Kristen Houser

About three years ago I fractured my hip in a serious car accident, which ultimately led to arthritis in my hip about a year and a half later. As an extremely active 24 year old this physical and psychological devastation took over my life. The progression of this disease was so fast that within 8 months, I went from running miles to not being about to stand for 5 minutes. This took a toll on every aspect of my life and every day was a difficult struggle. Being a graduate student and coping with the hip pain took every ounce of energy and motivation I had on a daily basis. I felt defeated from the moment I woke up each day until the second I fell asleep each night until I met with Dr. Westrich for the first time in January 2015. Dr. Westrich understood me; he understood that it was about my quality of life as a 24 year old. He took an x-ray at this first appointment and undoubtedly saw why I was in so much pain. He told me by the looks of my x-ray that he would do surgery ASAP, and honestly I probably would have jumped on the operating table that second if he offered. I was finally hopeful and optimistic that I would get my life back. Due to school obligations I had to wait until the spring for my operation.

It was May 19, 2015, the day of my hip replacement surgery! I was nervous, anxious, excited, and all of the above that day. However, once I arrived to HSS the genuinely caring admissions personnel and nursing staff soon put my mind at ease. Right before surgery, Dr. Westrich came to check on me and quickly helped me relax. After surgery was over and I woke up, the hip pain that I had was gone. It was truly incredible. I was walking around the next day! It has been almost 8 weeks since my surgery and I feel like I could run a marathon, bike the Tour de France, climb Mt. Everest, and well you get the point! I most likely will not undertake these extreme endeavors (don’t want to scare Dr. Westrich), but it is a relief to know that I could physically do them thanks to Dr. Westrich and his team. I do not have words to describe the impeccable experience I had with HSS. From the employees who delivered my food each day (food is great by the way), to the therapists who got me up and moving, to the doctors who gave me a new hip, and everyone in between I just want to say, you put a smile on my face everyday and will always have a place in my heart! I am truly humbled by the obstacles I’ve encountered throughout my young life and so deeply grateful for people like Dr. Westrich and each and every person I encountered at HSS.