Gail Bruesewitz-LoPinto

After many years of exercise, dancing, yoga, and pushing a double baby stroller through the streets of New York, my hereditary arthritis started to catch up with me. My mother had hip replacement at the age of 85. At 57, I had some pain and went to have x-rays. The diagnosis was arthritis. I thought I had at least 25 more years of wear and tear before surgery would be needed. Then, at rush hour, I nearly tumbled down the subway stairs a few times, as my legs buckled under my deteriorating hip bones. I needed to hold on to the railings like an old lady. While sitting at my desk speaking to a customer, if I moved slightly the wrong way the pain would cause me to yip involuntarily like a Chihuahua. I began to hold on to office furniture on my way to the ladies room. Finally, out to lunch with a friend one summer afternoon, I nearly tumbled down the few steps leading down to a restaurant across from the Federal Reserve. I couldn't live like that anymore. I called Dr. Mark Figgie's office and schedule bilateral hip replacement for August 12, 2013. I recall being sedated and then awestruck as I was wheeled in for surgery. The state of the art room was filled with staff clad in space aged scrubs and masks scurrying about about with preparations. The glass enclosed room felt like a gymnasium. The state of the art table that would turn like a gyroscope in an direction needed beckoned. The anesthesiologist said, "OK, I need you to sit here," on what looked like a bicycle seat. "There?" I asked. "Where does the rest of me go?" "Oh, don't worry about it," he said. And I remember nothing else until I was in recovery. The care and attention I received during the first 24 hours of recovery was amazing. A flower on my breakfast tray gave me the welcome illusion that I was on vacation. After 4 days of superb care, it was time to move on to acute rehab. My insurance company balked at acute rehab, saying I lived in Manhattan in an elevator building and didn't need to learn to climb stairs. Doctor Mark Figgie dug in his heels and told the claim analyst that I couldn't walk period, and needed acute care. The HSS social worker handling my case said she'd never heard him get quite so angry with an insurance company before. He got me into Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains where the expertise recovery continued. I had four classes a day, a one-on-one physical therapy, and then group therapy. Also a one-on-one occupational therapy, and then a group occupational therapy. Every health care provider at both of these institutions was top notch. I was back at work in 7 weeks. I went to Rusk Rehab at NYU 2-3 x per week from September through December. And I danced at the office holiday party in December. Thanks to Dr. Mark Figgie, his office manager Samantha Taylor, the staff at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, and Rusk Rehabilitation for unparalleled expertise and professionalism you will not find anywhere else in the world.