My Right Total Hip Replacement
After a year of thinking I had a pulled groin muscle, going to therapy, exercising, yoga, and stretching, my limp continued to get worse, so I went to an Orthopedic Doctor. I had an x-ray taken, and the dreaded phrase came out of Dr. Payne’s mouth (not the best name for a Dr.) : “You have bone on bone in your hip, if I had just seen your x-ray, I would be scheduling you for surgery”. He was surprised this 63-year-old woman could walk in unassisted. I was still walking 6 miles a day at that point but with difficulty. I have always been very active, healthy, and usually walked at least 10,000 steps before breakfast. My faith has always been something that has sustained me. Everything we do in life is a choice. I choose to have faith in God and move forward with persistence in gaining knowledge and conquering obstacles when possible.
Once I knew I would never get better without surgery, my decision to have a total hip replacement was easy. My next challenge was researching surgeons and what to expect and need for and after surgery. My only experience with hip replacement surgery was when my father suffered a hip fracture and needed a total hip replacement 17 years ago and passed away about three months later. I have learned hip replacements have come a long way since then. They can last over 25 years; some report that the new ones can last over 75 years. There are lots of considerations when researching hip replacements, like what approach your surgeon does, anterior (front of thigh), lateral (side of thigh), posterior (back of thigh), and if your muscles are cut or not. My surgeon performs anterior with no muscles cut on a special table, and when he operates, he may do several of these a day; he is an expert with hundreds of amazing reviews! That is what I wanted.
I checked with my insurance and googled all the hip surgeons in Virginia Beach and read every Google review. After all my research, I decided on Dr. Gondusky at the Jordan-Young Institute in VA Beach. He had three fellowships and specialized in hip and knee replacements. It took four weeks to get the appointment. At the appointment, I knew I wanted him as my surgeon and scheduled my surgery that visit, for March 20, six weeks from my appointment. I completed the hospital class that gave an overview of what to expect about one and a half weeks later. I completed the required blood tests and EKG, and my personal Dr. approved me for surgery. Three weeks before my surgery, my back tooth chipped, and I was blessed to get a dentist to crown it in two days.
