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Judy Lilley LBHR12/2/09 Dr. Michael Clarke PDF Print E-mail
I am 52 years of age, remarried in August 09 and have 2 grown children.  During the past three years, my difficulty walking has become increasingly more evident.  I would have co-workers ask why I was limping.  My internist said that I was too young to have arthritis, so the pain I had at night and sometimes walking and getting in and out of the car was just the normal aging process.  About 18 months ago, she finally had an x-ray taken of the hip that I identified as most painful.  It indicated moderate to severe arthritis.  She had me take some supplements. 
JudyBy six months later, my walking and other daily activities had become severely restricted.  The doctor then sent me to an orthopaedic doctor who identified at the first meeting that I would probably need total hip replacement for both hips, starting with the most painful, although nether appeared on the x-ray to be more or less impaired.  The orthopaedic gave me an injection in the bursa, followed by an injection directly into the hip using x-ray to guide it.  I was also sent to physical therapy, although the doctor didn't believe that that would give me any relief. 
 
 
Picture taken one week after wedding 8/09
 
I happened to be at a conference in Albany, NY when I saw a billboard referring to hip resuracing.  When I researched it online, I discovered that Dr. Michael Clarke practiced in Syracuse, NY, only a half hour from my home in Pulaski, NY.  When I next visited my orthopaedic in Watertown, NY, he agreed that given my age and concern for range of motion, that the resurfacing might be an option for me.  He referred me directly to Dr. Clarke back in the Spring.  I am now 10 days post left hip resurfacing.  While, I was amazed to be released from the hospital on Friday after having surgery last Wednesday and I have amazingly little pain, I don't think I've had the results that I see from some of the posters on the surfacehippy site.  In this entire experience, I'm frustrated that I had to find my own solution, when there is a doctor in such close proximity.  It appears that the medical community is not well educated concerning this procedure.  My mom visited one of her doctors over the summer and told me that she discussed the matter with her doctor who advised her that if I were his daughter, he would advise against such a procedure and go with the traditional total hip replacement.
 
Thank you again for establishing this site. 
 
Judy Lilley
 
Update July 3, 2010
 
My husband and I are coming upon our first wedding anniversary.  When we started dating five years ago, I was very active, taking care of a home, teenager and one acre of land (all of which had to be mowed) independently.  Over the course of the four years leading to the wedding, I became less and less able to walk on
trips we took or walk the dogs in the evening; I couldn't get up and down to explore places we'd visit and I definitely had some pain that often prevented me from sleeping well, meaning I didn't want to do as many things.

I had left bhr in December and right bhr in February. 
 
I can put on my socks and shoes independently.
I can put on pantyhose independently.
I can walk up and down stairs, alternating feet, wearing (relatively) high heels and carrying objects.
I'm not the first one to poop out on walks.

We're going kayaking this afternoon and I won't need help getting in or out (I'm pretty sure, anyway).

Life is good.

Judy
Dr. Clarke, lbhr 12/09, rbhr 2/10
 
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