I discovered the joy of running at the age of 12. It seems so long ago, especially since October of 2012 when I was told that my only alternative was bi-lateral THRs. To be told at 47 years of age that my running days were over was a hard thing to take. I’m an Airborne, Air Assault, and Ranger US Army officer, and over the years I’ve been going hard and fast without taking too much time to listen to my complaining body. I have run many a 5k, 10k, 10 milers, participated in several sprint and Olympic distance triathlons, completed numerous road marches (with ruck sack and other military equipment), and played in numerous sports. All of it came to screeching halt in the Fall of 2012, when after complaining to my doctor of hip pain after what seemed a rather routine workout in my elliptical at home.
In October 2012 my Army ortho doctor ordered some x-rays and they came back showing bi-lateral degenerative joint disease. MRIs soon followed the x-rays and I was referred to a civilian orthopedic surgeon, who proceeded to tell me that he wished that he could help me, but my only option was THR surgery of both of my hips. He suggested that I wait for the THRs until I had pain in my hips more than 50% of the week for more than 3 weeks. Before I left the ortho surgeon’s office, I got a shot of steroid in each of my IT bands and off I went. No more running, but plenty of physical therapy (PT) lay ahead for me. I did the PT thing for 8 months, only to be interrupted with a right shoulder surgery and the associated recovery, followed by a steroid shot in each of my hips in May 2013. In July of 2013 after loading, unloading, and stacking 80 bales of hay for our farm animals, the hip pain returned with a vengeance. I went back to my Army ortho doc, who ordered more x-rays of my hips and also included a set of x-rays of … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)
