Helen Chalier

I experienced two years of increasing pain in my right hip, which ultimately prevented me from going up and down stairs step over step, limited my walking to shorter and shorter distances, and eventually required the use of a cane to walk outside. I am an avid skier, having learned to ski as a young girl, and continued skiing during the past two years. However, I could no longer ski the challenging terrain I like. Further, I could not walk with my ski boot on, making it not only impossible to walk around the base of the mountain, but also prevented me from walking to the gondola carrying my skis. I finally came to terms with the fact that, as advised by Dr. Jose Rodriguez, I did need a total hip replacement due to right hip dysplasia and serious joint arthritis, which totally interfered with my quality of life. I called Dr. Rodriguez’s office from Colorado in March 2017 and scheduled my surgery for July 11, 2017 at HSS. My surgery was uneventful; I experienced very little pain, within 3 days I no longer took any prescription pain medications; and within 4 weeks, I was walking without a cane. After 6 weeks of PT, I joined a gym and have been consistently working on endurance and strengthening, not only of my right hip and leg musculature, but of my entire body to be ready for ski season in mid-January. I am thrilled that Dr. Rodriguez performed my anterior approach total hip replacement. After 6 months, I am back on the slopes in Aspen Colorado for several weeks of skiing.