I was an active person but then, in my 60s, the pain in my left leg caused
me to walk hunched over. I had to lift the leg of my trousers to get my
leg out of the car. I began to sit or lie down a lot, since that eliminated
the pain. My pain lasted for two years before I had my hip replacement surgery.
It was determined that I had a slight genetic flaw that caused my hip to
be misaligned. I was reluctant to have the surgery —I’d never
had surgery in my life— but eventually decided to because I wanted
to resume an active life. I tried to get into shape before surgery to
increase my chances of getting better sooner. I recommend that people
considering similar surgeries lose weight and develop healthy eating habits
if they need to; it will make recovery easier.
The surgery was a snap; it was over before I knew it. My wife, Carol, said
it lasted less than two hours. I was on my feet later that evening. I
went home the day after surgery and Carol helped me get around. She also
played a role in making sure I did all the exercises—no shortcuts allowed!
The recovery went well. I walked immediately with the help of a walker.
Doing the prescribed exercises assigned by my homebound physical therapist
really contributed to what the therapist later said was a relatively speedy
recovery. I continued in outpatient physical therapy for about another
month before my surgeon released me from the program. Soon I was lifting
my left leg without any help from my trousers.
My motivation to get better, the exercises, and the help of the physical
therapists and my wife all contributed to my recovery. Today, I have my
life back. I can climb a ladder again and my leg muscles have gotten stronger.
I know that this is all a result of the hard work done by the medical
staff involved in my recovery as well as my following the exercise regimen.
I would recommend the surgery to anyone and I would recommend Dr. Stephen
H. Martenson of Winchester Orthopaedic Associates as a surgeon. The facility,
Winchester Medical Center, and its staff are to be recommended, as well.
They met all of my medical needs and expectations!