Tina's Story

In 2006, Tina took the trip of a lifetime – she traveled to Uganda to provide dental services to children in need. “I would not have been able to make this trip before my hip replacement surgery,” the 66-year-old dental assistant and grandmother of nine says.

A self-described lifelong “doer,” Tina says she’s never been one to sit still for very long. In addition to her volunteer work, she enjoys running, playing tennis and golf, and spending time with her grandchildren. “I feel very blessed to have such a full life,” Tina says.

Prior to undergoing hip replacement surgery, Tina found her world gradually shrinking as she was forced to discontinue some of her favorite activities due to osteoarthritis in her left hip. An avid runner, Tina says she coped with the pain for close to eight years before she fully understood its source. “I had developed sciatica and groin pain, and everyone I spoke with seemed to think it was a problem with my back,” Tina says.

Although she had been a marathon runner previously, Tina soon had to give up running altogether. She continued to play tennis despite her groin pain, but this activity also became more and more difficult.

At a tennis match one day, Tina’s opponent noticed that she appeared to be in pain and recommended that she see the woman’s husband, an orthopaedic surgeon. “I made an appointment and we spoke about hip replacement surgery at the time, but neither of us felt like I was ready for it,” Tina says. Instead, her doctor gave her a cortisone injection, which provided relief for a few months, but the pain soon returned.

“I danced at a wedding in high-heeled shoes, and woke up at 2 a.m. feeling terrible,” Tina says. Not long after, Tina went for a walk in her neighborhood and found herself in so much pain that she was unable to move. “Somehow I eventually made it back to the house, and as soon as I got home, I burst into tears,” Tina says. “I felt like I was no longer able to do all the things I loved the most. I couldn’t even get down on the floor to play with my grandkids.”

In addition to giving up some of her most favorite activities, Tina says she also lost an important social network. “I had groups of friends that I ran with or played tennis with, and I really didn’t see them much anymore. I’m a very social person, so this was difficult for me,” Tina says.

In late 2001, Tina took a trip to New York, and once again found her mobility was limited due to the pain in her hip. “After the trip, I finally decided I was ready for surgery,” Tina says.

Tina underwent hip replacement surgery two months later, and says that her recovery period went very well. To aid in her recovery in the beginning, Tina followed her doctor’s advice and did exercises in a pool. After two weeks, Tina returned to work, and soon after she began resuming some of the physical activities she’d once enjoyed. “I started doing yoga after four weeks, and I began hitting tennis balls after six weeks,” Tina says.

Tina says she appreciates her life even more following the surgery. “I got my life back, and it’s wonderful. It’s like being sick and then getting well again – you appreciate your health even more because at one point, you didn’t have it.”

Today, Tina is planning another service trip to Africa. “Being able to go on this trip is great – you’re on a plane for 23 hours, so I know I would not have been able to do this prior to surgery. You also need to feel both physically and emotionally healthy before taking this kind of trip,” Tina says.

While Tina feels that everything happens for a reason, she also admits that she wishes she had the surgery sooner.

The performance of hip replacements depends on age, weight, activity level, and other factors. There are potential risks and recovery takes time. People with conditions limiting rehabilitation should not have this surgery. Only an orthopaedic surgeon can tell if hip replacement is right for you.