery a few times, only for me to fail my blood sugar test. Eventually, I managed to sort it out, and the surgery was performed. But the aftermath is agonizing."
Still, Baldwin hasn't lost his sense of humor. Despite the hardship, he managed to make a light-hearted comment about his post-operative pain management.
"I remember the first night in the hospital after the surgery when they gave me painkillers," Baldwin reminisced with a smirk, "I haven't felt that high since 1977. It's intense. However, it doesn't help you function. I don't think they alleviate the pain as much as they just switch off your brain."
To pass the time during his recovery, Baldwin is immersing himself in films, hinting at it with a post captioned "Movies, movies, movies." His eldest daughter, Ireland Baldwin, showed her support by suggesting that he "should watch White Chicks."