Patient Testimonials
For the surgeons on the medical staff at Porter Health Care System, there's nothing more satisfying than helping people reclaim the life they thought was behind them.
Read just a few of these inspiring patient stories below. And remember: you don't have to give up what you love, either.
Call (219) 210-4606 or find an orthopedic surgeon who can help you enjoy life like you used to.
Total Hip Replacement
Lee L., Crown Point
Newlyweds Lee and Sally L. of Crown Point, Indiana, are an active couple. "That was our attraction to each other," explains Sally. "In the beginning, it was golf. Next thing you know we're biking." Lee also enjoyed running, and Sally heered him on at marathons and local races. So when Lee began to experience pain after a race, it affected them both.
"I thought it was back pain," says Lee. He had been running up to 50 miles per week, and was suddenly parking near the shopping carts at the grocery store so he had something to lean on. Not one to sit out, Lee saw his family doctor who suspected the pain was originating from his hip. They then turned to specialists in Ohio, Florida and Illinois. "We were running all over the place getting more opinions and out-of-state doctors were encouraging us to schedule back surgery," recalls Sally.
Frustrated, the couple returned to Lee's family doctor for pain medication as they pondered their options. The doctor reiterated his suspicion about the hip and recommended they see orthopedic surgeon, Nick Nenadovich, M.D. "Dr. Nenadovich did an immediate CAT scan and quickly shared the results. He pointed to Lee's hip and said ‘This is your problem,'" recalls Sally.
From there, they met David Musgrave, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hips. "Dr. Musgrave told us our options. He explained that hip surgery isn't like heart surgery, which might be necessary to save your life. Hip surgery is a lifestyle decision," recounts Lee.
Lee didn't want to spend any more time on the sidelines, but he also wanted to make the right choice for lasting success. The Lee and Sally did their research, checking and comparing the credentials of all of the doctors and facilities they'd considered. "Not only did Dr. Musgrave receive consistently high praise, but Porter scored the best of all the facilities, too. We learned that one of the leading causes of complication in hip replacement surgery is rejection, caused by infection. Porter Regional Hospital had one of the best scores, because they have a very low infection rate," shares Lee.
They also learned what Lee needed to do in order to go home the same day as his surgery: "I had to schedule the first appointment of the day, and then I'd need to walk 650 feet and maneuver stairs by 2 p.m.," he smiled. Always up for a challenge, they scheduled surgery—a total right hip replacement—at 7 a.m.
Lee successfully walked out of the hospital by 4 p.m. on the day of his surgery. His back pain was gone and the post-operative pain was far less than the pain he had been living with daily. Lee went back to work the week following his surgery, and got back on a bicycle soon after that. "My only restriction was that I needed a more upright bike, so I wasn't leaning over like I do on the road bike," he says. Just weeks after surgery, the dynamic duo enjoyed an hour-long bike ride.
"I'm working on my short game while I await clearance to golf," says Lee, who expects to be back in his golf league six weeks after surgery.
"My doctor told me that running didn't cause my hip troubles. In fact, he told me that I would recover faster because I had been a runner," remembers Lee. "Just like my surgery was a good decision, we try to make healthy decisions each day. We eat healthy. We avoid fast food. I always take my own lunch to work. We take the stairs. We're active, so that we can remain active," he says.
Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement
Do you remember a time in your life when you said, "I just can't wait?" It's called anticipation, and it's typically what we experience before a happy or life-changing event such as graduation, a new baby or even retirement. In the case of Lorenzo M., Diane M. and Rex R., each who were suffering with debilitating hip pain, anticipation accompanied their decisions to undergo minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. They each desired to regain their mobility, improve their quality of life and live pain free once more.
Read on to meet Lorenzo, Diane and Rex and learn why they agree: "The Future's So Bright We Gotta Wear Shades."
Diane M., Valparaiso
Hip problems aren't new to Diane M. of Valparaiso. She had her left hip replaced several years ago in a surgery that cut through the muscles and required many weeks of intensive recovery. But during years since, Diane began to have back problems. "It got so bad I had to crawl up stairs on all fours," she shared. She made an appointment with a back specialist. "I learned it wasn't my back at all. It was my right hip and it needed replacing."
Diane's surgery was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and by 1:00 pm the same day she was sitting in a chair. She was doing so well she took a walk on the hospital floor. "I remember staying in the hospital three days with my first hip replacement and on day one I barely moved." This time, Diane was home the next morning and tossed her cane away after three days. She began rehab within three days and was ready to begin a new job two weeks later—one that requires climbing stairs and hours on her feet. "I'd say the recovery time for this surgery was about a third of what it was to recover from my first hip replacement," she says.
"Before the surgery, I would make decisions about what I could do based on the number of steps it would require and how much it would hurt. I had to decide between things I had to do and things I wanted to do. Now I'm pleased to say I can do both and I look forward to every pain-free day," she beams.
Lorenzo M., Chicago
Lorenzo M. has danced most of his life. He has been a choreographer for nearly 30 years and runs his own successful business, designing moves for some of the leading high school color guard groups across the country. So when movement became painful, it was a problem. "At first I thought it was my age or my shoes or my knees. I took a lot of pills for pain, but nothing helped," he recalls.
Lorenzo was forced to hire assistants to travel the country with him to demonstrate his dance moves. "It was bad. It got to the point that I couldn't even step up onto a curb," he says. He learned that his years of dancing, basketball and karate had destroyed his hips. Hip replacement was the only way to restore movement.
"Before I moved forward with surgery, I did a lot of research," says Lorenzo, a Chicago resident.
Lorenzo chose to have the minimally invasive surgery at Porter—one hip at a time, three months apart. "Just a week after the first replacement I went back to work but on crutches. I was choreographing a week after that," he says.
Interestingly, Lorenzo didn't just feel the relief in his hips. "The first thing my wife said to me is that she could see it in my face. The very first day she said, ‘The pain is out of your face.' My face became brighter and younger."
Today, Lorenzo is back creating his own choreography. "People see my routines and think a younger dancer did this," he says. "I feel a million times better and I'm grateful."
Rex R., Valparaiso
Rex R. is well known as the energetic leader of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce and winner of the state's Chamber Executive of the Year. Hip pain didn't fit into his busy lifestyle. "Initially I thought I had pulled a muscle. I've always been a very athletic person, so I just thought I'd work it out," says Rex. But the pain persisted. "Within about three months, it was more than inconvenient; I was becoming unable to play golf or even climb stairs." So he made an appointment with his doctor.
When X-rays revealed arthritis in Rex's left hip, he was scheduled for minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. "I could actually have gone home the same day. The incision is small—about three inches—and I had very little discomfort. Plus, the nurses were so kind and gentle; it made my overnight stay fabulous."
Within a week of surgery, Rex began rehabilitation. "Every time I had a rehab session, I could see monumental improvements. Within the first week, I was back to 100 percent of my flexibility," he says. Richards returned to work just two weeks after the surgery. "It was quite amazing."
Even more amazing was Rex's long-term recovery. Just months after his complete hip replacement, Rex was well enough to lead the Chamber's delegation in the Popcorn Festival Parade, walking the entire route.
These days, Rex is back on the golf course and setting a fast pace for the city. "One of the great thrills in life now is just walking to the bank or running errands from the office. I enjoy being active."