I am sitting at my computer one year to the day since the total replacement of my right hip--anterior approach by Dr. Danyal Nawabi! However, I have two little regrets. The first is that I didn’t have a family member or friend take a video of how I was walking prior to my surgery. The other is that I waited a so long to share my story about how I got BACK IN THE GAME!
I had such a successful outcome and have regained mobility, range of motion and strength. I would love to look back at that video and see how impaired I had become prior to surgery. The pain was a constant dull ache during my waking hours, and it either kept me awake at night or awakened me once I had fallen asleep. My hip hurt when I sneezed or went over bumps when in the car. I couldn’t put on my socks nor tie my shoes without great difficulty. A friend saw me walking down the street from behind, but convinced herself that, “It couldn’t be Marie because she is too young to be limping and walking so poorly. It must be an old lady.” At age 51, I thought that I would have ended up in a wheelchair by 55 had it not been for the surgery! Dr. Nawabi is skillful, intelligent, and very thorough. He explained all aspects of the surgery and was spot on with what to expect post-surgically in terms of rehab and returning to my normal activities.
Why did I wait so long to share my story? There is really no excuse, but I thought that doing so on the anniversary of my surgery has given me time to reflect and list all the things that have changed in that year. I was able to hand out candy last Halloween without any crutches 4 weeks after surgery! I cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner for 14 people, hoisting the heavy turkey in and out of the oven without pain or limitation. I did all my Christmas shopping and maneuvered the mall parking lots with ease. We traveled to Utah in February and I was very comfortable during the flight—something that was far from the case the year before! Our family went to London and Barcelona during Easter vacation and I logged close to 20,000 steps in one day! Walking on the beach and riding my bicycle again is a welcome addition to my life. Lastly, I took the 6 train to my one-year follow-up appointment at HSS, and walked from 68th Street and Lexington Avenue to Dr. Nawabi’s office with great ease, and without any pain.
Although I waited to submit my story, I can honestly say that I have been BACK IN THE GAME for while thanks to Dr. Nawabi.
All by Physician