|
The Active Surface Hippy
February 16, 2008
This was taken the other day skiing at Durango Mountain
Resort...We had gotten over 22" inches of snow. The skiing this year has
been nothing short of "epic." I am able to ski all the runs I used to ski
before my hip began to really hurt about 6 years ago. I had my hip
resurfaced by Dr. Gross on 9/6/06. I waited the full year before skiing
again. It was my decision to do that. I now ski at least 3 times a week and
everything feels as normal as before my hip ever started hurting. I just
don't pound the bumps anymore. Not because of the hip, but because after 30
years of skiing I want to save my knees! Life is good with the new hip...Thanx
for creating this site Pat.....Shelly Perlmutter
The Story
Felt a stabbing pain in my left groin skiing one
day in November 1998. Went to a couple of different doctors over the next
few years with diagnosis of AVN to muscle pulls...
Finally found a doctor in 2002 who saw the
cartilage loss and scoped my hip...Found out I had a torn labrum (probably
from 20 years of competitive water ski jumping) and that a small amount of
cartilage had worn down to become bone on bone. I was bummed to say the
least...Since I live in the mountains, I ski, hike, mountain bike and chop
wood around the house.
I now realized that the phantom knee pain and
back pain over the previous years was the result of my hip wearing
out....What to do??? So I had the hip scoped as the doctor said it would
give me a couple of years before I needed a Total Hip Replacement. I knew
the restrictions on a THR and got a bit depressed that life for me at my
age was going to change DRASTICALLY...But during the next couple of years, I
found a few friends that had had this "experimental" procedure called hip resurfing. They were skiers/mountain bikers in a nearby mountain town. They
raved about it. So off I went and researched and the more I found the more I
liked it...
I picked Dr. Gross because I had friends on the
East Coast who could fly down and take care of me during my surgery and
rehab. I also felt very comfortable with him in our conversation and
consultation over the phone.
Unfortunately, I tore my rotator cuff mountain
biking in February 2006 so had to postpone my hip surgery till September for
the healing process of my shoulder surgery to heal. In the meantime, I
couldn't make it through a supermarket or walk a few blocks without looking
like Quasimodo, dragging my leg behind me.. The worst, was dropping people
off at trailheads for hikes...or mountain biking and watching them enjoy the
outdoors...I felt old..Really old. All of a sudden I was known as Shelly
with the bad hip...
Lo and behold, surgery was done on September 6,
2006. I experienced minor discomfort but not pain when I woke after
surgery...When I got out of bed to experience my first walk, I immediately
knew that old hip pain was GONE. I worked hard at rehab and on my 9th week,
I walked a 8 mile canyon trail in Moab, Utah near where I live,
Dr. Gross took off all restrictions at the 6
month mark and I have not looked back.. I'm mountain biking all trails,
seeing wildflowers on the high mountain hikes, backpacking, skiing deep
powder again, working legs in the gym with weights as before hip pain, and
the biggest thing, is forgetting I even have a new hip...Life is good.. Dr.
Gross, Lee Webb and staff are wonderful as they handled not just the
surgery, but insurance issues as well. He's the best...OK, I'm biased...
At 55, I've been reborn...and as many years as
this resurf gives me, I am truly blessed.......
Be well, Shelly Perlmutter
|
