Patient Stories

Troy

Hello Fellow Sufferers,
I am a 53 year old Japanese/American living in California. Yes, we have the best weather in the USA and thankfully it only gets down to the 50’s, on an average cold night, which for us suffering from our condition know that cold is the enemy.
I was recently diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia, in both hips, after numerous trips to the Primary Care Physician, Physical Therapy, Rheumatologist, and finally a Joint Specialist who made this diagnosis. So now I’m in the exploratory stages of what to do next.
The Joint Specialist definitely recommends a hip replacement, at some point in my life. Of course being 53, it’s not the opportune time with the average 15 year lifespan for a hip replacement however, the opposing solution being constant pain and discomfort, I feel like it’s time to roll the dice and go for surgery.
I own my own business and travel extensively. In fact I’m headed to Geneva, for 2 weeks, and am a bit concerned if I’ll be able to endure without my PT close by but heck, it’s Geneva….I’ll manage. Cue violins…lol
My work is quite physical and requires my body to be in good, maneuverable shape. Lately, I can barely walk let alone bend down. My limited hip movement is really crippling me, at this point. I don’t need a cane or a walker but when I go shopping, you better believe a shopping cart is my best friend. I call it the walker in disguise. I’m sure a lot of you can identify with the feeling of being too damn proud to use a cane or walker, even if you have to hobble all over the place. It’s really humbling, having a physical handicap, isn’t it?
I came across this site in search of answers and thank God for people like all of you, willing to share your stories and experiences and for the creators of this Institute (Larry the Cable Guy, really?!). I truly believe in helping out your fellow man especially by sharing information and experiences. So thank you to all who have posted and unselfishly shared your pains and triumphs.
I hope to be a contributor myself, one day. For now I’m going to continue to absorb, as much as I can, and continue to pursue the best solution, for me. I’ve never had major surgery, before, and I know this procedure is done all the time but after reading the info, on this site, I realize that the hip replacement procedure somewhat specialized for our condition and that’s why I really want to make sure I understand everything I’m up against and how to best qualify a specialist to perform this procedure.
Best of luck to all of you and thank you for your generosity and time!