Conditions + Treatments
Hip Replacement
As a former dancer, I knew my body had taken a lot of abuse over the years. I had countless injuries to my feet, ankles, and knees. But when I turned 45, it became my left hip. At first, it just was a dull pain that bothered me occasionally. By the time I turned 50, I could barely get out of bed.
As a preschool director, one of my favorite jobs was to do music time with the children. I was now to a point where I couldn’t stand up, sit down, or move during our action songs. I limped everywhere. My friends told me it hurt them to watch me walk. I just kept pushing through the pain, and limped everywhere. Except now, I stopped doing things that would cause me to have to walk any distance. I was a 50 year-old woman walking like an 80 year-old!
I had a neighbor that had been to Dr. Jeffrey Davis. She had both of her hips replaced due to a hereditary condition. She talked about how wonderful she felt. She talked about how much replacement was worth it. I had tried the shots and doctors had told me I would eventually need a hip replacement. I sat in my general practitioner’s office and cried one day, I hated limping around, shots didn’t work, and I was so tired of limping! I asked her to refer me to Andrews to meet with Dr. Davis.
At Andrews, I had one x-ray and met with the Dr. Davis. He told me I definitely needed a new hip. My hip was deteriorated from arthritis and over use due to years of dance. He informed me of the various ways that they do the surgery. Then he asked me what my end goal was for the surgery. My daughter was with me that day and she said, “she has to be able to keep up with us at Disney!”
A date was scheduled and pre-surgical plans were made. I went to a meeting that informed me of everything from readying myself for surgery, preparing my house, and becoming familiar with exercises that I would need to do after the surgery. The morning of surgery, I was totally ready for a life without a limp. Dr. Davis prayed with both my husband and myself and I was off to surgery.
Recovery was easy because I had been counseled on what to expect after the replacement. After the first few days, walking became my therapy. I would see my neighbor, and shared with her at how I was amazed at the little to no pain that I had experienced. I could move, I could walk and I wasn’t limping.
My quality of life has improved greatly. I’m not running any marathons, but I can dance at music with the preschoolers. But the main goal was met. I was able to keep up with my daughter and my husband at Disney!
