For almost three years, walking was excruciatingly painful. Buying groceries for dinner, picking up my grandchildren from school, and running errands were incredibly difficult accompanied by a lot of pain. I stopped gardening, visiting museums, and going on vacation. I had no quality of life.
I had undergone spinal fusion surgery 20 years ago (I have 4 rods and 14 screws in my spine), the five physicians I initially consulted attributed the pain and difficulty walking to my back. They prescribed pain killers, anti-inflammatories, vitamins, herbal supplements and CBD cream, physical therapy and acupuncture. The pain management specialist suggested implanting an electrical stimulant device in my lower back. Nothing worked. I was convinced that I would live the rest of my life in pain, confined to a wheelchair.
My last hope was to return to HSS where I had my spinal surgery in 1998. “It’s definitely not your back,” I was told. Hip x-rays were ordered and revealed that both of my hips were totally destroyed.
I was referred to an HSS hip and knee surgeon and finally, I had hope. He operated on my left hip in November 2018 and the right hip in March 2019. Both surgeries were total hip replacement, anterior approach. The initial surgery was complex because the fusion in my spine altered the angles in my hip. Because my surgeon had mastered all of my unique complications, the second surgery was more “routine.” Following both surgeries, I went home the next day.
Today, I am pain-free and walking thanks to my surgeon. He is a brilliant, extremely skilled, and gifted surgeon. More importantly, he is a genuine, compassionate, and caring physician who devoted as much time as I needed to answer all my questions. He explained each step of the surgery, reviewed the X-rays and honestly described the complexities of the first surgery. I felt very comfortable, secure and cared for in his presence.
HSS saved my life.
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